A Lawyer Looks At Trials Of Jesus

THE ILLEGAL TRIAL OF JESUS

A Lawyer looks at the Trials and Death

There are a number of ways of looking at the Trials.

Medical – as a Crime scene investigator. What caused the death,
Legal – as a Lawyer what laws were broken
Religious – as a religious leader what religious acts
Theological – Why did these events take place the way they did, What was God’s purpose?

Film The Passion of Jesus, by Mel Gibson.

How many of you have seen it? An excellent job at showing What took place but it does not show why it took place.

It does not show the Theological.

The book by John Piper- Why it took place. The theology

THE LAST PUBLIC MINISTRY IN JERUSALEM

The O.T. Portrays Christ as 1. King

2. Priest,

3. Prophet

4. Servant.

To understand the trials you need to know the O.T.

Gen. 3:15 The Prophecy of the Seed of the women bruising the seed of the serpent.

Isa. 53. Prediction.

Jesus arrives at Bethany near Jerusalem

Stays in the Home of Simon the Leper

1. SUNDAY - HIS TRUMPHAL ENTRY - AS KING MATT. MK LUKE JOHN

Goes to the TEMPLE as King = center of Jewish Life 21:1-1 1 11:1-11 19:29-49 12:12

The Temple was center of National life as Fulfillment of Prophecy Ps. 118.26, Returns to Bethany

2. MONDAY - HIS ENTRY AS PRIEST

He goes to the Temple as Priest =Cleanses the Temple as The Great High Priest.

Heals, the Blind, the lame. Matt. 21:12-17 Fulfillment of prophecy Ps 8:2

Returns to Bethany - the Home of Simon the Leper

3. TUESDAY -HIS ENTRY AS PROPHET MATT. 21:18

Goes to the Temple as Prophet HE TEACHES

He is questioned as to His Authority as a Prophet - Matt.21:23

He is questioned as to the Authority of John

As Prophet He teaches in Parables

A. v28 2 Sons vineyard - disobedient son = Jews

B. v33 vineyard son sent -servants murder Him = death of J.C.

C. Ch 22. 1-14 Wedding feast

As Prophet the Jews set Traps for Him.

A. Taxes v 17-22

B. Resurrection v 23-33

C. Great Commandment v 34

As Prophet He warns about Hypocrisy.

The pharoses ch. 23 8 Woes.

As Prophet He tells of coming events

The signs of the 2nd Coming Matt. 24-25

He returns to Bethany and the home of Simon the Leper Matt 26:6-13

He is anointed for Burial by women = 6 days before the Passover?

4TH HE ENTERS AS SERVANT

Judas plot. Eating of the last Supper.

Spiritual death occurs when the spirit is separated from God by disobedience; physical death occurs when the spirit is separated from the body. We suffer the first death actively and by conscious choice; the second we suffer passively-it happens to us. Thus we die spiritually by an act of the will; wheras we die physically by a form of execution-willy-nilly.

What astonished the disciples was the commitment of Jesus to death rather than glory. 5 times he tells his disciples during his ministry that he must go to Jerusalem and die. “The Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and scourage, and to crucify him, and the third day he shall rise again.” Matt. 20:18,19

Who killed Jesus is a big issue brought about by the Film.

What you find in scriptures is very interested.

The Jews were the ones who wanted to put him to death.
The Romans were the ones who put him on the cross.
The Book of Romans tells us that the Father poured out His wrath upon him.
The Gospels tell us that none of these killed Him. He gave His life, “I lay down my life,”

Earlier that afternoon Peter and John, representing the Lord’s “household”, had presented a Pascal lamb before the priests in the Temple. In a brief but carefully regulated ceremony, the lamb was slain. A priest with a silver or gold vessel caught a small sample of the dying victim’s blood, passed it to other priests near the altar who took this blood and cast it in one sweep at the base of the altar while at the same time supplying afresh clean bowl to another priest for the next sacrificial victim.

The lamb in the O.T. had to be taken into the house for 3 days and inspected to make sure there were no spots or blemishes, that it was a perfect lamb.

While the lamb was roasting, the meal began with unleavened bread and wine. It was then that the Lord instituted the patter of our communion service. The disciples seem to have been totally Unaware of the deep significance of the deep significance of what was taking place at the table- the meaning of the Lord’s words regarding the bread and wine.

Jesus had entered Jerusalem 3 days fulfilling the different O.T. roles. Each time He went to the temple and the Jews inspected him and found no fault in him.

Jesus Trials are the most extraordinary trials in the history of the human race. – His trials establish the utter worthlessness of the court itself as a defender of human justice, served only to establish for all time the complete innocence of the Accused.

The Jewish authorities conducted a trial, which contravened every single safeguard against injustice to the innocent that they had laboriously constructed.

The Lord Jesus was shown to be innocent by every court- though this was not their intention- and thus identified Him as the Lamb of God without spot or blemish, a worthy sacrificial victim to die for the sins of others.

Paradoxically, the Jewish religious trials and the Civil Roman trial proved both the innocence of the Accused and the gilt of the accusers!

THE FACT WAS JESUS WAS THE JUDGE, AND EACH JUDGE AND SYSTEM WAS ON TRAIL AND FOUND GUILTY.

Our Lord had foreseen this: his words, “NOW THE JUDGMENT OF THIS WORLD” JOHN 12:31 had a double meaning. Mankind was on trial. By their verdict they demonstrated their own unrighteousness and only underscored their need of a Savior

ARREST AT NIGHT IN THE GARDEN

1ST TRIAL BEFORE ANNAS THE EX-HIGH PRIEST AT NIGHT IN HIS HOME.

(JEWISH) JOHN 18:13

Account of the trial is in John 18:19-23

Annas was the High Priest Emeritus. No high priest was ever Emeritus, when he died a new one was appointed.

He was the Head of the Religious Mafia and was so corrupt the Romans removed him from office.

He made money $$ off Exchange of money in the Temple

He made money off the selling of animals for Sacrifice.

He made money of the tables in the temple

He had political control.

Jesus had cleansed the temple & thrown the Mafia out of the temple.

