Matthew 26:57

And they that had taken Jesus led him away, to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders were gathered together.

Christ was tried six times, three times before the Romans and three times before the Jewish tribunals:

1. Before Annas

2. Before Caiaphas

3. Before the Sanhedrin

4. Before Pontius Pilate

5. Before Herod Antipas

6. Before Pilate again

THE FIRST TRIAL

Matthew omitted the first trial and arraignment before Annas, the ancient head of the high priestly conclave who was doubtless the prime mover of the cabal against Jesus. Annas lived into his nineties and appears in history as a venomous and zealous bigot, deformed in mind and body. He covered his deformed hands with silken gloves, but there was no covering for the mind of this man who was described by the infidel Reman as a "fit architect indeed to fashion the death of Christ." Annas remained head of religious Jewry, although his excess in ordering the death of one of his enemies had resulted in his being deposed upon the accession of Tiberius in 14 A.D.[23] In spite of his deposition, however, Annas for more than half a century retained the power of the office, and was accorded the title by the Jews; but the LEGAL title and office rotated among the sons and sons-in-law of Annas. It was significant that Christ was first arraigned before Annas.

THE SECOND TRIAL

This was conducted before Caiaphas who also later presided over the convention of the Sanhedrin at daybreak (Luke 22:66). Luke's arrangement of the details is more chronological. Matthew's topical summary naturally includes portions of the narrative out of chronological sequence. However, it is plain that Peter's triple denial took place at the long night-trial, at which only a part of the Sanhedrin was present, and during which Christ was mocked, taunted, smitten, and abused throughout the night by the soldiers. Presumably, during this long travesty on judicial procedure, Caiaphas and his aides were trying to formulate some pattern of the charges they would prosecute before the whole Sanhedrin at daybreak.