CH. 26. SECT. XV. ever hath recourse to the sword, shall fall by the 53 sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot presently invoke my Father, who would send to my relief 54 more than twelve legions of angels 43? But in that case how should the Scriptures be accomplished, which declare that these things must be? 55 Then turning to the multitude, he said, Do ye come with swords and clubs to apprehend me, like people in pursuit of a robber? I sat daily amongst you, teaching in the temple, and ye did 56 not arrest me. But all this hath happened, that the writings of the Prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. SECTION XV. Lu. 22; 54. Jo. 18; 13. & 24. THE CRUCIFIXION. Mar. 14; 53 57 NOW they who had apprehended Jesus, brought him to Caiaphas the high priest, with whom the 58 Scribes and elders were assembled. But Peter followed him at a distance, to the court of the high priest's house, and having gone in, sat with the officers to see the issue. Mar. 14; 55 59 Meantime the chief priests and the elders, and the whole Sanhedrim, sought out false evidence against Jesus, upon which they might condemn him 43 A Roman legion consisted of 6000 men; sometimes more, sometimes fewer, SECT. XV. CH. 26. 60 to die. But though many false witnesses appear ed, they found it not. At length came two false 61 witnesses, who charged him with saying, I can demolish the temple of God, and rebuild it in 62 three days.' Then the high priest rising, said to him, Answerest thou nothing to what these men Jo. 2; 19 63 testify against thee? Jesus remaining silent, he added, On the part of the living God, I adjure thee to tell us, whether thou be the Messiah, the 64 Son of God. Jesus answered him, It is as thou sayest: nay, be assured that hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Almighty, and coming on the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high priest, rending his clothes, said, He hath uttered blasphemy. What further need have we of witnesses, now that ye have heard him blas66 pheme? What think ye? They answered, He de67 serveth to die. Then they spat in his face. Some gave him blows on the head, and others struck 68 him on the cheeks, and said, Divine to us, Mes- Is. 50; 6. siah, who it was that smote thee. 69 Now Peter was sitting without in the court, and Lu. 22; 55. & 25. a maid servant came to him, and said, Thou also 70 wast with Jesus the Galilean. But he denied before Mar. 14; 66. them all, saying, I know nothing of the matter. Jo. 18; 1771 And as he went out into the porch, another maid observing him, said to them, This man too was 72 there with Jesus the Nazarene. Again, he denied, 73 swearing that he knew him not. Soon after some of the bystanders said to Peter, Thou art certainly one 74 of them, for thy speech discovereth thee. Where ch. 26; 34. Lu. 23; 1. Jo. 18; 28. CH. 27. SECT. XV. upon, with execrations, and oaths, he asserted that he did not know him; and immediately the cock 75 crew. Then Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said to him, "Before the cock crow, "thou wilt thrice disown me." And he went out and wept bitterly. Mar. 15; 1 XXVII. WHEN it was morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people having consulted against 2 Jesus, how they might procure his death, conducted him bound to Pontius Pilate the procurator, to whom they consigned him. Acts, 1; 18 Zec. 11; 12 3 Then Judas, who had betrayed him, finding that he was condemned, repented; and returning the thirty shekels to the chief priests and the elders, said, I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the 4 innocent. They answered, What is that to us? 5 See thou to that. After which, having thrown down the money in the temple, he went away and strang6 led himself. The chief priests taking the money, said, It is not lawful to put it into the sacred trea7 sury, because it is the price of blood. But after deliberating, they bought with it the potter's field, 8 to be a burying place for strangers; for which rea9 son that field is to this day called the field of blood. Then was the word of Jeremiah the Prophet verifi. ed, "The thirty shekels, the price at which he was valued, I took, as the Lord" appointed me, from 44 Jehovah. SECT. XV. CH. 27. 10 "the sons of Israel, who gave them for the potter's 11 "field." Lu, 23; 1. Now Jesus appeared before the procurator, who Mar. 15; 2 questioned him, saying, Thou art the King of the 12 Jews? He answered, Thou sayest right. But when he was arraigned by the chief priests and the 13 elders, he made no reply. Then Pilate said to him, Hearest thou not of how many crimes they 14 accuse thee? But he answered not one word, which surprised the procurator exceedingly. 15 Lu. 23; 17. Now the procurator was wont to release, at the Mar. 15; 6 festival, any one of the prisoners whom the multi- Jo. 18; 3916 tude demanded. And they had then a famous pri17 soner named Barabbas. Therefore, when they were assembled, Pilate said to them, Whom shall I release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called 18 Messiah? (For he perceived that, through envy, 19 they had delivered him up; besides, while he was sitting on the tribunal, his wife sent him this message, 'Have thou nothing to do with that innocent person; for, to-day, I have suffered much, in a 20' dream, on his account.') But the chief priests and the elders instigated the populace to demand 21 Barabbas, and cause Jesus to be executed. Therefore, when the procurator asked which of the two he should release, they all answered, Barabbas. 22 Pilate replied, What then shall I do with Jesus, Acts, 3; 14. 23 whom they call Messiah? They all answered, Let him be crucified. The procurator said, Why? what evil hath he done? But they cried the louder, 24 saying, Let him be crucified. Pilate perceiving CH. 27. SECT. XV. that he was so far from prevailing, that they grew more tumultuous, took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am guiltless of the 25 blood of this innocent person. See ye to it. And His blood be upon all the people answering said, 26 us, and upon our children. Mar. 15; 16. 27 Jo. 19; 1. Then he released Barabbas to them, and having caused Jesus to be scourged, delivered him up to be crucified. After this the procurator's soldiers took Jesus into the pretorium", where they gathered around 28 him all the band. And having stripped him, they 29 robed him in a scarlet cloak, and crowned him with a wreath of thorns, and put a rod in his right hand, and kneeling before him in mockery, cried, Hail, 30 King of the Jews. And spitting upon him, they took the rod, and struck him with it on the head. 31 When they had mocked him, they disrobed him again, and having put his own raiment on him, led him away to crucify him. Mar. 15; 21 32 Lu. 23; 26. 33. Jo. 19; 17. Ps. 22; 18. As they went out of the city, they met one Simon a Cyrenian, whom they constrained to carry the 33 cross; and being arrived at a place called Golgo34 tha, which signifies a place of skulls, they gave him to drink vinegar, mixed with wormwood, which, 35 having tasted it, he would not drink. After they had nailed him to the cross, they parted his garments by lot; thus verifying the words of the Prophet, "They shared my mantle among them, and 36" cast lots for my vesture." And having sat down 45 The governor's palace, or hall of audience. |