The Hebrew Trial Before Caiaphas.
1. THE high priest then asked Iesus (of his disciples and of his doctrine) saying,
How old art thou? Art thou he that said that our father Abraham saw thy day?
2. And Iesus answered,
Verily before Abraham was I am.
And the high priest said,
Thou are not yet fifty years old. How sayest thou that thou hast seen Abraham? Who art thou? Whom makest thou thyself to be? What dost thou teach?
3. And Iesus answered him,
I spake openly to the world; I even taught in the synagogue and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why asketh thou me? Ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them; behold, they know what I said.
4. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by, struck Iesus with the palm of his hand, saying.
Answerest thou the high priest so?
Iesus answered him,
If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil, but if well why smitest thou me?
5. Now the chief priests and elders, and all the council sought false witnesses against Iesus to put him to death; but found none; yea, many false witnesses came, yet they agreed not together.
6. At the last came two false witnesses. And one of them said,
This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.
And the other said,
This man said I will destroy this temple and build up another.
7. And the high priests arose and said unto him,
Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witnesses speak against thee?
But Iesus held his peace. Now it was unlawful among the Hebrews to try a man by night.
8. And they said unto him,
Art thou the Christ? Tell us.
And he said unto them,
If I tell you, ye will not believe; and if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.
9. And they asked him further saying,
Dost thou abolish the sacrifices (of the law) and the eating (of flesh) as Moses commanded?
And he answered,
Behold, a greater than Moses is here.
10. And the high priest answered and said unto him,
I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ (the Son of God).
Iesus saith unto him,
Thou hast said; and I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds (of Heaven).
11. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying,
He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye?
They answered and said,
He is worthy of death.
12. Then did they spit in his face and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, saying,
Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?
13. Now when morning was come all the chief priests and the elders (of the people) even the whole council held a consultation, and took council against Iesus to put him to death.
14. And they gave forth their sentence against Iesus, that he was worthy (of death) and that he should be bound and carried away, and delivered unto Pilate.
LECTION 79. 2. -In a preceding Lection (LII.) the Jews at that time adjudged him then to be forty-five, and here Caiaphas, who must certainly have known his age, declared him to be "not yet 50," ie. about 49. This is borne out by the A. V. and by the testimony of S. Irenaeus, A.D. 120-22, and the testimony of S. Iohn the Apostle and his immediate disciples.