The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has conferred this honour on His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to let Him go.
»All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one fully knows the Son except the Father, nor does any one fully know the Father except the Son and all to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.«
The meaning of this His disciples did not understand at the time; but after Jesus was glorified they recollected that this was written about Him, and that they had done this to Him.
»You would have had no power whatever over me,« replied Jesus, »had it not been granted you from above. On that account he who has delivered me up to you is more guilty than you are.«
Upon receiving this answer, Pilate was for releasing Him. But the Jews kept shouting, »If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar's. Every one who sets himself up as king declares himself a rebel against Caesar.«
This caused a storm of outcries, »Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!«»Am I to crucify your king?« Pilate asked. »We have no king, except Caesar,« answered the High Priests.
He referred to the Spirit which those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not bestowed as yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
But this I confess to you–that in the way which they style a heresy, I worship the God of our forefathers, believing everything that is taught in the Law or is written in the Prophets,
Peter, seeing this, spoke to the people. »Israelites,« he said, »why do you wonder at this man? Or why gaze at us, as though by any power or piety of our own we had enabled him to walk?
It is to you first that God, after raising His Servant from the grave, has sent Him to bless you, by causing every one of you to turn from your wickedness.«
»They did indeed assemble in this city in hostility to Thy holy Servant Jesus whom Thou hadst anointed –Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and also the tribes of Israel–«
To them the Patriarchs belong, and from them in respect of His human lineage came the Christ, who is exalted above all, God blessed throughout the Ages. Amen.
But Jesus –who was made a little inferior to the angels in order that through God's grace He might taste death for every human being– we already see wearing a crown of glory and honour because of His having suffered death.
and from Jesus Christ, the truthful witness, the first of the dead to be born to Life, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins with His own blood,