Annas was upset & looked for a way to get even. He called for the arrest and trial not to find if Jesus was innocent but to find an legal reason to put him to death.

The issue we see today, Many corporate CEO’s do things that are Immoral, but not illegal. They have a staff of lawyers telling him what he is doing is a legal. But they don’t deal with the issue that it is immoral.

According to the Mishnah no capital case:

1. Jesus was arrested at Night In the garden of Gethsemane = Illegally

2. There were no charges against Him they arrested him without charges.

3. He was tried in a Home. = Illegally

4. He was tried at night = Illegally

5. He was tried before a High Priest who had no authority. = Illegally

6. He was beaten = Illegally

7. Jesus was not silent- He does not "turn the other cheek"

8. Annas questions were irrational and unjust and Jesus let them know it was so.

9. They wanted to put Jesus to death. They brought him to the house to try to come up with some charges that they could make to make it look legal.

10. He was arrested, and then they were going to decide the charges. That is illegal.

11. The trial was more like an informal hearing. = Illegally

12. The Jews took their legal instructions from the Mosaic Law as interpreted for them in the Talmud, and the Mishnah. Judge according to this scale, the trials were weighed and found wanting.

2nd TRIAL BEFORE CAIAPHAS THE PRESENT HIGH PRIEST AND HEAD OF SANHEDRIN

(JEWISH)

Caiaphas was the son in Law of Annas. Luke 22:66-71 Mark 14:55-65

The High Priest was to exam the Passover Lamb to see if there were any blemishes or spots.

Jesus was the Passover Lamb, they were examining the Lamb of God that would take away the sins of the world & eliminate their jobs, but they did not know it.

1. The Trial was Illegal because it was 2 AM at night = illegal

2. They had no written charges.

3. They tried to find false witness – not the truth = illegal

4. They tried to get Jesus to testify= a witness did not have to testify = illegal

5. Every trail required some one to stand up and defend the accused, no one was appointed.

6. The High Priest Tore his robes = The High Priest was forbidden to tear his clothes= he disqualified Himself = Therefore JESUS CHRIST became the High Priest. = Illegal

7. Matt 26:66 - They demanded his death = they did not give him a fair trial. = Illegal

They did not demand Truth = They did not give him a fair trial.

8. The council was to wait 1 or 2 days before giving a decision. = Illegal

9. They (Religious leaders, The Dr’s. of Law and Religion, the men who were to be examples of righteousness, Justice, mercy. = illegal

10. Spit in His Face = illegal

11. Beat Him= illegal

12. Slapped him = illegal

13. It was illegal to use Judas to Betray Jesus= The law stated that if the leader was guilty the followers were guilty also.

14. They made decisions months ahead to put him to death ("IT IS BETTER THAT ONE MAN DIE FOR THE NATION THAN ALL DIE".

15. He went through unofficial trial at night so at sun up they could do it quick and legal.

3RD TRIAL BEFORE CAIAPHAS AND THE SANHEFRIN AT SUN RISE =

DAYLIGHT (JEWISH)

Jesus was bound and kept tied to pillars and walls in dungeon below while Sanhedrin went home before sun up to eat and rest. = Illegally no charges

They reassembled at Sunrise Mark 15:1; Matt. 27.1; Luke 22:66-71

The trial was in "HALL OF HEWN STONES"

They repeated the question to make it legal (in the day light)

1.

2. The charge was Blaspheme, but he never used the name of God. Matt 26:65

3. “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see The Son of Man sitting at the Right Hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of Heaven.” Now is that Blespheme?

4. No criminal Judge could pass Sentence on a criminal unless he had fasted one whole day. = Illegally

2. No criminal could be executed on the same day His sentence was fixed and the next. = Illegally

3. On the day of his execution, the Sanhedrin was required to review the whole proceedings. = Illegally

4TH TRIAL BEFORE PILATE =1ST TIME

(GENTILE)

Luke 23:1

1. Sanhedrin tried to stampede Pilate into a quick decision – = Illegally

2. The charge they brought him on was the issue of Taxes $$. (change of charges) = Illegally

3. They did not want to pay the taxes but they used taxes as a reason to execute him.

4. They remained outside so they would not be defiled going into the Gentile court.

Jesus was taken in before Pilate, into the "Judges Chambers" Mark 15:2; Matt. 27:11; Luke 23:3,4; John 18:33-38;

5. Jesus received a Private Hearing = Illegal

6. Jesus politely answered Pilate’s questions,

7. Jesus Kingdom is different it does not use human force, it is a Kingdom of Truth, Righteousness and Justice.

8. Jesus was King of the Jews John 18:28

9. Pilate pronounced Him innocent.

10. All the world will be judged by him, but he stood before a corrupt court to be misjudged.

11. He the giver of the Law is denied the protection of the law.

12. Jews came up with a new charge= disturbing the peace.

13. They were guilty of disturbing the peace many times. Mark 15:2-5; Matt. 27:12-14; Luke 23:5;

14. Pilate learns He is from Galilee = He passes the buck.

5TH TRIAL BEFORE HEROD ANTIPAS THE TETARCH

(GENTILE) LUKE 23:8

Jesus did not fear Herod. But Herod feared Jesus like He did John the Baptist.

Herod wanted to see signs and miracles = see what he had heard.

Herod wanted a performance - entertainment/ sideshow

Herod questioned Him at length

Jesus did not answer

Sanhedrin were present and gave false charges.

Herod dressed Jesus in Kings Robes and mocked him

Herod sends Him back to Pilate.

6TH TRIAL BEFORE PILATE 2ND TIME

(GENTILE) LUKE 23:13

1. Pilate had Jesus whipped = Illegally = Hoping it would satisfy the Jews and Save His life.

2. If a person was whipped they could not be crucified until his wounds were healed.

3. Pilate attempted to release Jesus. The crowed (incited by the Sanhedrin) demanded Barabass.

4. Barabass is in prison down below were Jesus is appearing.

a. You can imagine how he felt when suddenly he hears the crowds calling give us Barabass.

b. He could not hear what Pilate had said to the crowd. So he assumed they were calling for him to be brought up and crucified.

c. What a surprise when he is brought out of the dungeon and He Barabass Bar Jesus the murder is turned lose and the Innocent Jesus is taken to the cross in his place.

