Chapter 1 ⇦⇨

Christ is accused before Pilate by the Jews for healing on the Sabbath—He is summoned by a messenger who doth Him honor—His accusers are briefly confounded—The standards born by the ensigns twice bow down and worship Him.64

1 Annas and Caiaphas, and Summas, and Datam, and Gamaliel, and Judas, and Levi, and Naphtali, and Alexander, and Cyrus, and certain other Jews, came unto Pilate concerning Jesus, accusing Him of many grievous crimes.

2 And said, We are assured that Jesus is the ason of Joseph the carpenter, born of Mary; and that He doth declare himself the bSon of God, and a king; and not only so, but doth attempt the dissolution of the csabbath and the laws of our fathers.

3 Pilate replied, What is that which He doth declare? and what is that which He doth attempt to dissolve?

4 The Jews answered, We have a alaw which forbiddeth the doing of cures on the sabbath day; but He cures the lame and the deaf, the palsied, the blind, and the lepers, and the possessed, on that day by wicked means.

5 Pilate said, How doth He do this by wicked ameans? They answered, He is a bconjurer, and ccasteth out devils by the prince of devils; and so all things become subject unto Him.

6 Then said Pilate, Casting out devils seemeth not the work of an unclean spirit, but doth proceed from the power of God.

7 The Jews replied unto Pilate, We beseech thy highness, summon Him to appear before thy tribunal, and hear Him thyself.

8 Then Pilate called a messenger, and said unto him, By what means shall Christ be brought hither?

9 The messenger went forth, and, knowing Christ, worshipped Him; and having spread the cloak which he had in his hand upon the ground, he said, Lord, walk upon this, and enter in, for the governor calleth Thee.

10 When the Jews perceived what the messenger had done, they cried against Him to Pilate, saying, Why didst thou not give Him his summons by a beadle rather than by a messenger? For the messenger, when he saw Him, worshipped Him, and spread his cloak upon the ground before Him, saying, Lord, the governor calleth Thee.

11 Then Pilate called the messenger, and said, Why hast thou done thus?

12 The messenger answered, When thou sentest me from Jerusalem to Alexander, I saw Jesus sitting in a mean state upon a she-ass, and the children of the Hebrews cried, Hosannah, holding branches in their hands.

13 Others did spread their garments in the way, and said, Save us, Thou who art in heaven; blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.

14 Then the Jews cried against the messenger, saying, The children of the Hebrews made their acclamations in the Hebrew tongue; and how couldst thou, being a Greek, understand the Hebrew?65

15 The messenger answered, I asked one of the Jews, saying, What is that which the children cry in the Hebrew tongue?

16 And he explained unto me, saying, They cry, Hosannah, which is, O Lord, save me; or, O Lord, deliver.

17 Pilate then said unto them, Why do ye yourselves testify to the words spoken by the children, being silent? In what hath the messenger done amiss? And they were silent.

18 Then the governor said unto the messenger, Go forth and endeavor by any means to bring Him in.

19 But the messenger went forth, and did as before; and said, Lord, come in, for the governor calleth Thee.

20 And as Jesus went in by the ensigns which bore the standards, the tops thereof bowed down and worshipped Him.

21 Whereupon the Jews cried out more vehemently against the ensigns.

22 But Pilate said unto the Jews, I know it pleaseth you not that the tops of the standards bowed down and worshipped Jesus; but why do ye cry against the ensigns as though they had bowed and worshipped?

23 They replied unto Pilate, We saw the ensigns themselves bowing and worshipping Jesus.

24 Then the governor called the ensigns, and said unto them, Why didst thou do thus?

25 The ensigns answered Pilate, We are all pagans, and worship the gods in temples; and how should we think of worshipping Him? We held only the standards in our hands, and they bowed down and worshipped Him.

26 Then Pilate said unto the rulers of the synagogue, Choose ye some strong men, and let them hold the standards, that we may see whether they will then bend of themselves.

27 So the elders of the Jews sought out twelve of the mightiest and able old men, and caused them to hold the standards; and they stood in the presence of the governor.

28 Then Pilate said to the messenger, Take Jesus out, and by some means bring Him in again. And Jesus and the messenger went out of the hall.

29 And Pilate called the ensigns who had borne the standards before, and swore unto them, That if they had not borne the standards in that manner when Jesus entered, he would cut off their heads.

30 Then the governor commanded Jesus to come in again.

31 And the messenger did as he had done before, and very much entreated Jesus that He should go upon his cloak, and walk on it; and He did walk on it, and went in.

32 And when Jesus went in, the standards bowed themselves as before, and worshipped Him.

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⇦ Nicodemus ⇨

Nicodemus 1
Nicodemus 2
Nicodemus 3
Nicodemus 4
Nicodemus 5

Nicodemus 6
Nicodemus 7
Nicodemus 8
Nicodemus 9
Nicodemus 10
Nicodemus 11

Nicodemus 12
Nicodemus 13
Nicodemus 14
Nicodemus 15
Nicodemus 16
Nicodemus 17

Nicodemus 18
Nicodemus 19
Nicodemus 20
Nicodemus 21
Nicodemus 22

2 a ↑ Matthew 13:55, John 6:42
b ↑ John 5:17-18, Mark 15:2
c ↑ Matthew 12:2, Luke 13:14, John 5:18

4 a ↑ Exodus 20:10 (8-11)

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