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

 

 Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.   As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "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.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."  Then they all said, "Are You then the Son of God?"  So He said to them, "You rightly say that I am."  and they said, "What further testimony do we need?  For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth."

 

- Luke 22:63–71 

 

Yesterday we read that, having been betrayed by Judas, Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."  Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

 

  Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.   We note the cruelty and crudity of the ones who hold Jesus.  To mock and beat Him is, we can imagine, the evil one at work.  To ridicule His divinity is to mock the capacity to prophesy in this gratuitously cruel and pitifully ignorant way.  As we read in context, all of this was carried on in the night, without benefit of trial.

 

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "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."   My study Bible comments that Jesus asked many questions of the Jewish leaders which they refused to answer because doing so would have meant confessing Him as the Christ (Luke 20:4-7; Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 3:4).  

 

"Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."  Then they all said, "Are You then the Son of God?"  So He said to them, "You rightly say that I am."  and they said, "What further testimony do we need?  For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth."  My study Bible notes that by this claim ("Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God") Jesus declares Himself to be equal with God.  

 

 We have to ask with Jesus (as reported in yesterday's reading), "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."   For, as we observe, the seizure of Christ takes place literally in darkness, and not in the daytime.  As they hold Him overnight, He suffers cruel and ignorant mocking and beating.  Nothing about what happens in this detention and trial is in accord with the legal practices stipulated at the time.  Of note is how "darkness" correlates with all that is being done.  There is the "power of darkness" Jesus described at work here, and it is at work in many ways and in many iterations.  It's at work in the cover of darkness when these authorities seize Him, it's at work in the betrayal of Judas done under cover of night as well (and of course, in the opposition to the truth that is in Christ).  It's in the ways these men have avoided open confrontation and dialogue while Jesus was teaching daily in the temple, and have chosen this method to have Him seized and for an illegal detention and trial.  Darkness is at work in this story in many ways.  But, because this is the story of Christ, and not a conventional story on worldly terms, darkness is inherent in the narrative, because Christ has come into this world to combat the darkness.  He has come here to defeat the darkness through its own methods.  For, these methods of subterfuge and scheming, of evil that shows its hand when it is possible to underhandedly fight the truth, will all, in the end, defeat the devil in his cunning.  For this is a story about "trampling death by death" as the Orthodox Pascha (Easter) hymn proclaims.  Christ will be ruler of heaven and earth, as all power is given to Him by the Father through this mission as the Incarnate Jesus.  It is He in whose hand is the judgment of all things, visible and invisible, given to Him by the Father -- and this is the way that He will complete that mission to destroy the one (or ones) who bring the darkness, who oppress human beings, who hate the truth of God.  And this is the story we are born into in this world, and into which we are called upon by Christ to follow Him, to be His disciples, and to do as He did.  It is, perhaps, a strange story by worldly material conditions, but not by the holistic sense of our lives which include the spiritual.  In Romans 12, St. Paul writes extensively about living life in the spirit of love.  In verses 17-21, he teaches above all about avoiding revenge.  Quoting from Deuteronomy 32:35, he reminds his flock of the Lord's words, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay."  And then quoting from Proverbs 25:21-22, he writes, "Therefore 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.'  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."  We look in all things to the judgment of the Lord, for it is by the power of the Lord that darkness -- in this full sense of what that means in terms of the Scriptures -- is defeated, judged, dealt with.  Again, in the midst of a passage on love that is perhaps the greatest ever written, St. Paul says, "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known" (see 1 Corinthians 13).  From our worldly, material perspective, we might not easily understand how these things work, but in the spiritual sense, we understand that it is, in fact, the Judge who is the One standing before those who seek to judge Him.  All the evil of darkness brought against Him will not defeat Him, it did not defeat the Church, even though the Church depends upon fallible human beings.  And God's justice will not fail.  Let us understand how, precisely, to defeat darkness.  For darkness depends upon ignorance and is blind.  Let us live and walk in the light, His way, to defeat it.  In today's reading, Jesus rightly replies to these men who now are incapable of repentance, "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."  They have blinded themselves to His light.  But it is He who will have the final answer nonetheless.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish

 

 Then many of Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

 

- John 11:45-54 

 

In yesterday's reading we read of the completion of Christ's seventh and final sign in the Gospel of John, the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  At this point in the story, Jesus had not yet come into the town of Bethany where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and came to Him.  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?" Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

 

 Then many of Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.   Once again we note that the term the Jews in John's Gospel usually indicates the religious leadership.  In this case, it indicates those from families in Jerusalem, likely connected to the Jewish ruling classes (such as the Pharisees mentioned here), who come to mourn Lazarus' death with Martha and Mary (see yesterday's reading, above).  On today's entire reading, my study Bible has a single note.  It explains to us that Caiaphas, being high priest, is given the authority to speak prophetically.  It notes that the failings or even wickedness of the officeholder do not diminish the grace of the office itself.  Here, Caiaphas means only that the death of Jesus Christ will spare the Jews from Roman intervention.  But God's meaning is something entirely different, that all people will be saved through the death of the Son. 

