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Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, "Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? "when I was daily with you in the temple, ye "stretched forth no hands against me: but "this is your hour, and the power of dark"ness." Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: and he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.

131. Jesus is brought before Annas and Caiaphas. Peter denies him thrice.

Time.

Place. The Judgment-hall of the high priest.

AND they led him away A. D. 33. to Annas first; (for he was The morning of the day of father in law to Caiaphas, crucifixion. which was the high priest that same year.) Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door without. Then went

there.

* Captains of the temple were officers keeping guard Supposed to be St. John.

out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter. And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; (for it was cold :) and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself. And [Peter] went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.

And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh the damsel that kept the door. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, 'This is one of them. And he denied it again. And about the space of one hour after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilean and thy speech agreeth thereto. But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak. And immediately, while he yet spake, the second time the cock crew. And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, "Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny " me thrice." And he went out, and wept bitterly.

* In the common hall appointed for the lower sort of people.

▸ Peter spake in the provincial dialect of Galilee.

132. Jesus questioned before Caiaphas, and afterward before the whole Jewish Council, confesses himself to be the Christ, and is pronounced guilty of death.

THE high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, " I spake openly to the world; I ever

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taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, "whither the Jews always resort; and in secret " have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? "ask them which heard me, what I have said " unto them; behold, they know what I said." And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? Jesus answered him, " If I " have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: " but if well, why smitest thou me?"

AND as soon as it was day, the Place. elders of the people and the chief The judgment priests and the scribes came toge- hall of the high priest, ther, and led him into their council. chief priests, And the chief priests and all the elders, and council sought for witness against scribes. Jesus to put him to death; and found none. For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.

And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with

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Nothing that I am ashamed of.

Shew me what law I have offended, if I have not offended, why am I thus treated?

hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. But neither so did their witness agree together. And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? but he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, "I am: and ye shall " see the Son of man sitting on the right hand "of power, and coming in the clouds of "heaven." Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, “Ye

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say that I am." Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.

• Our Saviour meant not the material fabric of the temple, but of his body, which though they might destroy, would be raised in three days. John ii. 19. This figurative expression the Jews maliciously applied in the literal sense. Besides, to speak disrespectfully of, or to prophesy against the temple, was considered as blasphemy, and of course a capital crime.

This was the oath of adjuration among the Jews; and the party, whether criminal or witness, when so adjured, was obliged to answer as under the sanction of an oath. Lev. v. i. Jesus conceived himself bound in conscience to break silence.

Coming in the clouds of heaven, was with the Jews a characteristic mark of the Messiah.

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d It is true, it is as you suppose.

A mark of extreme horror and indignation.

His crime subjects him by the law of Moses to the penalty

of death.

And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, who is he that smote thee?

133. Jesus is taken before Pilate.

WHEN the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: and when they had bound him, they led him away from Caiaphas unto the hall The Judgof judgment: and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. And they theniselves went not into the judgmenthall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death. That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake,

Place.

ment-hall of Pilate.

• Lest by touching any of the Gentiles, whom they accounted unclean, they should be unfit to eat the paschal sacrifice.

The Romans had conquered the Jews, and deprived them of the power of executing any criminal, though they might try and condemn him. The sceptre, or power of civil government being thus departed from Judah, (Gen. xlix. 10.) this was the time for Shiloh, or Messiah, to come.

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