Mark 14:54
And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.
This verse belongs to the account of Jesus before Annas and Caiaphas the high priests. It comes after the disciples deserted Jesus in the garden, when Peter and John recovered their composure and followed at a distance the party that had Jesus in charge. That following came after a painful, bound, closely guarded midnight seizure that went over the brook Kedron, past gardens and olive groves, and through the hushed streets of the sleeping city to the palace of Annas the ex-high priest still recognized as high priest and then to Caiaphas the high priest, where the Sanhedrin were gathering by torch and lantern light for the preliminary examination and formal trial.
John was recognized as a well-known disciple of Jesus and was admitted to the hall where Jesus was being questioned in the hope that seeing his leader humiliated would lead him to scorn the idea that one so humiliated could be the Son of God, and John then spoke for Peter and secured the same entrance for him. Peter thus went even into the palace, court and hall where Jesus was being questioned inside. Inside, in the judgment hall, the council was fully assembled with Caiaphas as presiding officer seated on the throne of judgment, Jesus standing at the foot of the throne, judges and those specially interested in the trial on either side, Roman soldiers ranged on the platform below the throne, and the eyes of the multitude upon Him amid wild excitement.
Jesus stood there calm and serene and majestic, with a holy influence emanating from Him, in strong contrast to the hostile excitement and malignant bearing around Him. That contrast extended to the gorgeous robe, glittering tiara and costly breastplate of the high priest set against His own coarse, homely garb, though He had reigned in the courts of heaven crowned and in garments of brightness attended by holy angels. In the coldest hour of the night before dawn a fire had been lighted in the hall, and Peter sat with the servants and people gathered around it and warmed himself. Peter presumptuously and carelessly mingled with the crowd and tried to blend in and appear as one of those who had brought Jesus there because he did not wish to be recognized as a disciple of Jesus, thereby placing himself among those connected with His captors and exposing himself to the temptation that led to his denial.