The Trial - Part 1

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens,
and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
(Daniel 12:3)

When: 9 pm, Thursday, April 6, 30 AD Where: Garden of Gethsemane, Mount of Olives, Judea

And thus about 9 pm on Thursday, Judas arrived in Gethsemane guiding an armed force. The majority of the force consisted of the temple guard, sent by the Sanhedrin, a small detachment of Roman soldiers, from the cohort stationed at Fortress Antonia [as observers and back up], and a few representatives of the Pharisees [only as observers] along with some slaves to carry torches.

Judas came directly up to Jesus saying, 'greetings teacher', and kissed his cheek, as was appropriate when greeting a friend. But Jesus said softly to Judas, 'You hand me over with a kiss?'

Then Jesus turned to the force and said, 'Who are you looking for?' The leader responded that they sought Jesus of Nazareth.

"YHWH (I AM)!" responded Jesus. At the name of God, as given to Moses, the religious people stepped back in the face of such a bold statement.

But when the Romans, bewildered by the response of the Jews, asked again for Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus simply said, 'I am he'.

By now the disciples were beginning to grasp what was happening. Some pulled knives and prepared to defend both Jesus and themselves. The force also began to prepare for a fight. Simon the Zealot slashed out, cutting off the ear of a torch-bearing servant nearby [it turned out that his name was Malchus who was one of the slaves of Caiphas].

'That is enough! Put away the weapon', Jesus said calmly to young Simon. Then Jesus reached up, grasped the sliced ear, repositioned it, and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. 'I could bring down thousands of angels to fight for me if I chose to. But it was important that you used your weapon.'

As the armed men crowded in with drawn swords and raised batons many of the disciples fled, including the boy Mark, who had nearly been captured but had squirmed out of his cloak and run off in just his tunic.

Jesus said to the leader of the force, 'you came for me as though I were a rebel, when you could have "arrested" me any time at the temple. Night is your time. I will not resist if you let my men go'. Since the leader only had instructions to arrest Jesus and did not want a bloody battle, he quickly agreed. The few remaining disciples quickly moved off when the guards ordered them to leave, and they realized that Jesus did not want them to fight. The guards tied Jesus' hands. Jesus was surrounded by guards and "escorted" back to the city.

When: 10 pm, Thursday, April 6, 30 AD
Where: Upper city, Jerusalem, Judea

ANNAS QUESTIONS JESUS:

Jesus was taken from the garden of Gethsemane under guard, to Jerusalem and the palace of Annas, the patriarch of the high priests. He had been High Priest for ten years, had five sons who had been high priests, and now his son-in-law was the current High Priest. He was known for his aggressive questioning style, which could include fists, clubs, staves, and violent servants.

This was simply a preliminary investigation. It was not an official trial, which could not happen at night, but he was the most powerful religious leader in Jerusalem, and was the one whom Caiphas had convinced that tonight was the right time to arrest Jesus.

Annas questioned Jesus with the intent of finding out if Jesus were the leader of a popular uprising that might bring Roman armies against Jerusalem. There were followers of Jesus that were known to be members of a terrorist group called the Zealots. Would Annas recommend that Jesus be put on trial and what charges would there be?

Some of the questions that Annas asked Jesus were:

'If you are sent by God, how do you plan to overthrow the Romans?

'Do you plan to be the king in this Kingdom that you proclaim?

'What gives you the right to pass judgment on those who serve in God's temple?

'Just how many followers do you have?

But Jesus was not there to answer questions. Jesus was God's question to Annas. 'Will you, as the leader of God's people, or will you not, listen to God and lead Israel to be a light of justice that draws all people to God?'

As time went on and Jesus refused to answer any of his questions, Annas asked Jesus one final question. 'Will you not offer proof that will show us that you are sent by God?' And Jesus finally responded. 'I won't show you proof nor answer your questions', at which time a guard slapped Jesus for being discourteous to the High Priest.

While this confrontation was taking place, there was another encounter occurring not far away. Out in the open courtyard of Annas' home, the guards had a fire going to warm their hands and to light the area. John knew a woman in the household of Annas. She allowed him to enter the courtyard. When John asked the woman at the gate to let Peter into the courtyard, she did. But as Peter passed her, she asked Peter, 'Are you not also one of the disciples of the man from Nazareth who is being questioned?'

Peter, fear clutching at his gut, quickly said 'no.'

