Jesus was bound like a common criminal and led away by the soldiers, their commander, and the Jewish guard, with John and Peter following closely behind. He was taken to the home of the Chief Priest, and presented to Annas, father in law of the Chief Priest. John who knew the chief priest went inside the house, but Peter stayed outside, so John asked the maid attending the door to please have Peter come inside. As Peter stood warming himself by the fire with the servants and guards, they maid asked him point blank if Peter was a follower of Jesus, to which he answered, "No." Annas began questioning Jesus about his followers and his teachings, no doubt implying that Jesus had in some way blasphemed the Lord, to which Jesus responded, "I have spoken openly to everyone. I have always taught in synagogues and in the Temple, where all the Jews come together. I never said anything in secret. So why do you question me? Ask the people who heard my teaching. They know what I said." The guard found Jesus' reply to be insubordinate and smacked him firmly across his face. Jesus was then taken before the High priest, Caiaphas. As Peter stood with the others still warming himself by the fire with the others, again he was asked if he was a follower of Jesus, again he said no. A relative of the priest whose ear Peter had cut, said, I'm sure I recognize you, weren't you in the garden? Again, Peter said, no, and just then the rooster crowed and announced the arrival of dawn. Imagine what he must have felt, when he heard that rooster crow! It had to hit him like a ton of bricks, he had betrayed a man whom he loved very much, a man he had realized was Israel's promised Messiah. Caiaphas had Jesus taken to the hall of judgement in the palace of the Roman govenor, Pontius Pilate. At first, Pilate didn't want to mess with it all, he suggested the Jew's punish Jesus under their law, but, it was Passover and the Jew's were not allowed to kill him themselves, so, they urged Pilate to do their dirty work. Let's see what the Bible says of Pilate's questioning of Jesus. "Then Pilate went back inside the palace, He called Jesus to him and asked, 'Are you the king of the Jews?' Jesus said,'Is that your own question, or did others tell you about me?' Pilate answeed, 'I am not a Jew. It was your own people and their leading priests who brought you before me. What have you done wrong?' Jesus said, 'My kingdom does not belong to this world. If it belonged to this world, my servants would fight so that I would not be given over to the Jews. But my kingdom is from another place.' Pilate said, 'So you are a king!' Jesus answered, 'You say that I am a king. That is true. I was born for this, to tell people about the truth. That is why I came into the world. And everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me.' Pilate said, 'What is truth?' After he said this, he went out to the Jews again. He said to them, 'I can find nothing to charge against this man. But it is your custom that I free one prisoner to you at the time of the Passover, do you want me to free this king of the Jews?' They shouted back, 'No, not him! Let Barabbas go free!' (Barabbas was a robber)" John 18:33-40 Pilate then ordered Jesus be taken away and scourged (please see my page on crucifixion to learn exactly what death he died, just click the next button.), after he was beaten nearly to death, the guards fashioned a crown of thorns and thrust it upon his head, no doubt causing his scalp to bleed, then placed a purple robe around his shoulders and began mocking him and punching him in the face as they proclaimed, "Behold the king of the Jews" Pilate decides to try one more time to change the minds of the Jewish leaders and priests, he took the battered Jesus still dressed in the crown and robe and brought him before the people as he uttered the famous words, "Behold the man!" Jesus stood there, bloody and battered, his eyes were probably black and swollen from all the blows he took to the face, the robe certainly covered the open wounds that traveled down his back, his buttocks, his legs, I imagine he probably had a fat lip as well; and did the people feel moved with compassion? No, instead they insisted he be crucified, a death reserved for the dregs of humanity. After a little more of this push and shove between Pilate and the Jews, Pilate finally gave in and ordered Jesus be crucified that very day. Jesus had been nearly beaten to death, he had lost a tremendous amount of blood and was no doubt in shock, as he was forced to carry the heavy cross beam through the streets of Israel, he fell many times from exhaustion. Just imagine enduring a night like he had and then try to imagine carrying the instrument of your death upon your shoulders. When they reached the site of Golgotha, Jesus was layed down, his arms outstretched on the cross beam, then large spikes with sharply tapered points were driven into each of his wrists, just below his hands. Imagine that nail tearing through your flesh, crushing vital nerves, feel the pain, hear his cries of agony. But this is only the beginning, his feet were placed one on top of the other and yet another nail tore through his flesh. As he was hoisted up, his shoulders dislocated, and because of the position he was in, Jesus would have to push up to breathe, tearing the flesh around the nail in his feet even further and imagine the splintery wood of the cross tearing and shredding the open lacerations on his back. As Jesus hung there struggling to breathe looking down from his cross he watched as the Roman soldiers divided his clothes among each other and cast lots for his long shirt. He looked on as his mother cried anguished tears as she witnessed her child hanging upon the cross, no doubt she clung to John and those around her. The pain in her heart just makes me want to cry out, I have a son, I can only try to imagine what Mary endured that day. For six hours Jesus hung on the cross, a sign hanging over head written in three different languages that said, Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews. And as the sacrificial lambs were being slaughtered for Passover, the sacrificial lamb for the world was being murdered on a cross. Jesus would die from cardiac arrest brought on by asphixiation, when the Roman soldier thrust the spear in his side, he was already dead. Jesus did not have to endure all these things, he could have just said, "Forget this noise you people are on your own." but he didn't, why? One word, Love He loved you and me enough to give up his life so that we may live, through his life, death and resurrection we have salvation, forgiveness and eternal life with him, if only we just accept him into our lives. Jesus was buried in a garden tomb that had never been used before, he was wrapped in linen and spices, then a huge stone was rolled in front of his grave that would require several men to move. On the third day, Jesus would see victory over death, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, and then to his disciples to whom he gave the Holy Spirit. Most were there but Thomas. Now you might have wondered where the phrase doubting Thomas comes from, when Thomas heard the news that Jesus had risen from the dead, he didn't believe it, he said the only way he would believe it was if he could put his fingers where the nails were and if he could put his hand into his side. Imagine Thomas' surprise a week later when Jesus appeared to him and said, "Go for it, stick your fingers where the nails were and thrust your hand in my side." Thomas must have barely been able to utter, "My Lord and my God!" And I shall end here with Jesus' reply to Thomas, "You believe because you see me. Those who believe without seeing me, will truly be happy."