The trial of Jesus by the religious leaders and Roman government is recorded in Matthew 26:57-27:26, Mark 14:53-15:15, Luke 22:63-23:25, John 18:12-19:16. Each one of these Gospel accounts record various details of the trials however not one of the Gospel accounts contain every detail of the trials.
Below is the account of the trials that Jesus went through the night of His arrest with details included from each of the four Gospel accounts. First it is important to note that the trial of Jesus was illegal
for many reasons:
·
The binding of a prisoner before he was condemned
·
Judges participated in the arrest of the accused
·
No legal transaction (a trial) could be conducted at
night
·
No prisoner could be convicted on his own evidence
·
It was the duty of the judge to see that the interest
of the accused was protected.
·
Violence during the trial was unopposed by the judge
·
The judges sought false witnesses against Jesus
·
In the Jewish court, the accused was presumed innocent
until proven guilty by two or more witnesses
·
No witness was ever called for the defense
·
The court lacked the civil authority to condemn a man
to death
·
It was illegal to conduct a session of the court on a
Feast day
·
The High Priest tore his garment. He was never
permitted to tear his official robes. And without his official priestly robe he
could not have put Jesus under oath.
Annas
questions Jesus
Then the detachment of soldiers
with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas,
who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had
advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the
people. (John 18:12-14)
[Annas] questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said
nothing in secret. Why
question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.” When Jesus said this, one of
the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this
the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded. “If I
said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you
strike me?” Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high
priest. (John 18:19-24)
Caiaphas
questions Jesus
They took Jesus to the high
priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came
together. Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard
of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the
fire [and to see the outcome]. The chief priests and the
whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could
put him to death, but they did not find any. Many
testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against
him: “We heard
him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days
will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even then their testimony
did not agree. Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus,
“Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are
bringing against you?” But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the
Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the
Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds
of heaven.” The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we
need any more witnesses?” he asked. “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They
all condemned him as worthy of death. Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him,
struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and
beat him. (Mark 14:53-65)
Peter Denies
and Disowns Jesus
Religious Council
Condemns Jesus
At daybreak the council of the elders of the people,
both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus
answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer.
But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty
God.” They
all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “Why do we need
any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.” (Luke 22:66-71)
Jesus Before
Pilate
Then the Jewish leaders took
Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning,
and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able
to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are
you bringing against this man?” (John 18:28-29)
And they began to accuse him,
saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to
Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a
king.” (Luke 23:2)
“If he were not a criminal,”
they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.” Pilate said, “Take him
yourselves and judge him by your own law.” “But we have no right to
execute anyone,” they objected. This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the
kind of death he was going to die. Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him,
“Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied.
“Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have
done?” Jesus
said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my
servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
“You are a king, then!”
said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born
and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to
me. “What
is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered
there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. (John 18:30-38)
But they insisted, “He stirs up
the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.” On hearing this, Pilate asked if
the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction,
he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. (Luke 23:5-7)
Judas Felt
Remorse, Returned the Money, then Hung Himself
Jesus Before
Herod
When Herod saw Jesus, he was
greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him,
he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no
answer. The chief
priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing
him. Then Herod and his soldiers
ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they
had been enemies. (Luke 23:8-12)
Pilate Hands Jesus Over
Pilate called together the chief
priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought
me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined
him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent
him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” (Luke 23:13-16)
Now it was the governor’s custom
at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At that time they had a
well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered,
Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas,
or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” For he knew it was out of
self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him. While Pilate was sitting on the
judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do
with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” But the chief priests and the
elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”
asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered.
“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the
Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all
answered, “Crucify him!” “Why? What crime has
he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but
that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of
the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said.
“It is your responsibility!” All the people
answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!” Then he released Barabbas to them. (Matthew 27:15-26a)
Then Pilate took Jesus and had
him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it
on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again,
saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the
face. Once
more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing
him out to you to let you know that I
find no basis for a charge against him.” 5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the
purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” As soon as the chief priests and
their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” But Pilate answered,
“You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.” The Jewish leaders insisted, “We
have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son
of God.” When
Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the
palace. “Where do you come from?” he
asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. “Do you refuse to speak to me?”
Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify
you?” Jesus
answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to
you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” From then on, Pilate tried to
set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go,
you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.” When Pilate heard this, he
brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone
Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about
noon. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, “Take him
away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We
have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed him over
to them to be crucified. (John 19:1-16)
As we consider the trials
of Jesus, His betrayal, His abandonment, His abuse, and His impending
crucifixion, where does this leave
us? What can we hold on to? The same thing Jesus
gave His close followers to hold on to.
Remember, what Jesus asked
of us as His close followers:
·
Stay awake
o
Don’t drift away from
My teachings - Faith
o
Don’t drift away from
My call - Faithfulness
o
Don’t drift away from
My Spirit – Passion
·
Bear my sorrow
o
Our hearts are broken
over the things that break God’s heart
·
Watch with me
o
Confront the sin and
the evil that is going on in our culture/world
·
Pray for Me
o
Pray for workers in the
harvest field – evangelism
o
Pray for boldness and
courage – witness
o
Pray for a movement of
His Spirit – revival
o
Pray for His return - Kingdom
