From Jesus Series chapter 16 Illegal Trials , by CES
There will be things in these lessons with which some people will disagree. That is not a problem. I will teach what I believe the Bible teaches and consider customs.
It was past midnight when Jesus was taken captive so we would call it Friday, but since the Jewish day changed about sunset, they were already into Friday at the time of the Passover.
This is a holy day, so all the priests contrive is against the Law. We will give attention to over two dozen other illegal proceedings in the six trials of Jesus.
For His first trial, He was taken to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest. Officially the Romans put Annas out, but he still functioned unofficially.
One, it was Illegal for trials to be held at night.
Two, It was illegal to have a preliminary trial like this, so Jesus need not have answered.
Three, It was illegal to try to get a man to testify against himself as they were doing Jesus.
Four It was illegal to strike a non convicted prisoner, but a temple officer slapped Jesus because he didn’t like Jesus’ answer.
During this time Caiaphas had been busy rounding up as many of the members of the Sanhedrin as he could , and Annas sent Jesus, still bound, to him. As soon as the minimum of twenty three members required to hear a capital case were present, Caiaphas started the second trial.
Five, again illegal to hold this second trial at night, but the group didn’t object, because they wanted Jesus dead.
Six, they brought in false witnesses, but they contradicted one another. One man said, “This man said he was able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days”, Jn. 2:19. A different one quoted him as saying, “I will destroy this man made temple and in three days will build another not made by man”, Mk. 14:58. Caiaphas demanded Jesus answer them.
Seven, It is illegal to ask self incriminating questions, so Jesus said nothing. Getting no where, Caiaphas finally stood up in desperation and anger and shouted “ I charge you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ the Son of God.”
Eight, that was an illegal line of questioning, but it was why Jesus came, so with deliberate purpose, he gave firm answer, “I am, and in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Almighty and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
Nine, At this point Caiaphas should have called for defense witnesses. Instead he tore his garment to work the others into a frenzy and yelled, What do you think?”
Ten, They did not take a legal vote but yelled back, “He is worthy of death!”
Eleven, A whole series of illegal mishandling took place. “They began to spit in his face and strike him in the stomach with their fists. Others blindfolded him and slapped him saying “Prophecy to us Christ, who hit you’?” All of this while his hands were still tied. It is horrible that these religious leaders acted so violently. Then the temple guards took him and started beating him. Though in pain, he did not complain.
Twelve, another major illegal act. They can not pronounce guilt in a capital case on the same day evidence is heard, so no way should He be crucified that day.
Thirteen. As soon as it was daylight, they had a third trial before the entire Sanhedrin, but this was only a trial in name. They asked the same question about Jesus being Christ the Son of God, and put on a similar scene at his affirmative answer. Then they had an official vote of the 70 (Maximum 71) member Sanhedrin to make legal what they had illegally done in the night. Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus of course voted no, but that was of no consequence. Even if it had been a unanimous vote, the law required that in capital cases there must be one volunteer to vote no. So Jesus was condemned, and led off to Pilate. They hated to go to a Roman for their help, but they hated Jesus even more than the despised Romans. (Matt. 27)
It may have been about this time that Judas realized Jesus was not just going to be punished, but was actually condemned to death. Memories of how Jesus had so lovingly and patiently plead with him now raced through his mind, and he was seized with remorse. The priests probably refused to see him, but he burst in, admitting that he had sinned and betrayed innocent blood. They scoffed at him and hinted he could go to trial for doing that, so in desperation he threw the money on the floor and ran out.
He possibly ran past a shop with a coil of rope for sale, but just grabbed it and ran on to where he knew a tree hung out over a cliff. His shame was unbearable, so fastening the rope to a limb and then to his own neck, he jumped over the cliff. As the rope drew tight, he knew he had made a mistake, and began to claw at it frantically, but it was too late. As he was loosing consciousness, he heard the limb cracking, just as though the tree was trying to rid itself of this monster. It finally broke off, and they later found his body at the foot of the cliff, his insides burst out over a big rock.
Meanwhile, the priests could not put blood money in the treasury, so they bought the potter’s field for burying the poor. This is alluded to in Jer., stated in Zach. 11:12,13.
