Introduction

....Through the writings of the apostles the story of Jesus’ passion has become well known, yet His own perspective remained hidden throughout the ages: "I will no longer talk much with you," said He, "for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me." 1

....In the events that followed, as His sufferings began, Jesus faced great distress, isolation and pain, yet He remained silent before His accusers. But in His heart He mused, and His thoughts were passionately searching: 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)

.... Through the prophets of old, by the spirit of Christ who was in them, the sufferings and glories of Christ were foretold in detail. Of this they made diligent inquiry, searching to understand those things that were indicated to them. So poignant was the understanding they received, so deeply moving was their revelation, so profound was the impact on their very own souls, that much of their prophecy was rendered in first person. 3

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....Through the same Spirit who searches all things (yes, even the deep things of God), and who shows us the mind of Christ, this presentation reconstructs Jesus’ thoughts in those final hours, in the context of the Old Testament prophecies that foretold them. For the benefit of the reader, summaries and Scriptural references have been included by hyperlinks in each section. 4

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This blog uses a top-to-bottom format. To continue reading, please proceed to the posting below.

See the Scriptural references by clicking on the associated hyperlinks.

Prologue - The Plot to Destroy Jesus

.... God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Through His ministry the eyes of the blind were opened, the ears of the deaf were unstopped, the lame would leap as a deer and the tongue of the mute would sing. For the kingdom of God was preached in the wilderness, and the gospel was proclaimed to the poor: 1 .

.... "He shall say, 'Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength’. To Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him."

(Isaiah 45:24)

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..... But through religious envy, unrighteousness grew and His enemies became strong. For the priests loved the honor of men more than the honor of God, and turned away justice from their hearts. The law was hidden, and the truth failed them. Enmity was found in the house of God as their eyes fell upon Jesus as a prey. 2

..... "LORD, how they have increased who trouble Me! Many are they who rise up against Me. Many are they who say of Me, ‘There is no help for Him in God’. Selah."

(Psalm 3:1-2)

....Night after night their conspiracy grew, as His enemies increased continually. In the darkness they hid their counsel saying, "Who sees us?" and, "Who knows us?" For they spoke their deceitfulness in shadows. 3

.... "All day they twist my words; all their thoughts are against Me for evil. They gather together, they hide, they mark My steps, when they lie in wait for My life."

(Psalm 50:5-6)

. .. But their plotting must wait until after the Passover. And somehow, they must seize Him in the absence of the multitudes. 4

....In Bethany, in the house of Simon, their chance was about to come. For Jesus sat at a great feast, His disciples being with Him – including Judas Iscariot, who would betray Him. The plan had fully formed in Judas’ mind as he ate bread in the Lord’s presence. Arising from this table, he would go to Jesus’ enemies to bargain against Him for His life. 5

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....Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe, and the one who would betray Him. Alas for Judas, who even now avoided His gaze! Unspoken words lie between them. And in the quiet conflict of that moment came a woman, bearing a flask of oil to anoint Him in their midst: 6

.... "You prepare a table before Me in the presence of My enemies: You anoint My head with oil; My cup runs over."

(Psalm 23:5)

.... Immediately Judas arose and departed to the chief priests, to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. When they heard him, they were glad and promises were made. They waited for a convenient time to carry out their plan. 7

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.... The week drew to an end and the sun fully set on Jesus’ final day of freedom, giving advent to the Passover feast. Jesus knew the hour had come when He should depart from this world to the Father, and for the joy set before Him He endured the pain this would mean; yet He greatly desired to share this feast with His disciples before His suffering. For having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 8
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.... As they ate the last supper together, Jesus became deeply troubled in spirit, and testified that one of His disciples would betray Him: for the hour of darkness had come, and it’s power, and He would be delivered into the hands of men. "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe." 9

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.... Judas suddenly realized that his plans were known. He withdrew into the night, to find Jesus’ enemies and to bring this ruin upon Him. The staff was sundered, and the covenant of old was broken; yet a new covenant would arise in its place: "For this is My blood of the new covenant," said Jesus, "which is shed for many for the remission of sins." 10

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

Chapter 1 - Retreat to Gethsemane

....The hour of Jesus’ betrayal had fully come, and Judas slipped away into the night. Jesus told the disciples that His time was short, and they would not be able to follow Him. "Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me." 1

.... Now He arose, the disciples being with Him, to escaped from the city and spare it from the edge of the sword. In an eerie reflection of David’s flight from Absalom, He followed David’s path of retreat. Quietly He passing through city and country by night, yet He could not be hidden: for Judas knew His goings well, had marked His steps, and became a guide to those who would seize Him. 2

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.... By the ascent of the Mount of Olives, in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus withdrew to await the onslaught in prayer. Inside the city, prideful men gathered together and encouraged themselves with shouting. The pursuit began, and their voices filling the night as they drew near. Yet Jesus drew apart by Himself to pray. 3

.... Now He was in agony, and His sweat became great droplets of blood falling down to the ground: a fear so horrific, so intense, that death from fear itself was very near. Three times He prayed that God might deliver Him from the torment that would follow; but in the end He deferred to Him and would drink this bitter cup that the Father’s will might be done. 4

.... "I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD now in the presence of all His people."

(Psalm 116:13-14)

.... Jesus found strength in trusting God, but His disciples were unprepared. In His hour of need they fell asleep. He had warned them beforehand; had rebuked them three times – but now they would enter temptation. For in that moment came a mob with lanterns, torches, swords and clubs, with Judas Iscariot going before them. With pretended words of friendship he drew near to Jesus and kissed Him: the sign he had given, that he might Betray Him. 5

.... "Look on My right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges Me; Refuge has failed Me; No one cares for My soul."

