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THEMAN
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What kind ofman was Jesus Christ?
Howdid he spend the thirty-six hours
befare his crucifixion?
by
Paul S. Royer
T
UESDAY,
APRlL 24, was a day
of preparation for the spring
festival in Jerusalem.
On
tbat day in A.D 31 , Jesus Christ
arose and prayed. It was still dark,
perhaps three a.m. when he arose,
that is, ifhe slept at all that night.
As the first rays of sunlight cast
their beams across the hiiJsides,
Jesus and his disciples walked the
short distance from Bethany to Jeru–
salem.
Shortly before, Jesus had re–
minded the disciples that he would
be betrayed and crucified during
this passover. Already the chief
priests and the elders of the people
were meeting in the palace of the
high priest to discuss how they
might take Jesus quickly and have
him brought to tria! (Matthew 26:2-4).
18
That evening, as the sun set, the
disciples made preparation for the
passover. It was the eve of the
fourteenth day of the first month of
the Hebrew year. The Roman sol–
diers in Jerusalem took note of the
round of activities that suddenly be–
gan with the approach of dusk. The
lambs were slaughtered - tens of
thousands of them. In an upper
room in one of Jerusalem's houses a
single lamb was put on a table after
it was roasted. Here Jesus and the
disciples sat down for the Last sup–
per. Jt was about eight p.m.
They finished the passover meal
and the institution of foot wasbing,
the wine and the bread. Judas had,
before the clase of the mea!, hur–
riedly left. Jesus Christ talked to the
other disciples until about ten p.m.
and then went to the Mount of
Olives to pray.
The day had been long. Perhaps
nineteen hours had gone by since
arising. The disciples couldn' t hold
out any longer. They fell asleep.
Three times Jesus Christ prayed
fervently to bis Father. Beads of
perspiration stood out on his fore–
head. The perspiration mingled with
blood as he thought and prayed,
knowing
what the next hours would
bring.
Near midnight, Judas carne with
sorne soldiers. Then began the most
demanding, horrifying fifteen hours
in history. Never has a man been
called upon voluntarily to suffer as
Jesus Christ did. No man could
have. No man was as perfect in
mind and body as was Jesus Christ!
The Tri al
A small mob, armed with swords
and clubs, took Jesus and marched
him off to Annas and then to the
house of Caiaphas. the high priest.
[In this article, severa! translations
are paraphrased in order to give a
clearer picture of what took place on
that last day. In a few cases, life and
personality are given to certain
character witnesses who would
otherwise remain anonymous.)
The small group laughed, poking
fun at Jesus as they walked down
the ravine and up the hill to the
house of Caiaphas. The disciples
had fted as prophesied! Christ was
alone now. His tria! was held, con–
trary to normal practice, in the se–
crecy of the night.
The priest and elders first talked
aloud and then whispered as they
sought a means of testimony that
would result in his death sentence.
They found two witnesses who
claimed. "This man said, 'I am able
to destroy the temple of God and
rebuild it
ín
three days!' "
Caiaphas jumped to his feet glar–
ing at Chri st and said, "WeiJ. what
about it? Did you say that or didn't
you?" Christ kept silent. "Answer
the question. Are you the Christ?"
Silence.
"J
adjure you by the living
God that you tell us whether you
PLAIN TRUTH May 1974