Arrested, Jesus answers the many accusations mostly with silence before offering one sentence of Jewish prophecy, which further enrages the religious authorities. By now the disciples have all fled except for Peter, but Peter denies ever having met Jesus. This leaves Jesus to face the political authorities alone.
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Reading the Bible in Its Entirety
The second reading is the brief conclusion to the story of Jesus' life -- the final dramatic proof that he is the Messiah. After being crucified, Jesus is resurrected, appearing to his disciples and giving them a final teaching -- to go spread Jesus teaching and make disciples of others, including people of all nations. Against this final lesson, though, is the rumor that Jesus was not alive, but that his disciples simply stole his body and invented the story of resurrection -- a story that has led some people to fail to recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
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If you are planning to read the Bible in its entirety, you should read Matthew 24-28 today.
