They bound Jesus and took Him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest. The chief priests and other rulers were waiting there. Witnesses were brought in to accuse Him, but they contradicted each other.
Last came two witnesses who said, "We heard Him say that He could destroy the Temple and build it again in three days."
"What have You to say in answer to these charges?" said the high priest.
But Jesus was silent.
The high priest said, "Are You the Son of God?"
And Jesus said, "I AM."
Then the high priest tore his clothes and cried, "What do we need witnesses for? You have heard the blasphemy for yourselves."
They answered, "The penalty is death."
+ + + PETER’S DENIAL + + +
Peter had followed Jesus at a distance. He stood in the courtyard of the high priest's house warming himself at the fire. A maidservant was standing near him. "You were with Jesus of Nazareth," she said. Peter was frightened. "I do not know Him," he said.
Not long after, another servant said to him, "You are one of Jesus of Nazareth's followers.
You speak like a Galilean." "I do not even know what you mean," said Peter.
An hour afterward, one of the high priest's servants said, "Didn't I see you with Jesus in the garden? Peter began to curse and swear that he did not know Jesus - and suddenly a cock crowed.
At once Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him. He went out of the courtyard, weeping bitterly.
+ + + JESUS BEFORE PILATE + + +
The Romans did not allow the Jews to put people to death themselves, so in the morning they brought Jesus before the Roman Governor, Pilate.
"What is this man's crime?" said Pilate.
The chief priests answered, "He says He is Christ the King and He forbids people to pay taxes to Rome."
"Are You the King of the Jews?" asked Pilate. "My Kingdom does not belong to this world," said Jesus, "I came into the world to bear witness to the truth." "What is truth?" asked Pilate.
Turning to the chief priests Pilate said, "This Man has done nothing to deserve death. I will have Him scourged and then set Him free."
It was the custom to set a prisoner free in honor of the Passover feast.
There was a man in prison called Barabbas, a robber who had led a revolt. "Whom shall I set free?" asked Pilate. "Jesus or Barabbas?" "Barabbas!" the crowd shouted. The chief priests had been busy persuading them to ask for him.
Pilate had Jesus scourged. The soldiers dressed Him as a mock king. They put a crown of thorns on His head, a scarlet cloak around Him and gave Him a reed for a scepter. Then they knelt before Him, said "Hail, King of the Jews!" and spat at Him. They snatched the reed and struck His face with it.
Pilate brought Jesus out, still dressed as a king. His enemies shouted, "Crucify Him!"
Pilate said, "Take Him yourselves and crucify Him. I can find no case against Him." "We have a Law," Jesus' enemies replied, "and by that Law He should die, because He said He was the Son of God."
When Pilate heard them say this his fears increased. He said to Jesus, "Where do You come from?" But Jesus made no answer. Pilate then said to Him, "Do You refuse to speak to me? Surely You know that I have power to release You and I have power to crucify You?"
"YOU would have no power over Me," replied Jesus, "if it had not been given you from above; that is why the one who handed Me over to you has the greater guilt."
From that moment Pilate was anxious to set Him free. "Do you want me to crucify your King?" he asked. "We have no king but Caesar!" the chief priests shouted.
Then Pilate saw that he was making no impression, that in fact a riot was imminent. So he sent for a basin of water and washed his hands. "I am innocent of His death," he said. The whole people shouted, "His blood be upon us, and upon our children." Pilate gave the order for Jesus to be crucified.
+ + JUDAS HANGS HIMSELF + +
When Judas heard Jesus was condemned, he brought the thirty pieces of silver back to the chief priests. "I betrayed an innocent man," he said. "What is that to us?" they answered.
Judas threw the money on the floor, and went out and hanged himself.
JESUS OF NAZARETH KING OF THE JEWS
Pilate wrote a sign that said:
JESUS OF NAZARETH KING OF THE JEWS
and had this nailed on the cross. The chief priests wanted him to change it to: "This man a, I am King of the Jews". But Pilate said, "What I have written, I have written."
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