 

The "unwittingly prophetic" plays a significant role in the Gospels, in the story of Jesus Christ, particularly at these moments of high tension or crisis.  Here in today's reading is perhaps the most important example, when Caiaphas, acting as high priest, makes this statement in which he intends one meaning but God speaks through him with another.    In saying that "it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish," the Christian perspective recognizes the clear message of Jesus Christ as Savior.  He will die for all, as He has said.  In John's chapter 3, Jesus told Nicodemus, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:14-17).  This has been the clear message of Christ's teaching about Himself, and will become more explicit as the story of Christ's Passion, death, and Resurrection unfolds, and in the whole history of the Church.  There are other examples of what we can call unwitting prophecies, such as in our recent reading when Christ's disciple Thomas said of Jesus' going to Lazarus who was dying, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him" (see this reading).  Thomas meant this statement with one understanding which was his at the time, but it is a prophecy of the lives of martyrdom that the disciples would go on to lead.  There is yet another profound example to come in the events of Christ's Passion, found in Matthew's Gospel, and that is when the people shout at Christ's Crucifixion.  That happens as Pilate washes his hands before the crowd demanding Jesus' death and declares, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it."  We're told that all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Whatever way this can be read or intended (or twisted to justify the sinful persecution of Jewish people), it is seen in the eyes of the Church as not a curse but an unwitting blessing, for it is the blood of Christ that is our means of salvation, as shown when so many in Jerusalem would come to repentance and faith as on the day of Pentecost when thousands were baptized (Acts 2:41).  The story of Jesus is filled with paradox; perhaps the greatest paradox of all is the one we continue to ponder:  why does the means of our salvation happen through the events of Christ's Passion and Holy Week?  But through these events, which are effectively begun through the raising of Lazarus and the meeting of the Sanhedrin in today's reading, God will work to bring salvation to the world and the power of redemption to humanity -- and this is indeed a great paradox.  At such a point of crisis we find God intervenes in the most extraordinary ways, and this is what we should take with us from today's reading.  For even in the midst of this darkest of plotting against Christ the Savior, prophesy is at work, and grace is at work, and we must say that God is in this sense present.  Let us accept this profound paradox as we move ahead into the story to come through John's Gospel.  

 

 

 

 

 

Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?"

 

 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.  But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard.  And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.  Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the councils sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.  But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'"  And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But Jesus kept silent.  And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God:  Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  Jesus said to him, "It is as you said.  Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy!  What further need do we have of witnesses?  Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!  What do you think?"  They answered and said, "He is deserving of death."  Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ!  Who is the one who struck You?"

 

- Matthew 26:57-68 

 

Yesterday we read that while Jesus was still speaking to His disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.  Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?"  Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.  And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?  How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"  In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.  But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."  Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

 

  And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.  But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard.  And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.  Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the councils sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.  But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'"  My study Bible explains that the people misunderstand the Lord's words which are reported in John 2:19-21.  It notes that some Jews believed that the temple would be destroyed and a new one built by the Messiah.  

 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.  But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard.  And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.  Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the councils sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.  But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'"  And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But Jesus kept silent.  And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God:  Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  Jesus said to him, "It is as you said.  Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy!  What further need do we have of witnesses?  Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!  What do you think?"  They answered and said, "He is deserving of death."  Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ!  Who is the one who struck You?"   Here Jesus quotes from Psalm 110 and Daniel 7:13.  In so doing, He confesses that He is the Messiah; that is fully Man and fully God.  My study Bible explains that this is so, because only a divine One could sit at the right hand of the Power, sharing authority with the Father.  This statement, it notes, was clearly understood by the high priest to be a claim of equality with God the Father.  For a mere human being to claim this was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16).  But Christ is not a mere human being only, and therefore His declaration of equality is not blasphemy.  

It's interesting that, as my study Bible notes, the high priest understands clearly what Christ is saying, that He has claimed equality with God the Father.  These educated men, steeped in the Scriptures, understand this implication from Christ.  But their conclusion is the opposite of the truth, the foundational reality of Christ's assertion is dismissed out of hand.  He must be a blasphemer.  It asks the question of us, what is it that can mislead highly intelligent and educated people to a conclusion antithetical to truth?  Of course, for those who are faithful to Christ and embrace His teachings, this truth about Him is a given.  We who have struggled with our faith, and come to know Christ -- and to continue to grow in our communion with Him -- have found this truth to be so.  It is, indeed, at least as experiential (if not more so) as it is an intellectual or other type of process.  So what is missing from the mind and heart of the high priest that He can draw this conclusion, that Christ is simply a blasphemer?  Has He missed Christ's own devotion to the Scriptures and to God?  Has Christ behaved like a person who has no contact with reality?  Is He out of His mind?  Does Christ have an army He's prepared to use to fight the powers that be, or does He even use some kind of worldly authority to do so?  No, Christ doesn't come with any of that, nor does He claim such authority.  But He is armed with His gospel, He is armed with His truth, and He doesn't make apologies for it.  Sometimes that is enough to render a person an object of abject hatred and outrage.  Of course, in the next chapter, St. Matthew tells us that Pilate, another man of worldly power, understands the leaders of the Sanhedrin well.  Pilate will know that these leaders hand Jesus over to him because of envy (Matthew 27:19).  It's worth asking ourselves why intelligent and educated men -- those responsible for the spiritual welfare of Israel -- can still make such a colossal error in terms of discerning the truth about Jesus, because as the Gospels always do, it's an opportunity to learn for ourselves.  It's an opportunity to think about how and why we -- as perhaps intelligent, educated, and capable people -- might make the same kind of error, indulge in the same kind of blindness, and incur the same condemnation.  Because these men know better, because they are violating their own rules of procedure by having a night trial, because the witnesses fail to confirm any wrongdoing, we can only conclude that this is a deliberate blindness.  The protection of their own positions is no doubt dearest in their hearts above all else.  What we find is a repeated failure to put the love of God first.  There isn't a concern for fairness or justice or righteousness; only a concern to rid themselves of a threat to their places, and One who has the favor of the people.  But all of this included in the Gospels gives us things to ponder as we are to check our own tendencies to confirm our own biases, or take refuge in a blind self-righteousness.  They are a cautionary tale, as our own assurance of righteousness based on position or appearance, rather than substance, can mislead us badly.  If we aren't to be like these men, we must always be awake and alert to our own tendencies to find justification for selfish and unjust behavior.  John's Gospel tells us that "even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43).  Humility and love of God go hand in hand, and to check the state of our own hearts means emphasizing these two things; it's what our faith is all about, and what is missing from these men.  For Who stands before them and what they are doing they cannot truly see, because they choose not to.  It's our self-chosen blindness that may lead to our greatest blunders.  From that point of condemnation, they debase themselves even more with their behavior:  Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ!  Who is the one who struck You?"  

