Betrayal, Arrest, and Trial

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Betrayal, Arrest, and Trial

• Assessing the Passion Epic

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The Historical Test of Plausibility

• No specific symbolic or theological purpose
  i.e. an origin that is more Jewish than
  Christian.
• Historically factual, culturally correct,
  geographically accurate, and linguistically
  linked to Aramaic (not Greek).
• Independent attestation from other sources.
• The incident helps to advance the story line or
  explain future events.
• It might prove embarrassing to the early Church.
  

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Other Tests of Johns Historical Validity

• Are these really different from similar incidents
  in the synoptic gospels i.e. the testimony of a
  separate eye-witness?
• Are they part of the hypothetical Book of Signs
  or are they separate?
• What is their theological importance, both for
  the author of John and his message?

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1. Palm Sunday Entrance Into Jerusalem

• By focusing on the procurement of the donkey(s),
  the synoptic gospels reveal that this was a
  carefully staged event.
• Matthew even includes two animals because of an
  error in the Greek text of Zech. 9 9.
• The crowd shouts, Hosanna to the Son of David
  (Matthew 21 9) and Blessed is the coming
  kingdom . . . of David (Mark 11 10).

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New Details in John 12 12- 19

• The crowd brought palm branches (from the
  marketplace) they are not native to Jerusalem
  i.e., evidence of pre-planning.
• They shout, Hosanna!. . Blessed is the king of
  Israel a religious, not a messianic title.
• Twice (12 9 and 17) John says the hometown crowd
  turned out more to see Lazarus.
• It was this provocative act that turned the
  Pharisees against Jesus (12 19).

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2. Heavenly Affirmation (John 12 20-36)

• Although John reveals that Philip spoke Greek, a
  delegation of Greeks were rebuffed in their
  attempt to meet with Jesus.
• Jesus seems to be in a spiritual trance when He
  hears an affirming voice from heaven. The crowd
  hears it as thunder or some sort of change in His
  countenance.
• Compare this with the Transfiguration Story

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What Does He Mean?

• Jesus predicts His death, saying The ruler of
  this world will be driven out (12 31). Does he
  mean Satan (Christian) or death?
• The crowd is confused, We have heard that the
  Messiah will remain forever . . . Who is this Son
  of Man (12 34)? Is Jesus claiming to be the
  Messiah or a/the prophet?

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3. The Last Supper (John 13 1-30)

• All four gospels depict an incident that was a
  critical element of the Passion epic, a dramatic
  re-enactment of events. Only John (as the
  Beloved Disciple) says he was there!
• Only John includes the strange enacted parable of
  Jesus washing the disciples feet, a task so base
  and defiling (for a Jew) that Romans could not
  demand it of slaves.

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Extra Details in Johns version

• In John, there is no special ritual made over
  breaking the bread or blessing the wine.
• The disciples are pictured reclining around a
  central feast in Middle-Eastern style not
  sitting at a table as in the synoptic gospels.
• The Beloved Disciple is reclining at Jesus right
  the place of honor so only he and Peter (to
  his right) understand Judas role.
• Judas is the bursar for the group.

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3. In the Garden of Gethsemane

• The scene of Jesus agony was also an essential
  element of the Passion epic, full of repetition.
  Jesus refers to God authentically as Abba. It
  is even possible to pick out the lines of the two
  actors (Jesus and the narrator). Lukes story has
  been enhanced to include sweating blood.
• If Jesus had withdrawn, how did they know what He
  was saying? Whose emotions are depicted Jesus
  or the disciples?

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John Omits the Agony in the Garden

• Johns Jesus appears to leave the Last Supper
  without any doubts or misgivings.
• He preaches a long and somewhat repetitive sermon
  that reveals the core of the authors (or is it
  Jesus) message, which the disciples do not seem
  to understand He must die so that the Spirit /
  Counselor must come. Is Jesus or the Holy Spirit
  the Messiah?

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4. The Arrest in the Garden

• Again, the synoptic gospels re-enact a scene from
  the Passion epic, complete with the dramatic
  gesture of the Judas kiss.
• Although Mark class the place Gethsemane
  (Gatshemanin in Aramaic), John says it was an
  olive grove and seems to describe some sort of
  structure (18 4 Jesus went out) akin to a well
  known cave on the Mount of Olives.

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Different Details in Johns account

• John twice (18 3 and 12) indicates that it was a
  detachment of Roman soldiers, not the hated
  (Jewish) Temple guard, who arrested and bound
  Jesus.
• The visual detail that they carried torches and
  lanterns (18 3) helps to set the scene Jesus
  and His disciples could have escaped.
• Peter was the disciple who cut off the right ear
  of the high priests servant (Malchus).

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5. The Arraignment

• In the synoptic gospels Jesus is improbably
  arrested after the Passover meal and taken to an
  illegal night meeting of the Sanhedrin held at
  the house of Caiphas. The Passion epic is built
  around Peters three-fold denial and Caiphas
  questioning.
• In addition to heavy editing of Jesus response,
  it was forbidden for Caiphas to rip the sacred
  robes of the high priest.

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Johns Version (John 18 12-27)

• John seems to make a mistake and has two high
  priests, Annas and his son-in-law Caiphas. Only
  the questioning by Annas is depicted in a far
  less confrontational scene.
• In John, these events take place the day before
  the Passover feast, and it is clear that Annas
  and Caiphas are the two witnesses required to
  support a Roman trial.

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Historical Confirmation?