5. The Sanhedrin accused Jesus of New Charge = Blasphemy. (change in charges)

6. Pilate turns Jesus over to the Soldiers. = Illegally

7. The soldiers who are to protect the innocent take the only innocent person and beat him.

8. They led him away to Golgath.

9. THE TWO GOATS

Two goats were taken to the temple, The priest would lay his hands on them and confess his sins. The one goat was sacrifieced and the blood was taken to the alter.

The second goat was let out of the city. As he was led thru the people the people hurled curses upon the goat. He became the scape goat.

10. You have the 3 sons of Noah putting Jesus to death.

a. Jews brought the false charges, blasphemy, tax evasion,

b. Gentiles brought the method. crucifixion

c. One man on the way is forced to carry the cross. Simon of Sirene. From Africa.

d. Shem, Ham, and Jafeth’s decendents were at the crucifixion putting Jesus to death.

11. A man was stationed at the door of the Court with a flag, and another was on horseback to cry the name of the criminal and his crime and his witnesses.- to know if any could testify in his favor.

12. The prisoner on His way to execution had the right to turn back 3 times and to plead any new thing in his favor.

As Jesus was being led it was required that a man on horseback ride along with a flag, calling for anyone who would testify that this person was innocent to step forward. There was another soldier on the steps of the steps where the trial had been held.

If a person stepped forward. The procession stopped the Solder raised the flag and turned the procession around and went back to the court.

This could be repeated 3 times before the person was put to death.

But no one steps forward for our lord.

The Jews could not execute by crucifixion, they needed the Romans to do that.

The Jewish method of Execution was:

1. Strangling

2. Stoning

3. Burning

4. Beheading.

If Jesus had been executed by any of these 4 ways God’s purposes for man’s redemption would have been entirely thwarted.

Each of the 4 methods the person does not decide when they will die, but the executioner.

Each of the methods puts the person to death in a matter of a few minutes.

Only the cross could provide the alter were Jesus could by his own free will offer himself as the Lamb of God. Any other form of execution would have required a miracle to keep him alive to be a voluntary sacrifice.

On the cross it was a miracle that He died when He did.

See John 19:7 that granted the right to execute JESUS CHRIST was not enough because:

Luke 23:13 "I HAVE FOUND NO GUILT IN THIS MAN :22

"I HAVE FOUND IN HIM NO GUILT DEMANDING DEATH".

6 WITNESSES AFFIRMED HIS INNOCENCE;

1. Judas Matt 27:4

2. Pilate's wife Matt 27:19

3. Pilate Matt 27:24

4. Herod Luke 23:15

5. Malefactor Luke 23:41

6. Centurion Luke 23:47

Two factor that can not be portrayed in any move or any book.

1. The Physical darkness that comes right at noon. And last for 3 hours, total pitch blackness with winds blowing out almost any light.

2. The Spiritual blackness, of the demons under Satan assembled to carry out this most wicked deed orchestrated by Satan. Satan using he demons to stir up the Jewish leaders, the people. The demon affecting the thinking of Pilate and Herod. The spiritual darkness so thick you could feel it, and smell the stench of the demonic world.

When Pilate said, “Take ye Him and crucify Him” John 19:6, the Jews responded with the rather curious statement, “We have a law and by our law He ought to die” v 7. The statement is odd because it seems querulous. One might have expected them to say, in effect, “Good! Now you’re talking. Jus hand Him over to us and we’ll do the rest”. But their actual words wee highly significant. What they implied was that granting them the right to crucify Him was not enough because, in the first place, they had no such practice of executing criminals by this means, and in the second place, they would have been forced by Mosaic law to take his body down by sunset and there was a very real possibility that He would not be dead by then. In which case they would actually be forced to save his life!

It is possible that Pilate may have been aware of the injunction in Deut. 21:22,23, which forbade leaving anyone on a cross overnight.

Virtually every single aspect of the trail of the Lord Jesus Christ contravened these safeguards and made the whole affair a mockery.

1. For humane reason, the Mishnah ruled that a capital case could not be tried at night.

In contradiction of this injunction, the Lord Jesus was taken straight from the Garden of Gethesemane and tried at once.

2. If the judgement went against the accused, sentence could not be passed on the same day as the trail.

Since that night belonged to a day which did not end till 6:00 pm of the following evening, the Lord should not in that 24 hour period have had sentence passed upon Him at all, let alone been executed.

The sentence "HE IS WORTHY OF DEATH" pronounced by the court within minutes of declaring his guilt was wholly illegal.

3. No sentence of death could be passed on a Sabbath or a Holy Day. Since it was now the day of Passover, a Holy Day, it was strictly forbidden to pass sentence: and since execution must be carried out within 24 hours of judgment, the trial itself could not even be legally held on that particular day!

4. It was only legal to pronounce the actual death sentence in the so-called Hewn Chamber, in the innermost court of the Temple. The purpose of this was to have such a sentence pronounced away from the excitement of the public court, in the seclusion of a restricted area. But the death sentence was passed by this court in the Palace of Caiphas-and was therefore clearly out of order.

5. An attempt must be made to find witnesses who would speak for the accused, since no unanimous verdict of guilty was allowable. Here the purpose was to ensure that no one would be condemned without having at least one other person to support him in that ordeal. No effort was made as far as we know to honor this requirement. There is no record that any single person was appointed to oppose the verdict of guilty in order to provide at least one dissenting voice.

6. When witnesses proved false, they were to suffer the same penalty as the accused man would have suffered, if it turned out that they showed themselves to be false witnesses. Deut. 19:15-19. No attention was paid to this "hedge" about the accused. There is no evidence that the false witnesses were either punished or even rebuked by the court, through their witness was proved false by its inconsistency.

7. In the case of an accusation of blasphemy punishable by stoning, it was required that the accused should actually employ the sacred name of the Lord in the statement that was considered blasphemous.

