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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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