Way of the Cross

January 1, 2019/in Trial, Death & Resurrection/by warcher

The Way of the Cross: Via Dolorosa

Questions for Bible study groups

Why couldn’t Jesus carry his cross to the place of execution?
Who was Simon of Cyrene?
Who were the women in the crowd, and what did they do?
How did Jesus respond to them?

In brief: In his weakened state Jesus could not carry the cross. Simon of Cyrene helped him. A group of women in the crowded Jerusalem streets mourned for Jesus, the condemned man, already close to death.

Simon of Cyrene carries the cross

Jesus falls and is helped by Simon of Cyrene, from the film Passion of the Christ Jesus and two other condemned men were taken by soldiers from the praetorium in Jerusalem to the place of execution.

A condemned man usually carried the cross to the place of execution, but Jesus was so exhausted and weakened by the beatings that by the time they came near the city gate, a passer-by was hauled in to help carry the crossbar.

This horizontal piece of the cross (not the whole cross as shown in traditional paintings or in the film still at right) was usually carried by a condemned prisoner to the place of execution. The fact that Jesus had to be helped seems to indicate that he had fallen and been unable to rise again to his feet, even at the brutal urging of the soldiers.

Who was Simon of Cyrene?

A narrow street similar to the streets of ancient Jerusalem The man who helped him, Simon of Cyrene, came from North Africa. Cyrene had a large colony of Jews – the Jewish historian Josephus notes a Jewish community in Cyrene (Against Apion 2.44, Antiquities 16:169) and Simon must have been one of them, travelling to Jerusalem as a pilgrim to celebrate the feast of Passover.

His sons are also mentioned in the gospel narrative. This must mean that later on they became well-known members of the early Christian church.

His son Rufus may even be the same Rufus who appears in Romans 16:13, where Paul writes ‘Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; and greet his mother, a mother to me also.’ It is tempting to think that Simon’s action in helping Jesus had repercussions for the whole family, even after Simon himself died, and that his wife and sons were drawn into the greater Christian family.

See the blue text in What The Gospels Say at end of page

The women of Jerusalem mourn for Jesus

The narrow streets leading to the place of execution were densely crowded. People were naturally curious to see a man passing to his execution, and in fact the sight of a tortured man on his way to a cruel death was meant to intimidate them and act as a deterrent.

Among this crowd were a group of women who raised an anguished death-wail for Jesus. But Jesus responded with words that were, in effect, a death-wail for Jerusalem. He urged them not to pity him but to pity themselves, for a day was coming when they would rue having children.

His words echo the opening words of Isaiah 54: ‘Sing O barren woman who never bore a child…’ Barrenness and childlessness were seen as a curse among the Jews, but if this was how the Romans treated an innocent man, how much worse would be the fate of rebellious Jerusalem in the years ahead. If these women bore children they would have to contend not only with their own suffering, but with the sufferings of their children. People would long for death to free them.

Were these women from Jesus’ extended family, or Galilean disciples and friends? It’s probable, but impossible to tell for sure. We assume they must have known him well to have felt such grief and horror.

See the green text in What The Gospels Say at end of page

Jesus Falls the First Time, Station III of the Way of the Cross, Sybil Andrews, 1962
This picture captures the juddering sound of the heavy cross hitting the stone road

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What the Gospels say

1 Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus: Read the blue text

2 The women of Jerusalem mourn: Read the green text

Matthew 27:32

As they went out, they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; they compelled this man to carry his cross.

Mark 15:21

21 And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.

Luke 23:26-32

26 As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and they laid the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

27 And a great number of people followed him , and among them were women who beat their breasts and wailed for him. 28 But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never gave suck!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’; and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

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Crucifixion

Paintings of the Passion of Jesus

Palace of Pontius Pilate

Maps Nazareth & Jerusalem

Death Sentence

January 1, 2019/in Trial, Death & Resurrection/by warcher

Death sentence for Jesus

Questions for Bible study groups

Why did Pilate offer to release Jesus?
Why did the crowd choose Barabbas?
Why did Pontius Pilate sentence Jesus to death?
Who was ‘Procla’? See her story at ‘She warned him’

Why did the crowd in Jerusalem choose Barabbas, not Jesus? Because Barabbas, a political terrorist and criminal, was the Sanhedrin’s preferred candidate.

Pontius Pilate did not realise that the people of Jerusalem, who hated the Roman presence in Jerusalem and were fiercely loyal to their leaders, would never accept Pilate’s choice.

The Passover amnesty

Apparently it was the custom to release a prisoner at Passover. Josephus, the Jewish historian, says that the Romans sometimes gave an amnesty to prisoners in Judaea for political reasons.

This practice is not mentioned outside the gospels, but that is no reason to doubt it. It may have been Pilate’s invention, occurring only while he was governor. He was always looking for ways to mollify the people and gain popularity for himself. Jerusalem was a notoriously difficult posting for any governor.

Who was there?

On this particular morning a crowd had gathered outside Pilate’s Jerusalem headquarters. It was early, but the city was swollen with Passover pilgrims from all over Israel.

Barabbas, film stillA substantial crowd came from the lower city, the less affluent part, to the praetorium. They were there to support their preferred candidate for amnesty. Some may have been Galileans, but not many. The arrest and trial of Jesus had taken most of his supporters by surprise, and they probably did not know his whereabouts, let alone the danger he was in.

Most of the people there would have been supporters of

the Sanhedrin, the Temple authority that hoped Pilate would sentence Jesus to death, or
Barabbas, a man who led an uprising and committed murder, who many ordinary citizens of Jerusalem saw as a patriotic freedom fighter.

Because he had opposed the Romans, Barabbas would be a hero to many of the Jews; they would prefer him to Jesus, a religious reformer from remote Galilee.

Read the blue Gospel text at bottom of page

Ecce Homo (Behold the Man), Antonio Ciseri, 1871

Pilate gives the crowd a choice

Pilate saw this as an opportune moment. He was convinced Jesus was innocent, and he clearly did not want to release Barabbas, who was more of a political threat to the Romans than Jesus was.

He wanted to play the crowd against their leaders, the Sanhedrin, and deflect its members from a choice he deemed madness – the murderer Barabbas. He believed the people would fall in line with his proposal, and free the comparatively harmless Jesus.

By doing so he showed himself to be out of touch with local sentiment.

Read the greenGospel text at bottom of page

The crowd chooses Barabbas – why?

Why was the Jewish Sanhedrin determined to get rid of Jesus?

Some of them were genuinely nervous of the crowds Jesus attracted. Jerusalem was always combustible, particularly at festival time, and as far as they were concerned, Jesus was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Some may have been jealous of his popularity and influence.
Most if not all of them resented Jesus’ blistering attacks on the Temple priesthood, from which the Sanhedrin came
They, highly educated men, may have felt humiliated that a peasant from nowhere had made such an impression on the people, and was influencing them to ask questions about the established hierarchy; was this the Establishment versus a grassroots reform movement?

What was Pilate’s position?

Pilate and Jesus, from movie The Passion of the Christ Both Philo (a philosopher) and Josephus (a Jewish historian) make it clear that Pilate detested the Jews. Whenever he had to deal with them he inevitably took the opposite position to what they wanted. He did this when the Sanhedrin brought Jesus to him.

But he was no fool. He saw that the Sanhedrin were using legal processes to get rid of someone who was causing them trouble.

What happened?

The crowd had to choose between two candidates, one proposed by Pilate, representative of Rome, and the other by the Sanhedrin, their leaders. It was no contest. Choosing Jesus would have been disloyal to their Jewish leaders. So Jesus became a victim of the political forces that swirled around Israel/Judah.

Pilate may have seen Barabbas as a terrorist but elements of the crowd, on that particular morning, in that particular place, saw him as a freedom-fighter. They clamoured for Jesus’ execution – virtually a lynch mob. There was the unspoken assumption that if Pilate was a good governor, he would bow to their wishes, rather than provoke a revolt.