Not long after this encounter, Annas finished his fruitless questioning of Jesus. He had found Jesus to be dangerous, just as the leaders of the temple had found Jeremiah dangerous. Annas sent Jesus, with his hands tied, to the palace of his son-in-law, Caiaphas the High Priest. With the guards, Caiaphas sent a message. 'He is dangerous, and must be eliminated for the sake of the country.’

When: 4-6 am, Friday, April 7, 30 AD
Where: Palace of Caiaphas, Upper city, Jerusalem, Judea

CAIAPHAS QUESTIONS JESUS:

Around 11 pm, Jesus had been escorted to the Palace of the Chief Priest, and found himself at the bottom of a pit inside the Palace of Caiaphas, who was pondering the message from his father-in-law Annas. Caiaphas would now be expected to take some sort of action.

For hours Jesus was kept in this cell while Caiphas sent messengers to key people, that they should come to his home. Though not happy to be disturbed in the early hours of the day as they prepared for a major festival, each recognized the urgency of the summons and came to the palace.

During these many cold hours, Peter warmed himself by the fire in the courtyard, having followed Jesus and the guards to the palace. Once the leaders were gathered for this "informal" meeting, Caiphas briefed everyone, and then Jesus was brought in.

At about 4 am this "executive committee" began to ask questions and bring forth "witnesses" against Jesus. The real question was not so much one of guilt or innocence, but rather on how to eliminate this problem.

One of the temple guards told the gathering that when Jesus went "crazy" in the temple, he had said that the temple would be destroyed and raised in three days. But it was necessary to have two witnesses, and no one else could confirm all the same details.

Jesus watched this "exercise in futility" knowing that they could not convict him of anything, yet knowing that, in their minds, they must. Only by convicting him and putting him to death would their rejection of God's Messiah, and their rejection of their calling as God's light of justice to the nations, be complete.

Meanwhile, out in one of the courtyards, in the cold hours of the night, Peter was waiting and watching. Trying his best to not be noticed. He heard some rumors of what was happening. But his Galilean accent betrayed him, and for the second time he was asked if he was a follower of Jesus (and could then be called as a witness against Jesus), but again he denied knowing Jesus.

Between a "rock and a hard place", between Annas' instructions and the obvious inability of the witnesses to prove some guilt of Jesus, in utter frustration, Caiaphas desperately asked Jesus to convict himself. It was 5 am and time was running short. 'Declare under oath,' he said, 'if you believe that you are the Messiah'!

And Jesus, knowing how his mission was to be accomplished, obliged. 'As you say', Jesus said, 'but I am more than just the Messiah, the Son of David. I am The Messiah, the Son of Man, and the Son of God, that Daniel saw sharing power with God.

Relief washed over Caiphas. Pretending that he was shocked, Caiphas tore his robes and cried out, 'you have all heard his Blasphemy! This man brings dishonor on God by claiming to be God's partner, God's equal. We need hear no more! What should his punishment be?’

'He should die,' became the consensus. And thus the "executive committee" decided to call for a dawn meeting of the full council. They would recommend a vote of condemnation. Of course they could not actually carry out a death sentence even if they were able to get a conviction. Jesus may "deserve" death, but that is not an actual death sentence. And even if the full Sanhedrin could convict him, they were not allowed to execute him.

Now the problem was that the Romans would not execute a man for blasphemy. There needed to be a more political charge. So Caiphas decided, that IF the council agreed that Jesus deserved to die for his blasphemy, then Caiaphas would send Jesus to Pilate on the charge of "stirring up dissention" against those who governed Judah. That might get the Romans to give the Sanhedrin permission to execute Jesus.

The rumor of the High Priest tearing his robes shot through the gathered people in the courtyard like an electric shock. One of the slaves that had carried a torch to the arrest of Jesus believed that he recognized Peter. When confronted, fear washed over Peter. Jesus would soon go to trial "deserving death", and Peter's sense of self-preservation controlled his response. 'Damn it, I do NOT know the man!' he bluntly stated.

At that moment two things happened. Jesus was being escorted through the courtyard back to his "cell", and a rooster crowed to greet the first light of the new day. Peter was watching Jesus when, for a moment, their eyes met. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said, was ashamed, and looked away. When Jesus was gone, Peter turned and left, ashamed, scared, angry, and confused.

Around 6 am, when the sun rose at dawn and the day began, Jesus was brought for trial before the "full" council. There the charges and the "evidence" were quickly presented and Jesus was quickly condemned, by most, as deserving death for blasphemy. Then Caiphas had Jesus sent to the Fortress of Antonia, charged as being a "troublemaker", and hoping that the Romans would allow Caiaphas to have Jesus stoned.

 Continues.....