"In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: 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. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?"
The first part of this lesson refers again to the divinity of the events that took place leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. Demonstrating, as Jesus said, that there was really no need for Judas to betray Him to the high priest, and that the events were only done to fulfill the prophesies, Jesus said, "Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."
Though I would NEVER question bible intent, it remains a mystery to me why Judas was, by biblical history, painted as the horrible betrayer of Jesus when in fact he was only doing what he was predestined to do. As I have said before, we will learn this mystery when Jesus comes again to claim His own.
The second part of this lesson explains how, as the event unfolded, Jesus' Apostles abandoned Him and ran away.
In the face of His many false accusers, Jesus never spoke a work in His own defense except when the high priest asked, "I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus spoke of His ultimate return and said, "Thou hast said: 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."
As horrible as the events of that day were, to those of us who have, and who yet will, accept His saving grace, that day is one of the most honored days in history.~
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