Pilate offers a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, from the film The Passion of the Christ

Pilate was clearly amazed by the people’s choice of Barabbas. Although he was unhappy, he nevertheless went along with it. He knew Jesus had not violated any Roman law. Thus even though he might symbolically wash his hands and declare his own innocence, he was as guilty as anyone else, perhaps more so, because he had the responsibility of a leader. He sent an innocent man to a hideous death.

Read the red Gospel text at bottom of page

The death sentence

Pilate's wife tells him about her dream and warns him not to hurt Jesus of Nazareth. From the film The Passion of the Christ Given the choice between Jesus, a social/religious reformer, and a festival riot in Jerusalem, Pilate decided that one death was better than a possible revolt – and all the deaths that would cause. He succumbed to Jewish pressure.

He made his proclamation from the judgement seat of the praetorium. He did it reluctantly.

His wife – tradition calls her Procla – sent her husband an urgent message that she had had a dream, more like a nightmare, that he was not to condemn this innocent man. This might seem a trivial reason to a modern person, but Romans and Jews saw dreams as divine revelations, sent to guide humans, and Pilate would have ignored his wife’s dream with great reluctance.

The sentence proclaimed was crucifixion, a death that was meant to terrify the general populace and deter them from committing a similar crime. Rebels against Rome were usually executed in this manner.

Read the black Gospel text at bottom of page

What happened next? See Way of the Cross

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What the Gospels say

1 The Passover amnesty: Read the blue text

2 Pilate presents Jesus and Barabbas to the crowd: Read the green text

3 The crowd chooses: Barabbas Read the red text

4 The death sentence: Read the black text

Mark 15:6-15

6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked.

7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas.

8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he was wont to do for them. 9 And he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man whom you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.”

14 And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas.

Matthew 27:15-26

15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted.

16 And they had then a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas.

17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. 19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much over him today in a dream.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the people to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified.” 23 And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified.” 24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and delivered him to be crucified.

Luke 23:13-25

13 Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him; 15 neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Behold, nothing deserving death has been done by him; 16 I will therefore chastise him and release him.” 17 [No text] 18 But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”–

19 a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city, and for murder.

20 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus; 21 but they shouted out, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22 A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no crime deserving death; I will therefore chastise him and release him.” 23 But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed.

24 So Pilate gave sentence that their demand should be granted. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, whom they asked for; but Jesus he delivered up to their will.

John 18:38-41, 19:1, 6-16

38 … Pilate went out to the Jews again, and told them, “I find no crime in him. 39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover; will you have me release for you the King of the Jews?”

40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!”

Now Barabbas was a robber.

5 Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” (Jesus) 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard these words, he was the more afraid; 9 he entered the praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. 10 Pilate therefore said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin.” 12 Upon this Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend; every one who makes himself a king sets himself against Caesar.” 13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gab’batha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!”

Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

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The wife of Pilate

Gospel text for this story

Maps Nazareth & Jerusalem

The way to Calvary

Scourging

January 1, 2019/in Trial, Death & Resurrection/by warcher

Torturing the condemned Jesus

Questions for Bible study groups

What was the torture of scourging?
Why did Pontius Pilate have Jesus scourged?
Why were the soldiers so cruel to a political prisoner?

In brief: Jesus, a Galilean teacher and miracle-worker, was savagely whipped on the orders of Pontius Pilate. Then the soldiers dressed him in purple, put a crown woven from thorns around his head, and mocked him as ‘King of the Jews’.

The Scourging of Jesus

A whip of knotted rope, drawing It is fairly clear that Pontius Pilate tried to save Jesus by offering the crowd an unattractive alternative, Barabbas. As we know, this ploy failed.

Now he tried another. He had Jesus savagely flogged, and then paraded before the crowd in an attempt to gain pity. It was clear to him, and he reasoned it should be clear to the crowd, that this pitiable object before them could not be taken seriously as a king.

Scourging was a brutal punishment, but it was standard practice before a crucifixion. The whip, the flagellum, had several thongs, each one of which had pieces of bone or metal attached. It made a bloody pulp of a man’s body.

The Man of Sorrows, Pedro de Mena, 1673, carved wooden statue with painted surface

The person to be whipped was stripped of his clothing, tied to a post or pillar, and beaten until his flesh hung in shreds.

There was no maximum number of strokes: the whipping could go on as long as the soldier administering it wished. Men frequently collapsed and died as the result of a flogging. The Jewish historian Josephus says with some pride that he had whipped rebels in Galilee until their entrails showed. The following passage is interesting because it shows what Pilate may have intended when he had Jesus scourged:

‘…And when their leaders came into the house, Josephus drew them to the most private part of the house and shut the door, and then had them whipped till every one of their inward parts appeared naked. In the meantime the multitude stood around the house and supposed that he was having a long discourse with those that were gone in, about what they claimed of him. He then had the doors set open immediately, and sent the men out all bloody, which so terrified those that had before threatened him, that they threw away their arms and ran away.’ Josephus, Wars, Book 2, 21:5

See the blue text at bottom of page for gospel passages

The soldiers mock Jesus

After the soldiers had flogged Jesus, they engaged in some brutal horseplay with their helpless prisoner.

One accusation against Jesus was that he called himself ‘King of the Jews’, so they set about playing out a grotesque charade in which Jesus was a royal king – of sorts.

The condemned Jesus, from the film The Passion of the Christ They wove spiky twigs into a rough crown and set it on his head.

This is traditionally shown as a crown of thorns, but the Greek word used to describe it in the gospels means a wreath of victory rather than a royal crown – the sort worn by victorious athletes at the ancient Olympic games. A gilded wreath of leaves was also part of the insignia worn by Rome’s vassal kings. The ‘crown of thorns’ may have been meant more as mockery than torture.

Once they had crowned their ‘king’ they draped a cloak around his shoulders, probably the dark red chlamys worn by army officers. This would have been easy for the soldiers to obtain. Purple cloth was extremely expensive, and not likely to have been available to ordinary soldiers.

The Crown of Thorns, Cranach, painting

John’s gospel says the soldiers ‘came at’ Jesus. They probably pretended, in a grotesque comedy, that he was a king and they were courtiers coming forward to do obeisance – ‘Hail’ was a normal form of greeting, but it was also used when speaking to royalty, as in ‘Hail, Caesar’.

No doubt there was a great deal of cruel laughter at the expense of their victim, as they hit him with reed canes, mocking his helplessness.

The soldiers were cruel – there is no doubt about that, but they were under extreme pressure. Passover in Jerusalem was a flashpoint during which anything could happen. These men were auxiliary troops, not Romans; they had been recruited to suppress recurrent rebellion in Palestine. Their job was to maintain public order, and maintain it they would.

Their treatment of Jesus was brutal, no doubt of that, but it was probably aimed more at the Jewish populace and their leaders than at the hapless man before them.

See the greentext at bottom of page for gospel passages

What happened next? See Death Sentence

Crowning with Thorns, Ishrahel van Meckenem

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What the Gospels say

1 The Scourging of Jesus: Read the blue text

2 The soldiers mock Jesus: Read the green text

Matthew 27:26-31

26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him, 29 and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spat upon him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.

Mark 15:16-20

16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the praetorium); and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they struck his head with a reed, and spat upon him, and they knelt down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.

Luke 23:20-22

John 19:1-5

1 Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him.

2 And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe; 3 they came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again, and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no crime in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!”

The flagellation of Christ at the column, Caravaggio

Find Out More

Paintings of the Passion of Jesus

Palace of Pontius Pilate

Layout of Jerusalem

Herod & Pilate

January 1, 2019/in Trial, Death & Resurrection/by warcher

Jesus, Pontius Pilate & Herod Antipas

Questions for Bible study groups

Why was Jesus taken to Pontius Pilate?
What were the accusations made against Jesus?
What happened when Jesus met Herod Antipas?

The story in brief

Who: Jesus, a Galilean teacher and miracle-worker; Pontius Pilate the Roman governor; Herod Antipas, Roman-appointed ruler of Galilee and son of the much-hated King Herod
Where: The Roman praetorium in Jerusalem
What happened: Only the Roman governor could condemn a man to death, but Pontius Pilate was reluctant to pass sentence on Jesus and so sent him to Herod Antipas, who ruled Galilee, Jesus’ home territory.
But Jesus would hardly speak to Herod, so in exasperation Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.

