Leo Tolstoy Archive
Written: 1908
Source: From RevoltLib.com
Transcription/Markup: Andy Carloff
Online Source: RevoltLib.com; 2021
And as soon as he said that, Judas Iscariot has appeared, and with him there were guards and servants of priests, with weapons and lights. And Judas immediately approached Jesus and said: “Hello, teacher!” And kissed him. And Jesus said to him, “My friend, what have you come for?” And then the guards surrounded Jesus and wanted to take him. But Peter snatched a knife from a priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. And, having seen that, Jesus said to Peter: “Put your sword into the sheath. He who takes the sword will perish by the sword.” And then Jesus addressed the people who came after him, and said: “Why did you come after me, armed, as if I was a robber? I was with you every day in the temple and taught you; why didn’t you take me then?” Then, the commander told the soldiers to tie Jesus up. The soldiers tied him up and led him first to Caiaphas. It was that same Caiaphas who persuaded the Pharisees to kill Jesus, who said that it is better to kill one person than to allow all the nation perish. And they brought Jesus to the courtyard of his house. All Jesus' disciples ran away. Only one of them, Peter, went after Jesus and watched from afar where they lead him. When Jesus was brought to the courtyard of the high priest, Peter went in there, too, to see what will happen. And one woman in the courtyard saw Peter and asked him: “Aren’t you also were with Jesus of Galilee?” And Peter got scared and, to avoid being accused together with Jesus, said: "I don't know what you're talking about.” Then, when they brought Jesus into the house, Peter also went inside with the people. There was a fireplace, and another woman was warming up by the fire. When Peter came to the fire, the woman looked at him and said: "It seems that this man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” Peter got scared even more and began to swear that he has never been with Jesus and did not know who he was. A little later, people approached Peter and said: “You look like one of those rebels. We can tell by your speech that you are from Galilee.” Then Peter again began to swear that he has never even seen Jesus. As soon as he said that, a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the words of Jesus that "Even tonight, before roosters’ crow, you may deny me, not once, but three times." Peter remembered that and went out from the courtyard and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26, 47-58, John 18, 12-14; Matthew 26, 69-75)
Questions:
1) What did Judas do and say, and what did Jesus answer?
2) What did Peter do and what did Jesus say?
3) What did Jesus say to the people?
4) What did they do with Jesus, and where did they escort him?
5) What happened with Peter when he followed Jesus?