Monthly Archives: May 2014

Our Buddy, Pilate

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OUR BUDDY, PILATE

“Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning and, to avoid ceremonial uncleanness, they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, ‘What charges are you bringing against this man?

“‘If He were not a criminal,’ they replied, ‘we would not have handed Him over to you.’ Pilate said, ‘Take Him yourselves and judge Him by your own law.’ ‘But we have no right to execute anyone,’ they objected. This took place to fulfil what Jesus had said about the kind of death He was going to die.” John 18:28-32 NIV.

John said nothing about Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas. According to the other three gospels, it was this trial that revealed the Sanhedrin’s true colours. Caiaphas allowed false witnesses to testify without suffering the penalty for lying. The men of the Sanhedrin behaved in a disgraceful way, using verbal and physical abuse against the prisoner and allowing the soldiers to mock Jesus by ramming a crown on His head woven out of twigs covered in vicious thorns.

Having satisfied themselves of Jesus’ guilt, the Jewish leaders marched Jesus to Pilate to have their verdict ratified. They had decided that He was guilty of blasphemy because they refused to accept His claim to be the Son of God. They did not bother the test His claim by listening to the testimony of reliable witnesses. As far as they were concerned He was guilty and that was that.

Although it was illegal to condemn a man on his own testimony, Caiaphas put the question to Jesus, ‘Are you the Christ?’ to which Jesus replied, ‘You have said it.’ Triumphantly proclaiming Him ‘Guilty!’ they bundled Him off to Pilate to ratify their verdict and sentence, only Pilate would not buy the charge of blasphemy. That was an internal, religious matter. Pilate didn’t give a hoot about their religious squabbles. It was His job to protect Rome’s interests and nothing else.

They thought that they had Jesus in the bag. Charge Him with treason because He claimed to be the king of the Jews and Pilate would be a pushover. After all, they were buddies, and he would go along with them as long as they did their job to keep the peace. Since they insisted that Jesus was a rabble-rouser, Pilate would surely rubber-stamp their verdict and condemn Him to death.

They did not bargain on Pilate’s resistance to their straightforward scheme. Pilate had to be sure that this man’s so called “treason” was in fact a threat to Rome. He couldn’t just go crucifying people left, right and centre just because the Jewish high court insisted they were guilty. It may have been true that Jesus claimed kingship over the Jews but what evidence was there that He was planning to overthrow Roman rule and drive them out of Israel? What sort of king was He?

Friend though he might have been, Pilate was not ignorant of the nature of these Jewish leaders. They could be conniving and unscrupulous to get their own way. Most of them were drawn from the wealthy political party of the Sadducees who did not have much interest in religion. They did not believe in the supernatural and rejected the Pharisees’ belief in the resurrection.

In spite of the coalition in the Sanhedrin, there was a deep divide between the two groups. Many years later, Paul would exploit this divide to turn the heat of their hatred off him.

Pilate had a responsibility to exercise Roman justice, even towards Jewish prisoners. Therefore he questioned Jesus’ accusers. ‘What’s the charge against Him?’ he demanded. The Jewish leaders shrewdly turned his question back on him. They dodged the question by trying to make Pilate look foolish. ‘Don’t be silly, Pilate! Do you think we would have brought Him to you if we hadn’t already found him guilty?’

‘Guilty of what?’ No answer! Pilate was also shrewd. ‘You take Him and try Him,’ he replied. He knew that they had no power to execute anyone. Only he could do that. This would turn into a running battle between Jewish and Roman authorities with Jesus as the prize. Who would come out tops?

The Rooster Crowed!

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THE ROOSTER CROWED!

“Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there, warming himself. So they asked him, ‘You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?’ He denied it, saying, ‘I am not.’ One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off, challenged him, ‘Didn’t I see you with Him in the garden?’ Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster crowed.” John 18:25-27 NIV.

Another “meanwhile”! With great skill the writer moved the action backwards and forwards between Annas facing off with Jesus inside the high priest’s palace and Peter facing off with the servants in the dimly lit courtyard.

It was difficult to identify faces in the pre-dawn darkness, the courtyard lit only by the glowing embers of a coal fire. Peter tried to keep his face down as he warmed his cold hands. He had already been challenged once. In his panic he had denied any association with Jesus. He didn’t want to be noticed in case someone else who had been there in the garden recognised him.

The servants around the fire knew very well that Peter was not one of them. He was a Galilean, by his accent and they soon began to question among themselves. Suddenly one of them spoke up. With withering scorn he pointed in the direction of the palace and demanded, ‘Surely you aren’t also one of His men, are you?’ Peter was not caught off guard this time, but he had already lied once. He had to keep it up to save his skin. ‘I am not.’ he muttered.

One man in the group kept staring at him. Peter shrank back into the darkness but it was no use. A relative of Malchus who had been there when Peter had lashed out wildly with his sword and severed Malchus’ ear, challenged him. ‘Hey! Weren’t you in the garden with him?’ he said. Peter had already cooked his goose.  He had been unmasked but he still persisted with his lie. Did anyone really believe him?

