New Testament in a Year
The soldiers catch Jesus
47 While Jesus was still speaking, a crowd of people came towards him. Judas led the crowd to that place. He was one of the 12 apostles. He came near to Jesus to kiss him. 48 Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, why do you want to kiss me, the Son of Man? You are helping my enemies to take hold of me!’
49 The people near to Jesus saw what was happening. They asked him, ‘Lord, should we use our swords to fight?’ 50 One of them hit the servant of the leader of the priests. He cut off the servant's right ear. 51 ‘That is enough!’ Jesus said. He then touched the man's ear and made him well again.
52 Then Jesus spoke to the people that had come to take hold of him. They were the leaders of the priests, and the leaders of the police in the temple. Other important Jews were also there. He said to them, ‘You have come here with swords and heavy sticks. Do you really think that I am leading people to fight against our country's rulers? 53 No! But I was with you every day in the yard of the temple. You did not try to take hold of me then. But now really is the time and the place for you to work. Now it is a bad dark time, when the Devil has authority.’
Peter says that he does not know Jesus
54 Then they took hold of Jesus. They took him away and they brought him to the house of the leader of the priests. Peter was following them, but he did not go near Jesus. 55 People lit a fire in the yard of the house and they sat round it. Peter went and he sat with them. 56 A girl who worked there then saw Peter in the light from the fire. She looked carefully at him and she said, ‘This man also was a friend of Jesus.’ 57 Peter replied, ‘Woman, that is not true! I do not even know him.’
58 After a short time, someone else looked at him. ‘You also are one of their group,’ he said. Peter replied, ‘Man, I am not one of them.’
59 After about an hour, another man said, ‘I am sure that this man was a friend of Jesus. He also is from Galilee.’ 60 Peter replied, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about.’ While Peter was still speaking, a cockerel sang loudly. 61 Then the Lord Jesus turned round and he looked at Peter. Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him: ‘You will say tonight that you do not know me. You will say it three times before the cockerel sings in the morning.’
62 Then Peter went out of the yard and he wept a lot.
The soldiers laugh at Jesus and they hit him
63 The men that were holding Jesus were laughing at him. They hit him many times. 64 They covered his eyes with a cloth and they said to him, ‘Show us that you are a prophet. Tell us who hit you!’ 65 And they said many other bad things against him.
The Jewish leaders ask Jesus questions
66 When it became day, the Jewish leaders met together. The leaders of the priests and the teachers of God's Law were at the meeting. Then other men brought Jesus to stand in front of them. 67 They asked him, ‘Are you the Messiah? If you are, tell us.’ Jesus replied, ‘If I do tell you, you will not believe me. 68 I could also ask you a question. But if I do that, you will not answer me. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be sitting in the most important place. He will be sitting at the right side of the Most Powerful God.’
70 ‘So, are you the Son of God?’ they all said. Jesus replied, ‘You say that I am.’
71 Then they said, ‘We do not need anyone else to speak against this man. We ourselves have heard what he has said about himself.’
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