Trials of Jesus

by Bertrand L. Comparet

Taken From Your Heritage

At this season of the year, when we are celebrating the crucifixion and resurrection of our redeemer, Yahshua and His gift of the spirit to His disciples, it is well to carefully review the events on which our faith is based. The penalty of sin is death. We are saved from this penalty because Yahshua could pay it for us, since He had no sin of His own to pay for. He died only for us. The Jews claim that He was a criminal, crucified in punishment for His own crimes. Yet, the record shows that He was tried in three courts and found innocent under the law, in all three. Let’s look at the record.

The Jews are NOT Israel. They are descendants of Cain and of Esau, hence Canaanite and Edomite Jews. The children of Jacob Israel are the white nations of the world. We are the true Israelites.

Israelite law never allowed trial by a single judge, a court of three judges was the smallest. This corresponded to our Justice of the Peace, who can try only very minor cases. Every town of at least 120 families had a Minor Sanhedrin, composed of 23 judges. This Minor Sanhedrin had general jurisdiction of all serious civil and criminal cases. It also served as a tax board and governed schools, highways, sanitary regulations, etc. As Jerusalem was the largest city in Palestine, it had two Minor Sanhedrin.

Jerusalem had the only Great Sanhedrin, a court of general civil and criminal jurisdiction. It was composed of 71 judges, there being 23 in the Chamber of Priests, 23 in the Chamber of Scribes, 23 in the Chamber of Elders and two presiding officers. Lawful court hours began after the morning sacrifice and ended before the evening sacrifice. No part of any criminal case could be heard outside these hours. After hearing the evidence, each judge gave a brief statement of his view of the case, those judges that favored acquittal speaking first. After the arguments came the voting, at which the youngest judges must vote first, so they would be voting their own honest views and not be overawed by their elders. If the accused was acquitted, he was released at once. Bible and Israelite law took great care to avoid convicting an innocent man.

If the accused was found guilty, the trial was recessed until the next afternoon so the judges could reconsider the case overnight. On the second afternoon, each judge must vote and give his reasons for it again. If his reasons differed from those he had used on the first day, his vote could not be counted for conviction. One who had first voted for conviction could change his vote, but one who had first voted for acquittal could not change his vote.

At least 37 votes were needed to convict, but conviction by unanimous vote on the 1st ballot was legally considered to be an acquittal. It was felt that such a conviction must be the result of passion and prejudice. If the second day’s hearing also resulted in conviction, sentence was deferred until sunset. Any new arguments could be considered and if need be, a new vote taken. Because of this requirement of a second day’s session, no trial for a capital crime could be lawfully begun on the day before a sabbath or a holy day.

Under both Bible and Israelite law, no man could be condemned on the testimony of only one witness. Each of the two or more witnesses must be able to testify to enough facts to prove the crime. It could not be put together out of many fragments. Only one witness was allowed in the courtroom at any time, so none could hear what the others said. If the prosecution’s witnesses disagreed, all were rejected. No man’s life could be taken on such uncertain evidence. When a condemned defendant was led away to execution, a herald with a crimson banner led the procession, shouting out the name of the accused and the charges against him. He called upon anyone who knew any facts concerning the case, to speak up. If anyone did so, or if any judge thought of any new arguments in favor of the accused, they brought the defendant back and reconsidered his case.

The Jewish Talmud also forbade conviction of anyone of a crime punishable by death or flogging, unless it was proven that just before the commission of the crime, he had been warned that what he was about to do was a crime. The only exceptions to this were the crimes of burglary, perjury and leading others to the worship of idols. The records show that Yahshua was not tried by a Jewish court competent to convict Him. John 18:19-24 shows that He was first tried by Caiaphas, the high priest, sitting as a single judge. This was at a private examination, without any witnesses a little after midnight. This was illegal in every respect. Caiaphas was an Edomite Sadducee Jew. His next hearing was before the high priest and the Great Sanhedrin. Matthew 26:73-75 shows that this was before 3 A. M. It was also the day before a holy day, the Passover, so no capital crime could be lawfully begun on that day, even at a proper hour. These proceedings were therefore totally unlawful and void.