This interruption taken care of, the priests shoved Jesus inside the Gentile building, but wouldn’t go in themselves. That would make them ceremonially unclean, and they would not be able to eat the Passover. Of course they had already partaken of the Passover supper the night before, but the feast continues for a week. So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”
Fourteen, no charge, “If he were not a criminal we wouldn’t have delivered him to you.” Pilate was grouchy that early hour, and growled, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” They replied “Rome does not allow us to execute anyone”.
Fifteen, they resorted to vicious libel. “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes paying taxes to Caesar and claims he is Christ, a king.”
After questioning Jesus, which made this the fourth trial, Pilate went out and told them, “I find no fault in him at all.”
Sixteen, that should have ended the matter.
Seventeen, The chief priests accused Jesus of many things they could not prove, so they said he was from Galilee, from where many trouble makers had come, implying guilt by association. They claimed, “He stirs up people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and now has come here.” That was Herod’s jurisdiction, so Pilate sent Him to Herod. This would be Jesus’ fifth trial in as many hours.
Eighteen, Herod wanted Jesus to put on a show, but when He would not, He mocked Him, and sent him back with no accusation. This also should have ended it.
Nineteen, Pilate then gathered the Sanhedrin and other people together for the sixth and final judicial ruling. In stating the case he said, “You brought this man to me as one who was corrupting the people. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges. I sent him to Herod, but neither did he find he had done anything worthy of death. Therefore I will punish him and release him.” When Jesus was not proven guilty of any charge, He should have been released.
Twenty, Pilate gave choice of releasing Jesus or Barabbas, Jesus uncondemned.
Twenty one, Illegal to scourge one uncondemned. Pilate had Jesus scourged so he wouldn’t have to execute Him. The Jews scourge by beating with a rod, thirteen times on each shoulder and thirteen times on the loins. Scourging by the Romans is much more severe. First a victim’s arms are drawn around a pillar and tied together. The instrument of torture is a whip with metal or other sharp objects fastened in it’s many strands. When this is cracked over a victim’s back or wraps around a chest it tears out pieces of flesh. It only lasts about three minutes and one man watches to make sure it is stopped and the prisoner untied while he is still living. Even so, the beating is so traumatic that some do die. Those who live are scarred for life. After the scourging, soldiers mocked Christ, making a crown of thorns, slapping his face from side to side, punching him in the stomach and kidneys, spitting in his face and beat him repeatedly over the head with a staff, forcing the crown of thorns clear to the bone.
Twenty two, Pilate brought the beaten man before the people and said he found no basis for a charge against Him. Again that should have ended it. Not guilty!
Twenty three, Jewish law, “Mithah Arikita”, forbade killing one who was scourged.
Twenty four, Pilate yielded to blackmail. Even though he wanted to release Jesus, he succumbed to political pressure, when the people threatened he would be in trouble with Rome. They forced Him to make a choice between what was legally and morally right, or politically correct. Thousands of Christians face this dilemma in some elections. Should they vote for one who has the economic, and social stand they prefer, or for one who upholds moral issues and the principles of our Constitution?
Twenty five, Pilate permitted execution, but washed his hands of the matter. The Jews were surprised that he used the principle God had laid down for them to declare innocence in Deut. 21:6. Pilate, or we, may wash our hands of a matter, but God holds us accountable for our actions. The priests and crowd brazenly called out, “Let his blood be on us and on our children.” Yet within a year or so, Acts 5:28, the Sanhedrin was angrily complaining to Peter, “You intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
Barabbas was released and Jesus was sent out with two criminals to be crucified. They were not dragging crosses over their shoulders as we often see pictured. At least three uprights of the crosses were permanently embedded at the site of crucifixion and the tops trimmed as a tenon. Then the cross piece, “patibulum”, was mortised and lifted over the top of the upright, “stripes crucis”, so it could be slipped down over the tenon. In most cases the upright was about six feet tall, so with the knees buckled, the feet were nailed a short distance above ground and you stood eye to eye. Only on the most rare occasion was a taller upright used for notorious, and the feet were never more than three or four feet above ground. The shorter uprights made it more convenient for the soldiers to secure the cross piece in place. Each prisoner is forced to carry the cross piece on his own shoulders. With the arms extended it is tied to each wrist, so if one staggered, they would fall on their face. The cross piece was no more than five inches square, six feet long and weighed some thirty pounds, but more than Jesus could carry in His weakened condition. The officer’s job was to get the prisoner to the crucifixion site, not kill him on the way, so he impressed Simon of Cyrene to carry it.