The Lord did not even use the word God, let alone the sacred name Jehovah. It was Caiaphas who presented the question to the Lord Jesus, in which the name of God was used. The Lord merely answered in the affirmative:

"THOU HAST SAID." Matt 26:64 Technically, by their own definition, He could never have been accused of blasphemy.

8. Jewish law expressly stated that a man condemned to death may not be scourged before execution.

Yet the Jewish authorities offered not the slightest protest when Pilate scourged Jesus before He was crucified; nor did anyone suggest for a moment that the act of scourging ought to have prompted a delay in the execution of the death sentence until his wounds had healed-which was a further requirement of Jewish law.

It is just possible that Pilate knew of this injunction and commanded the scourging for this very reason in hopes that a delay in execution might give him time to find another way out of his dilemma.

9. They did not use crucifixion

10. Mosaic law required them to take the body down by sunset and he would not be dead= so they would save his life. Deut 21:22-23

11. A man was stationed at the door of the Court with a flag, and another was on horseback to cry the name of the criminal and his crime and his witnesses.- to know if any could testify in his favor.

12. The prisoner on His way to execution had the right to turn back 3 times and to plead any new thing in his favor.

See the 7 Miracles of the cross.

The Cross-is the center of Christianity

Paul was right when he said: We preached Christ crucified (a crucified Messiah!) unto the Jews a stumbling block and unto the Greeks foolishness” I Cor 1:23 To the Greeks it was foolishness indeed for they and the Romans alike reserved crucifixion essentially for slaves; i.e., for people who were in fact total no-entities, “nobodies”

It was for them one way of stamping the contaminated man as being utterly without significance at all. He did not even have the right to be buried. He was left to rot, a mere thing. The Jews hoped to ensure the final repudiation of this self proclaimed Messiah by having Him crucified.

Never has a mistake in establishing the identity of a single individual cost those who made it so dearly- for in repudiating their own Messiah the Jewish people committed national suicide. And when the time of their national eclipse arrived, they were themselves crucified in such numbers that the Roman soldiers could neither find trees sufficient to make the crosses nor space enough to plant them in the ground. By crucifying Messiah they crucified themselves.

15. The disciples fled Matthew, (Mark)16. Jesus was taken to Annas (John)

17. Annas questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching (John)

18. Jesus would not answer Annas’s questions (John)

19. An officer struck Jesus and rebuked him for his reply John Jesus asked why there were no witnesses and why he was struck John Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas's house John

22. The religious leaders were gathered at Caiaphas’s house Matthew, (Mark)

23. The religious leaders sought testimony to a charge that was worthy of death, but they found none Matthew, (Mark)

24. Caiaphas was the high priest who was present (Matthew)

25. The high priest asked Jesus if he had an answer to the charges against him Matthew, (Mark)

26. Jesus remained silent to this question Matthew, (Mark)

27. Upon hearing Jesus’ confession, the high priest tore his robes and charged Jesus with blasphemy Matthew, (Mark)

28. The high priest asked the council for a decision Matthew, (Mark)

29. The council convicted Jesus and sentenced him to death Matthew, (Mark)

30. The decision of the council was unanimous (Mark)

31. When Jesus was beaten and told to prophesy he was blindfolded Mark, (Luke)

32. At this time Jesus was also verbally abused (Luke)

33. Pilate met the Jews outside so that they would not be defiled (John)

34. Pilate asked the religious leaders for an accusation against Jesus (John)

35. The religious leaders replied that Jesus was a criminal

36. Pilate responded that Jesus should therefore be tried, convicted, sentenced, and executed according to Jewish law by the Jewish leaders (John)

37. The religious leaders replied that they did not have the power to put a man to death John

38. Jesus was charged by the religious leaders with

(a) perverting the nation,

(b) forbidding the payment of tribute to Rome, and

(c) proclaiming that he was a king Luke

39. After the questioning, Pilate told the religious leaders that he found no fault in Jesus John, Luke

40. Pilate sent Jesus to Herod when Pilate heard Jesus was a Galilean Luke

41. Herod questioned Jesus, mocked him, and sent him back to Pilate Luke

42. Pilate told the religious leaders again that he found no fault in Jesus and neither did Herod Luke

It was a custom that a prisoner be released by the procurator at the request of the people Matthew, Mark

Barabbas was a notorious prisoner Matthew

Barabbas committed murder Mark, Luke

Barabbas committed murder during the insurrection Mark

47. The insurrection in which Barabbas was involved was in the city Luke

48. Claudia warned Pilate to have nothing to do with Jesus Matthew

49. The religious leaders persuaded the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas Matthew, Mark

50. Pilate asked the crowd which prisoner they wanted released Matthew

Pilate asked the crowd what he should do with Jesus Matthew, Mark

Pilate said he found no guilt in Jesus Luke

Pilate had Jesus scourged John

Pilate brought out Jesus to be seen by the crowd John

55. The crowd cried for Jesus’ crucifixion again John

56. Pilate told the Jews to crucify Jesus themselves John

The religious leaders told Pilate that they had a law by which Jesus should die John

Pilate was frightened when he heard that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God John

59. Pilate asked about Jesus' origins John

60. Jesus remained silent John

61. Pilate reminded Jesus that he had the power to release or crucify him John

62. Jesus replied that Pilate’s power came from above, and that Pilate was not as guilty as those who delivered him to Pilate John

63. Pilate, upon hearing this, sought to release Jesus John

64. The Jews told Pilate that he would not be Caesar's friend if he released Jesus John

65. At the sixth hour, Pilate presented Jesus to the Jews saying, “Here is your king John

66. The crowd once again cried out for his crucifixion John

67. Pilate asked if he should crucify their king John

68. The Jews replied that they had no king but Caesar John

69. Pilate saw that he was making no progress, and that a riot was beginning Matthew

70. Pilate wished to satisfy the crowd Mark

71. Pilate said that he was innocent of Jesus' blood, and washed his hands Matthew

72. Pilate gave sentence for Jesus to be crucified Luke

73. Jesus was mourned and wailed by a crowd that followed him to the place where he was to be crucified Luke

74. Jesus addressed those who followed him Luke

75. Jesus was offered wine mixed with gall or myrrh Matthew, Mark

76. Jesus refused this drink Matthew, Mark

77. Jesus asked forgiveness for those who crucified him Luke

78. Passersby mocked and challenged Jesus to come down off the cross Matthew, Mark

79. The religious leaders complained to Pilate that the title on Jesus' cross was wrong; it should have stated that Jesus said he was king of the Jews John