 

 

I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven

 

 And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.  But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.  Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.  Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'"  But not even then did their testimony agree.  And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But He kept silent and answered nothing.  Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus said, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?"  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.  Then some began to spit on Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!"  And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands. 

 

- Mark 14:53–65 

 

On Saturday we read that, immediately, while Jesus was still speaking to the disciples in Gethsemane, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled.  Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

 

  And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.  But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.  Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.  Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'"  But not even then did their testimony agree.  And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But He kept silent and answered nothing.   It is a rigged game, a kangaroo court of sorts, in which Jesus finds Himself at this night trial.  They violate all the laws they are sworn to uphold, the very fabric of their positions as religious leaders they violate themselves.  Instead there are many who bear false witness against Jesus, made all the more obvious as their testimonies did not agree.  Just as He will do later on with Pilate, Jesus kept silent (Mark 15:1-5).  

Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus said, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?"  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.  Then some began to spit on Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!"  And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.  Jesus answers to the high priest in the affirmative, saying, "I am."  In Greek, this statement is ego eimi/ἐγώ εἰμι.  This is the divine name of God, the first words of the divine Name for God given to Moses in Exodus 3:14, as written in the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament Scriptures, produced in the 3rd century BC.   (In fact, when Jesus quotes from the Scriptures, the quotes are from the Septuagint.)   Christ's use of the Name indicates a theophany, which means a revelation of God by God.  The use of this Name by a mere man was considered blasphemy, my study Bible explains, and was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16; see John 8:58).  But, because Jesus is fully God, His use of the name cannot be blasphemy.  Instead, it reveals His unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  My study Bible also adds that it is only in Mark's account that Jesus' answer is so direct.  To sit at the right hand of the Power means to share authority with the Father.   As we can see by his outraged response, and the subsequent abusive actions of the council and the officers, this statement is clearly understood by the high priest to be a claim of equality with God.  

Why does Jesus answer nothing when He's being accused by false witnesses?   We can imagine that it is simply not worthy of Him to reply to the lies of those who would do such a thing in the first place.  And it becomes clear that all their testimonies simply contradict one another, and so reflect and reveal the lies.  He does not even respond to the high priest when he asks Him, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"   But when the high priest asks Him directly, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus chooses to respond fully and clearly, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."   Let's make note that this is also a prophecy, because it is a foretelling to the high priest about the end times, and the time of Christ's Second Coming, when all will see at the Judgment what Christ reveals here.  In that context, first of all, we can presume that Christ speaks yet again as a sort of a final warning for the high priest to consider what he does.  He is putting the Lord of lords on trial, the One who will be the ultimate Judge he is judging falsely, and the high priest will no doubt understand what that indicates for him.  The various false witnesses, no doubt procured and paid for, are not in the position of the high priest; they are not religious experts, they are not in high positions, they are no doubt marginal people who will say and do anything for money.  But the high priest occupies an office of power and the highest honor in the religious establishment, and presides over the most educated religious body of the society; he speaks for the Council.  There can be no misunderstanding here, either of what Jesus is saying or of what a false judgment portends if Jesus is truly who He says He is.  In this context, the response of the high priest becomes more shocking, and with that we include the actions of members of the Council (as Mark reports these events) as well as the officers.  As with Jesus' arrest by paid mercenaries, which also included Romans, everything goes from bad to worse.  It is a noteworthy description of times of evil, in which actions that take place become shocking in their unexpected extremism; that is, things take place which one could not anticipate for their unthinkable nature.  It is a true testimony to the fact that our Lord has experienced all the things that we do in this world.  Even our most humiliating and shameful experiences, the unexpected baseness of evil acts, is now an experience of our Creator.  One may well wonder why this is so, but I would propose that there are a number of reasons we can consider, and likely many more that I am not aware of.  First of all, there is the experience of the Creator out of great love for us, to share our lives, and in particular the very worst of our lives.  From now and throughout history, we can be assured that we have a Savior, both human and divine, who knows our every pain and torture and torment in life.  He knows what it is to be humiliated and debased as a human being, treated with contempt.  Secondly, not only has God chosen to experience even the worst of what we experience, but in and of itself, this life of Christ tells us how much we are loved.  For the one and only reason God would share our pain is out of sheer love for us.  We can look at His suffering, and it must tell us how truly we are loved, even when we feel unloved or there is no love to be found among friends and others whom we know.  In addition, there is a reason why the most innocent among us suffers, why even divinity suffers, and it makes a difference to the reality of the entire cosmos.  Just as Jesus proclaims to the high priest that he will see Christ sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven, so it is understood that this Man so ill-treated and convicted unjustly is the ultimate Judge, and there is no doubt that this is what Christ is proclaiming.  What it means is that the evil in the world will be absolutely judged, because the Judge is the ultimate Witness.  He is the Faithful and True Witness (Revelation 3:14).   It is Christ's testimony itself that will condemn the evil in the world, and the prince or ruler of this world responsible for such hatred of the good, the true, and the beautiful which is embodied in Christ.   This one Witness provides all that is needed to liberate us, even from the last enemy, death (1 Corinthians 15:20, 26).  Finally, through His suffering, Christ gives a meaning to our suffering, for He invites us in to join Him in His mission and work through the Church.  This mission involves struggle of which St. Paul has said, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  We may share in the work of holiness, which turns us also into witnesses, those who may give testimony in the deepest and truest struggle for the world and for the life of the world.  Let us turn to Him for He suffers for us and does not turn away.

