CHAPTER V.

PETER COMMITS PERJURY.

How bleeds my heart!

The Holiest stands before the judgement seat.

The malice of sinners he must bear, Betrayed and outraged, bound and beaten there.

O, sons of men, your faces veil this day!-- The scarred form is touched by impious hands, From Annas dragged to Caiaphas away, What's here foreshadowed, see, fulfilled it stands.

See Jesus, how in silence he Bears outrage, blows and mockery!

O! what a man!

Oh, hearts of men who now draw near, Melt with compa.s.sion when you see Bowed down in deepest misery!

O! what a man!

Caiaphas, in his bed chamber, wearing a dressing gown, surrounded by priests, exulted over the news which had been brought him of the arrest of Jesus.

"This happy capture," said he, "promises us a fortunate realization of our wishes. I thank you, n.o.ble members of the Sanhedrin, for zealous and prudent co-operation."

But the priests with one voice cried, "The greatest share of praise belongs to our high priest!"

"Now," said Caiaphas, "let us pursue our path without delay.

Everything is ready! The council will immediately be a.s.sembled. The necessary witnesses have already been brought along. I shall now without losing a moment, at once begin the trial of the prisoner. Then judgment shall be p.r.o.nounced and provision made that it shall be executed. The quicker the execution the surer the result!"

Dathan said, "It would be advisable to get everything over before our adversaries recover their senses."

Caiaphas replied, "I have encountered this necessity. Trust me, my friends. I have thought of a plan. I hope to carry it out."

At this Zadok said, "The wisdom of our high priest deserves our fullest confidence," and then cried they all, "the G.o.d of our fathers bless all his measures!"

Then Selpha, the leader of the band, brought Jesus into the chamber of Caiaphas, the high priest, Balbus and Malchus holding the cords by which his hands were bound.

"Ill.u.s.trious High Priest, here is the prisoner," said Selpha.

"Bring him nearer," said Caiaphas, "so that I may look him in the face and question him."

"Step forward," said Selpha, "and show respect here to the head of the Sanhedrin."

Then Caiaphas, having looked into the face of Jesus, said to him disdainfully, "Thou art he then who dreamed of bringing about the destruction of the synagogue, and the law of Moses?" Then a.s.suming a more judicial tone, he said, "Thou art accused that thou hast stirred up the people to disobedience, that thou hast despised the holy traditions of the fathers, that thou hast transgressed the divine command for the keeping of the Sabbath day, and that thou hast even been guilty of many blasphemous speeches and acts. Here," Caiaphas continues, pointing to five Jews who had entered the chamber at the same time as Selpha brought in Jesus, and had taken their stand on the left of the high priest, confronting the accused, "Here stand honorable men who are prepared to prove the truth, of these accusations by their testimony. Hear them and then thou mayest answer if thou canst."

Then stood forth the first witness and spoke, saying, "I can testify before G.o.d that this man has stirred up the people by openly denouncing the members of the council and the scribes as hypocrites, ravening wolves in sheeps' clothing, blind leaders of the blind, and has declared that no one shall follow their work." At this the members of the Sanhedrin smiled approvingly one to another.

The second witness said, "I can also testify to this, and can still further declare that he has forbidden the people to pay tribute to Caesar."

"Yes," interrupted the first witness, "at any rate he has dropped words of double meaning about that."

Then Caiaphas turned to Jesus and said, "What sayest thou unto this?"

He paused for a reply, but Jesus opened not his mouth. Then said Caiaphas, "Art thou silent? Hast thou nothing to answer?" But Jesus never answered a word.

The third witness took up his testimony. "I have often seen how he with his disciples, in defiance of the law, has eaten with unwashed hands; how he has become accustomed to hold friendly intercourse with publicans and sinners and go into their houses to eat with them."

"That we have also seen," cried the other witnesses together. "I have heard many credible people say that he has even spoken with Samaritans, and indeed has lived with them for days together."

Then the first witness began to speak again: "I was a witness how he has done on the Sabbath what is forbidden by G.o.d's law, in that he healed sick and infirm people without fear on that day. He has seduced others to break the Sabbath; he ordered a man to take up his bed and carry it to his house." The second witness joined in, "I also can testify to this."

