Episode 24 (June 17-23) "It is Finished"
Listen to Episode 24 (June 17-23) "It is Finished" here.
These are the two resources I used for the Trials of Jesus section of this week's episode:
These six trials were carried out on Good Friday, from 2 AM to 10 AM.
Laws broken/Illegalities of trials:
- No valid indictment upon which to base an arrest. Christ was seized and bound without any formal charge being made (cf. Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:1-12
- No warrants were made- this was not an arrest made by officers of the law, but instead by a mob: “The synoptic Gospels agree that the arrest was effected by a ‘crowd’ (ochlos), which connotes an armed mob rather than an organized military guard (Matthew 26:47; Mark 14:43)” (Christian Courier 169).
- No trial was to be held during feast time.
- Each member of the court was to vote individually to convict or acquit, but Jesus was convicted by acclamation.
- The Jews had no authority to execute anyone.
- No trial was to be held at night, but this trial was held before dawn.
- The accused was to be given counsel or representation, but Jesus had none.
- The accused was not to be asked self-incriminating questions, but Jesus was asked if He was the Christ.
- Defendant is to be tried under one charge- Jesus’ charges changed
- Under Jewish law, witness were questioned separately and very thoroughly. Jewish law states: “If the witnesses contradict one another, whether during the inquiries or the cross-examination, their testimony becomes invalid” The witnesses contradicted each other (Mark 14:56 56 For many bare afalse witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.)
- “In capital cases the opening argument must be for acquittal and not for conviction” Obviously this was not the case...some even argue that evidence FOR Christ (those who were healed, etc) were suppressed
Religious Trials (Remember- Jews had NO AUTHORITY to give the Death Sentence to anyone):
Annas (former high priest, deposed 9 years ago but retained title, Caiaphas’ Father in Law) Luke 3:2; Acts 4:6
Charges: blasphemy, claiming to be the Son of God, the Messiah
No legal reason to take Jesus to Annas’ house. Annas had no real power.
Outcome: Guilty, Death Penalty,Sent to Caiaphas
Caiaphas (current high priest, not impartial- he already had determined that it would be a politically expedient to put Christ to death, lest the uncommon interest in him generate trouble with the Roman authorities (John 18:14; 11:49-50).)
49 And one of them, named aCaiaphas, being the bhigh priestthat same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should adie for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
Charges: blasphemy, claiming to be the Son of God, the Messiah
Caiaphas asked Jesus: “Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” <- The High Priest was prohibited from participating in the questioning (Mark 14:61)
Firmly, though, the Savior answered: “I am.” The high priest then exclaimed: "What further need have we of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy: what think you? Legal scholars have pointed out that, according to Jewish law, a man could not be convicted by his own testimony
“The blasphemer is subject to capital punishment only when he himself mentions the Name of the Almighty and blasphemes Him”
Outcome: Guilty, Death Penalty, Sent to Sanhedrin
Sanhedrin (council of Jewish elders consisting of the scribes, elders, and the chief priests — “the whole council,” cf. Matthew 26:59 59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false awitness against Jesus, bto put him to death;, met at Caiaphas’ house)
Charges: blasphemy, claiming to be the Son of God, the Messiah
At least they waited for day?
Luke 22: 66 ¶ And as soon as it was day, athe elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying,
Unlike the American system, under the Hebrew scheme of law an accused person was not represented by an attorney before a jury of citizens. Rather, members of the Sanhedrin, i.e., the judges themselves, heard the evidence and decided the penalty. It was therefore demanded by the law that this panel of men be honorable and utterly free of the taint of partiality; if anything, they were to be disposed in favor of the defendant.
In glaring contrast, the Jewish Sanhedrin already was set against Christ before they even heard one word of the case. The council had manipulated the arrest of the Lord (see Matthew 26:47), and during the course of the trial, “sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death” (Matthew 26:59)
once a person had been convicted of a capital offence by a majority vote of the Sanhedrin, the sentence was not to be carried out for two days, in case new evidence should turn up which could exonerate the accused.
John 18: 31 Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:
Outcome: Guilty, Death Penalty, Sent to Roman governor
Roman Trials:
Pilate (Roman Governor)Charges: inciting people to riot, forbidding the people to pay their taxes, and claiming to be King. (Luke 23:2)
Pilate asks Jesus if He is King of the Jews. Jesus replies, “Thou sayest it” (Luke 23:3)
Outcome: Innocent, Pilate found no reason to kill Jesus so he sent Him to Herod (Luke 23:7)
Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great (Jewish tetrarch of Galilee)
Charges:???
Jesus is questioned about many things, but didn’t reply (Luke 23:9)
Christ is mocked (Luke 23:11)
Herod is more interested in entertainment than innocence or guilt (Luke 23:8 8 ¶ And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some amiracledone by him.)