 

 

Then they all said, "Are You then the Son of God?" So He said to them, "You rightly say that I am"

 Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "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.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."  Then they all said, "Are You then the Son of God?"  So He said to them, "You rightly say that I am."  And they said, "What further testimony do we need?  For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth."

- Luke 22:63-71

Yesterday we read that when they came to arrest Him, Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."  Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

 Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.   Christ is beaten, mocked, humiliated.   He is subject to the cruelties visited upon the powerless, and the blasphemy and ridicule of His jailers reflects the intent of those who have ordered His arrest. 

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "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.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."  Then they all said, "Are You then the Son of God?"  So He said to them, "You rightly say that I am."  And they said, "What further testimony do we need?  For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth."  My study bible comments that Jesus asked many questions of the Jewish leaders which they refused to answer, because doing so would have meant confessing Him as the Christ (20:4-7; Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 3:4).  With the statement, "Hereafter the Son of Man will sit at the right hand of the power of God," Jesus is effectively declaring Himself equal with God.

It is interesting to observe Jesus' response to the elders, chief priests and scribes at the council.  His method of reply seems strange.  But if one considers the power of His words and teachings, and especially His revelation of Himself and His identity, one may observe that Jesus is actually trying to protect them.  That is, the refusal to heed His words, and the absolute rebuke they would make in response to the truth He tells -- especially given the positions of these men as religious leaders -- would necessitate a kind of condemnation that He will not easily nor lightly give.  He says directly, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will be no means answer Me or let Me go."  Since He is already aware of the certainty as to how they will respond, that there is no hope for their belief, He will not directly implicate them in certain condemnation.  Christ's constant directive is salvation.   John's Gospel tells us clearly, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17).  Up until the last moment of contact, Christ continues to try to save Judas.  He asks him, upon His arrest, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" (see Saturday's reading).   Even His seemingly mysterious reply to these men of the Sanhedrin can be understood from this perspective.  When they ask Him directly if He is the Son of God,  Jesus replies, "You rightly say that I am."  This answer, by its phrasing, also refuses condemnation of those who would deny this truth to His face.  He will respond similarly even with Pilate (23:3).  What we need to remember in reading these passages is that Christ's overarching directive of all that He does, His ministry, His whole Incarnation, is salvation.  As John's Gospel says, He did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save the world.  That means everything and everyone in it.  By either refusing to speak to those who absolutely will not believe, or responding in this strange way, that "you rightly say that I am" (or, "It is as you say," to Pilate), Christ refuses condemnation, and allows more time for those who have a chance to come to repentance and faith.  Elsewhere, Jesus tells the apostles, "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces" (Matthew 7:6).  Looking at the behavior of those who cruelly mock and beat Jesus, we may see a kind of literal illustration of this teaching.  Looking more deeply into Christ's conduct among the Sanhedrin, we can understand His prohibition against giving what is holy, and what are pearls of truth, to those who are incapable of receiving is not only futile and dangerous, but it is not at all within the mission of those who would follow Him.  His mission is a saving mission, and into it His disciples enter.  We are reminded that Christ passed through a Samaritan village on His way to Jerusalem, and they refused to receive Him, John and James Zebedee asked if they should call down fire from heaven to consume them, as did Elijah.  But Jesus told them, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them"  (Luke 9:51-56).  We live in a modern world in which they are many who do not share the faith in Christ that those of us who seek to be His followers would declare.  There are those who may even be violently opposed, for one reason or another.  We should remember His conduct and His words within the contexts in which we find ourselves today.   His mission is salvation.  His words are powerful and true.  His teachings have spiritual substance, a full truth with an impact behind them.  And rejection of His teachings will have its consequences, just as those who reject a sincere faith may not know what they are doing.  As His disciples, we, too, must keep His words, conduct, and teachings in mind.  We do not cast pearls before swine, not in order to judge or condemn, not even simply to protect ourselves, but in order to conduct ourselves properly for the One whose overwhelming concern above all else was to save.  We do not seek endlessly to convert those who do not want to hear upon repeated refusal.  We may, like Christ, withdraw into a silence with confirmed rejection of our faith.  Our very best tool, as disciples, is simply a life lived in conjunction with His teachings, through the walk of faith, through prayer, and all the means at our disposal for living life in the way He has taught us.  By our patience we endure.  St. Paul writes of himself and his fellow apostles, "Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we encourage. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now" (1 Corinthians 4:12-13).  This is what it is to live the mission of the One who came to save and not to condemn.  May be all be blessed with the discernment to know where to go, and where not to go.  Let us remember that where the disciples were rejected, they were merely to shake the dust off their feet, and move on.  Sometimes people simply don't have "ears to hear."   In Acts, we're told that the Holy Spirit instructed Paul not to go to particular places at a particular time in his ministry (Acts 16:6-10).   We don't know why, but Christianity and St. Paul himself would go later to these regions.  In the reading for today, and in the other examples, we must keep in mind our dependence upon time for salvation.  The process of repentance and change takes time.  What is rejected one day may be accepted by the same person at a later date.  But there is a time when it is proper to withdraw direct contact and shake off the dust from our feet.  Judas still had an opportunity to return to the group in repentance.  The leaders who reject Christ could conceivably come to a repentance (indeed there are those members of the Council who did become Christ's notable followers).   Until further notice, we seek to live Christ's saving mission -- and until such time as we know differently, we follow as we are taught.

