Martha, now standing with John and Peter, beckoned Magdalene to come to them, when Jesus stepped forward and raised his hand. As he did so a stifled hush invaded the throng while the officers sent by Caiaphas to take him fell backwards, lowering their weapons, each stooping to listen and catch his words.
When his voice broke the dead silence, no relief came, for even unbelievers feared they were in the presence of God.
"I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live again; and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believeth thou this?"
After these words Jesus came forward as to give himself up, and no man laid hands on him, but the mob returned to the chief priests, saying, "No man ever spake like this man," which brought his adversaries to a standstill, not knowing what step to take next.
CONSPIRACY TO MURDER JESUS
The next day Jesus and his followers again entered the temple, and after the noon hour retired across the brook up in to the renowned Olive Orchard, which overlooks Jerusalem. Among the throng which followed them was Caiaphas, who the previous day had convened the chief rulers into his palace, when he advocated decoying Jesus from his friends and murdering him, which was opposed by the more conservative, who said it would cause an uproar among the people.
Again in the evening Caiaphas assembled his co-conspirators and, after setting forth what Jesus had said on the mountain and how the people were all turning to him, said, "Some means must be devised to destroy this man, as I fear if the case comes before Pilate he will require more evidence than is at hand, before he will consent to his death."
Nicodemus, still a member of good standing among them, arose and asked, "Does our law judge any man before it hear him and know what he doeth?" which created so strong an opposition that it broke up the council and Caiaphas ordered each man to his own home.