After three counts, the rooster gonged him out! John was silent about Peter’s response to the rooster. The other gospel writers pull the curtain aside. Peter was not only found out by the rooster for his foolish dismissal of his Master’s warning, his threefold denial of his Master and his shameless lying about his association with Jesus, but his utter emotional nakedness was also exposed by the gospel writers and revealed to the world.

Perhaps John still had traces of the old rivalry in his heart and deliberately excluded the heartrending scene of Peter’s regret. Didn’t he have a dig at Peter when Peter quizzed Jesus about John’s future (“Lord, what about him?” – John 21:21). Jesus cut him short with a sharp rebuke: “Mind your own business, Peter.”

“‘Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.'” John 21:22 NIV).

Jesus won the first round against Annas. With His insistence on the truth, He caught Annas out and all Annas could do was bow out by sending Him to Caiaphas. Let Caiaphas bear the brunt of Jesus’ astute understanding of the truth and what a fair trial was all about and see whether he could wangle a conviction against such an opponent.

Jesus was not trying to get an acquittal. He was committed to being the Passover Lamb of God that would be sacrificed for the sin of the world. At the same time, each person involved in the miscarriage of justice and the twisting of the truth to serve his own ends, had to face up to his own guilt. Among all those who were directly involved in His conviction and execution there was only one who remained not guilty — the prisoner Himself.

Even those who loved Him the most and who were the closest to Him failed at the crucial moment. Peter’s guilt was not only his own. Though the others did not verbalise their abandonment of their Master when He needed them the most, Peter represented them all with his words and actions.

And we too, though not there in person, stand among those who were guilty of condemning Him to death because it was our sin that He took upon Himself and our debt that He paid so that we can be free.

Produce The Evidence

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PRODUCE THE EVIDENCE 

“Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and His teaching. ‘I have spoken openly to the world,’ Jesus replied. ‘I always taught in the synagogues or the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.’

“When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped Him in the face. ‘Is this the way you answer the high priest?’ he demanded.

“‘If I said something wrong,’ Jesus replied, ‘testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?’ Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.” John 18:19-24 NIV.

Annas and Jesus faced off in a pre-trial confrontation. Annas probed to find out Jesus’ hidden agenda; Jesus probed to find out whether the religious hierarchy had any intention of giving Him a fair trial. Annas tried to get Jesus to incriminate Himself. Jesus worked on Annas’ conscience to see whether he would allow the many witnesses to testify to the truth of His teaching. Annas was in league with the Jewish religious hierarchy to get rid of Jesus. Jesus wanted Annas to honour the truth.

As a rabbi, Jesus was familiar with the Torah. He understood how a fair trial was to be conducted. Would He be given His right to a fair trial as the accused, under the Jewish judicial system?

“One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” Deuteronomy 19:15 NIV.

False testimony was banned. “The convicted false witness would suffer the punishment inflicted on the accused.” In criminal cases, both witnesses must have witnessed the whole event; “any person able to testify who has seen or learned of the matter who does not come forward to testify is liable for punishment.” (Levicus5:1) (1).

Why did the official slap Jesus in the face? Did Jesus say anything impolite or offensive to Annas?

“Since Jesus is still bound, there is no way for Him to defend Himself…This blow is more an insult than it was physically damaging. It highlights Jesus’ dignity and boldness as well as His respect for the truth, rather than for mere office holders. His reply to the servant stresses this issue of truth: “If I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” …In essence, Jesus’ question is a final act of grace extended toward a representative of His opponents. But Annas does not accept the offer to consider the truth of Jesus. Instead he sends Jesus, still bound, to Caiaphas.” (2)

1. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0021_0_21003.html

2.http://wwwbiblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/John/Jesus-Confronted-Peter-Annas

Throughout His public ministry Jesus was more concerned about the truth than He was about offending people, sometimes causing His disciples anxiety when He offended the religious leaders. Truth will be the criterion for the final judgment of the nations when the books are opened.

In spite of the grace Jesus extended to him. Annas was too preoccupied with the threat that Jesus posed to his position and that of his fellow religious leaders to realise what a precarious situation he had placed himself in. He chose to sell out truth for power and the lucrative benefits of his connection to Rome to consider his own future

What would we have done in a similar situation?

The Plot Thickens

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THE PLOT THICKENS 

“Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.

“‘You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?’ she asked Peter. He replied, ‘I am not.’ It was cold and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter was also standing with them, warming himself.'” John 18:15-18 NIV.

Although John did not refer to the scattering of the disciples after Jesus’ arrest, as Jesus had predicted, at this point he and Peter followed as closely as they dared. John mentioned “another disciple” who was “known to the high priest”. As with the “disciple whom Jesus loved”, he was probably referring to himself. He had some sort of connection to the high priest — perhaps he was familiar with a member or members of his household — and gained easy entrance to the courtyard, but Peter had to stay outside the gate until John tipped off one of the servant girls who let him in.

While Jesus was being interrogated by Annas inside the palace, another interrogation was going on in the courtyard — Peter, confronted by a servant girl! What a contrast! Jesus was facing the most powerful man in the Jewish nation and doing it with dignity and control. In spite of being bound and guarded, He was free — free from guilt and fear, free to walk away any time He wanted to as He had done on many occasions in the past; but also free to remain a prisoner facing death because He chose to. He was not the one on trial. Annas was!