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

 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "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.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."

- Luke 22:54-69

Yesterday we read that, coming out from the Passover supper, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and he knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then he said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.  Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  My study bible explains the paradox and poetry of the Scriptures, at work even at this low point in the story of Christ and the Church.  A girl being the first to test Peter is an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  My study bible says that this, as symbol of our fallen state, is overcome when it is women who are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (24:1-10).

And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.  Peter's fear is so overwhelming that neither Christ's prediction (verse 34) nor the crowing of the rooster signals a call to repentance, but only Christ's gaze causes him to weep bitterly, according to my study bible.  St. Ambrose of Milan is quoted, who writes that nevertheless, "through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.  We see the contempt with which our Lord was treated.  We should understand His condescension to be one of us, to be with us, so that He may bring us all into His Kingdom.  Even as divine Lord, Christ experiences the demeaning and degrading experiences that we may suffer.  Added to these facts, this is also a picture of blasphemy.  But we should consider that these same men -- and the centurion in charge of them -- may also come to repentance and be included in His flock (Matthew 27:54, Mark 15:39, Luke 23:47).

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "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.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."   Particularly during the time that Jesus was teaching daily in the temple (earlier during the Passover festival), Jesus asked many questions of the Jewish leaders which they refused to answer, because doing so would have meant confessing Him as the Christ (20:4-7; Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 3:4).  At this time, it is as if Jesus is declaring judgement; the time for His effort at dialogue with them is over, as they will refuse to respond either way.  Their minds are made up and hearts are hardened against Him.  His final statement is a declaration that He is equal with God.

In today's reading, we're witness to the power of darkness which Jesus spoke about in yesterday's reading (above).   Jesus is mocked and violently abused by the soldiers.  Moreover, when it comes time for Him to be questioned, He straightforwardly acknowledges His inability to get a fair hearing:  "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."  In the midst of what He knows to be certain conviction, and to those who will sit in judgment against Him who have already decided their verdict in advance, Jesus tells the truth.  It's like a conviction He teaches to each of us that no matter how hard things look, we need to face facts.  Jesus will not waste His time attempting to coerce these men to change their minds.  But He does present one more extraordinary fact to them:  He declares His divinity and equality to God.  He tells them, "Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."   Ironically enough, and of course just as Christ knows full well, this is the "evidence" they need to convict Him of blasphemy.  But in this case, Jesus is telling the truth; He is declaring the extraordinary fact they don't want to hear and don't want to know -- but it is nevertheless a statement which they can and will use to convict Him of the crime of blasphemy, for which they will attempt to have Him put to death by the Roman state.  What is important to know here is that Jesus stands in His truth.  While it appears from all human perspective that this is Christ in some sense "giving in" to these people, giving them what they want in order to convict Him, the tables are turned.  It is He who judges, and His word that judges.  When Christ stands in this truth, it is those who censor Him for it who convict themselves.  Let us keep in mind Christ's abandonment even by one of His closest apostles, the one who speaks for the rest of them, Peter.  The human Jesus is entirely alone.  And yet, He testifies to His truth.  He at once accepts the facts of the matter that are stacked all the way against Him, and He still tells His truth.  We know who Christ is, and the power that He wields as judge and arbiter and the one who gives us the word of truth.  But He also stands in for us, when we may find ourselves in such an unjust position.  We may be abandoned and alone, and surrounded only by those vicious enough to convict us for their own personal reasons.  We find ourselves with those who are not willing to give us a fair hearing.  But, with God, and in a prayerful acceptance of the realities with which we are surrounded, even in the worst of circumstances, we stand in our own truth with only One who judges; that is, Christ.   In an existential sense, this is where we are all the time -- and all the rest of the things we may or may not take for granted make no real substantial difference to us when it comes down to who we are face-to-face with Christ.  That is to say, in this place of terrible abandonment, Christ is neither alone nor without His truth.  He has come to this place simply for us, and so that we know when we may stand in this same place He is with us, and that it is His judgment alone that really counts.  When we are tried in the most difficult and desperate of circumstances, we find Him and the Holy Spirit, and with them God the Father; we take up His courage and His truth, we follow His ways, knowing He was there before us and is yet there with us.  Jesus alone tells us His truth.  The real question is how we can stand in that same place and find our truths with Him.  As we go toward the days we celebrate His birth, let us come to terms about just what it is that determines our truths and our worth, and remember that when all might be against us, it is only His judgment that counts.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life

