The Charges Against Jesus | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: The Charges Against Jesus | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
10/18/22
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Judas, knowing where to find Jesus, guided the arresting party that was sent by the High Priest to take Jesus into custody when it was still dark outside.

The arresting party consisted of, “… a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people (Matt. 26: 47 NASB).”

It wasn’t until later that day that Jesus would be handed over to Roman authority.

Nations that were conquered and occupied by Roman soldiers were permitted to conduct their own affairs, as long as they kept the peace, paid their taxes, and did not violate Roman Law.

However, local authorities did not have the authority to carry out capital punishment. The Jewish plan to kill Jesus would have to involve the Romans.

Upon arriving in the area of the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas, guiding the arresting party, approached Jesus and kissed Him, which was a pre-arranged signal (1) to identify Him as the One to be taken into custody.

Upon taking Him into custody, Jesus was brought to the residence of the High Priest where He was questioned and abused. At daybreak, He was taken to the chamber of the Sanhedrin (2).

Many accusations were made, but the witnesses’ testimonies were weak and differed in detail (3).

Some might think that the “case” against Jesus was crumbling.

But when Jesus was asked, "Are You the Son of God, then?" And He said to them, "Yes, I am (Luke 22: 70 NASB)," His enemies believed they had achieved their goal.

It didn’t matter (to them) what charge(s) He was convicted of, so long as it called for His execution. In their opinion (4), His own testimony, amounted to blasphemy.

Then they said, "What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth (Luke 22: 71 NASB)."

Jesus was convicted of the false charge of blasphemy (5). Under Jewish Law, being convicted of blasphemy called for death by stoning (6).

The problem they had was that capital punishment could not be carried out without the involvement of the Roman government.

For that reason, Jesus was taken to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of that region.

However, when Pilate did not consider Jesus guilty and worthy of death, the Jews who brought Him to Pilate persisted by accusing Him of being an enemy of the state (Rome) by claiming to be a king (7).

For the second time in less than 24 hrs., Jesus was accused of actions that He was not guilty of committing. He was not guilty of blasphemy and He had not promoted rebellion against the Roman Empire.

Never-the-less, Jesus was eventually sentenced to death by way of crucifixion; a manner of death reserved for the worst of convicted criminals, and a means of execution that Roman citizens were spared.

What His Jewish enemies and Roman adversaries did not know was that the false charges and subsequent consequences He faced were all a part of the plan that God allowed to take place in order for Jesus to fulfill God’s plan by atoning for the world’s sin debt on a Roman cross.

When Jesus cried out from the cross, “My God, my God, why has Thou forsaken me? (Psalms 22: 1 NASB)”, He was NOT “asking” God anything. He knew perfectly well what was taking place, and had shared this knowledge with His disciples BEFORE they arrived in Jerusalem (8).

By quoting the 22nd Psalm while on the cross, He was confirming to those present (and to us) that the numerous prophesies that had been made and recorded in the 22nd Psalm 1,000 years previously, were now being fulfilled before their eyes. See Psalms 22, verses 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 11-18 and note the details.

Being falsely accused, misunderstood, abused, and put to death on charges of heresy brought by religious authority, and or being prosecuted as an enemy of the state has been, is now, and will be in the future, the experience of many believers who take a public stand for the truth (9).
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(1) Matt. 26: 48 (2) Luke 16: 66 (3) Matt. 26: 59, 60 (4) Luke 22: 71 (5) Matt. 26: 65, 66 (6) Lev. 24: 16 (7) Luke 23: 4, 5 (8) Matt. 20: 18, 19 (9) John 14: 6

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