When he said that, God made all the wicked people fall upon their backs upon the ground. Then Jesus could have run away; but he chose to stay, that he might die for sinners. The wicked people soon got up; God let them get up; but Jesus said to them, If you want to have me, you must let my disciples go away. It was kind of Jesus to think of them, and they were frightened and glad to get away; they did not wish to stay to die with Jesus. But Peter took a sword and cut off one of the wicked men’s ears. Peter wished to fight; but Jesus said, Put up your sword. If I were to pray now to my Father, he would send thousands of angels to help me. Then Jesus touched the man’s ear, and made it well. Why did not Jesus pray to God to send the angels? Because he chose to die to save us. Had the angels come, and taken Jesus back to heaven, then we should all have gone to hell. Peter and all the rest of the disciples ran away, and left Jesus quite alone with the wicked men. They took ropes, and tied his hands and feet, and they led him away into Jerusalem; and he went along meekly as a lamb. LESSON XXXVI. PETER’S DENIAL. MATTHEW, xxvi. 57 to end. THE wicked proud men, who hated Jesus, had sat up all night. They had sent their servants with some soldiers to fetch Jesus. They were in a fine house seated on seats round the room, talking together, and longing for Jesus to be brought. They said one to another, We will have him killed when he comes—we will take him to the judge. At last Jesus came in with the wicked servants. The proud men were glad to see him. They made him stand up in the midst of the large room. Then they spoke roughly. Are you the Son of God? they said. And Jesus said, Yes, I am; and one day you will see me coming in the clouds with the angels. Then the wicked men were angry. Do you hear what he says? they cried out. He calls himself the Son of God! He must be taken to the judge to be killed. Jesus stood meekly all this while, and hardly spoke a word. What was become of his disciples? They had run away. Had Peter run away? Peter said he would die with Jesus. But he ran away too. At last Peter thought, I will go and look for Jesus; I should like to see what the wicked men are doing to him. So Peter came to Jerusalem, and into the fine house. He came into the hall first: the wicked servants were sitting round a fire in the hall; a door was open, and through the door Peter could see Jesus. There he was, standing before the wicked men. Peter hoped that nobody would know that he was one of Jesus’ disciples, lest he should be killed. But as Peter was sitting by the fire, warming himself, a maid said to him, You are one of the disciples of Jesus. Then Peter was frightened, and said, No, I am not; I do not know the man you speak of. Then Peter got up, and went outside the door; but another maid said to him, I am sure you are one of the disciples of Jesus.