uld be put to death.
They found a great many people who came and told lies about Jesus, but
no two of them told the same story.

At last the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, stood up and said to
Jesus:

"You hear all the things that are being said about you. Aren't you
going to defend yourself?"

Jesus did not say a word.

The high priest spoke again:

"In the name of the living God I ask you: Are you the Christ--the
Messiah--the Son of God?"

Jesus answered:

"You have said it."

That was all the council wanted to hear. Caiaphas tore his own clothes
in anger, and shouted:

"Why do we need any more witnesses? You have heard him say it with his
own mouth. He says he's God! What do you think about it?"

And the whole council answered,

"He ought to be put to death."

Then some of them spat in his face. They covered his eyes, and slapped
him, and shouted:

"If you were the Messiah, you would know who hit you! Tell us, you
Messiah you--tell us who hit you!"

Meanwhile, in another room of the palace, there stood a disciple who
was losing whatever faith he had once had. It was Peter. One of the
other disciples, who knew the high priest, had gone ahead, and he had
told the maid to let Peter in.

The maid looked at Peter and said, "You were with Jesus, weren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Peter.

The night was cool, and the servants of the high priest were standing
around a fire they had made to keep themselves warm. Peter went over
and began to warm himself too. Somebody else said to him,

"You are one of Jesus' disciples."

Peter's faith was all gone.

"Man," he said, "I certainly am not!"

But after a while another person spoke up and said:

"Of course you are one of Jesus' disciples. You are from Galilee. We
can tell from the way you talk."

Peter began to curse and swear, saying, "I don't even know this Jesus
that you are talking about!"

At that moment the rooster began to crow. At the same time Jesus
passed by the doorway, and looked at Peter.

Peter remembered what Jesus had said, "Before the rooster crows, you
will three times say that you do not know me."

Peter went out of the palace, and wept bitterly.

The great council of the Jews might say that a man deserved to die,
but they could not put anyone to death. Only the Roman governor could
do that.

The Roman governor, whose name was Pontius Pilate, was in Jerusalem
for the Passover. As soon as it