Jesus taken to Pontius Pilate

When: the working day of a Roman official began as soon as it was daylight, and we know that trials in the forum in Rome began just after sunrise. So it was necessary for the Sanhedrin to bring Jesus to Pilate at this early hour if they wanted sentence to be passed that day – as they did.

Where: the location of the trial/hearing was the praetorium in Herod’s palace. The official residence of the procurator living in Judea was Caesarea Maritima, the magnificent harbour city on the coast of Israel.

But Roman officials like Pilate came to Jerusalem at special times – especially during the great religious festivals, when the city was overcrowded and there was a greater potential for rebellion.

When there, they took up quarters in the royal palace built by King Herod the Great, father of the Herod (Herod Antipas) mentioned in this part of the gospel. A section of this palace was the praetorium, the official residence of the Roman governor.

The initials S P Q R, standing for Senatus Populusque Romanus: the Senate and People of Rome So Jesus was bound and led through Jerusalem from the house of Caiaphas, where he had spent the last part of the night, to the strongly fortified palace of the Herods. It was not a long walk. Houses of wealthy Jewish citizens like Caiaphas lay close to the Roman administrative centre.

Drawing of the praetorium in the coastal city of Caesarea; the building in Jerusalem was similar.

The praetorium in Jerusalem covered part of the original palace of King Herod the Great, so Jesus only walked a short distance for his meeting the Herod Antipas, son of King Herod

On this particular morning there was a difficulty: the Jewish leaders could not enter the praetorium without becoming ritually unclean, something that would make it impossible for them to conduct the Passover ceremonies in the Temple – defilement lasted seven days. So Pilate came out of the praetorium itself and held the session outside.

Who was there: the Sanhedrin were essentially a bench of judges. There was no jury, as in a modern trial. On that particular morning its members moved together to the court of Pilate. They were led by the current High Priest Caiaphas. He had a good relationship with Pilate who had appointed him to the high priesthood, a position he held for ten years – an unusually long period.

See the blue text at bottom of page for gospel passages

Why was Jesus taken to Pilate?

A fragment of stone excavated at the Roman theater in Caesaria.

A fragment of stone excavated at the Roman theatre in Caesarea. The second line of the inscription clearly shows the name of Pontius Pilate (…IUSPILATUS). Archaeologists date the stone at 26-36AD.

The Jewish authorities saw Jesus as extremely dangerous, someone who had to be got rid of as soon as possible. Why exactly they believed this we do not know. It is possible that they saw the event called the Cleansing of the Temple as an incitement to revolt.

In any case they decided that Jesus should be put to death, the most obvious charge being blasphemy.

But only the Roman governor could order that a sentence of death be carried out. In matters of this kind, the death penalty was meted out by the Roman magistrate as sole representative of the imperial authority – the imperium. Moreover, Pilate may not have been interested in a charge of blasphemy, seeing it as a Jewish matter and not something he cared to be involved in.

So Jesus was charged with a different offence: high treason. This was something Pilate could not overlook.

See the green text at bottom of page for gospel passages

Accusations and questions

What followed was an interrogation rather than a trial, but it reflected the three-part Roman trial investigative procedure:

a statement of charges
cognitio or an enquiry into the charges
the verdict.

In this case there were two broad accusations:

that Jesus was perverting the Jewish nation, and
that he was subverting Roman rule

While he was being interrogated, Jesus spoke about ‘the truth’. Pilate responded by asking ‘What is truth?’

While Jesus admitted to being the ‘king of the Jews’, their Messiah, he hardly even tried to parry the accusations brought against him. He remained silent, and the dignity of his silence impressed even Pilate, who was confounded at this man’s apparent reticence. Normally the accused would try to defend himself.

Convinced that Jesus was no threat, Pilate refused to find him guilty.

Were there any other reasons for Pilate’s refusal to condemn Jesus?

He was well aware of the way in which the leading Jewish families competed for social prominence and influence. So he may have seen this case as an attempt to use Roman authority (him) in a game of Jewish factionalism, at the expense of the near-silent Galilean.

He may also have been influenced by the recent fall of Sejanus, the Emperor Tiberius’ virulently anti-Semitic right-hand man. Pilate no longer needed to kow-tow to Sejanus’ prejudices.

See the red text at bottom of page for gospel passages

Jesus before Herod Antipas

Pilate was clearly reluctant to pass judgment on Jesus. He did not want the responsibility of convicting an innocent man, so that when he heard that Jesus was a Galilean, he saw a way out of his dilemma. If Jesus was from Galilee then Herod Antipas, as ruler of Galilee, could be roped into this delicate situation.

Jesus called Herod Antipas ‘that fox’, not because Herod was cunning but because, like a fox, he was needlessly destructive

Pilate must have known about Herod Antipas’ longstanding wish to meet Jesus – and that Antipas was in the capital for Passover. Herod may have had a genuine interest in hearing what Jesus has to say. It is impossible to know what Antipas’ motives were for wishing to meet Jesus, since the gospel writers had a genuine bias against Herod Antipas, who had recently executed John the Baptist.

Herod may have been interested in Jesus, but Jesus was not interested in performing tricks for this man. Piqued when Jesus would not reply to his questions, Herod joined his soldiers in mocking Jesus, by draping his body with rich clothing suitable for a king – Jesus’ own clothing would be this stage have been torn and bloodied. Then Herod sent him back to Pilate. He was apparently indifferent to Jesus’ fate.

Herod was flattered that Pilate chose to include him in the decision-making process, and Luke’s gospel notes with a touch of irony that the two men, previously alienated, were friends from that day.

Note: It is Luke who gives us this part of the story, and one wonders how he knew. Perhaps he had a source from within the court, Joanna wife of Herod’s steward Chuza (Luke 8:3), or Manaen, a member of Herod’s court who afterwards became a Christian (Acts 13:1).

See the blacktext at bottom of page for gospel passages

Summary

Many of the early Christians in the first few centuries after Jesus’ death would face a pagan tribunal and be subjected to the same harrying that Jesus faced at his own trial. They could look to these scenes in the gospels, gather their courage, and face whatever came with faith and dignity, as Jesus did.

This area may have been the central courtyard of the praetorium, where Jesus went on trial with Pontius Pilate

This stone floor is believed to be the central courtyard of the praetorium
Jesus may have stood here when he was interrogated by Pontius Pilate

What happened next? See The Scourging of Jesus

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What the Gospels say

1. Jesus taken to Pontius Pilate. Read the blue text

2. Why was Jesus taken to Pilate?. Read the green text

3. Accusations and questions. Read the red text

4. Jesus before Herod Antipas. Read the black text

Matthew 27:1-2, 11-14

1 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death; 2 and they bound him and led him away and delivered him to Pilate the governor,

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said; “You have said so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he made no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor wondered greatly.

Mark 15:1-5

1 And as soon as it was morning the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council held a consultation, and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate.

2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate wondered.

Luke 23:1-12

1 Then the whole company of them arose, and brought him before Pilate.

2 And they began to accuse him, saying, `We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ a king.” 3 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him. “You have said so.” 4 And Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, I find no crime in this man.” 5 But they were urgent, saying, ‘He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.’

6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then, arraying him in gorgeous apparel, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

John 18:28-38

28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the praetorium. It was early. They themselves did not enter the praetorium, so that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.

29 So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have handed him over.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him “it is not lawful for us to put any man to death.” 32 This was to fulfil the word which Jesus had spoken to show by what death he was to die.

33 Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?’ 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews, but my kingship is not from the world.” 37 Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered. “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice,” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again, and told them, “I find no crime in him”.

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Gospel text for this story

Route to Calvary

Jesus Christ

Modern images of Jesus and Mary

Annunciation

Birth of Jesus

Peter’s denial

January 1, 2019/in Trial, Death & Resurrection/by warcher

Peter fails Jesus at a crucial moment

Questions for Bible study groups

Describe what happened in the courtyard of the High Priest’s house in Jerusalem.
How did Peter react when he realized he had betrayed Jesus?
Do leaders have a greater responsibility to be courageous and lead by example?