Peter was not a prisoner; he was free to walk away from that scene. He had no ropes around his wrists, no soldiers watching his every move, but he might has well have been chained to one of them because he was held captive by his fear. Who was the servant girl anyway? What power or influence did she have? Was Peter on trial before her? Of course not, and yet, in a moment of panic, Peter denied any association with Jesus.

The girl must have known that John was a disciple of Jesus. Perhaps John had visited some of the servants more than once. They knew who he was and who he was following. He was in no danger of being arrested. Peter was his companion, hence the question, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” Why would Peter think he was in any danger? Yet he weakened and dissociated himself from Jesus rather than risk exposure to any “trigger-happy” soldier!

Perhaps he was not as afraid of the servant girl whose bold question was put to him in the company of people John called “officials”, standing around the fire to warm themselves, but rather the company he was in at that moment. Not a good place to be, Peter! It was difficult for him to remain unnoticed amongst a group who obviously knew each other and were probably talking among themselves about what was going on inside the high priest’s palace. Then the silly servant girl had to go and deliberately draw attention to him.

Just as Jesus had predicted only a few hours before, Peter was being sifted like wheat and he, who thought he had the courage of a lion, crumpled before a servant girl, stung by her contempt in the presence of a few other unnamed people. But John wasn’t finished with Peter yet. There was more to come.

“Meanwhile the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and His teaching.” John 18:19 NIV.

In the meantime, while Peter’s ordeal was continuing in the courtyard, inside the palace, Annas was squeezing Jesus even tighter, like an anaconda with its coils around its victim. He was probing for clues to His intention. Was He planning an uprising? How many followers did He have? Judging by the crowd that followed Him when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, He might have trained a secret army. The Pharisees had said, “Look how the whole world has gone after Him!” John 12:19b NIV. Were the people loyal enough to support Him in a revolt against Rome? What was He teaching them? Was He secretly instructing them on His strategy when He made His move?

 

Why Annas?

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WHY ANNAS?

“Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound Him and brought Him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.” John 18:12-14 NIV.

Why Annas? Who was Annas?

Annas ben Seth was the most powerful and respected of the Jewish authorities of the time. He was appointed high priest by the Roman procurator, Quirinius, when Judea officially became a Roman province in AD 6 and held office until he was deposed by the Roman consul Gratus in 15 AD. He was head of a dynasty of five sons and his son-in-law, Caiaphas through whom he still wielded power and influence although he was no longer officially high priest.

“Throughout John’s story, the world has been judged by the presence of Jesus and the world has in turn judged Him. The whole Gospel is a thus a description of a trial, a theme that reaches a climax as Jesus is brought before the authorities. As He is put on trial we see revealed both His own identity as King and His confident trust in His Father.” http://www.biblegateway.com

Jesus was arrested by both Jewish and Roman authorities and brought to trial before representatives of the Jewish and Gentile worlds. It was clear from the very beginning of this mockery of justice, that the real judge was not Annas, Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin or Pilate but Jesus, and the accused, the entire Jewish and  Gentile worlds, which were on trial for their rejection of Jesus, the Son of God and the true representative of the Father.

Annas and Caiaphas, co-conspirators in the plot to rid God’s people of their Messiah! Annas, the power behind the throne, conducted an interrogation of Jesus. This was not a formal trial. There were no witnesses, no jury and no sentence. Rather, Annas was probably probing Jesus for legitimate reasons for sending Him to Caiaphas for a legal hearing. He was seeking to get Jesus to incriminate Himself.

“Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and His teaching.” John 18:19 NIV.

Why Jesus’ disciples and His teaching? He questioned Jesus about His disciples because the Jewish authorities were concerned about Jesus’ popularity. Only a few days before He had ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey, raising a frenzy of excitement among the common people. They had hailed Him as their king, and probably saw Him, not as the Old Testament prophets had predicted, as an atoning sacrifice for sin but rather as their deliverer from their oppressors.

This was dangerous because the Jewish religious leaders were in good standing with Rome. They did not want anyone or anything to disturb this relationship which was mutually beneficial. The high priests, from the time of Herod the Great received their appointment from Rome and were expected to keep the Jewish populace in order. Many Jews resented their close relationship with Rome and some even suspected them of taking bribes or being involved in other forms of corruption.

Annas also questioned Jesus about His teaching because he was probably hoping that He would incriminate Himself as a false prophet or a false teacher. Jesus had already completed His public teaching about Himself so He told Annas to check with those who heard Him because He had taught openly. The fact that Jesus had taught openly and that many people had heard Him would have increased Annas’ anxiety.

Was Jesus in a subtle way demanding a fair trial? There were plenty of people who could have borne witness to what He had taught and done, but the only ones who were called told a trumped-up story which did not agree anyway (Mark 14:56-59).

As powerful and influential a figure as Annas was, he must have realised that Jesus was a hot potato and decided to get rid of Him by passing Him on to Caiaphas. What would this puppet of Rome do with Him?