King of the Jews Part 11

But Jesus said to the soldiers, "Fear not; arise."

As they regained their feet the disciples whispered eagerly to Jesus saying, "Lord, cast them down so that they shall never rise again."

But Jesus a second time asked, "Whom seek ye?"

Again the crowd replied, "Jesus of Nazareth."

Then Jesus said, "I have already told you that I am he; if therefore, ye seek me, let these go their way."

Selpha, the leader of the band, cried, "Seize him!" The soldiers approached Jesus, Malchus and Balbus carrying in their hands a small cord, and grasped him by the wrists in order to bind him.

Peter and Philip asked Jesus, saying, "Lord, shall we smite with the sword?" Before Jesus replied, Peter's sword flashed from its sheath and descended on the head of Malchus. The helmet turned the descending blade, and instead of splitting his skull it only sliced off his ear.

"Alas!" cried Malchus, "I am wounded; my ear is off."

Then said Jesus to the disciples, "Suffer ye thus far," and reaching forward to Malchus he said, "Be not troubled; thou shalt be healed."

And touching his ear, that moment it was made whole. Malchus felt his ear with astonishment. His comrades satisfied themselves that the ear was as the other and stood motionless, while Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Put up thy sword into its sheath, for all they who take the sword shall perish with the sword. The cup which the Father hath given, shall I not drink it? Thinkest thou I cannot now pray to my Father, and he would presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be?" Then turning to the Pharisees he said, "Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves to take me? I sat daily with ye in the temple teaching, and ye took me not. But this is your hour and the power of darkness. Behold, I am here!"

"Surround him!" cried Selpha; "bind him fast that he escape not."

Then said Nathanael, whose eager zeal to destroy Jesus had led him to join the soldiers, "You are responsible to the council that he does not escape." At Selpha's command Malchus and Balbus had seized Christ, and were busily engaged in tying his hands together with cords. Slowly, one by one, the disciples stole away, leaving Jesus alone in the midst of his captors.

In reply to Nathanael, the soldiers said, "Out of our hands he will not escape."

Then cried with a loud voice the traders, with Dathan at their head, "Now, we will wreak our vengeance." And Dathan added, "Dost thou still remember what thou didst to us in the temple?"

Josaphat said to the other Pharisees, "We will hasten on into the city.

The Sanhedrin will be awaiting our arrival with impatience."

The traders replied, "But we will not leave this scoundrel for an instant."

"First," said Nathanael, "we must go to the High Priest Annas. Lead him thither!"

Selpha said, "We follow thee!"

As the band prepared to obey the word of command a trader came up to Judas and said approvingly, "Thou art a man, indeed. Thou knowest how to keep thy word."

Judas complacently answered, "Did I not tell you that he would be in your power today?"

The Pharisees said, "Thou hast placed the whole council under an obligation to thee."

The procession then went off, leading Jesus to the palace of Annas.

The Temple Watch formed behind Jesus, who with his hands bound before him, was thrown violently forward by Malchus and Balbus, who held the other ends of the cords which bound him, and marched behind him. They cried, "On with thee! In Jerusalem they will settle your affair!"

Selpha, who marched at the head of his band, cried, "Let us hasten; lead him away carefully."

And all the band shouted, "Ha, run now as thou hast hitherto run to and fro about the land of Judea."

"Spare him not!" said Selpha, "drive him on!"

"Forward," shouted the soldiers, shouting together; "otherwise thou shalt be driven on with staves."

And as they marched away, driving Jesus before them the traders derided him, saying, "Doth Beelzebub, then, aid thee no longer?"

It was dark night and there was silence in the street before the house of Annas, the high priest, when his door opened and Annas, attended by Esdras, Sidrach and Missel, came upon the balcony. "I can find no rest this night," said Annas, looking impatiently down the street, "until I know that this disturber of the peace is in our hands. Oh, if he were only safe, and in fetters. Full of longing and anxiety I await the arrival of my servants with the joyful news."

Then said Esdras, "They cannot be much longer, for it is a good while since they went away."

"In vain has my troubled gaze looked up and down the street of Kedron.

But nothing can I see and nothing hear. Go, my Esdras, go toward the Kedron gate and see."

"I will hasten out," said Esdras, hurrying away as quickly as his short, squat figure would allow.

Annas, walking about impatiently, tormented by misgivings as to the success of the enterprise, began: "It would be a blow to the Sanhedrin if this time the work should not succeed."

Sidrach said, "Do not give away to anxiety, high priest," and Missel added, "There is no doubt of our success."

Annas, heeding not the consolation of his priests, said, "They may have altered their way and returned through the Siola Gate. I must send to see also on that side."

Sidrach said, "If the high priest wishes it I will go to the Siola Gate."

"Yes, do," said Annas, "but first see whether anyone comes through the street of the Sanhedrin."

"I will not loiter, my lord," said Sidrach, as he disappeared in the darkness.

Annas resumed his troubled thoughts. "The night is going by, and still the old uncertainty. Every minute of this weary waiting time is as an hour to me. Hark, I think some one comes running! Yes, he comes.

Surely there will be good tidings."

Sidrach, bursting into the presence of the high priest, exclaimed, "My lord, Esdras comes in haste. I saw him just now running down the street with rapid foot."

Then said Annas, "Surely it is joyful news that he brings since he hastens so. Truly, I long for nothing now but the death of this malefactor."

Then came Esdras, breathless with haste, crying, "Hail to the high priest. I have seen the fathers who were sent to Judas. All has gone according to your wish. The Galilean is in bonds. I heard it from their mouth, and hurried as fast as I could to bring the joyful news in haste to thee."

Annas cried, "Oh, heavenly message! Auspicious hour! A stone is lifted from my heart; I feel as if I were born again. Now for the first time can I rejoice to call myself high priest of the chosen people."

Then came in to Annas, Judas and the four Pharisees, who had been sent by the council to accompany him, crying, "Long live our high priest!"

Nathanael exclaimed, "The wish of the council is accomplished."

Annas said, "Oh, I must embrace you for joy. So, then, our plan has succeeded. Judas, thy name shall take an honorable place in our annals. Even before the feast shall the Galilean die."

Judas, whom the Pharisees had brought in with the prisoner, startled by that word, sprang back, repeating incredulously, "Die!"

"His death is declared!" said Annas.

"For his life and blood," cried Judas, "I will not be responsible."