In brief: Jesus told Peter he would deny knowing him. Peter emphatically rejected this, but when a servant of the High Priest recognized Peter, he swore he did not know Jesus. Then he remembered what Jesus had said.

Jesus predicts Peter will betray him

Peter and Jesus at the Last Supper; from the movie Passion of the Christ Peter is the most lovable and human of the disciples, as this story shows, but he has flaws as well. Perhaps that is why Jesus chose him to lead the early Church.

At the Last Supper or just afterwards, Jesus told Peter that he would pretend he did not know Jesus – not once, but three times. Peter was astounded and hurt. He was the acknowledged leader of Jesus’ disciples, and told Jesus he was ready to die for him. Sadly, the exact opposite would happen:

Peter, though he would one day die for Jesus, was not spiritually ready to do so
Jesus in the coming hours would lay down his life for Peter.

Jesus’ statement was a terrible blow to Peter, and this may be the reason why he remained silent through the rest of the Last Supper, and only regained his confidence when he defended Jesus against the soldiers who came to arrest him in the Garden of Gethsemane.

See blue text at bottom of page for Gospel passages

The maidservant questions Peter

After his arrest, Jesus was taken to the High Priest’s house. There was some difficulty about which High Priest is meant here, since both are mentioned by the evangelists. It is quite possible that Caiaphas and Annas lived in adjoining houses in the wealthy Upper City of Jerusalem – or even in the same house. The buildings were closely packed and small, which is why many priests maintained second homes in the surrounding countryside.

Reconstruction of a house in 1st century Jerusalem, which may have belonged to the former High Priest Annas.

Architectural reconstruction of a large house excavated from ruins in 1st century Jerusalem; this may be the house in which Peter denied knowing Jesus

This large, imposing house excavated from the ruins of 1st century Jerusalem may have belonged to Annas. If so, Jesus would have stood before the Sanhedrin in the large reception hall, while Peter would have been in the courtyard outside.

It is a wonder that an outsider like Peter was there in the courtyard at all, especially as entry was limited: not just anyone could go into the courtyard.

How did he get in? According to John’s gospel, Peter had another unnamed disciple with him, one who knew the High Priest. This man was known to the woman who had custody of the main door, a sort of concierge. She recognized the unnamed disciple and let him and Peter come in as far as the central courtyard.

There were other people there gathered around an open fire. It was between seasons, so the night was cold.

The hearing that was going on inside the mansion/house took some time. In the meantime people waited.

The Denial of Peter, Caravaggio

As they stood around the fire the portress/concierge looked more closely at Peter and listened to his Galilean accent. She was curious. She decided she had seen him before, possibly with Jesus, and questioned him. He, taken off guard, responded. No, he did not know Jesus, he said.

Fire in a brazier, night timeAs soon as the words were out, Peter regretted them. Jesus’ prophetic warning, made so recently, had come true. Peter had denied his Lord.

Confused by his own cowardice, Peter fell silent. He waited. The danger seemed to have passed.

But now someone else took up the questioning, and they were more insistent. Again Peter responded, this time more emphatically. He did not know Jesus, had never heard of him.

Luke writes of Peter denying that he even knew Jesus, a description that makes the denial even worse.

See green text at bottom of page for Gospel passages

The third denial, and Jesus’ look of reproach, James Tissot

The cock crows

According to people who have lived in Jerusalem, roosters crow three times during the night: first, about half an hour after midnight, second, about an hour later, and a third time about an hour later than this.

Suddenly he heard the sound of a rooster crowing, and he remembered Jesus’ words – and his own brash confidence. He realised that

inside the house Jesus was being jeered at for making a claim to be the Messiah
outside in the courtyard Jesus’ prophetic words had just been fulfilled.

Peter was distraught. He withdrew and wept bitter tears of remorse.

These tears were a turning point for him, as he acknowledged his own failings and repented for what he had done. This story of Peter’s denial undoubtedly offered encouragement to the early Christians, who were frequently challenged to acknowledge their own Christian beliefs. As we are today.

See redtext at bottom of page for Gospel passages

Peter denies Jesus, Carl Heinrich Bloch

Summary

Peter’s fault in denying Jesus is no greater than that of the other disciples who abandoned Jesus – or is it? Do leaders have a greater responsibility to be courageous and lead by example? Peter (and the evangelists who tell his story) seem to think so. Peter, ‘the rock’, had been unable to face the prospect of torture and death, even though he had promised loudly to do so. His failure and his subsequent repentance give all of us hope.

What happened next? See Jesus, Pontius Pilate and Herod

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What the Gospels say

1 Prediction of Peter’s denial: Read the blue text

2 The maidservant questions Peter: Read the green text

3 The cock crows: Read the red text

Mark 14:26-31, 66-72

26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away; for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” 30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But he said vehemently, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.

66 And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the maids of the high priest came; 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him, and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway. 69 And the maid saw him, and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while again the bystanders said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.”

72 And immediately the cock crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75

31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night; for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 33 Peter declared to him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples.

69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a maid came up to him, and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71 And when he went out to the porch, another maid saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.”

And immediately the cock crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Luke 22:31-34, 54-62

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren.” 33 And he said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” 34 He said, “I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you three times deny that you know me.”

54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. Peter followed at a distance; 55 and when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56 Then a maid, seeing him as he sat in the light and gazing at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 And a little later some one else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying.”

And immediately, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.

John 13:36-38, 18:15-18

36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now; but you shall follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why cannot I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the cock will not crow, till you have denied me three times.

15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. As this disciple was known to the high priest, he entered the court of the high priest along with Jesus, 16 while Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the maid who kept the door, and brought Peter in. 17 The maid who kept the door said to Peter, “Are not you also one of this man’s disciples?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves; Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

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Peter’s story

The Last Supper

Arrest of Jesus

Caiaphas

Caiaphas: the Trial

January 1, 2019/in Trial, Death & Resurrection/by warcher

Jesus is questioned, and replies

Jesus was taken to the palace of Caiaphas, the High Priest. Here he faced members of the Sanhedrin (a High Court) who called witnesses and interrogated him. Jesus’ answers puzzled and angered them.

Questions for Bible study groups

Who were Annas and Caiaphas, and why did they arrest Jesus?
What happened at the trial of Jesus?
What happened after the trial?

What happened at the palace of Caiaphas?

1st century road and steps leading to excavations of a house which may have belonged to Caiaphas The Jewish authorities had been in conflict with Jesus for some time, but had done nothing other than challenge him in debate.

His confrontation with the money changers in the Temple escalated the situation, and they now decided to act.

While Jesus was surrounded by a crowd, this had been impossible. The swift, secret night-time arrest of Jesus gave them their opportunity.

After his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus was questioned by the former High Priest Annas (see Jesus and Annas). Then he was taken to the Palace of Caiaphas, the current High Priest. During this short journey he was punched, hit, pushed and probably knocked over. But now he had to face the Sanhedrin.

Read the blue text at end of this page

A reconstruction of the Palace of Caiaphas as it was in the time of Jesus

The Trial

The trial/hearing took place in the Palace of the High Priest, an imposing building recently built as part of King Herod’s refurbishment of Jerusalem.

Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin council saw Jesus as a dangerous threat to Jerusalem and the Jewish people. The city was politically unstable and overcrowded, this being Passover time.

There were groups of terrorists, the Zealots, who believed that the only way to oust the Romans from Israel was through extreme violence. Galilee, where Jesus and his disciples originated, was known as a hot-bed of sedition. It was only natural that the Jewish authorities, headed by the High Priest and the Sanhedrin, should view Jesus as a possible catalyst for rebellion. They had no way of gauging how many followers he had, or what forces he might be able to summon. Annas had questioned Jesus about this on the previous evening, but Jesus had been non-committal.

