Harmony of Jesus' Trials - 7 Phases from Arrest to Sentencing
Turns out if you want to put someone to death legally, you have to jump through quite a few hoops and layers of red tape. And so, as the Jewish leaders put Jesus to death, they go through several phases. Each author, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John chooses which scene to develop in their Gospel. Luke’s is the most full. John picks up a couple things the others do not. Mark’s account is the briefest. And yet the both include the primary sentencing from the religious arm (the Sanhedrin) and the secular arm (Pilate). Along the way they go through six different trials or we could say questionings. Of course, if you want to murder Messiah you have to do so according to the Law. Perhaps one of the saddest sentences in this whole Bible is that the Pharisees would not go into Pilate’s house because that would cause them to be unclean. And so the trials literally take all night long as they try to gather the Jewish Senate together to put Jesus to death legally. 1. ...