The Trial of Jesus

 

CHAPTER EIGHT

THE TRIAL OF JESUS

"Early in the morning all the chief priests and the elders made their plans against Jesus to put him to death. They put him in chains, led him off, and handed him over to Pilate, the Roman governor."

They told him that Jesus had committed an act of blasphemy against God. Moreover they accused him of changing the accepted religious practices and said that his teachings were leading people astray. It appears from these statements that the Jewish religious leaders of that time believed that the punishment prescribed for blasphemy was death, that is why they pleaded with Pilate to put Jesus to death. Strangely some of the Muslim clergy of today also believe that the punishment for blasphemy should be death. The Government of Pakistan, influenced by the mullahs, has enacted a law which prescribes the only punishment for such a crime as death. It seems therefore that the Muslim clergy of today ignore the teachings of the Holy Qur'an which does not mention any such punishment, instead they seem to follow the Jewish laws.

When Pilate heard the charges against Jesus he said to them, "Then you yourselves take him and try him according to your own law". They replied, "We are not allowed to put anyone to death."

"They continued to accuse Jesus, 'We caught this man misleading our people telling them not to pay taxes to the Emperor and claiming that he himself is the Messiah, a king. Pilate asked him. 'Are you the king of the Jews'?

'So you say', answered Jesus".

Jesus said, "My kingdom does not belong to this world; if my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities. No, my kingdom does not belong here."

"Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, 'I find no reason to condemn this man.'
But they insisted even more strongly, 'With his teaching he is starting a riot among the people all through Judaea. He began in Galilee and now has come here.' When Pilate heard this, he asked, 'Is this man a Galilian?' When he learnt that Jesus was from the region ruled by Herod, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time." "Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus made no answer. The chief priests and the teachers of the Law stepped forward and made strong accusations against Jesus. Herod and his soldiers mocked Jesus and treated him with contempt; then they put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate."

Pontius Pilate was convinced beyond any doubt that Jesus was innocent, therefore he tried to set him free but the Jews protested violently.

"Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people and said to them, 'You brought this man to me and said that he was misleading the people. Now, I have examined him here in your presence, and I have not found him guilty of any of the crimes you accuse him of. Nor did Herod find him guilty for he sent him back to us. There is nothing this man has done to deserve death. So I will have him whipped and let him go'."

The Jews insisted that he was a traitor and therefore should be hanged.

"The governor looked at the multitudes of the Jews standing around and when he saw many of the Jews weeping, he said, 'Not all the multitude wishes him to die' But the elders of the Jews said, 'For this purpose has the whole multitude of us come, that he should die'."

They put so much pressure on Pilate that he could not set Jesus free though he was still anxious to save his life. During the trial, his wife, who had seen a vision concerning the innocence of Jesus, sent a message to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that innocent man, because in a dream last night I suffered much on account of him."

At this Pilate made a further attempt to persuade the Jews to agree that Jesus should be released. He gave the enraged crowd an option either to save the life of Jesus or that of a notorious criminal called Barabbas. The Bible tells us that, "At every Passover Festival the Roman governor was in the habit of setting free any one prisoner the crowd asked for. At that time there was a well known prisoner named Jesus Barabbas. So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, 'Which one do you want me to set free for you? Jesus Barabbas or Jesus called the Messiah'?"

They answered 'Barabbas' because the chief priests and the elders had persuaded the crowd to ask Pilate to set Barabbas free and have Jesus put to death. “When Pilate asked them, 'What crime has he committed?' They started shouting at the top of their voices, 'Crucify him'.”

They even threatened to write to Caesar that Pilate had set free a person who claimed to be a king which meant that Pilate himself was also a rebel against the emperor.

"When Pilate saw that it was no use to go on, but that a riot might break out, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, 'I am not responsible for the death of this man! This is your doing.' The whole crowd answered, 'Let the punishment for his death fall on us and our children'!'".

"So Pilate passed the sentence on Jesus that they were asking for. He set free the man they wanted, the one who had been put in prison for riot and murder."

This act on the part of Pilate amounts to a confession that Jesus was indeed innocent and that the cruel Judgement passed by him was under duress. It is quite clear from the Biblical account that the Jewish community had colluded against Jesus and were determined to have him punished. So a decision by Pilate contrary to the wishes of Jewish clergy would have resulted in a riot.

Friday afternoon was fixed for crucifixion. Jesus prayed: "Father, my Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me." He prayed fervently because the truth of his claim was at stake. Jesus knew that if the Jews succeeded in their attempt to kill him by crucifixion, they would proclaim him to be an impostor whose falsehood had finally been proved on the authority of divine scripture, which says, 'A hanged man is accursed by God.'

 

GOD'S PROMISE TO SAVE JESUS FROM THE ACCURSED DEATH

The prayers of Jesus were accepted and God assured him that he would be saved from the accursed death on the cross.

According to the Holy Qur'an, God said to him, "I will cause thee to die a natural death and will exalt thee to Myself, and shall clear thee of the charges of those who disbelieve."

The Bible too seemed to have given a similar message. When the Jews demanded a sign from Jesus, he replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign; But none will be given to it except the sign of the Prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the son of man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

It is interesting to note that the story of Jonah was also told in the Holy Qur'an but it does not mention that he remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.

The Holy Qur'an says:

“Surely Jonah was one of the Messengers of Allah. When he fled to the laden ship; And he cast lots with the crew of the ship and was of the losers. And the fish swallowed him while he was blaming himself. And had he not been of those who glorify God, he would have surely remained in its belly till the Day of Resurrection. Then We cast him on a bare tract of land, and he was sick."

QUESTIONS

1. To which court was Jesus brought for trial?
2. What charges were brought against Jesus by the Jews?
3. What dream did Pilate's wife has regarding Jesus?
4. Who was set free by Pilate on the occasion of Passover?
5. Mention a Qur'anic verse which shows that Jesus did not die on the cross.
6. When the Jews demanded a sign, which sign did Jesus mention to them?