In such a volatile situation, it is surprising that Jesus got a trial at all. Nowadays in the Middle East he might be disposed of more quickly, with no semblance of justice. But the Sanhedrin, or at least the members of it who were present, tried to follow the correct legal procedure. See Annas questions Jesus for the Jewish regulations regarding witnesses and evidence.

Jesus being questioned by Caiaphas, image from the film Passion of the Christ The hearing before the Sanhedrin was hurried, urgent, overshadowed by the fact that Passover was about to start. The priests, who normally would have taken their time to investigate Jesus, had to hurry to their sacred duties in the Temple. Since the festival was about to start, many of them probably feared Jesus’ arrest would be the spark that lit the fire of rebellion.

In Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin, witnesses were brought into the council chamber to give evidence, but their statements were conflicting. Finally when it came his turn to speak, Jesus made claims that were, in the minds of the Sanhedrin, blasphemous. To speak of destroying the Temple, as Jesus did, was regarded as a treasonous offence deserving capital punishment. When Jesus then quoted Daniel 7:13 and referred to himself as the ‘Son of Man’, the High Priest found his words intolerable, sacrilegious.

Caiaphas quickly condemned Jesus, but he could not pass the death sentence. Only the Romans could do this.

Read the green text at end of this page

The violence begins

Soldier''s helmet, Roman, 1st century At the end of this hearing some members of the Sanhedrin, possibly furious at this intrusion into the Passover ceremonies, showed their contempt and anger by spitting at Jesus and striking him.

Encouraged by the actions of their betters, the soldiers began the mistreatment that would culminate in the horror of crucifixion. Their behaviour shows the brutal nature of law enforcement at that time. Various games – and this was one of them – helped soldiers to pass the time.

Read the red text at end of this page

What happened next? See Peter’s denial of Jesus

Jesus led from Caiaphas to Pilate, James Tissot

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What the Gospels say

1 At the palace of Caiaphas: Read the blue text

2 The Trial: Read the green text

3 The violence begins: Read the red text

Mark 14:53-65

53 And they led Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes were assembled.

55 Now the chief priests and the whole council sought testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none. 56 For many bore false witness against him, and their witness did not agree. 57 And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.'” 59 Yet not even so did their testimony agree. 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 61 But he was silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments, and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.

65 And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.

Matthew 26:57, 59-68 57

Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered.

59 Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, 60 but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward 61 and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.'” 62 And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 63 But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes, and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.”

67 Then they spat in his face, and struck him; and some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”

Luke 22:54, 63-5 54

Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house.

63 Now the men who were holding Jesus mocked him and beat him; 64 they also blindfolded him and asked him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” 65 And they spoke many other words against him, reviling him.

Annas and Caiaphas’ by James Tissot

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The road to Golgotha

Gospel text for this story

Peter
Most human of all the apostles

Jesus and Annas

The Temple money changers

JESUS – questioned by the High Priest Annas

January 1, 2019/in Trial, Death & Resurrection/by warcher

Jesus questioned by the High Priest

Questions for Bible study groups

Who was Annas? What sort of man was he?
Jesus was given two trials, one Jewish, one Roman.
First he was questioned by Annas, father-in-law of the High Priest in Jerusalem, a powerful man.
Then he faced Caiaphas and the Jewish Sanhedrin, quickly assembled for this dawn emergency.

Jesus and Annas

After he was arrested Jesus was taken to Annas, who had once been High Priest and was now father-in-law of the current High Priest, Caiaphas. No fewer than five of Annas’ sons, and his son-in-law Caiaphas, had occupied the office of High Priest at one time or another. The family was noted for its greed.

Annas was a person of enormous power and influence, and many people probably considered him to be the ‘real’ high priest even though relatives like Caiaphas held the title. The evangelist John called Annas the ‘high priest’ in verse 19 in the same way that journalists refer to former presidents and governors without using the word ‘former’.

Read the blue text at end of this page

Reconstruction of a 1st century AD house in Jerusalem, in the wealthy quarter of the city

Model of a house excavated from the ruins of 1st century Jerusalem. It may have belonged to Annas. If so, Jesus was questioned in one of the small side-rooms or in a corner of the courtyard.

Drawing with labels of 1st century house in Jerusalem; this may have been the house of Annas, former High Priest

Annas questions Jesus

Painting of Annas and Caiaphas, detail, by James Tissot In the preliminary questioning of Jesus, Annas tried to gather evidence that could later be presented at a formal hearing before the members of the Sanhedrin.

He questioned Jesus about two things:

his disciples and
his teaching.

The first line of questions may have been an attempt to gauge the size of the group supporting Jesus. The second suggests that Annas saw Jesus’ theology as a likely area in which he could be attacked, even though the Jewish authorities would later present Jesus to Pilate as a political danger. The highly educated priests were sceptical about the theological knowledge of someone like Jesus, a peasant-preacher from rural Galilee.

We know that Caiaphas, the current High Priest, saw Jesus as a dangerous threat to stability in Jerusalem. We don’t know what Annas thought, but it was probably the same.

Ancient Jewish Trial Law

Strictly speaking, Annas’ questioning of Jesus was not legal. Jewish law provided strict safeguards for the accused, who could not be required to incriminate himself. The case against him had to be established by the testimony of witnesses – defence witnesses first, then witnesses for the prosecution.

Modern reconstruction of the palace of Caiaphas But this incident with Annas was not part of a formal trial. It was a quick enquiry, late at night, in an emergency situation. It may have taken only a few minutes, after which Jesus was hustled out into the darkness – see the courtyard and anterooms in the model of Annas’ house (above), where the questioning took place.

When the questioning was finished, soldiers took Jesus to the guards’ barracks and prison cells in the palace of Caiaphas, which was a much larger building than the house of Annas. See a modern reconstruction of this building at right.

Read the green text at end of this page

Jesus’ response

Jesus’ response to the questioning was calm, dignified, but non-committal. He refused to give specific answers to Annas’ questions, and this was interpreted as a lack of respect.

Soldier''s helmet, Roman, 1st century One of the onlookers, a soldier, struck Jesus with his hand (the word in the original text, rhapisma, means a sharp blow with the flat of the hand.) This action began the cycle of violence that would end with Jesus’ death.

If Jesus was to be sentenced to death by Pilate, as seems to have been the plan, a legal accusation had to be made by the reigning High Priest, Caiaphas, as chairman of the Sanhedrin. An accusation by Annas, however influential he was, was not enough.

Moreover, Jewish legal procedure did not permit an accused person’s testimony to be used against him. So when Jesus said ‘Why do you question me?’ it really meant ‘I do not have to answer these questions because you are not following correct legal procedure.’

So the next part of the story would unfold: Jesus would face Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin.

Read the red text at end of this page

See the next part of the story at Jesus and Caiphas: the Trial

Jerusalem, ground plan

See Maps of locations in the life of Jesus for further information on Jerusalem

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What the Gospels say

Candle with book and pointing finger 1 Jesus is taken to Annas: Read the blue text

2 Annas questions Jesus: Read the green text

3 Jesus responds: Read the red text

John 18:13-14, 19-24

13 First they led him to Annas; for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had given counsel to the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together; I have said nothing secretly. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me, what I said to them; they know what I said.”

22 When he had said this, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” 24 Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Jesus before the High Priest. Gerard von Honthorst

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Crucifixion of Jesus

Map of Jesus’ last journey

Jerusalem
at the time of Jesus

Bible text for this story

Peter, apostle

Agony in the Garden of Olives

January 1, 2019/in Trial, Death & Resurrection/by warcher

Agony in the Garden of Olives

Questions for Bible study groups

Paintings of this scene show Jesus and the apostles alone – but the Garden of Gethsemane would have been crowded, as the adjacent city of Jerusalem was. Have you ever felt alone, even when there was a crowd around you?
What lesson could we learn about faith and patience, from the gospel story of Gethsemane?
Have you ever gained courage from prayer, as Jesus did?

Jesus, praying in the Garden of Olives, begged God to release him from the terrible future that awaited him. But then, strengthened by prayer, he accepted his fate and faced the soldiers who came to arrest him.

Gethsemane / the Garden of Olives

Jesus and his most trusted disciples had just completed the meal we call the Last Supper, where he told them that one of their tight-knit group would betray him to the authorities, and that he would be killed.