(Psalm 142:4)

.... The scuffle was brief as violent hands were laid on Jesus. Quickly He was bound and led away. His disciples were taken with fear, forsook Him, and fled away into the night. 6

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

The Plot to Destroy Jesus

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....1. a Among My people are found wicked men; b they lie in wait as one who sets snares; c they set a trap; they catch men.
....2. a The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ b And those who handle the law did not know Me; c the rulers also transgressed against Me; the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

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....3. My enemies are vigorous, and
........they are strong;
.... a And those who hate Me wrong-
........fully have multiplied;
....4. a In whose hand is a sinister
........scheme,
....b And whose right hand is full of
........bribes;
....5. a Who plan evil things in their
........hearts,
....b They continually gather to-
........gether for war.
....6. a Even My own familiar friend
........b in whom I trusted,
....c Who ate My bread,
....d Has lifted up his heel against
........Me.
....7. a They weighed out for My
........wages
....Thirty pieces of silver.
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Retreat to Gethsemane

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.... 8. All the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. a The king himself crossed over the Brook Kidron, b by the ascent of the Mount of Olives.

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....9. a They gather together, b they

........hide, c they mark My steps,

....When they lie in wait for My
........life.
....10. Those who lie in wait for My
........life take counsel together,
....Saying, "God has forsaken Him;
....a Pursue and take Him, for there
........is none to deliver Him."
....11. The pains of death surrounded

....... Me,

....And the pangs of Sheol laid

........ hold of Me,

....a I found trouble and sorrow.

....12. a Then I called upon the
........name of the Lord:
....b "O Lord, I implore You, deliver
........My soul!"
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The Prayer in the Garden

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....13. a Give ear to My prayer,

........O God,
....And do not hide Yourself from

........My supplication.
....14. a Attend to Me, and hear Me;

........b I am restless in My
........complaint,
....and moan noisily,
....15. a Because of the voice of the

........enemy,
....b Because of the oppression of
........the wicked;
....c For they bring down trouble
........upon Me,
....d And in wrath they hate Me.
....16. a My heart is severely pained

........within Me,
....And the terrors of death have
........fallen upon Me.
....17. a Fearfulness and trembling

........have come upon Me,
....And horror has overwhelmed
........Me.
....18. And I said, a "Oh, that I had

........wings like a dove!

....For then I would fly away and be

........at rest.
....19. Indeed, a I would wander
........far off,
....And remain in the wilderness
.......Selah.
....20. a I would hasten My escape

........From the windy storm and
........tempest."
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....21. Look on My right hand and
........see
....a For there is no one who
........acknowledges Me;
....Refuge has failed Me;
....No one cares for My soul.
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....22. a Surely He has born our griefs and carried our sorrows; b yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
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....23. The Lord God has opened
........My ear;
....And a I was not rebellious,
........b Nor did I turn away.
....24. I will take up a the cup of
........salvation,
....And call upon the name of
........the Lord.
....25. I will pay My vows to
........the Lord
....Now a in the presence of all His
........people.
....26. a Precious in the sight of the
........Lord
....Is the death of His saints.

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Betrayal by Judas

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....27. a Set a wicked man over Him, b and let Satan stand at his right hand.
....28. a When he is judged let him be found guilty, and let his prayer become sin.

....29. a Let his days be few, b and let another take his office.
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....30. a For it is not an enemy who
........reproaches Me;
....b Then I could bear it.
....c Nor is it one who hates Me who
........has magnified himself
........against Me;
....d Then I could hide from him.
....31. a But it was you, a man My

........equal,
....b My companion and My
........acquaintance.
....32. a We took sweet counsel
........together,
....b And walked to the house of
........God in the throng.
....33. a He has put forth his hands
........against those who were at
........peace with him;
....b He has broken his covenant.
....34. a The words of his mouth
........were smoother than butter,
....b But war was in his heart;
....c His words were softer than oil,
....d Yet they were drawn swords.
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....35. a Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, b and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little.
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....36. Faithful are the wounds

........of a friend,
....a But the kisses of an enemy are

........deceitful.
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Jesus is Arrested, Abandoned
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....37. a "Awake, O sword, against b My Shepherd, against c the Man who is My Companion," says the Lord of hosts. "Strike the shepherd, d and the sheep will be scattered."

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....38. O God, a the proud have
........risen against Me,
....b And a mob of violent men have
........sought My life,
....c And have not set You before
........them.
....39. a The proud have hidden
........a snare for Me, and cords;
....They have hidden a net for Me

........b by the wayside;
....They have set traps for Me.
........Selah.
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....40. I am a reproach among all
........My enemies,
....But especially among My
........neighbors,

....And am repulsive to My
........acquaintances;
....a Those who see Me outside flee

........from Me.
....41. I am forgotten like a dead

........man, out of mind;
....I am like a broken vessel.
....42. Loved one and friend You
........have put far from Me,
....a And My acquaintances into
........darkness.

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....43. The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, a was caught in their pits, of whom we said "Under His shadow we shall live among the nations."

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

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
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....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

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

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

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

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....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.
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....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.
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Falsely Accused

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....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."
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Jesus Remains Silent

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

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....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.
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Peter Denies Jesus

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....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.

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(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.