Jesus was silent.

“He does not deny it; He did say it.  The wrath of Jehovah which presses heavily on Israel has been evoked by this blasphemer and false prophet.  And the guilty creature does not deny it.”  Then Caiaphas turned to the people who were gathering in increasing numbers in the fore-court:  “Let him who knows anything further against Him come forward and speak.”

Then several voices exclaimed:  “He is a blasphemer, He is a false prophet.  He has brought on us the curse of Jehovah!”

“Do you hear?” said the High Priest.  “That is the voice of the people!  Yet in order to satisfy the nicest of consciences we will permit Him to speak once again that He may defend Himself.  Jesus of Nazareth! many know that you have said that you are the Christ, sent by Heaven.  Answer clearly and without ambiguity.  I ask you, Are you Christ, the Son of God?”

“You say so,” replied Jesus.

Again, and in a louder voice, Caiaphas asked:  “By all you deem sacred, speak now on oath.  Are you the Son of God?”

Then said Jesus to the High Priest:  “If you do not believe it now that I stand before you as a malefactor, you will believe it when I come down from heaven in the clouds at the right hand of Almighty God.”

When Jesus had spoken these words, Caiaphas turned to the assembly:  “What do you want more?  If that’s not rank blasphemy, I’ll resign my office.  If that’s not blasphemy, then we have punished others, who said less, far too severely.  What shall we do with Him?”

Several priests rent their garments in anger, and shouted:  “Let Him die!”

The cry was taken up by many voices out in the streets.  The priests immediately put things in shape for the sentence to be pronounced that night, and, if possible, carried into effect before the festival, without making a stir.

If the matter had rested with Herod, King of the Jews, he would have rid himself of his rival from Nazareth with a snap of his lingers; but it was the Roman governor with whom they had to deal.  So Pontius Pilate also was awakened in the night.  He was a Roman, and had been appointed by the Emperor to hold Judaea in spite of Herod, whose Jewish kingdom had become as nothing.  Pilate often declared that this office of ruling the Jewish people for the Emperor had been his evil star.  He would rather have remained in cultured Rome, whose gods were much more amiable than the perverse Jehovah, about whom all kinds of sects disputed.  And then came this Nazarene.  When Pilate learnt the reason why he was disturbed from his sleep he cursed.  “This stupid business again about the Nazarene who, accompanied by a few beggars, rode into Jerusalem on an ass, and said He was the Messiah.  The people laughed at Him.  And that’s to be made a political case!  They should expel Him from the Temple and let people sleep.”