 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.   And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

- John 3:1-21

Yesterday we read that the Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.  When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away!  Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"  Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."  So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.  Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.  Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."   Nicodemus, we're told, is a man of the Pharisees, and a ruler of the Jews.  This makes him an important man, a member of the ruling Council, also known as the Sanhedrin.  My study bible's emphasis is on faith; here Nicodemus believes that Jesus was from God, but his faith is still weak, as he is afraid of his peers and thus he came to Jesus by night.   But later on, after this conversation, Nicodemus's faith will grow to the point of defending Jesus before the Sanhedrin (7:50-51).  Eventually, he will also come to make the bold public expression of faith of preparing and entombing our Lord's body (19:39-42), along with another wealthy and distinguished man, Joseph of Arimathea.   According to some early sources, my study bible notes, Nicodemus was baptized by Peter and consequently he was removed from the Sanhedrin and forced to flee Jerusalem.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   The word translated as "again" in born again can also be translated "from above."  It clearly refers to the heavenly birth from God through faith in Christ (1:12-13).  The heavenly birth referred to in today's passage is baptism, and our adoption by God as our Father (Galatians 4:4-7), my study bible says.  Clearly the new birth is the beginning of spiritual life; the goal is entrance into the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"   A misunderstanding by Nicodemus; he questions the possibility of a second physical birth.  Emphasizing the need for insight, for spiritual eyes and ears in the practice of our faith, misunderstandings like this occur frequently in John's Gospel (see 2:19-21; 4:10-14, 30-34; 6:27; 7:37-39; 11:11-15).  Jesus uses such opportunities to elevate an idea from a superficial or earthly meaning to a heavenly and eternal one.

Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'"   To be born of water and Spirit is a direct reference to Christian baptism, and to the gift of the Holy Spirit given at chrismation.   This is a spiritual birth by grace, through faith, and in the Holy Spirit.

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."   This is a play on words.  The Greek word pneuma/πνεῦμα means both wind and Spirit.   My study bible says that the working of the Holy Spirit in the new birth is as mysterious as the source and destination of the blowing wind.  So also the Spirit moves where He desires, and cannot contained by human ideas or agendas.

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven."  St. John Chrysostom teaches that Jesus uses the phrase earthly things to refer to grace and to baptism which is given to human beings.  They are earthly, not in the sense of "unspiritual,"  but rather in the sense that they occur on earth and are given to creatures.   Heavenly things, by contrast, involve the unknowable mysteries of the eternal generation of the Son from the Father; they relate to the Son's eternal existence before all time and also to God's divine plan of salvation for the world.   My study bible says that a person must first grasp the ways in which God works among human beings before one can begin to understand those things which pertain to properly only to God and relations of the Holy Trinity.

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."  Moses lifted up an image of a serpent in order to cure the Israelites from deadly bites of poisonous snakes (Numbers 21:4-9).   This miracle-working image prefigured Christ being lifted up on the Cross.   As believers behold the crucified Christ in faith, my study bible says, the power of sin and death is overthrown in them.  As the image of a serpent was the weapon that destroyed the power of the serpents, so the instrument of the death of Christ becomes the weapon that overthrows death itself.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  It's not always that we get a reason for why things happen in life, but here is this reason straight from the mouth of Christ Himself.  To show the reason why the Son must be crucified (or "lifted up"), Jesus declares God's great love not only for Israel, but for the world.  This is our answer.  This single verse, my study bible tells us, expresses the whole of the message of John's Gospel -- and indeed it is true for all of salvation history.

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."   Christ came to save and not to condemn.   But human beings have free will; therefore we are capable of rejecting this gift.  People become condemned by their own rejection of the light of life which is in Christ.