80. Pilate refused to change the title John

81. The soldiers who crucified Jesus offered him sour wine and mocked him Luke

82. Jesus cried out asking God why he had been forsaken Matthew, Mark

83. The people who gathered around offered him sour wine on a sponge and thought he was calling Elijah to come and rescue him Matthew, Mark

84. Jesus said, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit Luke

85. Jesus said, It is finished John

86. At Jesus' death, there were earthquakes, tombs opened, and some of the dead were raised and seen Matthew

87. At Jesus' death, the centurion and his men said, Surely, he was the Son of God! Matthew, Mark

88. At Jesus' death, the centurion said, Surely this was a righteous man Luke

89. Jesus provided for his mother from the cross John

90. Since Jesus was already dead, he was pierced in the side and blood and water flowed out John

91. Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Sanhedrin who was awaiting the kingdom of God Matthew, Luke

92. Joseph was a disciple of Jesus Matthew, Luke

93. Joseph’s discipleship was secret for fear of the Jews John

94. Joseph was rich Matthew

95. Joseph had not consented to the council’s action against Jesus, for he was a good and righteous man Luke

96. When Joseph came to Pilate, Pilate was not aware that Jesus was already dead—Mark

97. Pilate asked a centurion to find out if Jesus was dead Mark

98. The centurion informed Pilate that Jesus was indeed dead Mark

99. Joseph rolled the stone against the tomb Matthew, Mark

100. Nicodemus helped Joseph with the burial of Jesus John

A.3 COMPOSITE ACCOUNT:

Explicit, Consistent Details

(John)

10. Jesus was taken to a high priest’s house (John)

11. Jesus appeared before the religious leaders (John)

12. Jesus was questioned by a high priest (Luke)

13. Jesus was questioned at night (Luke)

14. Jesus was asked if he was the Christ, or Messiah (John)

15. Jesus was asked if he was the Son of God, or Son of the Blessed (John)

16. That night, Jesus kept silent in answer to some questions (Luke)

17. Jesus was struck repeatedly that night by Jews and was mockingly told to "prophesy" as to who hit him (John)

18. In the morning, the religious leaders convened to discuss the plan of Jesus' death

19. Jesus was taken to and brought before Pilate

20. Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

21. Jesus replied, "Yes, it is as you say" (John)

22. Jesus was pitted against Barabbas for release

23. The crowd cried out for Barabbas’s release and Jesus’ crucifixion

24. Pilate asked that crowd, "Why? What crime has he committed?" (John)

25. Jesus was scourged and mocked by the Roman soldiers (Luke)

26. Pilate delivered Jesus to be crucified

27. Simon the Cyrene carried Jesus’ cross to Golgotha (John)

28. Jesus was crucified between two others

29. These two others were criminals (John)

30. On Jesus’ cross was the title "The King of the Jews" (or something to the same effect)

31. Lots were cast to divide Jesus' clothes

32. The Jewish leaders and one criminal verbally abused Jesus (John)

33. Jesus was offered sour wine

34. This sour wine was in a sponge which was placed to his lips (Luke)

35. The sun was darkened from twelve noon to three in the afternoon (John)

36. Jesus died

37. When Jesus died, the curtain in the temple was torn in two (John)

38. When Jesus died, the centurion spoke concerning Jesus (John)

39. Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body

40. Pilate gave Joseph leave to take the body

41. Joseph wrapped the body in linen and laid it in a tomb cut out of rock

42. The tomb was unused (Mark)

43. Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early Sunday morning, where she met an angel(s)

44. The angel(s) told Mary that Jesus had risen (John)

EXHIBIT B TIME LINE OF ACCEPTED FACTS

EXHIBIT C

EXCERPTS FROM THE ACTS OF PILATE

The one Christian apocryphal book that is “on all fours” with the subject of the trial of Jesus is the Gospel of Nicodemus, otherwise known as the Acts of Pilate.

Scholars cannot agree on the complete text of this book, but it is a fascinating example of the painstaking effort of Bible students over the centuries to distinguish reliable historical documents from the fictional, propagandistic manuscripts. With the help of the great scholar Tischendorf.

writing in Evangelia Apocrypha, we can outline the original source material used to compile the Acts of Pilate:

1. eight early Greek and one early Latin manuscripts

2. three late Greek manuscripts

3. twelve late Latin manuscripts

4. a Coptic papyrus at Turin and some fragments at Paris

5. a Syriac edited by Rahmani in Studia Syriaca, II

6. an Armenian edited by Conybeare in Studia Biblica, IV (Oxford 1896)

The entire Acts of Pilate is in two parts, the story of the Passion and the Resurrection, first written about a.d. 300 and the Descent into Hell, added sometime after the year a.d. 400. The first part was written to prove that Jesus arose from the dead and that Pilate found him to be innocent of any crime. The second part was written to prove that righteous Jewish fathers were delivered from hell by the atoning death of Christ. The following excerpts are from the first part.

Memorials of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Done in the Time of Pontius Pilate

I, Ananias, the Protector, of praetorian rank, learned in the law, did from the divine scriptures recognize our Lord Jesus Christ and came near to him by faith, and was accounted worthy of holy baptism: and I sought out the memorials that were made at that season in the time of our master Jesus Christ, which the Jews deposited with Pontius Pilate, and found the memorials in Hebrew, and by the good pleasure of all them that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: in the reign of our Lord Flavius Theodosius, in the seventeenth year, and of Flavius Valentinianus the sixth, in the ninth indiction [a.d. 425] . . .

