Before tracing the experiences of Jesus in the six stages of his so-called trials we should comment on the nature of these trials to which he was subjected. There is always the danger that inexperienced students may assume that these trials were legitimate and that Jesus was guilty of some crime which merited punishment. But such was not the case. These trials were not legitimate, honest processes to establish the guilt or the innocence of the defendant. They were never intended to be fair, impartial efforts. They were legal conspiracies engineered by his enemies, not to secure a just verdict, but to secure the condemnation of Jesus. The Jews were determined to kill Jesus and these trials weir intended only to provide a legal justification for their designs. Ati we shall point out later, every trial was filled with glaring illegalities.

The trials of Jesus had two general aspects, ecclesiastical and civil, because the Jews under Roman rule were permitted to hold only trials of a religious nature. All civil trials were handled by Roman authorities. The Jews could not assess the death penalty; this privilege was retained by the Romans. Since Jesus was a religious leader and the charges made against him by the Jews were of this nature, he had to appear before the Sanhedrin. These ecclesiastical trials were before three groups: Annas, the Sanhedrin before daylight, the Sanhedrin again after sunrise. The civil trials likewise were in three stages: before Pilate, before Herod Antipas, and before Pilate the second time. Thus he passed through six hearings.

Before Annas (John 18:12-14, 19-23).

Strictly speaking the appearance of Jesus before Annas was not a trial. Annas was an ex-high priest and had no authority. Furthermore what took place there was of no special significance. The chief idea seems to have been the notion of the Jews that Annas might say or do something that would help their case before the Sanhedrin, since Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, high priest at the time. Then too, it would take some time to assemble the Sanhedrin. Jesus was arrested around one o'clock Friday morning, evidently earlier and easier than the Jews anticipated, and they had not called the Sanhedrin together. To dispatch messengers to all the seventy members who were asleep in different sections of the city and to get the members of the court together would require about two hours. In order to kill time while these were being assembled they brought Jesus before Annas.

Annas had to recognize Jesus but since he had no plan of procedure he asked him a vague question about his disciples and his teachings. Jesus replied that Annas should ask those who had heard him, and presumably knew what he taught. In anger an officer smote Jesus with his hand. This was both an insult and an indignity to which no defendant should have been subjected.

Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:53-65; Matthew 26:57-68; Luke 22:54, 63-65; John 18:24)

It may be assumed that the Sanhedrin assembled and were ready for the appearance of the defendant by three or four o'clock Friday morning. They met in an upper room overlooking an interior court.

The scope of our studies will not permit a detailed account of the proceedings in any of these so-called trials. The student should read carefully the gospel narrative for these details. We should note, how¬ever, several important items. They secured false witnesses to testify against him; these disagreed and the Jews were becoming frantic when finally two of the made fake statement (if Jesus about the temple; Jesus maintained a dignified silence and Caiaphas, sensing that their scheme was about to collapse, put Jesus on oath to state whether or not he was the Christ. Jesus, of course, replied that he was the Christ. Then in jubilation they cried, "We have no need of further witnesses; Ye have heard the blasphemy!" So they condemned him on this count to be worthy of death. After the vote was taken, assuming that he was now in their possession they began to mock him. Now the pent-up sea of hatred burst loose. They spat in his face, struck him with sticks, covered his face and mocked him. "With uncontrolled glee and abandon like a group of hoodlums, these doctors of divinity insulted Jesus. Such a scene of vulgar brutality, enacted by and with the approval of the dignified Sanhedrin, was worthy of the lowest criminals of the underworld."' We can not conceive what insult and dishonor this must have been to his pure, sensitive and regal mind.

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All quotation of Scriptures taken from the King James Bible Version.

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