Jesus continued praying. He asked God to protect the disciples from the Evil One. Jesus also prayed for those who believe in Him when the disciples shared His message. Jesus asked God to allow them to be with Him and see His glory.
When Jesus had finished His prayer, He left with His disciples and went to a garden which Judas also knew, because they had gone there many times. Judas arrived with a detachment of armed soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. Jesus knew what was going to happen, so He stepped forward and asked who they were looking for. Of course they were looking for Jesus and He told them they had found Him. Some of them moved back and fell to the ground. Peter had a sword and cut off the ear of Malchus, the High Priest's slave. Jesus told Peter to put away the sword. They arrested Jesus, tied Him up and took him to Annas, the father-in-law of the High Priest, Caiaphas. Peter denied knowing Jesus. Annas questioned Jesus about his disciples and teachings. Jesus told him that He had taught publicly in synagogues and the Temple and that there were no secrets. Jesus answered that they should ask those who heard Him, then a guard slapped Him and scolded Him. Jesus asked what He'd said wrong, and if what He said was right why was He hit? Annas sent Jesus to see Caiaphas. Peter was still with the people standing by a fire, keeping warm and denied knowing Jesus again. Then a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off recognized him from the garden, but a third time, Peter denied knowing Jesus then a rooster crowed. Then they took Jesus to Pilate. Pilate asked Jesus if He was a king and Jesus told him that is what Pilate said. Jesus told him that He was born to speak the truth. Then Pilate told the people outside that he couldn't condemn Jesus because he'd commited no crime. He asked them which prisoner they wanted realeased for the Passover. They wanted Barabbas, a bandit released.
Pilate had Jesus whipped. The soldiers made a crown from thorny branches and stuck it on Jesus' head. Then they put him in a purple robe and mocked and slapped Him. Pilate brought out Jesus and when the chief priests and Temple guards saw Him they yelled, "Crucify Him!" Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, but handed Jesus over to be crucified. By now it was noon the day before the Passover. Jesus was crucified between two other men. Pilate wrote a sign in 3 languages and had it hung on the cross above Jesus. It read, "JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS." The chief priests didn't like it, but Pilate wouldn't change it. The soldiers divided Jesus' clothes among them. Near the cross of Jesus was His mother Mary, his aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Jesus made sure His mother would be taken care of when He saw His disciple, Jesus told him that Mary was his mother and He told Mary that the disciple was her son. Jesus had finished all He had come to do and said He was thirsty. A sponge soaked with wine vinegar was lifted up to Jesus and after He drank the wine He said, "It is finished!" He bowed His head and died. It was near sundown and the Jewish authorities didn't want the bodies to stay on the crosses during the Sabbath, so they had the soldiers break the legs of the two on either side of Jesus. They realized Jesus had died, but to make sure, a soldier pierced His side with his sword and water and blood poured out. Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus in secret because he was afraid of the Jewish authorities. Nicodemus went with Joseph and took spices, myrrh and aloes and wrapped the body of Jesus in linen cloths, and put the body in a tomb that had not been used before.
Tomorrow read John 20-21; Acts 1-2:13
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