• Josephus indicates that both Annas and Caiphas
  served in the role of the high priest, and thus
  deserved the title as a form of respect.
  Previously the position had been inherited for
  life, but since Herod the Romans had picked their
  own high priests.
• Josephus Jesus was accused by men of highest
  standing among us.

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Additional Details in Johns Account

• Peters three-fold denial took place at the house
  of Annas, not Caiphas.
• John twice (18 15 and 16) that he (as the
  Beloved Disciple) was well knoiwn at the house of
  Annas. He seems to know both the maid and
  Peters other accuser a kinsman of Malchus.
• The cock is the coronet of the Roman watch

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6. The Trial Before Pilate

• The synoptic gospels all try to diminish the role
  of Pilate in convicting and executing Jesus.
  They try to depict Pilate as a man of mercy (the
  appeal to Herod and the Barabbas incident) who
  eventually bowed to the will of his charges and
  carried out the death sentence imposed by the
  Sanhedrin.

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Different Details in John 18-28-40

• John describes a strange scene in which Pilate
  must cross back and forth from the praetorium,
  where he was questioning Jesus, to the temple
  grounds to question Anaas and Caiphas, His
  accusers (18 29, 33, 38, and 19 9), because
  they could not risk being contaminated before the
  Passover. The sentence was imposed at
  Gab-batha.

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Historical Confirmation?

• Archaeologists have discovered the remains of the
  temple grounds, Gab-batha (the judgment
  pavement), and the Roman praetorium (guard
  house), exactly as John described.
• Jews were so concerned that the high priest would
  be contaminated right before performing the
  Passover ritual that two individuals (high
  priests) were consecrated.

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Overview of Johns Account

• Written by someone who was extremely
  knowledgeable about Jerusalem, its power
  structure, and Temple intrigues.
• Specific details (i.e., it was the right ear of
  Malchus that Peter cut off) show him to be
  extremely confident of his sources and willing to
  vary from the Synoptic storyline.
• Others (i.e, lanterns and torches and Pilate at
  Gab-batha) appear to be from the memory of an
  eyewitness to the scene.

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Testing the Historical Validity of John

• His account of these incidents is far more Jewish
  than Christian there is no mention of
  salvation, apocalypse, or miraculous healings.
• Historically factual, culturally correct,
  geographically accurate, and linguistically
  linked to Aramaic (not Greek).
• These incidents helps to advance the story line,
  themes, and characters established in the
  so-called Book of Signs.
• His portrayal of Peter and the role of the Romans
  would be embarrassing to the early Church.

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Why Was Jesus Crucified?

• Although its easy to see why Jesus was a threat
  to the religious establishment, why were they and
  the Romans so eager to rush Him to a mock trial
  and execution, making an obvious martyr out of
  Him during the volatile Passover Season?
• Were the charges political (i.e., fomenting
  revolution) or merely religious?

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Evidence of Insurrection in the Gospels

• Simon the Zealot was one of the disciples
• The acceptable Year of the Lord, Lord of the
  Sabbath, etc. Jesus (or some of His followers)
  were trying to proclaim a Jubilee.
• The triumphal entry into Jerusalem was staged to
  be deliberately provocative.
• Build this house and in three days I will tear
  it down (John 2 19, Mark 132 and 14 58, Acts
  6 14, and 2 Cor 5 1) Jesus made some sort of
  threat to destroy the Temple.

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Jesus Was Not a Threat to Rome

• All four gospels proclaim Him innocent.
• John (18 30) He was just an evil-doer.
• If he was a threat, all His followers, even women
  and children, would be crucified.
• He didnt amass a crowd of followers He went
  instead to the temple to address them.
• The charge King of the Jews was religious,
  not political.

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Hints that the Charges Were Religious

• Mark 14 61-64 Are You the Son of the Most
  Blessed? vs. Lev. 14 6 the penalty for
  blasphemy was stoning.
• Prophesy! The penalty for false prophecy was
  death (Deut. 18 20).
• His death was according to the scriptures (1
  Cor. 15 3) vs. The Law says that the messiah
  will remain forever (John 12 34).
• Acts 7 53 You have murdered the Righteous One.

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The Scriptural Test of the Righteous One

• Let us lie in wait for the Righteous One . . .
  Because he opposes our actions . . . He professes
  to have knowledge of God and calls himself a
  child of the Lord. . . And boasts that God is his
  Father.
• Let us see if his words are true, and let us test
  what will happen at the end of his life for if
  the Righteous One is truly Gods son, the Lord
  will help him, and deliver him from the hands of
  his adversaries.

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What To Do With the Righteous One

• Let us test him with insult and torture, that we
  may find out how gentle he is, and make a trial
  of his forbearance.
• Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for
  according to what he says, he will be protected.
  Wisdom of Solomon 2 12-20
• Deut. 21 23 death by hanging (or crucifixion)
  was the most shameful form of death.

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Confirmation in the Synoptic Gospels?

• In Mark Jesus continuously warned His disciples
  that he would be rejected by the elders and
  chief priest (8 31), suffer many things and be
  treated with contempt (9 12), delivered into
  the hands of men who will kill him (9 31), and
  delivered to the chief priests and scribes, who
  will condemn him to death by delivering him to
  the Gentiles, who will mock him, spit upon him,
  scourge him, and kill him (10 33-24).

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The End of the Righteous One

• Isaiah 53 He was despised and rejected by men .
  . . Surely he has borne our griefs . . . Yet it
  was the will of the Lord to . . . put him to
  grief . . . . When he makes himself an offering
  for sin . . . the will of the Lord will prosper
  in his hand . . . . By his knowledge shall the
  Righteous One, my servant, make so many to be
  accounted righteous and he shall bear their
  iniquities.