Jesus In The Hands Of His Enemie


The men who seized Jesus mocked him and flogged him. They also

blindfolded him and said, "Prophet, tell us who is it that struck you?"

And they said many other things, insulting him.



At daybreak they brought him before the council at which were gathered

the elders, both the chief priests and the scribes. And they tried to

get evidence against him to have him put to death, but could not find

any, for thoug
many made false statements, they did not agree. Some men

stood up and falsely said, "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this

temple made by the hands of men and within three days I will build

another made without hands.'" But the statements even of these men did

not agree.



Then the high priest arose and asked Jesus, "Do you not answer? What

about these statements that these men make against you?" But he was

silent and made no answer. And the high priest asked him, "Are you the

Christ? If you are, tell us." He said to them, "If I tell you, you will

not believe, and if I ask you questions, you will not answer me. But

after this the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of God

Almighty." Then they all said to him, "Are you then the Son of God?" He

replied, "It is as you say; I am." So they said, "What further need have

we of evidence? We have heard it from his own lips."



Then all the high priests and scribes rose and brought Jesus before

Pilate, and began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man leading our

people astray, forbidding them to pay taxes to the Roman emperor, and

saying that he himself is Christ, the King." Pilate asked him, "Are you

the King of the Jews?" He answered, "I am." Pilate said to the high

priests and the crowd, "I do not find that this man has done anything

wrong." But they insisted, saying, "He stirs up the people by teaching

through all Judea. He began in Galilee, and now he has come even here."

When Pilate heard this he asked whether Jesus was a Galilean, and when

he learned that he was and that he came under Herod's rule, he sent him

to Herod Antipas, who was also in Jerusalem at this time.



Herod was glad to see Jesus. He had long wished to see him because of

what he had heard about him, and because he also hoped to see him do

some wonderful deed. Although Herod asked him many questions, Jesus made

no answer, and the high priests and the scribes loudly shouted their

charges against him. Then Herod, and his soldiers, after mocking him,

and dressing him in a bright colored robe, sent him back to Pilate.



Pilate then called together the high priests and other officials and the

people, and said, "You brought me this man on the charge that he stirred

up the people to rebel. Now I have examined him before you and found no

guilt in him of those things of which you accuse him; no, nor has Herod,

for he has sent him back to us. You see that he has done nothing that

calls for death. I will therefore have him flogged and then release him"

(for it was the custom at this feast to release for them one man). But

they all cried out, "Away with him and release for us Barabbas" (a man

who had been put into prison because of a riot which had occurred in the

city, and on the charge of murder). Pilate spoke to them again, because

he wished to release Jesus; but still they shouted, "Crucify him!

Crucify him!" He said to them for the third time, "Why, what crime has

this man committed? I have found no reason to put him to death. I will

therefore have him flogged and then release him." But they shouted and

demanded that he should be crucified. And so Pilate, wishing to please

the people, released Barabbas, but Jesus he turned over to them to be

crucified.



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