In the fifteenth year of the governments of Tiberius Caesar, Emperor of the Romans, and of Herod, king of Galilee, in the nineteenth year of his rule, on the eighth of the Kalends of April, which is the 25th of March, in the consulate of Rufus and Rubellio, in the fourth year of the two–hundred and second Olympiad, Joseph who is Caiaphas being high priest of the Jews:

These be the things which after the cross and passion of the Lord, Nicodemus recorded and delivered unto the high priest and the rest of the Jews: and the same Nicodemus set them forth in Hebrew (letters) .

1. For the chief priests and scribes assembled in council, even Annas and Caiaphas and Somne and Dothaim and Gamaliel, Judas, Levi and Nepthalim, Alexander and Jairus and the rest of the Jews, and came unto Pilate accusing Jesus for many deeds, saying: We know this man, that he is the son of Joseph the carpenter, begotten of Mary, and he saith that he is the Son of God and a king; moreover he doth pollute the sabbaths and he would destroy the law of our fathers.

Pilate saith: And what things are they that he doeth, and would destroy the law?

The Jews saith: We have a law that we should not heal any man on the sabbath: but this man of his evil deeds hath healed the lame and the bent, the withered and the blind and the paralytic, the dumb and them that were possessed, on the sabbath day!

Pilate saith unto them: By what evil deeds?

They say unto him: He is a sorcerer, and by Beelzebub the prince of the devils he casteth out devils, and they are all subject unto him.

Pilate saith unto them: This is not to cast out devils by an unclean spirit, but by the god Asclepius.

2. The Jews say unto Pilate: We beseech thy majesty that he appear before thy judgment–seat and be heard. And Pilate called them unto him and said: Tell me, how can I that am a governor examine a king? They say unto him: We say not that he is a king, but he saith it of himself.

And Pilate called the messenger and said unto him: Let Jesus be brought hither, but with gentleness.

And the messenger went forth, and when he perceived Jesus he worshipped him and took the kerchief that was on his hand and spread it upon the earth and saith unto him: Lord, walk hereon and enter in, for the governor calleth thee. And when the Jews saw what the messenger had done, they cried out against Pilate saying: Wherefore didst thou not summon him by an herald to enter in, but by a messenger? for the messenger when he saw him worshipped him and spread out his kerchief upon the ground and hath made him walk upon it like a king! . . .

5. Now when Jesus entered in, and the ensigns were holding the standards, the images [busts] of the standards bowed and did reverence to Jesus. And when the Jews saw the carriage of the standards, how they bowed themselves and did reverence to Jesus, they cried out above measure against the ensigns. But Pilate said unto the Jews: Marvel ye not that the images bowed themselves and did reverence unto Jesus? The Jews say unto Pilate: We saw how the ensigns made them to bow and did reverence to him. And the governor called for the ensigns and saith unto them: Wherefore did ye so? They say unto Pilate: We are Greeks and servers of temples, and how could we do him reverence? for indeed whilst we held the images they bowed of themselves and did reverence unto him.

6. Then saith Pilate unto the rulers of the synagogue and the elders of the people: Choose you out able and strong men and let them hold the standards, and let us see if they bow of themselves. And the elders of the Jews took twelve men strong and able and made them to hold the standards by sixes, and they were set before the judgment–seat of the governor; and Pilate said to the messenger:

Take him out of the judgment hall [praetorium] and bring him in again after what manner thou wilt.

And Jesus went out of the judgment hall, he and the messenger. And Pilate called unto him them that before held the images, and said unto them: I have sworn by the safety of Caesar that if the standards bow not when Jesus entereth in, I will cut off your head.

And the governor commanded Jesus to enter in the second time. And the messenger did after the former manner and besought Jesus much that he would walk upon his kerchief; and he walked upon it and entered in. And when he had entered, the standards bowed themselves again and did reverence unto Jesus.

1. Now when Pilate saw it he was afraid, and sought to rise up from the judgment–seat. And while he yet thought to rise up, his wife sent unto him, saying: Have thou nothing to do with this just man, for I have suffered many things because of him by night. And Pilate called unto him all the Jews, and said unto them: Ye know that my wife feareth God and favoureth rather the customs of the Jews?

They say unto him: Yea, we know it. Pilate saith unto them: Lo, my wife hath sent unto me, saying:

Have thou nothing to do with this just man: for I have suffered many things because of him by night.

But the Jews answered and said unto Pilate: Said we not unto thee that he is a sorcerer? Behold, he hath sent a vision of a dream unto thy wife.

2. And Pilate called Jesus unto him and said to him: What is it that these witness against thee?

Speakest thou nothing? But Jesus said: If they had not had power they would have spoken nothing; for every man hath power over his own mouth, to speak good or evil: they shall see to it.

3. The elders of the Jews answered and said unto Jesus: What shall we see? Firstly, that thou wast born of fornication; secondly, that thy birth in Bethlehem was the cause of the slaying of children;

thirdly, that thy father Joseph and thy mother Mary fled into Egypt because they had no confidence before the people.

4. Then said certain of them that stood by, devout men of the Jews: We say not that he came of fornication; but we know that Joseph was betrothed unto Mary, and he was not born of fornication.

Pilate saith unto those Jews which said that he came of fornication: This you’re saying is not true, for there were espousals, as these also say which are of your nation. Annas and Caiaphas say unto Pilate: The whole multitude of us cry out that he was born of fornication, and we are not believed:

but these are proselytes and disciples of his. And Pilate called Annas and Caiaphas unto him and said to them: What be proselytes? They say unto him: They were born children of Greeks, and now are they become Jews. Then said they which said that he was not born of fornication, even Lazarus, Asterius, Antonius, Jacob, Amnes, Zenas, Samuel, Isaac, Phinees, Crispus, Agrippa, and Judas: We were not born proselytes, but we are children of Jews and we speak the truth; for verily we were present at the espousals of Joseph and Mary.