Why this mission into the world?  Why the Cross?  Theology and the Church may come up with many answers to such questions, and through time we will receive more, but here in John's Gospel, we are given the most central and wide-ranging and foundational answer for all:  "For God so loved the world."   Everything starts with God's love.   John's Gospel began with its Prologue, echoing the words of Genesis, "In the beginning."  And, following that echo, John gave us the first seven days in Jesus' ministry, culminating with the first sign at the wedding in Cana, and then a day of rest for Himself and those who were with Him (2:1-12).   In the creation story of Genesis, God's acts are punctuated by God's thoughts; we're told that "God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25).  But after God's final culminating act of creation, it was more than good.  Genesis 1:31 tells us, "Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good" (my italics added).   This word for "good" in both Hebrew and Greek means more than good.  It also means "beautiful."  It can mean "pleasing," "excellent," "valuable," "worthy."  All of these adjectives fit the ways in which God viewed the world, God's creation.  But John's Gospel gives us the deeper understanding of God's perspective:  God so loves this world that God gives God's only-begotten Son -- so that whoever believes in Him may have everlasting life.  Notice that we are part of the wholeness of the beautiful, worthy, good creation of the world -- and God wishes to offer us eternal life through the Son, who is life (14:6).   Therefore, this life that we are offered is something merited by the full goodness and beauty of the world, and is fitting to it.  It is like a "blessing of blessings":  whatever God has already created as good is bestowed with a grace that exceeds all good, bringing out of its potentials greater good;  that we may have life more abundantly (10:10).  Whatever are the great blessings and potentials that grace can bring, evoke, multiply, and manifest, what we are given is a picture of the wholeness and completeness of the inherent and basic goodness of our world and ourselves as part of this created world.  It is good and beautiful, and so beloved of God that it is worth God's sacrifice, and we may come to eternal life through belief in the Son who is sent to our beloved world.  This is a picture of the wholeness of life, that regardless of what we see and experience, however it may be that there is a "fallenness" or darkness or evil that has made itself present to our world, this does not touch the basic goodness or the fact of God's love for the world.  And that is what we can take as our foundation for life and our understanding of life and where we stand in the whole created order of life.  It is this foundation of goodness, that which is worthy and pleasing, for which God deems the greatest sacrifice of love as God's gift, that sets out how we must view an entire order of creation and ourselves in it.  This act of giving by God is the centerpiece of history in the terms in which Christology sets out what life is all about and what we must be all about.  That promise of life is made so that the life we have may be enhanced without the limits we think we have, but with the abundance that only Christ knows and can promise.  Let us consider what light this love sheds on the meaning of our lives and how it intersects our lives in the here and the now.  What is He asking of us?  What is God offering?  That it is an offer made from love must tell us all about the gift, and what we have to lose when we refuse it.  Let us note a tiny glimpse of what this means hidden here in our reading:  Nicodemus is a Pharisee, an important man among the leaders.  He comes to Christ in faith, despite the fact that it will be the Pharisees who seek to condemn Jesus.  God's love rules out no one, there is nothing in this world inherently not "good."  It is simply a matter of our own acceptance of the gift of life and the light of Christ that makes the difference of grace.   The salvation that is offered is for all the world.

I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven

 And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.  But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.  Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.  Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'"  But not even then did their testimony agree.  And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But He kept silent and answered nothing.  Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus said, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?"  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.  Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!"  And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands. 

- Mark 14:53-65

On Saturday, we read that immediately, while Jesus was still speaking to the disciples at Gethsemane, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled.  Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

 And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.  But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.  Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.  Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'"  But not even then did their testimony agree.  And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But He kept silent and answered nothing.  We view the proceedings that are conducted outside the rules of the law, with false witnesses and conflicting testimonies. John's Gospel reports that Jesus has said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," but that He was speaking of the temple of His body, referring to the Resurrection (see John 2:19).  Jesus refuses to answer those who give false testimony.

Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus said, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."   Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?"  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.  When asked a direct question by the high priest, Jesus does answer.  In using the term I am (ego eimi in the Greek), Jesus refers to Himself sing the divine name of God.  This is a theophany, a revelation of God Himself.  My study bible says that the use of this Name by a mere man was considered blasphemy and was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16; see John 8:58).  But because Jesus is fully God, His use of the Name is not blasphemy.  Rather, it reveals something essential about God, the Holy Trinity -- His unity with the Father and the Spirit.  Mark alone reports Christ's answer as so direct.  To sit at the right hand of the Power is to share authority with the Father.  My study bible says the statement was clearly understood by the high priest to be a claim of equality with God. 

Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!"  And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.  Once the condemnation of Jesus is pronounced, all fall on Him to express their contempt, following the lead of the high priest.   Even the officers, who earlier could not arrest Him for the stunningly authoritative way He spoke in the temple, follow suit (see John 7:46).

Order breaks down; even in a divinely-inspired system, human hearts and minds are fallible.  We are all susceptible to the weaknesses of the flesh, to our fears, to our desires.  This is what we see in the trial of Christ, which is no trial at all in terms of its standards, even by the laws of these men.  We read of false witnesses, and those whose testimonies contradict one another.  Jesus refuses to argue or defend Himself against these, and neither does the court -- contrary to its own law -- concern itself with the defense of Jesus.  In Luke's Gospel, Jesus says in answer to a general demand from the beginning of this night trial to answer as to whether or not He is the Christ, posed by the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes, "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"  (see Luke 22:66-68).  Here in Mark, after hearing from many false witnesses, the high priest asks Him directly, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"   And Jesus answers directly with a revelation of divinity.  The high priest responds with a charge of blasphemy, and declares that no further witnesses are required.  It is an expedited conclusion to a trial full of errors and violations of the law these men are meant to uphold.  It would seem that, in the conviction of Jesus, everything that can go awry goes awry.  There are several procedures that are illegal here, and there will be more problems to come when He is brought before Pilate.  What we can understand is the breakdown of a system, of order, of rational codes, of honor, of reason.  It is as if every evil were brought to bear upon this moment.  And certainly, this is a way in which we are to see this time.  Christ has one ultimate enemy, the "prince of this world" from whom He's come to secure the liberation of those who need a Deliverer.  St. Paul recognized this and put it wisely in writing to the church at Ephesus:  "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  And this is truly the struggle in which we are engaged, in which Christ is engaged as the leader of a battle, as Deliverer and Redeemer to free us from bondage.  And indeed, He goes up against all that can go wrong, all the injustice the world can sometimes hand us, and the lies and the violence, the political pressures for an expedited result, and stands up for the inconvenience of truth.  Jesus brings into our world a sword, and it is a battle for the truth that liberates on the deepest levels of our being.  His is the truth that truly makes us free.  He shows us how to negotiate and navigate these murky waters of such times of betrayal and deception and of lies, because He not only goes first, but He pulls us along with Him, being raised up on the Cross, and sends us a Helper, a Defender, a Counselor, an Advocate for our own times of trial -- for this is the real meaning of the word He uses for the Holy Spirit, Paraclete/παράκλητος, the One who comes to our side when called (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7;  see also 1 John 2:1.)  Jesus gives us what was not provided for Him at this trial that violates all procedure.  When we are caught in a time when order breaks down, when short-cuts are taken, and only expediency counts, then we are in a place where we must rely on Him and the help that God provides us.  We must remember what the real enemy is:  the one that lies, the one that tells us that all these things, including the "right" result,  matter more than the truth does -- and spiritual truth the least of all.  Ultimately, it is faith that saves us when all else fails.  Into Him we put our trust.  And His answer we can truly believe.