Now they moved away towards the Garden of Gethsemane.

This olive orchard was part of an estate at the foot of the Mount of Olives. It was bordered by the road coming up from the Kidron Valley, and was probably surrounded by a stone wall. It seems to have been open to the public and at Passover time it provided welcome relief from the crowded city.

Jesus and his disciples gathered there, as they must have done many times before. Their mood was sombre. They were frightened – for Jesus and for themselves.

Read the blue text at end of page

Gethsemane is in the middle right of the map above, which shows a possible route to Calvary.
For more on each stage of this journey, and a larger map, see The Road to Calvary

Jesus prays

Topographic map of the area around Jerusalem

What happened?

When they got to the olive garden, a familiar retreat, Jesus took Peter, James and John and moved further up the hill, away from the larger group of disciples. Alone with his three closest friends, he let his feelings show. He was horribly aware of what was to come – he had seen other men tortured and crucified, and he staggered with shuddering horror at what lay ahead. He was ‘sorrowful, even unto death’.

This was the crucial moment, the time of testing. All he had to do was walk out of the garden and take the road up the hill, over the Mount of Olives and out into the desert to the east. He could hide there, and quietly make his way north to Galilee, where he would be relatively safe. Would he stay in Jerusalem and endure a dreadful death, or would he slip away?

Jesus walked a little way further into the garden and began to pray. He fell on his knees – most people at that time stood to pray – and asked God to spare him, if it was possible. If God willed it. Then he went back to his three friends.

What is special about Jesus’ prayer?

Jesus was praying not just to avoid a terrible death, but to discover God’s will and to find the strength to cope with what was coming; he was providing a concrete example of the value of prayer
When he used the term ‘Abba’ in his prayer, he showed the absolute trust of a child; the use of this familiar term in a prayer to God would have seemed disrespectful to Jewish people at the time
At this terrible moment, Jesus turned to God in prayer: ultimately he was focused on God, and if this led to his death, so be it.

A note on the Angel: the evangelist Luke often uses angels to transmit a message from God or to provide assistance; in this case the angel helps Jesus to endure his mental agony by strengthening him for battle, giving him the resolve he needs.

A note on Jesus’ words in the Garden: if he was alone, how do we know what he said? In the ancient world, people usually prayed aloud. Someone who was in the olive garden at that time – though not the sleeping disciples – must have heard and remembered Jesus’ words or prayer. Jesus and the disciples would certainly not have had the garden to themselves.

Read the green text at end of this page

Peter, James and John are tested, and fail

Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Fra Angelico Emotionally exhausted, Jesus turned to his disciples, the very ones who had been so adamant at the Last Supper that they would stand by him. They had fallen asleep.

He reproached them. In this terrible moment of mental agony, couldn’t they even stay awake? He urged them, instead of sleeping, to pray. Surely they knew how he needed their support? Surely they ought to be praying for strength for themselves, if not for him?

Then he moved back up the hill and began to pray again, alone. When he returned, they were sleeping again. When he reproached them for failing him (and themselves) a third time, they had no answer.

In this crucial moment they were failures, unable to pull themselves out of their sleepy stupor. They seemed oblivious to his suffering – overcome with the Passover meal, the wine, and the late hour. The weakness of the flesh should never be underestimated.

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Jesus accepts God’s will

Jesus and the Angel in the Garden of Olives As he prayed, an ‘angel’ had come to him, giving him strength. Only this, God’s direct response, can account for the transformation that follows. He had been terrified of the future and had prayed. Now in the final moments in the garden, he was suddenly strong, resolute. He had asked God to save him from death. God’s strengthening angel has responded, giving him courage to face what was coming.

Jesus turned his face resolutely towards the crowd of soldiers moving towards him through the darkness. ‘Rise, let us be going’ he said to his frightened friends. Strengthened by prayer, Jesus stepped forward to meet his fate.

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Summary

For the early Christians who needed strength in their own time of trial, this story provided encouragement. They sometimes failed Jesus, as the disciples did and would do again in the coming days. But they looked to Jesus’ example: fully aware of what was to come, he had nevertheless instructed his followers to ‘Get up. Let us advance to meet (our fate.)’

In the story of Adam and Eve, rebellion brought Death. In another garden, Gethsemane, submission to God’s will brought Life to Jesus’ followers.

What happened next? See Annas questions Jesus

‘Go to Dark Gethsemane

Ye who feel the tempter’s pow’r

Your Redeemer’s conflict see

Watch with him one bitter hour

Turn not from his grief away

Learn of Jesus Christ to pray’

James Montgomery

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What the Gospels say

1 Gethsemane, where it happens: Read the blue text

2 Jesus prays: Read the green text

3 Peter, James and John fail the test: Read the red text

4 Jesus accepts God’s will: Read the black text

Mark 14:32-42

32 And they went to a place which was called Gethsemane;

and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch.” 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee; remove this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what thou wilt.”

37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words.

40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer him. 41 And he came the third time, and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come; the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Matthew 26:36-46
Candle with book and pointing finger

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go yonder and pray.”

37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”

39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, thy will be done.”

43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words.

45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Luke 22:39-46
Agony in the Garden, Bloch, detail

39 And he came out, and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives;

and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. 44 In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.

45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow,

46 and he said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Find Out More

The Road to Calvary

Gospel text for this story

Jesus Christ

Modern images of Jesus and Mary

Annunciation

Birth of Jesus

A Last Supper with his friends

January 1, 2019/in Trial, Death & Resurrection/by warcher

What happened at Jesus’ Last Supper?

Questions for Bible study groups

What was the Passover meal, and why was it important?
Why was Jerusalem dangerous for Jesus at Passover?
Why was bread and wine important?
Describe the scene in the Upper Room.

Ancient Jerusalem at Passover

Pottery from ancient Palestine

The time for the Passover celebration has arrived. Jesus is already being hunted by the authorities; he and his disciples know this, but they decide to share this (perhaps last) meal together. At this meal with his friends, Jesus will institute a new type of ceremony, and the covenant he makes with them will be sealed with his blood.

The normal course of a Passover meal was

an inaugural blessing and prayer followed by the first of four cups of wine and a dish of herbs and sauce
the story of the institution of the Passover was recited, Psalm 113 was sung, and a second cup drunk
after a prayer the mail meal of roast lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs was eaten, and after a further prayer the third cup of wine was drunk
Psalms 114-118 were sung, and the fourth cup was drunk.

What actually happened?

Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper, from the film the Passion of the Christ

Read the four gospel accounts below, but be aware are you read that they use their narratives not only to report actual historical events but also to interpret the significance of Jesus.

For example, John uses the idea of Jesus’ flesh and blood as food and drink in connection with the discourse after the feeding of the five thousand (John 6). He sees no need to repeat it here.

The other three gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) link Jesus’ death to Passover by having both the meal and Jesus’ death on the day of the festival (remember that the Jewish day started at sunset). John does the same thing, but differently: he has Jesus dying on the cross at the same moment that the Passover lambs are being slaughtered in the Temple. The four evangelists are telling the same story, but each in his own way.

What was the setting for this story?

Photograph of an excavated ancient house

Space was scarce in ancient Jerusalem, so most houses had several stories; an Upper Room was common.

Modern people sit upright when they have a meal, and we might think that Jesus would do the same. Certainly artists like Leonardo da Vinci portrayed the people at the Last Supper in this way.

In fact, Jews at the time of Jesus celebrated a special occasion like the Passover meal reclining on cushions around a low table. People leaned on their left sides, supporting themselves on their left arm and leaving the right arm free. Because he was the host, Jesus would have been slightly in front of the other people at this Last Supper. This is important because it backs up one particular incident in the story: if John had been on his right and leaned back to speak to Jesus, his head would have been close to Jesus’ shoulder; he could have spoken quietly without the other disciples hearing what he said (for this story, see John 13:21-30).

Read the blue text at bottom of this page

Jesus blesses the bread

Why bless the bread?

