“ In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed.

希律和本丢彼拉多，外邦人和以色列民，果然在这城里聚集，要攻打你所膏的圣仆耶稣，

希律和本丢‧彼拉多，同外邦人和以色列民，果然在这城里聚集，要攻打你所膏的圣仆耶稣，

希律和本丢‧彼拉多，同外邦人和以色列民，果然在这城里聚集，要攻打你所膏的圣仆耶稣，

“果然如此，希律和本丢·彼拉多、外族人和以色列人都聚集在这城里，要对抗你膏立的圣子耶稣，

希律和本丢．彼拉多，外族人和以色列民，真的在这城里聚集，反对你所膏立的圣仆耶稣，

“事实上，希律和本丢彼拉多，与外邦人和以色列子民果然在这城里一同聚集，对付你所膏立的圣仆耶稣，

希律和本丟‧彼拉多，外邦人和以色列民，果然在這城裏聚集，要攻打你所膏的聖僕耶穌，

希律和本丟‧彼拉多，同外邦人和以色列民，果然在這城裏聚集，要攻打你所膏的聖僕耶穌，

希律和本丟‧彼拉多，同外邦人和以色列民，果然在這城裏聚集，要攻打你所膏的聖僕耶穌，

「果然如此，希律和本丟·彼拉多、外族人和以色列聚集在這城裡，要對抗你膏立的聖子耶穌，

希律和本丟．彼拉多，外族人和以色列民，真的在這城裡聚集，反對你所膏立的聖僕耶穌，

希律和本丟彼拉多、同外國人和以色列眾族之民、真地在這城裏聚集，攻打你所膏立的聖僕耶穌，

「事實上，希律和本丟彼拉多，與外邦人和以色列子民果然在這城裡一同聚集，對付你所膏立的聖僕耶穌，

蓋希律、本丟彼拉多、及異邦人、與以色列民、果集於此邑、欲攻爾所膏之聖僕耶穌、

希律、本丟彼拉多、異邦人、以色列民、果集、而攻爾所膏聖子耶穌、

希律本丟彼拉多、異邦人、以色列民、果集以攻爾所膏之聖子耶穌、

今希祿與般雀‧比辣多果率異邦及義塞之人民、群集於城、反抗爾之聖子耶穌即爾所膏沐、

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.

In fact, Herod and Pontius Pilate met with the Gentiles in this city. They also met with the people of Israel. All of them made plans against your holy servant Jesus. He is the one you anointed.

for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,

“ For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed,

For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,

“ For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together

for of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together,

“ For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed,

For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

“ For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed,

“ For truly, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed,

Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.

Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

“ The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he said.“ He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

And immediately, even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders.The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal:“ You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Then you can take him away under guard.”As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus.“ Rabbi!” he exclaimed, and gave him the kiss.Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him.But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.Jesus asked them,“ Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me?Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there among you teaching every day. But these things are happening to fulfill what the Scriptures say about me.”Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away.One young man following behind was clothed only in a long linen shirt. When the mob tried to grab him,he slipped out of his shirt and ran away naked.They took Jesus to the high priest’s home where the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law had gathered.Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and went right into the high priest’s courtyard. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire.Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find evidence against Jesus, so they could put him to death. But they couldn’t find any.Many false witnesses spoke against him, but they contradicted each other.Finally, some men stood up and gave this false testimony:“ We heard him say,‘ I will destroy this Temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another, made without human hands.’”But even then they didn’t get their stories straight!Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus,“ Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?”But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him,“ Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”Jesus said,“ I Am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said,“ Why do we need other witnesses?You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?”“ Guilty!” they all cried.“ He deserves to die!”Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and beat him with their fists.“ Prophesy to us,” they jeered. And the guards slapped him as they took him away.

“ Listen,” he said,“ we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die.Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

“ But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy,‘ Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’

“ Listen,” he said,“ we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans.

The angel replied,“ The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.

He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.

One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.

The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is also called Passover, was approaching.The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction.Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples,and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them.They were delighted, and they promised to give him money.So he agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they could arrest him when the crowds weren’t around.

“ Look at you now!” they yelled at him.“ You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus.“ He saved others,” they scoffed,“ but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him!He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said,‘ I am the Son of God.’”

Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor.“ Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him. Jesus replied,“ You have said it.”But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent.“ Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded.But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd— anyone they wanted.This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas.As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them,“ Which one do you want me to release to you— Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”( He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message:“ Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death.So the governor asked again,“ Which of these two do you want me to release to you?” The crowd shouted back,“ Barabbas!”Pilate responded,“ Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” They shouted back,“ Crucify him!”“ Why?” Pilate demanded.“ What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder,“ Crucify him!”Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying,“ I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”And all the people yelled back,“ We will take responsibility for his death— we and our children!”So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment.They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him.They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted,“ Hail! King of the Jews!”And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it.When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.And they went out to a place called Golgotha( which means“ Place of the Skull”).The soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it.After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there.

At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest,plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him.

So I cared for the flock intended for slaughter— the flock that was oppressed. Then I took two shepherd’s staffs and named one Favor and the other Union.I got rid of their three evil shepherds in a single month. But I became impatient with these sheep, and they hated me, too.

“ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,

For the Lord declares,“ I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.”

Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death.But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forwardwho declared,“ This man said,‘ I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus,“ Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?”But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him,“ I demand in the name of the living God— tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”Jesus replied,“ You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said,“ Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy.What is your verdict?”“ Guilty!” they shouted.“ He deserves to die!”Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him,jeering,“ Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”

For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob— the God of all our ancestors— who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s decision to release him.You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer.

The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus.“ He saved others,” they scoffed,“ but he can’t save himself!

Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them.Jesus replied,“ Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret.Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said.”Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face.“ Is that the way to answer the high priest?” he demanded.Jesus replied,“ If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I’m speaking the truth, why are you beating me?”Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest.

why do you call it blasphemy when I say,‘ I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world.

After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees.Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples.The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove.Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them.“ Who are you looking for?” he asked.“ Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied.“ I Am he,” Jesus said.( Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.)As Jesus said“ I Am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground!Once more he asked them,“ Who are you looking for?” And again they replied,“ Jesus the Nazarene.”“ I told you that I Am he,” Jesus said.“ And since I am the one you want, let these others go.”He did this to fulfill his own statement:“ I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.”Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave.But Jesus said to Peter,“ Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?”So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up.First they took him to Annas, since he was the father in law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time.Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders,“ It’s better that one man should die for the people.”

“ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.

And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Can any mortal be pure? Can anyone born of a woman be just?

Who can bring purity out of an impure person? No one!

The Lord, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations, to the one who is the servant of rulers:“ Kings will stand at attention when you pass by. Princes will also bow low because of the Lord, the faithful one, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.

Very early in the morning the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law— the entire high council— met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.Pilate asked Jesus,“ Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied,“ You have said it.”Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes,and Pilate asked him,“ Aren’t you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?”But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate’s surprise.Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner— anyone the people requested.One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising.The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner as usual.“ Would you like me to release to you this‘ King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked.( For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.)But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus.Pilate asked them,“ Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”They shouted back,“ Crucify him!”“ Why?” Pilate demanded.“ What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder,“ Crucify him!”So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the governor’s headquarters( called the Praetorium) and called out the entire regiment.They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head.Then they saluted him and taunted,“ Hail! King of the Jews!”And they struck him on the head with a reed stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship.When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.( Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.)And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha( which means“ Place of the Skull”).They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it.Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece.It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.A sign announced the charge against him. It read,“ The King of the Jews.”Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one.

It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him.“ But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed,“ or the people may riot.”

You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.

For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.

How can a mortal be innocent before God? Can anyone born of a woman be pure?

Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover.So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked,“ What is your charge against this man?”“ We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted.“ Then take him away and judge him by your own law,” Pilate told them.“ Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied.( This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die.)Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him.“ Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him.Jesus replied,“ Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?”“ Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted.“ Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?”Jesus answered,“ My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”Pilate said,“ So you are a king?” Jesus responded,“ You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”“ What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them,“ He is not guilty of any crime.But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this‘ King of the Jews’?”But they shouted back,“ No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!”( Barabbas was a revolutionary.)Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead tipped whip.The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him.“ Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face.Pilate went outside again and said to the people,“ I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.”Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said,“ Look, here is the man!”When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting,“ Crucify him! Crucify him!”“ Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said.“ I find him not guilty.”The Jewish leaders replied,“ By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.”When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever.He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him,“ Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer.“ Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded.“ Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”Then Jesus said,“ You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted,“ If you release this man, you are no‘ friend of Caesar.’ Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.”When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement( in Hebrew, Gabbatha).It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people,“ Look, here is your king!”“ Away with him,” they yelled.“ Away with him! Crucify him!”“ What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked.“ We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back.Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away.Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull( in Hebrew, Golgotha).There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them.And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read,“ Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate,“ Change it from‘ The King of the Jews’ to‘ He said, I am King of the Jews.’”Pilate replied,“ No, what I have written, I have written.”When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.So they said,“ Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says,“ They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did.

“‘ What will I do?’ the owner asked himself.‘ I know! I’ll send my cherished son. Surely they will respect him.’“ But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they said to each other,‘ Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’So they dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him.“ What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to them?” Jesus asked.“ I’ll tell you— he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.”“ How terrible that such a thing should ever happen,” his listeners protested.Jesus looked at them and said,“ Then what does this Scripture mean?‘ The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”The teachers of religious law and the leading priests wanted to arrest Jesus immediately because they realized he was telling the story against them— they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the people’s reaction.

The guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him.They blindfolded him and said,“ Prophesy to us! Who hit you that time?”And they hurled all sorts of terrible insults at him.At daybreak all the elders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. Jesus was led before this high council,and they said,“ Tell us, are you the Messiah?” But he replied,“ If I tell you, you won’t believe me.And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer.But from now on the Son of Man will be seated in the place of power at God’s right hand.”They all shouted,“ So, are you claiming to be the Son of God?” And he replied,“ You say that I am.”“ Why do we need other witnesses?” they said.“ We ourselves heard him say it.”Then the entire council took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor.They began to state their case:“ This man has been leading our people astray by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king.”So Pilate asked him,“ Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied,“ You have said it.”Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said,“ I find nothing wrong with this man!”Then they became insistent.“ But he is causing riots by his teaching wherever he goes— all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!”

When they said that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under Herod’s jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time.Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle.He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer.Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations.Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.( Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.)Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people,and he announced his verdict.“ You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent.Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty.So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”

But even as Jesus said this, a crowd approached, led by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. Judas walked over to Jesus to greet him with a kiss.But Jesus said,“ Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed,“ Lord, should we fight? We brought the swords!”And one of them struck at the high priest’s slave, slashing off his right ear.But Jesus said,“ No more of this.” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.Then Jesus spoke to the leading priests, the captains of the Temple guard, and the elders who had come for him.“ Am I some dangerous revolutionary,” he asked,“ that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me?

He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.

After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.“ Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said.“ Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother,and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:“ I called my Son out of Egypt.”Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.

Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said,“ Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true.He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon.They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.”

At that time some Pharisees said to him,“ Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!”Jesus replied,“ Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose.Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!

When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about Jesus,