54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. 55 When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56 Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” 59 Then about an hour later still another kept insisting, “Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about!” At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.
63 Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; 64 they also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” 65 They kept heaping many other insults on him.
66 When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council. 67 They said, “If you are the Messiah, [184] tell us.” He replied, “If I tell you, you will not believe; 68 and if I question you, you will not answer. 69 But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70 All of them asked, “Are you, then, the Son of God?” He said to them, “You say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!”
"New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved."
Transcript
Luke’s account of Jesus before the chief priests differs from those of Mark and Matthew mostly in terms of the sequence of events and their timing. After Jesus is arrested, Luke’s Gospel immediately presents Peter’s triple denial of him. But at the third denial, the Lucan Jesus turns and looks at Peter, thereby heightening the tension of the moment. As in Mark and Matthew there is also a council meeting to decide Jesus’ fate. But it occurs in Luke’s account at dawn and not during the night as in Mark and Matthew.
As the proceedings unfold in Luke there is no mention of false witnesses or of conflicting testimony. In Luke’s account the high priest does not play a leading role. Instead as a group the assembly asks Jesus first if he is the Anointed One or Christ, but his answer only speaks of the Son of Man. The assembly then asks Jesus if he is Son of God. But when he replies, “so you say,” there is no cry of blasphemy, nor is a death sentence imposed. Instead, all agree that there is no need of any further testimony.