“57And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. 59Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; 60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. 62And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63But Jesus held his peace, 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. 64Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless 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. 65Then 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. 66What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. 67Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 68Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?” (Matthew 26:57-68)
Jesus is taken to the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest, to be interrogated by priests and scholars. These men hope to find incriminating evidence against Jesus so that they can frame a capital charge and have him killed. However, they are unsuccessful, until the very end of the inquiry, when Jesus is explicitly asked whether he is indeed the Son of God. Jesus answers: “You have said it […] But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64). In the eyes of the Sanhedrin, these remarks are deeply heretical, as Jesus has claimed, or at least hinted, that he is the Son of God (see Mark 14:61). Next, the scholars beat him, spit on him, mock him, and inform him that he is to be put to death. At the time, however, this penalty could only be sanctioned by the Roman governor of Judea. Hence, Jesus is taken to be tried by Pontius Pilate. As Jesus embodies and preaches peace, he withstands all these humiliations without retaliating. The more a person is willing to diminish themselves on earth, the higher they will be regarded in heaven. Jesus stays true to his beliefs and does not succumb to his weaknesses.
Certainty in the love and blessings of the Creator leads to peacefulness and the end of violence.