The mock trial they held was equally corrupt. Mark 14:55-59 shows that the false witnesses they brought against Him could not agree on their perjured stories, so there was no lawful evidence against Him. Even the high priest recognized this, so they abandoned their first charge, which was in the nature of sedition. This was because Yahshua had said that He would destroy the temple and then rebuild it. They craftily tried again, without specifying any charges against Him, by asking Him if He was really the Christ, the Son of Yahweh, to which He replied, “I am”. They then declared that this was blasphemy. Then they said, “What need have we of witnesses?” Under their own law, even if such a statement had been blasphemy, they could not convict without the testimony of two witnesses, either with or without a confession in open court.

But it was not blasphemy, for under their own law, blasphemy consisted only in using vile language toward Yahweh. Not even their own false witnesses had accused Him of this. Every Israelite could say that he was a son of Yahweh. Deuteronomy 14:1 says, “Ye are all children of Yahweh your God.” Psalm 82 says, “All of you are the children of the Most High.” So this charge was false also. While they condemned Him on it, they abandoned it as false and unproven when they brought Him before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.

While the Great Sanhedrin met again just after midnight, both Matthew 27:1 and Mark 15:1 show this was not to hold a trial, but only a strategy meeting. They planned how to get the Romans to commit their murder for them.

Early in the morning, soon after dawn, the Jews brought Yahshua before the Roman governor with their new accusations. Again, this was just a judicial lynching. Remember, even if the trial had been lawfully begun after this time, a conviction would require that it recess until the afternoon of the next day for reconsideration. If the second day’s trial resulted in conviction, sentence would be deferred until sunset, so the third day would be the shorter time in which a legal execution could be held. Still, they were rushing their judicial murder through on the first day.

The record shows that after the Jews brought Yahshua before Pontius Pilate, Pilate held the Roman trial, then sent Yahshua away to another part of the city where Herod was staying. Herod was an Edomite Jew. Herod held another trial, then Herod sent Him back to Pontius Pilate, who again tried to reason with the Jews. Finally he gave up and allowed Yahshua to be crucified. All this was done so early that the crucifixion itself occurred about noon.

The Hebrew day began at sunset. The night was divided into four watches of three hours each. The day, which began about 6 A.M. at that time of year, was divided into twelve hours beginning at sunrise. John 19:14 shows that the final hearing before Pilate ended a little before the sixth hour, which would be noon. Luke 23:44 tells that the actual crucifixion occurred soon after noon.

To sum up the Jewish trials, we see that He was tried by a merely pretended court. A group of men who had no legal power to sit as a court in the darkness of night. No legal evidence was heard against Him. He was given no opportunity to prepare a defense to bring in witnesses in His defense. He was convicted and condemned to death on a false charge of blasphemy. His judges well knew that His words, whether true or false, were not blasphemy under their law. He was murdered the same day, without the reconsideration of the case which the law required.

Furthermore, so long as they pretended to be a court, they were bound by the law. When Yahshua was convicted on the first ballot by a unanimous vote, their own law gave this the legal effect of a verdict of not guilty. Nobody can truthfully say that any Jewish trial proved Yahshua guilty of any crime or sin whatsoever.

Next, I will show you that the Roman trial likewise proved Yahshua had no crime or sin of His own to answer for. He died for our sins, to win salvation and redemption of His people Israel.

by Bertrand L. Comparet

Taken From Your Heritage

The essential core of Christianity is the fact Yahshua brought salvation and redemption to Israel, by paying the death penalty for our sins. He was able to die for our sins, since He had no sins of His own to answer for. In my last lesson, I showed that even the corrupt, mock trial given Him by the Jews, actually proved Him innocent under Israelite law. Let us now consider what followed the Jewish trial.

As soon as it was daylight, the Great Sanhedrin met and planned to get the Romans to commit their political murder for them, trying thus to shift the blame. They dragged Yahshua before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. When Pontius Pilate asked what the charges were, John 18:30-31 shows that the Jews were evasive and merely said, “if He were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up to thee.” Pilate would not be so easily taken in, so he replied, “Take ye Him and judge Him according to your law.” However, they were determined to get others to do their murder for them, so they said, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.” This is false, for they were allowed to judge and punish under their own laws, as Pilate had told them.

Three years later they did kill the martyr Stephen by stoning him to death, as Acts chapter 7 relates. This was a form of execution used under Israelite law, so the Romans did not interfere with it. Stoning was a quick death and they wanted the slow torture of crucifixion for Yahshua, which only the Romans could use. They therefore brought new charges against Yahshua before Pilate, abandoning as unproven the charges on which they had condemned Him in the Jewish trial.