5. And Pilate called unto him those twelve men which said that he was not born of fornication, and saith unto them: I adjure you by the safety of Caesar, are these things true which ye have said, that he was not born of fornication? They say unto Pilate: We have a law that we swear not, because it is sin: but let them swear by the safety of Caesar that it is not as we have said, and we will be guilty of death. Pilate saith to Annas and Caiaphas: Answer ye nothing to these things? Annas and Caiaphas say unto Pilate: These twelve men are believed which say that he was not born of fornication, but the whole multitude of us cry out that he was born of fornication, and is a sorcerer, and saith that he is the Son of God and a king, and we are not believed.

6. And Pilate commanded the whole multitude to go out, saving the twelve men which said that he was not born of fornication, and he commanded Jesus to be set apart: and Pilate saith unto them:

For what cause do they desire to put him to death? They say unto Pilate: They have jealousy, because he healeth on the sabbath day. Pilate saith: For a good work do they desire to put him to death? They say unto him: Yea.

1. And Pilate was filled with indignation and went forth without the judgment hall and saith unto them: I call the Sun to witness that I find no fault in this man. The Jews answered and said to the governor: If this man were not a malefactor we would not have delivered him unto thee. And Pilate said: Take ye him and judge him according to your law. The Jews said unto Pilate: It is not lawful for us to put any man to death. Pilate said: Hath God forbidden you to slay, and allowed me?

2. And Pilate went in again into the judgment hall and called Jesus apart and said unto him: Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered and said unto Pilate: Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? Pilate answered Jesus: Am I also a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what has thou done? Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world; for if my kingdom were of this world my servants would have striven that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate said unto him: Art thou a king, then? Jesus answered him: Thou sayest that I am a king; for this cause was I born and am come, that every one that is of the truth should hear my voice. Pilate saith unto him: What is truth? Jesus saith unto him: Truth is of heaven. Pilate saith: Is there not truth upon earth? Jesus saith unto Pilate:

Thou seest how that they which speak the truth are judged of them that have authority upon the earth.

1. And Pilate left Jesus in the judgment hall and went forth to the Jews and said unto them: I find no fault in him. The Jews say unto him: this man said: I am able to destroy this temple and in three days to build it up. Pilate saith: What temple? The Jews say: That which Solomon built in forty and six years, but which this man saith he will destroy and build it in three days. Pilate saith unto them: I am guiltless of the blood of this just man: see ye to it. The Jews say: His blood be upon us and on our children.

2. And Pilate called the elders and the priests and Levites unto him and said to them secretly: Do not so: for there is nothing worthy of death whereof ye have accused him, for your accusation is concerning healing and profaning of the sabbath. The elders and the priests and Levites say: If a man blaspheme against Caesar, is he worthy of death or no? Pilate saith: He is worthy of death. The Jews say unto Pilate: If a man be worthy of death if he blaspheme against Caesar, this man hath blasphemed against God.

3. Then the governor commanded all the Jews to go out from the judgment hall, and he called Jesus to him and saith unto him: What shall I do with thee? Jesus saith unto Pilate: Do as it hath been given thee. Pilate saith: How hath it been given? Jesus saith: Moses and the prophets did foretell concerning my death and rising again. Now the Jews inquired by stealth and heard, and they say unto Pilate: What needest thou to hear further of this blasphemy? Pilate saith unto the Jews: If this word be of blasphemy, take ye him for his blasphemy, and bring him into your synagogue and judge him according to your law. The Jews say unto Pilate: It is contained in our law, that if a man sin against a man, he is worthy to receive forty stripes save one: but he that blasphemeth against God,that he should be stoned with stoning.

4. Pilate saith unto them: Take ye him and avenge yourselves of him in what manner ye will. The Jews say unto Pilate: We will that he be crucified. Pilate saith: He deserveth not to be crucified. 5. Now as the governor looked round about upon the multitude of the Jews which stood by, he beheld many of the Jews weeping, and said: Not all the multitude desire that he should be put to death. The elder of the Jews said: To this end have the whole multitude of us come hither, that he should be put to death. Pilate saith to the Jews: Wherefore should he die? The Jews said: Because he called himself the Son of God, and a king.

1. But a certain man, Nicodemus, a Jew, came and stood before the governor and said: I beseech thee, good lord, bid me speak a few words. Pilate saith: Say on. Nicodemus saith: I said unto the elders and the priests and Levites and unto all the multitude of the Jews in the synagogue:

Wherefore contend ye with this man? This man doeth many and wonderful signs, which no man hath done, neither will do: let him alone and contrive not any evil against him: if the signs which he doeth are of God, they will stand, but if they be of men, they will come to nought. For verily Moses, when he was sent of God into Egypt did many signs, which God commanded him to do before Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and there were there certain men, servants of Pharaoh, Jannes and Jambres, and they also did signs not a few, of them which Moses did, and the Egyptians held them as gods, even Jannes and Jambres: and whereas the signs which they did were not of God, they perished and those also that believed on them. And now let this man go, for he is not worthy of death.

2. The Jews say unto Nicodemus: Thou didst become his disciple and thou speakest on his behalf? Did not Caesar appoint him unto this dignity? And the Jews were raging and gnashing their teeth against Nicodemus. Pilate saith unto them: Wherefore gnash ye your teeth against him whereas ye have heard the truth? The Jews say unto Nicodemus: Mayest thou receive his truth and his portion.

Nicodemus saith: Amen, Amen: may I receive it as ye have said.

Foreman, Dale M., Crucify Him: A Lawyer Looks at the Trial of Jesus, (Grand Rapids, Michigan:

Zondervan Publishing House) 1990.

The sentence "HE IS WORTHY OF DEATH" pronounced by the court within minutes of declaring his guilt was wholly illegal.

3. No sentence of death could be passed on a Sabbath or a Holy Day. Since it was now the day of Passover, a Holy Day, it was strictly forbidden to pass sentence: and since execution must be carried out within 24 hours of judgment, the trial itself could not even be legally held on that particular day!

4. It was only legal to pronounce the actual death sentence in the so-called Hewn Chamber, in the innermost court of the Temple. The purpose of this was to have such a sentence pronounced away from the excitement of the public court, in the seclusion of a restricted area. But the death sentence was passed by this court in the Palace of Caiphas-and was therefore clearly out of order.