Jesus performed the action of the head of the household at any ordinary Jewish meal.
He blessed God for providing the bread.
Then he linked the bread with himself, suggesting that death for him would mean life for others.

Jesus’ words suggest he knew that a violent death, was coming. He knew that, even in the immense crowd that swelled the city of Jerusalem at that time, he would be found and killed.

But his natural terror was balanced by hope, because he believed his death was expiation. He would be the sacrificial lamb that gave its life for many. He would save his people and effect a renewed covenant with God.

Giving his life for others

The idea was not unique to Jesus. Martyrdom for the benefit of Israel is expressed in the Book of Maccabees, written not long before Jesus lived. In 1 Maccabees 6:44 Eleazar, brother of Judas Maccabeus, ‘gave himself for his people’. In 2 Maccabees 7:33, 37-38 there is a gruesome account of the martyrdom of a mother and her seven sons, the youngest of whom says

I, like my brothers, give up body and life for the laws of our fathers, appealing to God to show mercy soon to our nations… and through me and my brothers to bring to an end the wrath of the Almighty which has justly fallen on our whole nation.’

Even today, it is considered a noble thing to give one’s life for one’s country, echoing the idea that the shedding of the blood of the righteous will prompt God to act.

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Jesus blesses the wine

Why bread and wine?

Because they were the essential elements of nourishment for a 1st century Jew. Without them, he/she would not live. By associating himself with bread and wine, even to the point of saying ‘This is my body’ and ‘This is by blood’, Jesus was saying that nourishing the spirit/soul is as necessary as nourishing the body, that we cannot live without spiritual nourishment any more than we can live without food.

But Jesus took it a step further. He identified the bread and wine with himself. His body would die. His spirit would be quenched. But the essence of what he was, of what he had taught and done, would be alive in the bread and wine.

A lamb tied ready for slaughter

Jesus foresees his own death

Now facing death, Jesus knew that what happened to him would advance God’s purpose, just as the deaths of the Maccabean martyrs atoned for Israel’s sin and paved the way for freedom (however short-lived) for the Jewish nation.

So certain was Jesus of this that he vowed not to drink wine again until he would drink it in the kingdom of God. His blood would be ‘poured out for you’ in the way the blood of a sacrificial animal was poured out over the altar in the great Temple of Jerusalem.

He then saluted his disciples in a special way: he shared his own cup with the assembled group. It was a Jewish custom for the host to share his cup with a particular, honoured guest. But Jesus shared his cup with all the apostles, honouring each one of them.

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Summary

Jesus took basic elements of human sustenance, food and drink, and blessed them. Then he turned the commemoration of this event into a symbolic communion with the redemptive power of his own death.

To eat these same elements, sharing them with fellow-Christians, is to be joined mysteriously to Christ. For the very first Christians (who were also Jewish), the Lord’s Supper now eclipsed the old Passover. That meal, on that night, gave the Christian church one of its central sacraments.

The Last Supper, Hans Holbein the Younger, 1524

The Last Supper, Nathan Simpson, 2004

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What the Gospels say

1 Setting the scene: Read the blue text

2 Jesus blesses the bread: Read the green text

3 Jesus blesses the wine: Read the red text

4 John’s brief mention of the bread: Read the black text

Mark 14:17, 22-5

17 And when it was evening he came with the twelve.

22 And when they had taken their places and were eating, he took bread, and blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, ‘Take; this is my body.’

23 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.’

Matthew 26:20, 26-9

20 When it was evening, he sat at table with the twelve disciples.

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat, this is my body.’

27 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you; 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I shall not drink again this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’

Luke 22:14-20

14 And when the hour came, he sat at table, and the apostles with him.

15 And he said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you I shall not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’

17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, ‘Take this, and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I tell you that from now on I shall not drink the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’

19 And he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’

20 And he did the same with the cup after the supper, saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’

John 13:1-2, 27-9

Now before the feast of Passover … during supper, the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him…. Then after the morsel (given to Judas by Jesus), Satan entered him. Jesus said to him, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly.’. . . Some thought that because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the feast’

You might like to compare the parallel accounts of the births of Jesus and John the Baptist in Luke’s gospel. You can find the gospel texts at https://www.womeninthebible.net/Elizabeth_bible_text.htm

Notice especially statements about

the pregnancy reaching term, Luke 1.57 and 2.6

the birth statement, Luke 1.57 and 2.7

marvelling onlookers, Luke 1.63 and 2.18

the taking to heart of what had happened, Luke 1.66 and 2.19

circumcision and name-giving, Luke 1.59 and 2.21

John’s birth is clearly a prelude to the birth of Jesus.

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Find Out More

Peter’s story

Gospel text for this story

Maps Nazareth & Jerusalem

Jesus and Judas

Food in ancient times

The Money Changers

January 1, 2019/in Trial, Death & Resurrection/by warcher

Jesus attacks the money-changers

Questions for Bible study groups

What was the Temple in Jerusalem like at the time of Jesus?
What sort of people were there on that day?
What did Jesus do? Why were his actions so shocking?
Why was Jesus so angry?
What was the reaction of the authorities?

In brief: There was an angry confrontation between Jesus and the money-changers and guards in the great Temple of Jerusalem. Jesus said they had turned the sacred place into a den of robbers, and he evicted them.

Reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus

Reconstruction of the central part of the Temple of Jerusalem, built by King Herod the Great. The courtyard outside the walled area is the Court of the Gentiles, where Jesus attacked the money-changers

The Temple in Jerusalem

What was it like? The first thing Jesus did when he got to Jerusalem was to go to the great Temple, newly built in shining white marble, and vast, about 450mx300m. Jesus probably offered sacrifice there and prayed. But what we hear about is the action that happened in the Court of the Gentiles.

White doves There was a market there selling sacrificial animals and birds. There was also a money exchange, since the Temple dues had to be paid in Tyrian coinage, and most people had Jerusalem coinage only. This meant:

that the atmosphere in the Court of the Gentiles was like an oriental bazaar where merchants haggled with Jewish pilgrims – like souvenir shops clustered round modern-day cathedrals
the Temple-appointed merchants/money changers probably cheated or over-charged people.

To add to the unholy din, tradespeople used the Court of the Gentiles as a short-cut between the city and the Mount of Olives – the Temple precincts could be entered from all four sides.

All this was harmless enough, but it meant that the Court of the Gentiles was something less than a place of prayer. Jesus was not the only one to object: there was widespread criticism of the 1st-century Temple scene among Jewish writers.

Fragment of a stone sign advising that Gentiles could not enter past this point, on pain of death At right is an excavated stone sign found at the site of the Temple of Jerusalem. It advises that Gentiles must not enter past this point, on pain of death, and was presumably at the entrance separating the Court of the Women from the Court of the Gentiles (see ground plan below).

What sort of people were there on that day?

Josephus, the Jewish historian, says

The outer court was open to all, foreigners included; women during their menstruation were alone refused admission. To the second court all Jews were admitted and, when uncontaminated by any impurity, their wives; to the third male Jews, if clean and purified; to the fourth the priests robed in their priestly vestments. The sanctuary was entered only by the ruling priests, clad in the raiment peculiar to themselves. (Josephus, Against Apion, 2.8:104)

When did it happen? John puts this event at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, and the other three evangelists place it right at the end, just before Jesus was killed. Who is correct? And does it matter?

It is quite possible that Jesus cleansed the Temple twice. We know he went there a number of times. Several years may separate the two cleansings – to judge by Jesus’ anger in Matthew, the first incident had not been effective, which is why Jesus was so angry.

But we also know John tried to supplement the other gospels, and this may account for the differences. John may have deliberately used a different narrative structure, one that did not rely on historical sequence. The message may have been more important to him than the order in which events happened.

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Women's Court

View from above of the Women’s Court (upper left with patterned floor) and surrounding Court of the Gentiles in the Temple at the time of Jesus (from a reconstruction built by Alec Gerrard)

Alex Gerrard's model of the Jerusalem Temple

Alex Gerrard’s model of the Jerusalem Temple shows how large the Court of the Gentiles was

What Jesus did: his shocking actions

How many people were there?

