The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. - documenta ...

The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.Anne Catherine Emmerichthe shearer; and that Lamb was the Lamb of God-the Lamb without spot—the true PaschalLamb—Jesus Christ himself.The sky looked dark, gloomy, and threatening-the moon was red, and covered with livid spots; itappeared as if dreading to reach its full, because its Creator was then to die.145Next I cast a glance outside the town, and, near the south gate, I beheld the traitor, Judas Iscariot,wandering about, alone, and a prey to the tortures of his guilty conscience; he feared even his ownshadow, and was followed by many devils, who endeavoured to turn his feelings of remorse intoblack despair. Thousands of evil spirits were busying themselves in all parts, tempting men first toone sin and then to another. It appeared as if the gates of hell were flung open, and Satan madlystriving and exerting his whole energies to increase the heavy load of iniquities which the Lambwithout spot had taken upon himself. The angels wavered between joy and grief; they desiredardently to fall prostrate before the throne of God, and to obtain permission to assist Jesus; but atthe same time they were filled with astonishment, and could only adore that miracle of Divinejustice and mercy which had existed in Heaven for all eternity, and was now about to beaccomplished; for the angels believe, like us, in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven andEarth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born ofthe Virgin Mary, who began on this night to suffer under Pontius Pilate, and the next day was tobe crucified, to die, and be buried; descend into hell, rise again on the third day, ascend into Heaven,be seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, and from thence come to judge the livingand the dead; they likewise believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communionof Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.CHAPTER VI.Jesus before Annas.IT was towards midnight when Jesus reached the palace of Annas, and his guards immediatelyconducted him into a very large hall, where Annas, surrounded by twenty-eight councillors, wasseated on a species of platform, raised a little above the level of the floor, and placed opposite tothe entrance. The soldiers who first arrested Jesus now dragged him roughly to the foot of thetribunal. The room was quite full, between soldiers, the servants of Annas, a number of the mobwho had been admitted, and the false witnesses who afterwards adjourned to Caiphas’s hall.Annas was delighted at the thought of our Lord being brought before him, and was looking out forhis arrival with the greatest impatience. The expression of his countenance was most repulsive, asit showed in every lineament not only the infernal joy with which he was filled, but likewise allthe cunning and duplicity of his heart. He was the president of a species of tribunal instituted for82