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Our Blessed  Lords  own  testimony  to  His  Divinity. In  the  face  of death  Jesus  affirmed  on  oath  that  He  was  the  promised  Redeemer  and the Son  of  God,  and  in  the  most  solemn  manner  possible  ascribed  to Himself  divine  power  and  majesty  1 To  the  question  put  to  Him  on oath  by  the  High  Priest  He  replied,  not  as  an  accused  man  might address his  judge,  but  as  a ruler  would  address  his  subject,  and  threatened His hardened  accusers  with  the  divine  judgments  He  would  hold  in His  Hand  when  coming  again  in  the  clouds  of  heaven! Truly that  was not the  speech  of  a man,  but  of  God! The members  of  the  Sanhedrin quite understood  that  Jesus  declared  Himself  to  be  God,  for  it  was  on this  plea  that  they  condemned  Him  to  death  for  blasphemy. And later on, when  they  accused  Him  to  Pilate,  they  said:  “We  have  a law’,  and according to  the  law,  He  ought  to  die,  because  He  made  Himself  the Son of  God!”  So  it  was  on  account  of  His  own  testimony  that  our Blessed Lord  was  condemned  to  death. As His  enemies  could  prove nothing against  Him,  they  turned  His  testimony  that  He  was  the  Son of God  into  a crime,  for  which  they  put  Him  to  death. He met  His Death, therefore,  for  bearing  testimony  to  His  Divinity!

The Gentleness  of  Jesus.  Our  Blessed  Lord  had  proved  His  Godhead not only  by  His  great  miracles  (and  especially  by  the  raising  of  Lazarus, which  not  even  His  enemies  could  contest),  but  by  the  extraordinary holiness of  His  life  and  by  His  truly  divine  virtues. When He  was brought before  Annas,  Jesus  showed  a gentleness  which  has  never  been equalled. The ruffianly  servant  struck  the  Face  of  the  Most  High,  with an unjust,  painful  and  shameful  blow;  and  Jesus  bore  this  horrible treatment with  patience. He did  not  upbraid  or  threaten  the  man,  but pointed out  to  him  the  injustice  of  his  action,  with  calm  and  gentle words. “Learn of  Me,  for  I am  meek  and  humble  of  Heart!”

Sharing the  guilt  of  the  sins  of  others.  Annas  sinned  in  this  way by not  punishing,  nor  even  blaming,  his  servant  for  his  unjust  and  illegal treatment of  Jesus.

False witness.  The  two  witnesses  sinned  against  the  eighth  Commandment; and  they  sinned  grievously,  because  they  gave  false  evidence on a very  important  matter.

Oaths. The  example  of  Jesus,  Who  accepted  the  oath  applied  to Him  by  the  High  Priest,  teaches  us  that  it  is  lawful  and  right  to  take an oath  when  it  is  required  of  us  in  a court  of  justice,  by  those  in authority.

It was  for  love  of  us  that  Jesus  let  Himself be bound,  buffetted,  struck  in  the  Face,  abused,  blasphemed,  and sentenced to  death! He suffered  all  this  to  make  satisfaction  for our sins,  and  turn  away  from  us  the  sentence  of  everlasting