Chapter 2 - On Trial Before the Priests

....Jesus is captured and taken first to Annas, the high priest’s father-in-law. With feigned counsel he asks of His doctrine, to identify His disciples, and for their names that he might hunt them down. For the first time, Jesus is struck. He responds with the argument they could never answer, and which His silence would never change: 1

.... "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?"

(John 18:23)

....Now Jesus is taken to the priests, who have gathered their counsel in the night. Fear is on every side as they enclosed Him. Traps are set with crafty words, and false witnesses rise up against Him – yet He remains silent to them all. 2

.... "I was mute with silence, I held My peace even from good; and My sorrow was stirred up. My heart was hot within Me; while I was musing, the fire burned."

(Psalm 39:2-3)

.... "Do You answer nothing?" asked the high priest. But in the end He can not deny Himself. "Tell us if You the Christ, the Son of God." He is asked, to which He will answer, "You rightly say that I am." 3

....A convenient verdict is given. Jesus is condemned to death – and now the abuse begins. They spit in His face, mock Him, and beat Him; He is blindfolded, and His attackers strike Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?" And many other such things they blasphemously speak against Him. 4
.

....In the courtyard below, Peter has come to watch the end – but now his fears overcome him. Three times he is confronted about Jesus, and three times he denies knowing Him. With his third denial, the rooster crows – the sign that Jesus had given, when these things would have taken place. 5
....From across the courtyard, from the sorrow of His soul, Jesus raises his battered head to look into Peter’s eyes. Over the distance their gaze meets and Peter understands His thoughts. And when he considers it, he goes out to weep bitterly. 6

.... "My loved ones and My friends stand aloof from My plague, And My kinsmen stand afar off. I also have become a reproach to them; When they look at Me, they shake their heads."

(Psalm 38:11, Ps 109:25)

(see the Scriptural references by clicking on the associated hyperlinks)

Interrogation by Annas

.
....1. a An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land:
....2. The prophets prophesy falsely, a and the priests rule by their own power; b and My people love to have it so. c But what will you do in the end?
.

....3. a They encourage themselves
........in an evil matter;
....b They talk of laying snares
.......secretly;
....c They say, "Who will see
........them?"
....4. They devise iniquities:
....a "We have perfected a shrewd

........scheme."
....Both the inward thought and
........the heart of man are deep.
.

....5. a An ungodly man digs up

........evil,
....And it is on his lips like a
........burning fire.
....6. a A perverse man sows
........strife,
....And a whisperer separates the

........best of friends.
....7. a A violent man entices his
........neighbor,
....And leads him in a way that is
........not good.
....8. He winks his eye to devise
........perverse things;
....a He purses his lips and brings

........about evil.
.

....9. a To punish the righteous is

........not good,
....Nor to strike princes for their

........uprightness.
.

....10. a Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; b Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.
.

The Council in the Night

.
....11. a Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, b and their works are in the dark; c they say, "Who sees us?" and, "Who knows us?"
....12. a Who make a man an offender for a word, b and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, c and turn aside the just by empty words.
.

....13. a All day they twist My
........words;
....b All their thoughts are against
........Me for evil.
....14. a Those who hate Me without
........a cause
....b Are more than the hairs of My

........head;
....They are mighty who would

........destroy Me,
....c Being My enemies wrongfully;

....Though I have stolen nothing,

........I still must restore it.
....15. For look, they lie in wait
........for My life;
....a The mighty gather against Me,
....b Not for My transgression nor
........for My sin, O LORD.
....16. a They run and prepare them-
........selves
....b Through no fault of Mine.
.

Falsely Accused

.
....17. a Fierce witnesses rise up;
....b They ask Me things that I do

........not know.
....18. a They reward Me evil for

........good,
....To the sorrow of My soul.

....19. For they do not speak peace,
....a But they devise deceitful
........matters
....b against the quiet ones in the
........land.
....20. a They also opened their
........mouth wide against Me,
....And said, "Aha, aha! Our eyes
........have seen it."
.

Jesus Remains Silent

.
....21. I said, "I will guard My
........ways,
....Lest I sin with My tongue;
....a I will restrain My mouth with
........a muzzle,
....While the wicked are before

........Me."
....22. I was mute with silence,

........a I held My peace even from
........good;
....And My sorrow was stirred up.
....23. My heart was hot within Me;
....While I was musing, the fire
........burned.
....Then I spoke with My tongue:
....24. a "LORD, make Me to know
........My end,
....And what is the measure of My
........days,
....That I may know how frail I
........am."
.

25. a The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."
.

Condemned and Beaten

.
....26. a I hear the slander of many;

........Fear is on every side;

....b While they take counsel to-
........gether against Me,
....c They scheme to take away My
........life.
....27. a Those who sit in the gate
........speak against Me,
....b And I am the song of the

........drunkards;
....28. a I gave My cheeks to those

........who plucked out the
........beard;
....b I did not hide My face from
........shame and spitting.
....29. a In My adversity they

........rejoiced and gathered

........together;
....Attackers gathered against Me,

........b And I did not know it;

....c They tore at Me and did not

........cease.
.

Peter Denies Jesus

.
....30. a My loved ones and My

........friends stand aloof from

........My plague,
....And My kinsmen stand afar off.
....31. a I also have become a

........reproach to them;
....When they look at Me, they

........shake their heads.
....32. a You have put away My

........acquaintances far from

........Me;
....b You have made Me an
........abomination to them;
....c I am shut up, and I cannot get

........out;
....33. My eye wastes away because

........of affliction.

.

(see the Sciptural references and cross-references by clicking on the associated hyperlinks)

To view Chapter 3, Jesus is Brought Before Pilate, please scroll down or click HERE.