Again Caiaphas turned to Jesus and said, "What has thou to say against this evidence?" And after a pause, seeing that Jesus still spoke not, he said, "Hast thou nothing to say in reply?" But Jesus spoke not.

Then said the third witness, addressing himself to Jesus, "Thou hast, for I was present, taken upon thyself to forgive sins, which belongs to G.o.d alone. Thou hast, therefore, blasphemed G.o.d."

Then again spoke the first witness, "Thou hast called G.o.d thy Father, and hast dared to declare that thou art one with the Father. Thou hast therefore made thyself equal to G.o.d."

The second witness added, "Thou hast exalted thyself above our father Abraham. Thou didst say, 'Before Abraham was, I am.'"

Then spoke the fourth witness, who said, "Thou hast said, 'I can destroy the temple of G.o.d, and in three days build it up again.'"

The fifth witness, who had not hitherto spoken, stood forward and said, "I have heard thee say, 'I will destroy this temple which is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'"

This concluded the testimony of the witnesses.

Then Caiaphas, turning to Jesus, spoke to him with indignation: "So thou hast claimed to possess a superhuman divine power? These are serious accusations, and they are legally proved; answer if thou canst." Jesus remaining silent, Caiaphas resumed, "Thou thinkest that by silence thou canst save thyself. Thou darest not to admit before the fathers and judges of the people what thou hast taught before the people. Or dost thou dare?" Then rising to his utmost height, and stretching his hand on high, Caiaphas continued, "Hear, then, I, the high priest, adjure thee by the living G.o.d. Say--art thou the Messiah, the Son of the Most High?" and as he uttered the sacred name Caiaphas crossed his arms and dropped his head on his breast.

For a moment there was silence, then Jesus answered and said, "Thou hast said it, and so I am. Nevertheless, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of G.o.d in power and coming in the clouds of heaven."

As Jesus spoke these words, the members of the council started in horror, and Caiaphas rending his robe, exclaimed with a loud voice, "He has blasphemed G.o.d! What need have we of any further witnesses? You yourselves have heard the blasphemy. What think ye?"

And all the members of the council cried together, "He is worthy of death."

Then said Caiaphas, "He is thus unanimously declared worthy of death.

But not I, not the council, but the law of G.o.d p.r.o.nounces the death sentence upon him. You teachers of the law, I call upon you to answer; what does the holy law say of him who is guilty of disobedience to the authorities appointed by G.o.d?" Then stood up Josue, and unrolling the book of the law read therefrom: "The man that will do presumptuously and will not hearken to the priest that standest to minister there before the Lord thy G.o.d, or unto the judge, even that man shalt die, and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel."

Then again said Caiaphas, "What does the law decree concerning him who profaneth the Sabbath?"

Then Ezekiel stood up and read, "Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore, for it is holy unto you. Every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death; for whosoever doeth any work therein that soul shall be cut off from his people."

Then asked Caiaphas, "How does the law punish the blasphemer?"

Then stood up Nathanael, and unrolling the book of the law, read: "Speak unto the children of Israel saying, whosoever curseth his G.o.d shall bear his sin. And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord he shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him, as well the stranger as him that is born in this land."

"Thus," said Caiaphas, "is the judgment p.r.o.nounced upon this Jesus of Nazareth--p.r.o.nounced according to law, and shall be carried out as speedily as possible. Meanwhile I will have the condemned placed under safe guard. Lead him forth, guard him, and by the safe dawn of the morning bring him to the Great Sanhedrin."

"Come, then, Messiah," said Selpha, roughly, "we will show thee thy palace."

"There thou shalt receive due homage," said Balbus, as he placed his hand on the shoulder of Jesus, and marched him out of the chamber.

Then said Caiaphas exultingly, "We are approaching the goal. Now, however, resolute steps are necessary."

The priests and Pharisees cried together, "We will not rest until he is brought to death."

Then said Caiaphas, "With the break of day let us come together again.