Immediately after His arrest, Jesus is taken away to "Caiaphas the high
priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled" (Matt.
XXVI:57).[40]
The council seek "false witnesses" against Jesus and at first have some
difficulty in finding any. "At the last came two false witnesses, and
said: This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to
build it in three days" (Matt. XXVI:59, 60, 61). Interrogated as to this
charge, "Jesus held His peace" (Matt. XXVI:62, 63). The high priest then
adjures Him to tell them whether He is "the Christ, the Son of God"
(Matt. XXVI:63). "Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I
say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the _Son of Man_ sitting on the
right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven" (Matt. XXVI:64).
The high priest accepts this as a confession of blasphemy, and, on
appeal to the council, they say, "He is guilty of death" (Matt. XXVI:65,
66). They then indulge their spite against Jesus by spitting in His face
and striking Him with their hands (Matt. XXVI:67, 68).[41]
In the morning (Friday) the chief priests bind Jesus and bring Him to
Pontius Pilate, the Roman "governor" or procurator (Matt. XXVII:1, 2).
Pilate asks Him, "Art Thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto
him, Thou sayest" (Matt. XXVII:11).[42] He persists in maintaining His
position of silence or non-negation against all the accusations of the
chief priests, "insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly" (Matt.
XXVII:12-14). Pilate's wife, having been warned in a dream, sends word
to him, "Have thou nothing to do with that just man" (Matt. XXVII:19).
It being a custom of the feast of the Passover that the governor should
release one prisoner to the people, and Pilate, knowing that the chief
priests had delivered Jesus to him out of "envy," asks the multitude
whom he shall release unto them, Barabbas or Jesus (Matt. XXVII:15, 16,
17, 20, 21). The multitude demands the release of Barabbas, and, on
Pilate's asking them what he shall do with Jesus, "they all say unto
him, Let Him be crucified" (Matt. XXVII:22). "And the Governor said,
Why, what evil hath He done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let
Him be crucified" (Matt. XXVII:23). Pilate then washed his hands before
the multitude, "saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person;
see ye to it. Then answered all the people and said, His blood be on us,
and on our children" (Matt. XXVII:24, 25). Thereupon Pilate released
Barabbas, and after he had scourged Jesus, delivered Him to be crucified
(Matt. XXVII:26).
In Mark the charges before the Sanhedrim are the same as in Matthew with
some slight verbal changes (Mark XIV:53-66). To the question, "Art Thou
the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Jesus answers directly, "I am."
The proceedings before Pilate are substantially the same as in Matthew
(Mark XV:1-15).
According to Luke, the session of the Sanhedrim was held "as soon as it
was day," instead of in the night, immediately after Jesus' arrest (Luke
XXII:66). The only charge here is, "Art Thou the Christ?" Jesus, after a
few words, recognizing the futility of any defense, says, "Ye say that I
am" (Luke XXII:66-71).
Luke's account of the proceedings before Pilate is more detailed than,
and somewhat different from, that of Matthew and Mark. The charge is
maliciously distorted so as to offend the political susceptibilities of
the Romans. "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding
to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King"
(Luke XXIII:2). Pilate, after questioning Jesus, says at once, "I find
no fault in this Man" (Luke XXIII:4). This makes the chief priests the
more fierce, and they press again their charges, mentioning that
Jesus comes from Galilee (Luke XXIII:5). Galilee being in Herod's
jurisdiction, and Herod being then in Jerusalem, Pilate sends Jesus to
him, probably hoping thus to rid himself of the whole trouble (Luke
XXIII:6, 7).[43] Herod questions Jesus, who answers him nothing, and
then with his men of war mocks Jesus, arrays Him "in a gorgeous robe,"
and sends Him back to Pilate (Luke XXIII:8-11). Pilate then calls
together the "chief priests and the rulers and the people," and tells
them that both he and Herod have examined Jesus, and lo, "nothing worthy
of death is done unto Him" (proved against Him) (Luke XXIII:13-15). "I
will, therefore, chastise Him and release Him" (Luke XXIII:16). "And
they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this Man, and release unto
us Barabbas" (Luke XXIII:18). Twice more Pilate urges that Jesus be
released, but they insist that He be crucified. Pilate finally yields
and "gave sentence that it should be as they required" (Luke
XXIII:20-24).
Neither Mark nor Luke nor John mentions that Pilate publicly washed his
hands of responsibility for Jesus' sentence.
John's account of the trial is very indefinite. Jesus was first taken to
Annas,[44] the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest, and Annas
sent Him bound unto Caiaphas (John XVIII:13, 14). There was probably a
session of the Sanhedrim, though this is not clear, and it was probably
at the house of the high priest (John XVIII:15). No specific charges
against Jesus are mentioned, but the high priest asked Him "of His
disciples, and of His doctrine" (John XVIII:19). Jesus replies that He
has spoken openly, and said nothing in secret, and that the priest
should ask those who had heard Him (John XVIII:19, 20, 21, 23). No
formal condemnation of Jesus is related, nor is it said who was present
except the high priest.
Then "they" bring Jesus to Pilate "unto the hall of judgment," but "they
cannot enter in, because it would defile them for the eating of the
Passover that night (John XVIII:28). Pilate then comes out to them and
asks what accusation they have against Jesus (John XVIII:29). They evade
the issue by saying, "If He were not a malefactor, we would not have
delivered Him up to thee" (John XVIII:30). Pilate very aptly tells them
to take Him and judge Him according to their Law, but they reply, "It is
not lawful for us to put any man to death" (John XVIII:31). Pilate
thereupon goes back to the judgment hall, and, after an examination of
Jesus, comes out and says, "I find in Him no fault at all" (John
XVIII:33-38). He then suggests that, according to custom, he release
Jesus unto them. "Then cried they all again, saying, Not this Man, but
Barabbas" (John XVIII:39, 40).
Upon this Pilate has Jesus scourged, a crown of thorns put on His head,
and a purple robe about Him, and has the soldiers hail Him as King of
the Jews (John XIX:1-3). He once more brings Jesus before the people and
states that he finds no fault in Him.[45] The Jews still insist that by
their law He ought to die, "because He made Himself the Son of God"
(John XIX:4-7). Pilate goes back into the judgment hall, and talks
further with Jesus, evidently hoping to find some way out of his dilemma
(John XIX:8-11). "And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release Him; but
the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this Man go, thou art not
Cæsar's friend" (John XIX:12). Pilate makes one more effort to save
Jesus, but, failing, delivers Him over to be crucified (John XIX:13-16).