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

 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "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.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God." 

- Luke 22:54-69 

Yesterday we read that, coming out of the place where they had the Last Supper,  Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and his disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.   When He rose up from prayer, and had come to the disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.  Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."   Peter's first test in the temptation to deny Christ comes from a girl.  A traditional way to see this is as an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  In the story of the Cross and the Resurrection, this image is rectified -- our fallen state is overcome in Christ -- when women are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (24:1-10).

And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.  My study bible tells us that Peter is so overcome with fear that neither Christ's prediction (v. 34) nor the crowing of the rooster calls him to repentance, but only the Lord's gaze causes him to weep bitterly.  However, as stated by St. Ambrose of Milan, "through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.  The contempt expressed here is obvious; it's a strange, abusive, brutish form of the demand for Christ to prove who He is, which Jesus has encountered many times from the leadership (see 11:29).   These men reflect the base attitude and abuse of power of those who wish to crucify Him, who refuse faith.

 As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "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."  My study bible points out here that Jesus has asked many questions of the Jewish leaders which they refused to answer because doing so would have meant confessing Him as the Christ (see 20:4-7; Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 3:4).

"Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."  Jesus makes the claim, fully and boldly, effectively declaring Him to be equal with God.

What is truth?  How is it used, and what does it mean?  Who respects and loves truth, and why?  All of these questions are important to ask ourselves as we view not only Peter's failure to uphold the truth as he knows it, but also the work of those who brutally mock Christ, and the leadership -- whose job it is to guard, preserve, and disseminate the truth of Jewish spiritual history for the people.  Yesterday we read that as He was seized and arrested, Jesus said, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."  The power of darkness is linked to lies and lying, deliberate ignorance, the lack of light in all its ramifications and meanings.  In today's reading, we may once again consider the central importance of love of truth to faith and to our understanding of who Christ is.  We can watch and look at these events and how the truth is treated in each one.  St. Peter is filled with fear and denies he knows Christ.  We know what the truth is.  Does it matter if these people who approach St. Peter know that he is one of the followers of Christ?  Perhaps not.  But it matters to St. Peter whom he confesses, and most deeply whether or not he is loyal to Christ.  And this is his great failing and betrayal, the source of his bitter tears at the glance of Jesus toward him.  The brutish people who've seized Jesus and contemptuously mock Him tell us of true contempt for truth, a total lack of respect for spiritual reality, a brute blindness in their abuse of their prisoner.  The last thing that matters there is truth, even a basic respect for spiritual understanding of Christ as preacher of the God of Israel.   These men reflect the heart of the real corruption of the leadership, whose top priority is to preserve their places of power and authority, which Jesus threatens simply because His truth is not something they uphold.  And here we come to the real crux of the matter:  what is Christ's truth?  He knows these men, and understands them thoroughly, and knows full well that truth is the last thing that really matters here, above self-interest.  He says, "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 nevertheless, He states the truth of what is to happen:  "Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."  It is up to His hearers what they do with that truth, how they will respond to it.  He has, in a sense, forewarned them about who He is, what He is, what power will be at work even after they have killed Him.  What they do with that is up to them.  And this is God's place in our midst.  We are offered this truth of God's love, God's power, God's reality.  As Jesus taught in the Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers (20:9-19), God sends His representatives, even His Son, over and over again, to tell the truth about the reality of our spiritual state and the love with which we are created and upheld in life, and how God calls us to be "like God."  What our religious and spiritual leadership does with that truth is their responsibility and choice.  What we do with that truth within ourselves is also our choice.  Witness testimony is an important thing to consider when we read the story of Christ.  The truth He tells is all about salvation.  It is not about proofs.  It is not even about convincing anyone.  Everything He does is an attempt to save, because the very nature of His truth is salvific.  In this sense, truth and salvation are linked, and a love of truth is necessary for faith of the kind He asks of us, and calls us to witness ourselves.  Let us consider St. Peter, and know that loyalty to this truth is what He asks, and commands, and that whenever we fail we must always return to it, and to Him.