This was a formal charge of sedition against the Roman empire so Pilate had to hold a trial on it. Under Roman law, there were four elements or stages, of a criminal trial. It began with the formal accusation or indictment, stating the crime which had been committed. Next came the examination, in which all evidence against the accused was heard and the accused was required to answer the charges made. Then the accused made his defense and was allowed ten days time to prepare, if he needed it. Finally came the judgment. The gospels record the complete Roman trial. First is the indictment in Luke 23:1-5, “And the whole multitude of them arose and led Him unto Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that He Himself is the Christ, a king.” The Jews knew this was a false charge, for they had sent their agents to entrap Him regarding paying the tribute money to Caesar. Matthew 22:15:-22, Mark 12:13-17 and Luke 20:19-26 all record Yahshua’s answer. “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and unto Yahweh that which is Yahweh’s.” Probably Pilate’s spies had reported this to him for he wasn’t much impressed. Luke continues, “And Pilate asked Him saying, Art thou the King of Judaea? And He answered them and said, Thou sayest. Then said Pilate to the high priests and to the people, I find no fault in this Man.”

Here is the first legal ruling in the Roman trial. Pilate ruled that an accusation, known to be false, was not sufficient, Yahshua was innocent. Then the Jewish clamor for His murder became so threatening that Pilate proceeded with the trial. John 18:33-38 records the examination, defense, and the judgment. “Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again and called Yahshua and said unto Him, Art thou the King of Judea?. Yahshua answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of Me? Pilate answered; Am I a Judean? Thine own nation and the high priests have delivered Thee unto me: what hast Thou done? Yahshua answered, My kingdom is not of this world order: if My kingdom were of this world order, then would My servants fight that I would not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, art thou a king then? Yahshua answered, thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth My voice. Pilate said unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews and saith unto them, I find no fault in Him at all.” Although Pilate recognized the accusation as false, he had held a trial, heard both sides and now gave his formal judgment, “I find no fault in Him at all.”

Justice was the last thing in the world the Jews wanted. They began to riot saying, “He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Judaea, beginning from Galilee to this place.” The situation was becoming dangerous. Pilate was enough of a politician to pass a hot potato to someone else to handle. Luke 23:5-12 records, Herod Antipas, governor of Galilee, was then in Jerusalem. When Pilate heard that Yahshua’s home was in Galilee, he sent Yahshua to Herod for trial, as one of Herod’s subjects.

Herod heard all the accusations against Yahshua. The charges were so obviously false that Yahshua made no reply at all to them. Herod found nothing to the charges, so he merely mocked and ridiculed Yahshua and sent Him back to Pilate, who again tried to save Him. Luke 23:13-15 records, “And Pilate, when he had called together the high priest and rulers of the people, said unto them, Ye have brought this Man unto me as one that perverteth the people: and behold I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this Man touching those things whereof ye accuse Him. No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him and lo, nothing worthy of death is done by Him.”

Pilate tried to divert their hatred by ridiculing Yahshua with a purple robe, a crown of thorns and a reed for a scepter. He tried to arouse their pity by having Yahshua cruelly flogged. Nothing but the cruelest murder would satisfy their hatred.

John chapter 19 records the hopeless effort to save Him. “Pilate therefore went forth again and said unto them, I bring Him forth to you that ye may know that I find no fault in Him. Then came Yahshua forth wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said unto them, Behold the Man! When the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, Crucify Him, crucify Him. Pilate said unto them, Take ye him and crucify Him: for I find no fault in Him. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release Him: but the Jews cried out saying, If thou let this Man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard this saying, he brought Yahshua forth and sat down in the judgment seat. Then he delivered Him unto them to be crucified.” As Matthew 27:25 records, “Then answered all the people, His blood be upon us and on our children.”

We have the record, in every essential detail, showing Yahshua was brought to trial on all the Jewish charges against Him. Their accusations were proven false in their own Great Sanhedrin, which they admitted by abandoning the charges on which they tried Him, bringing completely new charges before Pilate. Under Israelitish law, the trial held before the Great Sanhedrin resulted in a finding of innocence. There was another trial, held in careful conformity to all the rules of Roman law, which resulted in the verdict, “I find no fault at all.”

Then there was a third trial, held before Herod, who found nothing on which to convict Him. Herod merely ridiculed Yahshua and sent Him back to Pilate, without ordering any kind of punishment. So there the record stands, the courts of Yahshua’s worst enemies could not find any crime or sin He had done. He does give us redemption and salvation,having died to pay the penalty for our sins, having no sin of His own to answer for.