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Then he said to them, My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain
here and keep watch with me. He advanced a little and fell
prostrate in prayer, saying, My Father, if it is possible, let
this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will. When
he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said to
Peter, So you could not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and
pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but
the flesh is weak. (He was in such agony and he prayed so
fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the
ground.)
Withdrawing a second time, he prayed again, My Father, if it is
not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, you will
be done. Then he returned once more and found them asleep, for
they could not keep their eyes open. He left them and withdrew
again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing again. Then
he returned to his disciples and said to them, "Are you still
sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand when
the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners. Get up, let us go,
look, my betrayer is at hand."
While he was still speaking, a crowd approached and in front was
one of the Twelve, a man named Judas. He went up to Jesus to kiss
him. Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man
with a kiss?" His disciples realized what was about to happen, and
they asked, "Lord, shall we strike with a sword?" And one of them
struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. But
Jesus said in reply, "Stop, no more of this!" Then he touched the
servant's ear and healed him. And Jesus said to the chief priests
and temple guards and elders who had come for him, "Have you come
out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? Day after day I
was with you in the temple area, and you did not seize me; but
this is your hour, the time for the power of darkness.
And the apostles all left him and fled. Now a young man followed
him wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body. They seized
him, but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked. They led
Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the
elders and the scribes came together. Peter followed him at a
distance into the high priest's courtyard and was seated with the
guards, warming himself at the fire.
The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain
testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they
found none. Many gave false witness against him, but their
testimony did not agree. Some took the stand and testified falsely
against him, alleging, "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this
temple made with hands and within three days I will build another
not made with hands.'" Even so their testimony did not agree.
The high priest rose before the assembly and questioned Jesus,
saying, "Have you no answer? What are these men testifying against
you?" But Jesus was silent and answered nothing. Again, the high
priest asked him and said to him, "Are you the Messiah, the son of
the Blessed One?" Then Jesus answered, "I am; and you will see the
Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with
the clouds of heaven." At that the high priest tore his garments
and said, "What further need have we of witnesses? You have heard
the blasphemy. What do you think?"
They all condemned him as deserving to die. Some began to spit on
him. They blindfolded him and struck him and said to him,
"Prophesy!" And the guards greeted him with blows.
While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest's
maids came along. Seeing Peter warming himself, she looked
intently at him and said, "You too were with the Nazarene, Jesus."
But he denied it saying, "I neither know nor understand what you
are talking about." So he went out into the outer court. (Then the
cock crowed.) The maid saw him and began again to say to the
bystanders, "This man is one of them." Once again he denied it. A
little later the bystanders said to Peter once more, "Surely you
are one of them; for you too are a Galilean." He began to curse
and to swear, "I do not know this man about whom you are talking."
And immediately a cock crowed the second time. Then Peter
remembered the word that Jesus had said to him, "Before the cock
crows twice you will deny me three times." He broke down and wept.
As soon as morning came, the chief priests with the elders and
the scribes, that is, the whole Sanhedrin, held a council. They
bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. The
brought charges against him, saying, "We found this man misleading
our people; he opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar and
maintains that he is the Messiah, a king." Pilate questioned him,
Are you the king of the Jews? He said to him in reply, You say so.
Pilate then addressed the chief priests and the crowds, "I find
this man not guilty." But they were adamant and said, "He is
inciting the people with his teaching throughout all Judea, from
Galilee where he began even to here.
On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean; and upon
learning that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to
Herod who was in Jerusalem at that time. Herod was very glad to
see Jesus; he had been wanting to see him for a long time, for he
had heard about him and had been hoping to see him perform some
sign. He questioned him at length, but he gave him no answer.
The chief priests, meanwhile, stood by accusing him harshly. Even
Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him,
and after clothing him in resplendent garb, he sent him back to
Pilate. His wife sent Pilate a message, "Have nothing to do with
that righteous man. I suffered much in a dream today because of
him."
The chief priests accused him of many things. Again Pilate
questioned him, Have you no answer? See how many things they
accuse you of? Jesus gave him no further answer, so that Pilate
was amazed. Pilate said to him, "Do you not speak to me? Do you
not know that I have power to release you and I have power to
crucify you? Jesus answered him, "You would have no power over me
if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the
one who handed me over to you has the greater sin. You say I am a
king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to
testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to
my voice." Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" Consequently,
Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you
release him, you are not a friend o Caesar. Everyone who makes
himself a king opposes Caesar."
Now on the occasion of the feast he used to release to them one
prisoner whom they requested. A man called Barabbas was then in
prison along with the rebels who had committed murder in a
rebellion. The crowd came forward and began to ask Pilate to do
for them as he was accustomed. Pilate answered, Do you want me to
release to you Jesus? For he knew that it was out of envy that the
chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred
up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate
again said to them in reply, Then what do you want me to do with
the man you call the king of the Jews? They shouted again,
"Crucify him." Pilate said to them, Why? What evil has he done?
They only shouted the louder, "Crucify him." So Pilate, wishing to
satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and, after he had
Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified.
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