Herod and Pilate are friends, which is weird….(Luke 23:12)
Outcome: Innocent, Herod finds “nothing worthy of death is done” (Luke 23:15)- really he probably wants to avoid political liability- and sends Jesus back to Pilate
Pilate, part 2
Charges: Inciting the people to riot
Outcome: Innocent
Pilate claims Jesus is innocent, give the people the option to release Jesus or Barabbas (someone who really DID cause a riot!)
Pilate says, “I have found no cause of death in him” (Luke 23:22), tries to convince the people to release Him 3 times.
FROM CFM Ideas for Family Scripture Study: Why did Pilate deliver Jesus to be crucified, even though he knew Jesus was innocent? What lessons do we learn from Pilate’s experience about standing up for what we know is right?
“Pilate tried to appease the animosity of the Jews by having Jesus scourged. The Roman scourge was a terrible whipping designed to remove the flesh from the back of the one being punished. In a final effort to have Jesus released, Pilate offered the prisoner Barabbas to be crucified and Jesus released, but to no avail. The crowds called for Barabbas to be released and Jesus to be crucified. Pilate granted their demand and surrendered Jesus to their will (Luke 23:25)” - GotQuestions.com
Jeffrey R Holland- None Were With Him April 2009
Such ecclesiastical and political rejection became more personal when the citizenry in the street turned against Jesus as well. It is one of the ironies of history that sitting with Jesus in prison was a real blasphemer, a murderer and revolutionary known as Barabbas, a name or title in Aramaic meaning “son of the father.”5 Free to release one prisoner in the spirit of the Passover tradition, Pilate asked the people, “Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you?” They said, “Barabbas.”6 So one godless “son of the father” was set free while a truly divine Son of His Heavenly Father moved on to crucifixion.
The most sophisticated legal system the world had ever known up to that time, the Roman system, found the Savior “not guilty.”
COME FOLLOW ME NOTES
You might begin your study of the Savior’s final hours by reading 1 Nephi 19:9. Where in Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; and John 19 do you find examples of each thing that Nephi said Jesus would suffer?
“[They] judge him to be a thing of naught” -
They thought him worse than someone who caused riots and murdered
Luke 23: 13 ¶ And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined himbefore you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:
15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done aunto him.
16 I will therefore chastise him, and release him.
17 (For of necessity he must arelease one unto them at the feast.)
18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man,and release unto us Barabbas:
19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for amurder, was cast into prison.)
20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.
21 But they cried, saying, aCrucify him, crucify him.
22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found ano cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.
23 And they were ainstant with loud voices, brequiring that he might be ccrucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.
24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they arequired.
25 And he released unto them him that for sedition and amurder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
“They scourge him”
John 19:1- 1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
Matthew 27: 26 ¶ Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
Mark 15:15 15 ¶ And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
“They smite him”
Mark 15:19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
Matthew 27: 30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
John 19: 3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
“They spit upon him”
Matthew 27: 30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
Mark 15:19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
Which passages help you feel the “loving kindness” of Heavenly Father and Jesus toward you?
Mark 15: 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, aEloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou bforsaken me?
Luke 23: 34 ¶ Then asaid Jesus, Father, bforgive them; for they know not what cthey do.
John 19: 26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the adisciplestanding by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, bWoman, behold thy son!
27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy amother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
John 19: 28 ¶ After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with avinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is afinished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
"The loss of mortal support He had anticipated, but apparently He had not comprehended this. Had He not said to His disciples, “Behold, the hour … is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me” and “The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him”?17
With all the conviction of my soul I testify that He did please His Father perfectly and that a perfect Father did not forsake His Son in that hour. Indeed, it is my personal belief that in all of Christ’s mortal ministry the Father may never have been closer to His Son than in these agonizing final moments of suffering. Nevertheless, that the supreme sacrifice of His Son might be as complete as it was voluntary and solitary, the Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His Spirit, the support of His personal presence. It was required, indeed it was central to the significance of the Atonement, that this perfect Son who had never spoken ill nor done wrong nor touched an unclean thing had to know how the rest of humankind—us, all of us—would feel when we did commit such sins. For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, abjectly, hopelessly alone.
But Jesus held on. He pressed on. The goodness in Him allowed faith to triumph even in a state of complete anguish. The trust He lived by told Him in spite of His feelings that divine compassion is never absent, that God is always faithful, that He never flees nor fails us."
What was Christ doing between the cross and the resurrection?
Check out the lesson about this in the Institute Manual! https://www.lds.org/study/manual/jesus-christ-and-the-everlasting-gospel-teacher-manual/lesson-18-the-savior-ministered-in-the-spirit-world?lang=eng
Check out the lesson about this in the Institute Manual! https://www.lds.org/study/manual/jesus-christ-and-the-everlasting-gospel-teacher-manual/lesson-18-the-savior-ministered-in-the-spirit-world?lang=eng
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