Jesus’ trial was miscarriage of justice

"Jesus, was born consequently to human parents, and He came through the Jewish race, the race that God himself had prepared, separating them from the rest of the people in the whole universe, calling themselves "A chosen Race". Jesus grew as a normal Jew and on reaching the age of 30, the age that a Jew was recognised as a mature person, and He went about Galilee and other places in Palestine, teaching the Kingdom of God."
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by Len. Ranjith Maharachchi

(March 31, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Jesus was crucified on the full-Mooon of April, AD 29, which came to be called "Good Friday" due to the good done that day to mankind by God Himself, who destined that His Only-Begotten Son, should die for the remission of sins of the whole mankind. Christian teaching has it, that our first Parents disobeyed God, the Creator of the Universe, which offence required a sacrifice. Since it was God who was offended, the sacrifice in expiation had to be that of a God, and Jesus Christ, God’s Son, was the only person who could do it. So, we had the first Christmas, the incident of God, becoming man to offer Himself as the Supreme sacrifice that was to appease God.

Jesus, was born consequently to human parents, and He came through the Jewish race, the race that God himself had prepared, separating them from the rest of the people in the whole universe, calling themselves "A chosen Race". Jesus grew as a normal Jew and on reaching the age of 30, the age that a Jew was recognised as a mature person, and He went about Galilee and other places in Palestine, teaching the Kingdom of God. Ironically, the Jewish religion had deteriorated to such a depth, by that time, (AD 27) that the average Jew, specially the Religious leaders, resented Jesus and His teachings. Fearing a religious debacle the Jewry rose against Jesus, and untimately succeeded in having Him killed, hoping to keep their religious traditions, which were warped to the core, clean.

Jesus was arrested

Jesus was put to death after a hurriedly concluded trial, the whole proceedings of which, were a prostitution of all existing laws, governing such a trial. In short, it was a gross miscarriage of justice, where their own regulations were flouted openly with unchallenged impunity. Jesus was arrested, on information supplied by Judas, one of the twelve Apostles, and led away to be tried by the Senhedrin, the Religious Court of the Jewry. To quote Mark, the first Evangelist, to write the Jesus story, - " They took Jesus away to the High Priest and all the Chief Priests and experts in the law, and elders assembled with him." - (V.53). This is how the proceedings started.

The Senhedrin had full powers, over religious matters. But it lacked power to pass a death sentence on a convict. It neither could condemn an accused, but merely to prepare charges only, which had to be presented to the Roman Governor, for decision. But, going by the Synoptic gospels and that of John, we find that the Senhedrin flouted all decent laws, so clearly explained in the Mishna. The entire procedure that fateful night on the first Maundy Thursday and early Good Friday, in the Jewish month of Nissan, (Corresponding to our Bak maha) was a flagrant breach of normal justice. The Senhedrin consisted of 71 members. They were mostly the Saducees, Pharisees and the Scribes, and the-High Priest presided, while the court sat in a semi-circle . Student Rabbies sat facing them, and they could only speak on behalf of the prisoner but never against. This Supreme court was located within the precincts of the Temple of Jerusalem. This was because, a decision arrived at anywhere else, was said to be invalid in the Jewish court procedure. Further they were to meet at day-time, and never in the night. Witnesses were examined separately, starting from the youngest and going to the eldest.

If the convict was given a death sentence, a night must lapse before the execution, so as to provide the convict an opportunity to explain himself, and seek a pardon. But strange, as it may seem, in the trial of Jesus, all these standing orders were blatantly violated including the day-time rule, a passing of a night, and even examining witnesses separately, giving evidence against, and the like.

The trial of Jesus

(By passing it may be mentioned that, recently a Grand Jury that made an in-depth study of the trial of Jesus, was unanimous that the decision to crucify Jesus, was ‘downright prostitution of all laws that existed at the time. - ) Jewish law, even at the time of Jesus, insisted that all aspects of accusations brought about against a prisoner must be thoroughly gone into, with a view to give him time, than rush to pass a sentence. The travesty of justice that prevailed throughout Jesus’ trial, was perpetrated by the Jewish High Priests who thought of Jesus as a threat to their false religion and more, a challenge to their private lives, which was decadent to the core.

This is evident from the Report said to have been sent by Justin Martyr, to Pontius Pilate, the Governor, which is quoted below. - "Jesus Christ of whom I wrote to you recently, has been executed against my will. So pious and austere a man was he, that I am sure I would never meet again the like of him. But there was a wonderful unanimity in the request of the Jewish leaders that he should be crucified, inspite of what had been written of him, in their Prophets and Cibyls, testifying against them. At his death signs appeared which nearly threatened a collapse of the world. His Deciples who are still alive, do not belie their Master, but teach and preach him. Had I not feared a general uprising, the man might have been still alive..." - (Vide W. Barclay’s ‘ The Apostles Creed explained.’)

As for the requirement having to examine witnesses separately, (not done in this case) we can see proof of such an incident, in the case of Susanna, referred to in the Apocryphal section of the Bible. The Jewish Hierachy, in their hurry to get Jesus killed before the advent of the Sabbath, rushed through rough shod over all norms in the process. Even the false witnesses, did not concur in their vague allegations. One said that Jesus wanted to destroy the Temple, while another said, Jesus claimed to be God. No two witnesses said the same thing, as required by law to warrant judgement.

The allegations brought before the Senhedrin, were cunningly changed when allegations were hurled before Pontius Pilate, fearing that he would dismiss them as matters for an ecclesiastical jury and coming within his periphery. Instead pilate was told that Jesus perverted the people and forbade them to pay tributes to Rome.

It will be of interest to note here that, a strand of legend and Apocriphal literature mention that the same Senhedrin did dismiss such evidence given by those persons that Jesus had cured during His Public Ministry spanning a short three year period. It is chronicled therein that, " man after man, came saying, - " I was a leper, and Jesus healed me." Another said, " I was blind and He gave me sight " - yet another " I was deaf and now I hear because of this Jesus who said "Epehetha" and cured my deafness. Still another said "I was lame and this man gave me back my strength." (Vide W. Barclay’s Gospel of Mark.)

A question Jesus

Finally at the conclusion of the Jewish Supreme Court trial, the High Priest, taking the case to his own authority, asked Jesus a very impertinent question. It was impertinent because, it was "incriminating of the accused, while according to Jewish law, such a question was forbidden, as it would tantamount to condemning the man on his own accord. The H. Priest asked Jesus whether He was the Messiah.

At this juncture, Jesus thought enough was enough, and gave an answer for the first time in the whole trial, admitting that he was the Messiah. At this, the Sanhedrin rose to a man, and shouted in delight, because Jesus had at last admitted Himself as the Messiah, which amounted to blasphemy, in the eyes of the Jewish accusers. This and this alone, warranted the death penalty as a case against Jesus at last could be implicated and produced as proof to pilate.

We know how pilate refused to give a ruling since Jesus was said to be a Galillian and He was then referred to Herod, under whose ambit it fell to charge Jesus. But Herod had Jesus sent back to pilate and the two were made friends that day, having fallen out earlier on some issue. Pilate however tried his best to save Jesus, as many as four times, but the Jewish hatred persisted and ultimately won the day, resulting in Jesus being condemned to death by crucifixion.
- Sri Lanka Guardian