THE TRIALS OF THE CHRIST

In the times when mighty horse-riding conquerors were admired by the people, our Lord entered the city as a gentle King riding on a donkey. But more than that, this is an image of a willing sacrifice entering the place where it will be slaughtered. The Gospel writers carefully recorded the important details of the events before the Savior was crucified, particularly His trials before the religious and political leaders of that time. And we may not notice these details as we read the passages, but understanding the culture at that time, we can clearly see what the writers were trying to say: Jesus suffered injustice at the hands of men.

It was illegal to have a trial a day before Sabbath or on any other holy days. The Sabbath began on Friday afternoon/sundown, yet they held the trial on Thursday evening (which was already considered part of Friday in their time system).

Night sessions were illegal. Jesus’s trial was conducted at night because it was done suddenly and in secret.

Trials should have been conducted in a normal meeting hall (near the temple). After being arrested, Jesus was brought to the house of Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas (Jn 18:12–14, 19–24). This was His first trial before Annas, which was unnecessary and unproductive because he was not the High Priest that year. Jesus’s second trial before Caiaphas was done in the High Priest’s palace (Matt 26:57). This was the same place where they had already planned to capture and kill Jesus (v.3). They violated ancient protocols of justice by meeting in these places.

There is no evidence that the complete Sanhedrin (the Jewish legal system) attended the trial. Since the sudden gathering was held at night during the Passover festival, it is unlikely that all members were present to examine Jesus’s case (even if they were invited). Note that the whole Sanhedrin present at the trial agreed to put Jesus to death (Lk 23:1), yet Joseph of Arimathea, also a council member, disagreed with the decision (v.51). Nicodemus, another council member (Jn 3:1) who also encountered Jesus, would certainly not have agreed with the trial. Yet, we read nothing about them in the trial scene. Could it be they did not attend? Or perhaps they were not invited? Possibly. (But we also cannot deny the possibility that they were too fearful to object to the verdict. Read Jn 19:38–39.)

No formal accusation was presented, making the arrest illegal. They arrested Jesus without an official case against Him. Judas was paid to make the arrest easier. Since Judas, one of the disciples, would be the first to approach Jesus, any resistance or attempt to escape would be delayed. It was also easier for the soldiers to identify Him even in the dark. This shows the arrest was pre-planned (see Matt 26:3–5; Jn 11:45–57), despite there being no legal basis for it—there was no complaint filed against Christ. Interestingly, even the chief priests, officers of the temple guard, and the elders (who were supposed to be the judges of the case) joined the arrest (Lk 22:52)!

No valid legal evidence was presented. It was clearly stated that the whole council was seeking false evidence against Jesus (Matt 26:59). Mark 14:56 says that the testimonies of the false witnesses did not agree (they were likely not even briefed properly before speaking), so the council could not use their words (Matt 26:60). According to Jewish law, such a case should have been dismissed and the witnesses punished—but the trial continued anyway.

They used the statements of Jesus against Himself. Since only two witnesses testified that Jesus said He would destroy the temple (Matt 26:61)—a misinterpretation of His actual words (see Jn 2:19)—they used Jesus’s own statements as the basis to condemn Him. He was accused of blasphemy for claiming to be the Messiah (Matt 26:64), even though He had already proven His claim through His ministry (Jn 10:38). Of course, because the plan was already set to kill Jesus, they gave no time to examine whether His claim was true or not. Jesus was not given a fair chance to defend Himself! As Caiaphas even said, “Why do we need any more witnesses?” (v.65).

Since only Roman authority (particularly Pilate) could issue a death sentence, the religious leaders changed the charge from blasphemy to treason. Because Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, He was interpreted as claiming to be the King of the Jews—and having another king besides Caesar was considered treason! They manipulated the case to ensure their desired outcome. We should note that both Pilate and Herod (the Roman authorities in that setting) found Jesus innocent (Lk 23:13–15).

The judges violated multiple ethical standards. Beyond what was already mentioned, they also committed unethical acts in legal proceedings. They were supposed to protect the accused, but instead, they spat on Jesus, struck Him, and mocked Him during the trial (Matt 26:67–68). The presiding judge, Caiaphas, even tore his clothes in anger (v.65), though this was unlawful for him to do (see Lev 21:10). According to tradition, Sanhedrin members present were supposed to give their verdicts one by one (from the youngest to the oldest) before a final decision was made. None of this happened.

The trial was swift! The proceedings were rushed, and Jesus was immediately sentenced: Guilty! According to their law, a guilty verdict could not be rendered on the same day as the trial. A case could not be heard and judged within a single day. Such a verdict was invalid!

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Jesus can relate to people who suffered injustice, for He experienced it Himself. He is the God who understands, for He went through it personally. He not only suffered for us, He also suffered to set an example for us. As 1 Peter 2:21–23 says: “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”

Stay Curious.