come Mar. xiv.43. and with him a great multitude, with swords and staves, Jerusalem. from the Chief Priests, and the Scribes and the elders. Mt. xxvi.47. of the people. 48. Now he that betrayed him Mar. xiv.44. had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, Mt. xxvi. 48. hold him fast. Mar. xiv.44. and lead him away safely. 45. And as soon as he was come, La.xxii. 47. [he] went before them, and drew near unto Jesus, to kiss him. ter; and kissed him. ? upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 5. They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: If them which thou gavest me have I lost none. When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? servant of the high priest, and smote off his ear, Joh.xvij.10. and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Mal chus. Lu. xxii.51. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. Job.xviii.11. Then said Jesus unto Peter, 34 The whole of this transaction shews that our Lord had perfect power over his enemies, if he had chosen to exert it. (Matt. xxvi. 54.) By a look the guards who attempted to seize him drew back, and fell to the ground. When Peter afterwards struck the servant of the High Priest, and smote off his ear, the Roman soldiers, who were never resisted with impunity, would doubtless have revenged themselves on the disciples, if they had not been supernaturally protected-He had power to Jay down his life, and to take it again : but He completed the mysterious sacrifice, and man was saved, and the Scripture fulfilled. 53. Mt.xxvi.52. Put up again thy sword into his place; for all they that Jerusalem. take the sword, shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, of angels? it must be ? drink it? for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. power of darkness. phets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook MATT. xxvi. part of ver. 47, 48. 48-gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that ver. 50. he that betrayed him 46 And they laid their hands on him, and took him. 47 And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 48 - And Jesus-unto them, Are ye come out as against a thief, with swords and with staves, to take me? 49 - I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took nu LUKE xxii. part of ver. 47, 48. ver. 50. part of ver. 52, 53. 48 But Jesus said unto him 50 And one of them smote a servant of the high priest, and 52 Then Jesus said–Be ye come out as against a thief, with JOHN xviii. part of ver. 3. 10, 11.0 CHAPTER VII. Jerusales. From the Apprehension of Christ to the Crucifixion. SECTION I. JOHN xviii. 12–14. Jews, took Jesus, and bound him, in law to Caiaphas, which was the High Priest that same year. that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. Mar. xiv.51. And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him : 52. And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked. the elders, and the Scribes. Lu. Xxii. 54. And Peter followed afar off. MATT. xxvi. part of ver. 57, MARK XIV. part of ver. 53. LUKE xxii. part of ver. 54. 'The Annas here mentioned, is called by Josephus, Ananus. He had been deposed from the Pontifical office by the Roman power ; but his influence on that account had been rather increased, than lessened, among his countrymen. Under these circumstances, however, he could not with prudence openly interfere; but from the passage before us, we may infer the great authority he still possessed ; and it is more than probable that he privately suggested every measure that had been already devised against our Lord; and that on the present occasion he still continued to direct by his counsel and advice.-See John xviii. 24. Although Annas was deprived of the office of high priest, the Jews still acknowledged him as such, as we find from Acts iv. 6. where he is so called. His influence was so great, that he saw five of his own sons successively in possession of the high priesthood; and several also of his sons in law, among whom was Caiaphas. SECTION II. Jerusalem. JOHN xviii. 15, 16. the High Priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the High Priest. that other disciple, which was known unto the High Priest, Peter. hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. Mar. xiv.54. the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. Mt. xxvi.58. and sat with the servants, to see the end. MATT. Xxvi. part of ver. 58. MARK xiv. part of ver. 54. 22. SECTION III. High Priest. The High Priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. 21. Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me : behold, they know what I said. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers saying, Answerest thou the High Priest so? of the evil ; but if well why smitest thou me ? Now the Chief Priests and elders, and all the council, But found none : yea, though many false witnesses came, yet they found none : Mar.xiv.56. for many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. Mt. xxvi.59. 60. Mt. xxvi.60. At the last came two false witnesses, Jerusalee We heard him say, in three days: within three days I will build another made without hands. 59. But neither so did their witness agree together. which these witness against thee? 63. But Jesus held his peace, Mar. xiv.61. and answered nothing. Again the High Priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed ? Mt. xxvi.63. I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us, whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said : Mar. xiv.62. I am: Mt. xxvi.64. nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of ? This passage of Daniel, to which our Lord refers, was always considered by the Jews as a description of the Messiah, Our Saviour, therefore, now in his lowest state of humiliation and depression, asserted bis claims as the Messiah, who should appear again in the clonds of heaven, as the judge of the world.Sohar Genes. fol. 85. col. 338, &c. Dan. vii. 13. Xn'vn xahn 87, This is the king Messiah. Schoetgen. Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 233 3 This was only done by the High Priest in cases of blasphemy. 4 Christ was first arraigned before the High Priest, then before the whole Sanhedrim, (Mark xv. l.) before both of whom he was accused of blasphemy, and on this charge was, by both, condemned, Matt. xxvi. 65, 66. He was next taken before the Roman Go. vernor, as guilty of sedition, and acquitted, John xviii. 38. xix. 4, &c. When the Jews therefore saw this, they were compelled to acknowledge the real grounds of their prosecution : We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, hecause he made himself the Son of God. But, finding that this charge also was disregarded by Pilate, who was still inclined to acquit him, (for blasphemy against the God of the Jews was not considered by the Romans to be a crime,) they, in despair, make a personal attack upon Pilate himself; and threaten, if he does not comply with their demands that he be crucified, to accuse him to Tibeberius, (whose suspicious and jealous nature was generally knowo,) of remissness in duty, and negligence in the suppression of sedition and rebellion, Intimidated and overcome by this menace, he yields to their importunate solicitations, and condemns a man, whom he publicly acknowledges to bo inno |