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426
Humble Hero
He would not have denied his Lord. If the disciples had watched
with Christ in His agony, they would have been prepared to witness
His suffering on the cross. Amid the gloom of the most trying hour,
hope would have lighted up the darkness and sustained their faith.
Determined Efforts to Condemn Jesus
As soon as it was day, the Sanhedrin assembled again, and once
more Jesus was brought into the council room. He had declared
Himself to be the Son of God, but they could not condemn Him on
this, for many had not been there at the night session and had not
heard His words. And they knew that the Roman official would find
nothing worthy of death in those words. But if they could all hear
from His own lips His claim to be the Messiah, they might twist this
into a treasonous political claim.
“If You are the Christ,” they said, “tell us.” But Christ remained
silent. They continued to press Him with questions. At last He
answered, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe. And if I also
ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go.” But He
added the solemn warning, “Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the
right hand of the power of God.”
“Are You then the Son of God?” they asked. He said to them,
“You rightly say that I am.” They cried out, “What further testimony
do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”
And Jesus was to die. All that was necessary now was for the
Romans to ratify this condemnation.
Then came the third scene of abuse, worse even than what the
ignorant rabble had done. It took place in the very presence of the
priests and rulers, with their approval. When the judges pronounced
Jesus’ condemnation, a satanic fury took possession of the people.
The crowd made a rush toward Jesus. If it had not been for the
Roman soldiers, He would not have lived to be nailed to the cross
of Calvary. He would have been torn in pieces. Roman authority
intervened and restrained the violence of the mob by force of arms.
Heathen men were angry at the brutal treatment of One against
whom nothing had been proved. The Roman officers declared that
it was against Jewish law to condemn a man to death on his own