John 18: 25-32, Before Pilate

Jesus is before Annas or Caiphas, one of whom is the current high priest.  He has been slapped and bullied by the audience.

John 18: 25-27 Denials #2 and #3

Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”

He denied it, saying, “I am not.”

26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” 
27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

Peter's denial is recorded in all four gospels. Peter, a church leader after Pentecost, could have attempted to paint over this shame and embarrassment, but humility and confession form the structure of the early church and so we all know of Peter's cowardice. May our churches today be so transparent!

John 18: 28-32, Before Pilate

Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 
29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

30 “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

31 Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. 
32 This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.

Again John records the injustice of the trial.  When asked for their evidence against Jesus, the Jewish leaders deflect the question with "If he were not a criminal...," a statement intended to push Pilate to jump to the verdict without a trial.

The Jews want an execution and Pilate is reluctant to give that to them. The gospel writer will record Pilate's timid and frightened response to the proceedings, showing him as a weak ruler. The other gospels report a third interview, before Herod, but John skips over that part of the trial.