5. An attempt must be made to find witnesses who would speak for the accused, since no unanimous verdict of guilty was allowable. Here the purpose was to ensure that no one would be condemned without having at least one other person to support him in that ordeal. No effort was made as far as we know to honor this requirement. There is no record that any single person was appointed to oppose the verdict of guilty in order to provide at least one dissenting voice.

6. When witnesses proved false, they were to suffer the same penalty as the accused man would have suffered, if it turned out that they showed themselves to be false witnesses. Deut. 19:15-19.

No attention was paid to this "hedge" about the accused. There is no evidence that the false witnesses were either punished or even rebuked by the court, through their witness was proved false by its inconsistency.

7. In the case of an accusation of blasphemy punishable by stoning, it was required that the accused should actually employ the sacred name of the Lord in the statement that was considered blasphemous.

The Lord did not even use the word God, let alone the sacred name Jehovah. It was Caiaphas who presented the question to the Lord Jesus, in which the name of God was used. The Lord merely answered in the affirmative:

"THOU HAST SAID." Matt 26:64 Technically, by their own definition, He could never have been accused of blasphemy.

8. Jewish law expressly stated that a man condemned to death may not be scourged before execution.

Yet the Jewish authorities offered not the slightest protest when Pilate scourged Jesus before He was crucified; nor did anyone suggest for a moment that the act of scourging ought to have prompted a delay in the execution of the death sentence until his wounds had healed-which was a further requirement of Jewish law.

It is just possible that Pilate knew of this injunction and commanded the scourging for this very reason in hopes that a delay in execution might give him time to find another way out of his dilemma.

ILLEGALITIES OF THE TRIALS

PROPHECY CONCERNING JESUS

OVER 333 PROPHECIES TOTAL

BORN OF THE SEED OF WOMAN

P= Gen. 3:15

F= Gal. 4:4

BORN OF A VIRGIN

P= Isa. 7:14

F= Matt. 1:18,24,25

BETRAYED BY A FRIEND

P= Psalms 41:9

F= Matt. 10:4 John 13:21

SOLD FOR 30 PIECES OF SILVER

P=Zech. 11:12

F=Matt. 26:15 Matt 27:3

MONEY TO BE THROWN IN GOD'S HOUSE

P= Zech. 11:13

F=Matt. 27:5

PRICE GIVEN FOR POTTERS'S FIELD

P= ZECH. 11:13

F= MATT. 27:7

In the previous 4 prophecies we find in both prophecy and fulfillment the following

1. Betrayed

2. By a friend

3. For 30 pieces (not 29)

4. For silver Not gold

5. Thrown down (not placed)

6. In the House of the Lord

7. Money used to buy potter's field

FORSAKEN BY HIS DISCIPLES

P= Zech. 13:7

F= Mark 14:50 Matt 26:31; Mark 14:27

ACCUSED BY FALSE WITNESS

P= Psalm 35:11

F= Matthew 26:59-61

DUMB BEFORE ACCUSERS

P=ISA. 53:7

F=MATT. 27:12-19

WOUNDED AND BRUISED

P= Isa. 53:5 Zech 13:6

F= Matt. 27:26

SMITTEN AND SPIT UPON

P=Isa. 50:6

F=Matt. 26:67

MOCKED

P=Psalms 22:7,8

F=Matt. 2:31

FELL UNDER THE CROSS

P=PSALMS 109:24,25

F=John 19:17; Luke 23:26 Matt. 27:31,32

HANDS AND FEET PIERCED

P=Psalm 22:16

F=Luke 23:33 John 20:25

CRUCIFIED WITH THIEVES

P=Isa. 53:12

F=Matt. 27:38

Blinzler states, "Crucifixion was unknown in Jewish criminal law. The hanging on a gibbet, which was prescribed by Jewish law for idolaters and blasphemers who had been stoned, was not a death penalty, but an additional punishment after death designed to brand the executed person as one accused of God, in accordance with Deut. 21:23; "FOR HE IS ACCURSED OF GOD THAT HANGETH ON A TREE.”

The Jews applied these words also to one who had been crucified. if crucifixion was the most shameful and degrading death penalty even in the eyes of the pagan world, the Jews in the time of Jesus regarded a person so executed as being, over and above, accursed of God."

MADE INTERCESSION FOR HIS PERSECUTORS

P=Isa. 53:12;

F=Luke 23:34

REJECTED BY HIS OWN PEOPLE

P=Isa. 53:3; Psalms 69:8; 118:22

F=John 7:5,48; Matt. 21:42,43

HATED WITHOUT A CAUSE

P=Psalm 69:4 Isa. 49:7

F=John 15:25

FRIENDS STOOD AFAR OFF

P=Psalm 38:11

F=Luke 23:49; Mark 15:40; Matt. 27:55,56

PEOPLE SHOOK THEIR HEADS

P=PSALMS 109:25

F=Matt. 27:39

STARED UPON

P=Psalms 22:17

F=Luke 23:35

GARMENTS PARTED AND LOTS CAST

P=PSALM 22:18

F=John 19:23,24

TO SUFFER THIRST

P= Psalm 69:21; 22:15

F=John 19:28

GALL AND VINEGAR WERE OFFERED HIM

P=Psalm 69:21

F=Matt. 27:34 John 19:28,29

HIS FORSAKEN CRY

P=Psalm 22:1 "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?"

F=Matt. 27:46

HE COMMITTED HIMSELF TO GOD.

P=Psalm 31:5 "INTO THY HAND I COMMIT MY SPIRIT."

F=Luke 23:46

HIS BONES WERE NOT BROKEN

P=Psalm 34:20 "HE KEEP ALL HIS BONES; NOT ONE OF THEM IS BROKEN."

F=John 19:33

HIS HEART WAS BROKEN

P= Psalm 22:14 "MY HEART IS LIKE WAX; IT IS MELTED WITHIN ME."

F= John 19:34

HIS SIDE PIERCED

P= Zechariah 12:10 "THEY WILL LOOK ON ME WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED.