Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 373
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Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. But one of the men
with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing
off his ear.
“Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will
die by the sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I
did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”
Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that
you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me
in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. But this is all happening
to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that
point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas,
the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high
priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see
how it would all end.
Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find
witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. But
even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could
not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward who declared,
“This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in
three days.’”
Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going
to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” But Jesus
remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name
of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of
Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the
clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said,
“Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his
blasphemy. What is your verdict?”
“Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!”
Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And
some slapped him, jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you
that time?”
Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came
over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”