Along the way numerous women were waiting to express their sorrow and compassion for the ones being crucified. Among these were followers, whose tears of grief were freely flowing. Some of these were women of considerable means, who had followed all the way from Galilee to help take care of Jesus’ material needs. This whole thing had come about so secretly during the night, that none of them had been given opportunity to protest. Some were sorrowful mothers who had heard that a just man among them was being led to a horrible death. Still others were women of a compassionate organization who make it their duty to aid, rejoice, comfort or weep in behalf of the poor. They volunteer gifts at such things as betrothals and weddings, or weep and give money at time of deaths.
In the midst of his own trauma, Jesus turned to the women, and struggling for breath gasped, “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For the days are coming when they shall say, ‘Fortunate are the barren, and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed’. Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’; and to the hills, ‘cover us’.” Hos. 10:8
Some of them were still living in 70 AD and witnessed the destruction of the Temple and the mass slaughter of innocent people, others trying to hide out in caves.
The Romans used a variety of methods of crucifixion over a period of time, so it is impossible to know for sure how Jesus was crucified. The Romans crucified their victims naked, but for a time at Jerusalem, after they had stripped them, they wrapped brief loin cloths on them as a concession to the Jews revulsion of nudity. This was a small concession, because Jews think it wrong to even uncover the thigh. Isa. 47:1-3, uncovered thigh is called nakedness. Ex. 20:26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon. (Priests wore under shorts.)
Two soldiers took hold of Jesus’ arms and lowered him roughly over the cross piece. Then one of them kneel-ed on each arm and two more on his legs while the executioner drove a nail through the hollow of the wrist of one hand, then the other, but never through the palm, as it could pull through. Two soldiers took hold of each end of the cross piece, lifted it and started dragging Jesus body over the rocks by the nails in His wrists. A tall upright may have been in place for Barabbas, or Pilate ordered Jesus put on a tall upright, as notable King of the Jews, so a small platform with three steps leading up to it would already be in place, and two more soldiers joined them there. As the four soldiers holding the cross piece ascended the steps, Jesus’ feet cleared the ground and he was left suspended by his wrists. When the soldiers were positioned on the platform, they raised the cross piece to their shoulders. With the weight of Jesus’ body dangling, his back scraping against the upright, they lifted the mortise of the cross piece up over the tenon of the upright. As soon as it was lined up properly, the centurion commanded it to be dropped, and the mortise fell to the bottom of the tenon with a thud. All the weight of Jesus body came to a jerk on the nails in his wrists.
For the skilled part in crucifixion, two of the most experienced soldiers took hold of the calves of Jesus’ legs. If the feet were nailed with the legs straight, death came too quickly to suit the Romans, so the knees were bent. This allowed the victim to push himself upward from time to time to facilitate breathing. The soldiers held the right foot over the left foot to the left in a grotesque position at just the right height, and the executioner drove a 5-7 1/2 inch spike through the side of the heels into the upright.
If Pilate did have Jesus placed on a higher cross than the others, the inscription would stand out and he could get revenge on the Jews for forcing him. He had it written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek, “THIS IS JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS” The priests tried to get him to change it to, “He said he was king of the Jews”, but Pilate shouted in finality and revenge, “What I have written I have written.”
Whether or not Jesus was on a higher cross, robbers were crucified on each side of Him, so “he was numbered with transgressors”, fulfilling Isa. 53:12.
How does Jesus get through this day, and what are His disciples doing?
CHRIST IS ALIVE MINISTRY
copyright © 2000-2020
www.christisalive.net
All Rights Reserved.