Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 374
362
IMMERSE
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MESSIAH
26:70–27:14
But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those
standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the
man,” he said.
A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said,
“You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”
Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And
immediately the rooster crowed.
Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the
rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he
went away, weeping bitterly.
Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people
met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. Then they bound him, led
him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces
of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”
“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”
Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and
hanged himself.
The leading priests picked up the coins. “It wouldn’t be right to put this
money in the Temple treasury,” they said, “since it was payment for murder.” After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field,
and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. That is why the field is still
called the Field of Blood. This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says,
“They took the thirty pieces of silver—
the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel,
and purchased the potter’s field,
as the Lord directed.”
Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. “Are you the
king of the Jews?” the governor asked him.
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations
against him, Jesus remained silent. “Don’t you hear all these charges they
are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. But Jesus made no response
to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.