The incident took place in a very large area – so large that many people would have been unaware of what was happening. Thousands of pilgrims were crowded into the courtyard, together with the tables of the money changers and stalls to keep the sacrificial animals. There were Temple police who kept order; a large number of them would have been present at this major festival. Had there been a large-scale fracas, these police would certainly have acted. So Jesus could only have attacked some of the money-changers’ tables.

Giotto's painting of the Cleansing of the Temple But the scale of what happened is unimportant, both to us and to the disciples who witnessed it. Its real significance lay in two things:

Jesus openly showed his disgust with religious practice polluted by money-grubbing
it gave Jesus’ enemies, the high clergy and the aristocracy of Jerusalem, the chance to bring a grave and specific charge against him.

What was happening?

You can understand this passage in a number of ways:

Jesus saw trade in the Temple as a desecration of its true purpose so, maybe with the help of others, he tried to shut down the trade in sacrificial animals and the money-changing that was going on

He saw the Court of the Gentiles as a sacred place, part of God’s Temple. The general hullabaloo of the area made this impossible, and it angered him

He made an assessment that the trade and money changing exploited people, especially the poor, by making excessive charges, so he intervened

Jesus thought the priests and Temple personnel were abusing their sacred roles by being involved in business in a sacred area

There was already a conflict going on between the Sanhedrin and the High Priest Caiaphas in AD30, when Caiaphas allowed traders to set up markets in the Court of the Gentiles as punitive competition against markets controlled by the Sanhedrin.

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What Jesus said: why was he so angry?

For this part of the story, see the red text in the Gospel passages at the bottom of this page.

Ground plan of the Temple area and buildings What Jesus said at the time is as important as what he did. He was objecting to trade being carried out in the Temple not because of profiteering, but because the Temple precincts have been turned into a place of business, thus violating its divinely intended purpose. He bases this on the words of the prophet Isaiah ‘my house shall be called a place of prayer’. Now it is a ‘den of thieves’- again, a phrase from another prophet, Jeremiah 7:11.

To emphasise this point, all of the gospel writers include Old Testament prophecies in their description of the event.

Jesus’ references to Isaiah and Jeremiah would have been provocative and offensive to the priests, since he was using the words of Scripture against them. Only the presence of so many supportive pilgrims stopped them from taking immediate and public action against him.

The priests showed their piety by saying that Jesus should have been shocked by the sing-song words of the children calling him ‘Son of David’, and should have stopped them. But the children had spoken the truth, and Jesus accepted the title.

Jesus was by no means alone in his criticism of the ‘system’. Many Jews viewed the high priesthood as corrupt. The ‘Testament of Moses’, written at about the same time, describes the high priesthood:

They consume the goods of the poor, saying their acts are according to justice (while in fact they are simply) exterminators, deceitfully seeking to conceal themselves so that they will not be known as completely godless because of their criminal deed (committed) all day long, saying “We shall have feasts, even luxurious winings and dinings. Indeed, we shall behave ourselves as princes.” They, with hand and mind, touch impure things, yet their mouths will speak enormous things, and they will even say “Do not touch me, lest you pollute me in the position I occupy.”

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A reconstruction of one of the entrances to the Temple area;

A reconstruction of one of the entrances to the Temple area;
this entrance led to the Court of the Gentiles

Reaction of the authorities

For this part of the story, see the black text in Gospel passages at the end of this page.

Jesus entered Jerusalem on a happy, triumphant note (see Jesus’ Entry into Jerusalem). But now an escalating series of accusations and charges began. His actions and words in the Temple that day triggered the events that led to his death a few days later. But at that moment in the Court of the Gentiles the authorities could not take action against him, because

he was not only popular, he was very much in view when he visited the Temple precincts. There was a crowd around him all the time, and any attempt at arrest could cause a riot.
every evening during his last visit to Jerusalem, Jesus went out of the city as darkness fell – possibly to the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in Bethany. This made it difficult to arrest him. Perhaps he felt unsafe in the city. But there may have been a more prosaic reason for his departure each evening: Jesus, along with the thousands of other Passover pilgrims, would find it hard to find lodgings for himself and his followers – or perhaps this large group could not afford high-priced accommodation.

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19th century of Jerusalem showing the city and the contours of the land, especially the Kidron Valley and Mount of Olives

Photo of 19th century Jerusalem; at the end of each day Jesus probably left the city, crossed the Kidron Valley (lower right) and walked up the Mount of Olives (extreme lower right corner)

Summary

Jesus mounted a protest against the commercial activity going on in the Temple. The money-changing and selling of sacrificial animals interfered with the proper use of this most sacred of spaces, and Jesus was outraged at a sacrilegious use of this place of prayer. He took sudden, dramatic action. It was not the animal vendors and money-changers he criticised as much as the Temple establishment who allowed it. The ruling priests, especially the high priest himself, gave permission for these commercial activities to take place. They were ultimately responsible for this desecration of a holy place.

What happened next? See Betrayal by Judas

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What the Gospels say

The Jerusalem Temple: read the blue text

2 The dramatic actions of Jesus: read the red text

3 What Jesus said: read the green text

4 The reactions of the Temple authorities: read the black text

Mark 11:15-19

15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons; 16 and he would not allow any one to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he taught, and said to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”

18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and sought a way to destroy him; for they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching. 19 And when evening came they went out of the city.

Matthew 21:12-17

12 And Jesus entered the temple of God and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you make it a den of robbers.”

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant; 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast brought perfect praise’?”

17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

Luke 19:45-48

And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’; but you have made it a den of robbers.”

46 And he was teaching daily in the temple. 47 The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people sought to destroy him 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people hung upon his words.

John 2:13-16

John 2:13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.

16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; you shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”

Notice especially statements about

the pregnancy reaching term, Luke 1.57 and 2.6

the birth statement, Luke 1.57 and 2.7

marvelling onlookers, Luke 1.63 and 2.18

the taking to heart of what had happened, Luke 1.66 and 2.19

circumcision and name-giving, Luke 1.59 and 2.21

John’s birth is clearly a prelude to the birth of Jesus.

The Way of the Cross: Via Dolorosa

Questions for Bible study groups

Simon of Cyrene carries the cross

Who was Simon of Cyrene?

The women of Jerusalem mourn for Jesus

What the Gospels say

Death sentence for Jesus

Questions for Bible study groups

The Passover amnesty

Pilate gives the crowd a choice

The crowd chooses Barabbas – why?

The death sentence

What the Gospels say

The way to Calvary

Torturing the condemned Jesus

Questions for Bible study groups

The Scourging of Jesus

The soldiers mock Jesus

What the Gospels say

Jesus, Pontius Pilate & Herod Antipas

Questions for Bible study groups

The story in brief

Jesus taken to Pontius Pilate

Why was Jesus taken to Pilate?

Accusations and questions

Jesus before Herod Antipas

Summary

What the Gospels say

Peter fails Jesus at a crucial moment

Questions for Bible study groups

Jesus predicts Peter will betray him

The maidservant questions Peter

The cock crows

Summary

What the Gospels say

Jesus is questioned, and replies

Questions for Bible study groups

What happened at the palace of Caiaphas?

The Trial

The violence begins

What the Gospels say

Jesus questioned by the High Priest

Questions for Bible study groups

Jesus and Annas

Annas questions Jesus

Ancient Jewish Trial Law

Jesus’ response

What the Gospels say

Agony in the Garden of Olives

Questions for Bible study groups

Gethsemane / the Garden of Olives

Jesus prays

Peter, James and John are tested, and fail

Jesus accepts God’s will

Summary

What the Gospels say

What happened at Jesus’ Last Supper?

Questions for Bible study groups

Ancient Jerusalem at Passover

What actually happened?

What was the setting for this story?

Jesus blesses the bread

Jesus blesses the wine

Summary

What the Gospels say

Jesus attacks the money-changers

Questions for Bible study groups

The Temple in Jerusalem

What Jesus did: his shocking actions

What Jesus said: why was he so angry?

Reaction of the authorities

Summary

What the Gospels say

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Key Pages