WHAT LAWS DID JESUS BREAK? (3)
(Message by Tanny Keng)
0. Introduction
a) What happened to Jesus, the Savior of mankind, is without precedent. Christ was condemned to death even AFTER he was declared innocent by the ruling authority (Pontius Pilate)!
b) Few people realize that Jesus actually had TWO trials. The first one, at the High Priest's palace, was right after his arrest and began around 2 a.m. Although this trial was held only with judges who were his enemies, enough of them were at the trial to officially arrive at a verdict and declare a sentence. Many of the details of this proceeding were recorded by the gospel authors. Because Jewish law demanded two sessions of the Sanhedrin hear and try a defendant, a second trial was held around 5 a.m. Very little is written about this proceeding, which was likely nothing more than a "rubber stamp" or automatic approval of the first trial. He was bound and sent to the Roman authorities around 6 a.m.
c) Below is the reason(s) why what happened to Christ after his last Passover, centering around what occurred during his first trial, was contrary to Biblical principles of justice or Jewish / Hebrew law.
1. The merits of the defense were not investigated
a) No investigation by the court was initiated to determine the merits of any accusations:
i) "If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, then both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. AND THE JUDGES SHALL MAKE CAREFUL INQUIRY . . . " (Deuteronomy 19:16-18)
b) Hebrew law provided no lawyers to defend or prosecute. The judges were the defenders and the witnesses the prosecutors. Therefore, the court was supposed to seek for evidence ONLY in behalf of the accused.
2. The arrest took place at night in order to hide evil
a) The arrest of Jesus was set in motion by chief priests bribing Judas to take them to him during the NIGHT (Matthew 26:14-16).
i)"Then Jesus answered and said to them, 'Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I was DAILY with you in the temple teaching, and YOU DID NOT SEIZE ME . . .' " (Mark 14:48-49)
b) Judas would not have been needed if the religious leaders were merely looking for ANY opportunity to make an arrest. For, as Jesus stated above, he OPENLY taught in Jerusalem's temple and therefore could have been taken at any time. What the council wanted, however, was to HIDE the evil they were doing! His arrest in the middle of the night was the beginning of the council's planned SUBVERSION of the entire legal process so that they could "legally" murder him! Perverting justice is condemned in scripture:
i) "You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to PERVERT JUSTICE." (Exodus 23:2)
ii) "You shall do NO INJUSTICE in judgment . . . You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord." (Leviticus 19:15-16)
iii) "YOU SHALL NOT PERVERT JUSTICE . . . " (Deuteronomy 16:19)
The End ...
a) What happened to Jesus, the Savior of mankind, is without precedent. Christ was condemned to death even AFTER he was declared innocent by the ruling authority (Pontius Pilate)!
b) Few people realize that Jesus actually had TWO trials. The first one, at the High Priest's palace, was right after his arrest and began around 2 a.m. Although this trial was held only with judges who were his enemies, enough of them were at the trial to officially arrive at a verdict and declare a sentence. Many of the details of this proceeding were recorded by the gospel authors. Because Jewish law demanded two sessions of the Sanhedrin hear and try a defendant, a second trial was held around 5 a.m. Very little is written about this proceeding, which was likely nothing more than a "rubber stamp" or automatic approval of the first trial. He was bound and sent to the Roman authorities around 6 a.m.
c) Below is the reason(s) why what happened to Christ after his last Passover, centering around what occurred during his first trial, was contrary to Biblical principles of justice or Jewish / Hebrew law.
1. The merits of the defense were not investigated
a) No investigation by the court was initiated to determine the merits of any accusations:
i) "If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, then both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. AND THE JUDGES SHALL MAKE CAREFUL INQUIRY . . . " (Deuteronomy 19:16-18)
b) Hebrew law provided no lawyers to defend or prosecute. The judges were the defenders and the witnesses the prosecutors. Therefore, the court was supposed to seek for evidence ONLY in behalf of the accused.
2. The arrest took place at night in order to hide evil
a) The arrest of Jesus was set in motion by chief priests bribing Judas to take them to him during the NIGHT (Matthew 26:14-16).
i)"Then Jesus answered and said to them, 'Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I was DAILY with you in the temple teaching, and YOU DID NOT SEIZE ME . . .' " (Mark 14:48-49)
b) Judas would not have been needed if the religious leaders were merely looking for ANY opportunity to make an arrest. For, as Jesus stated above, he OPENLY taught in Jerusalem's temple and therefore could have been taken at any time. What the council wanted, however, was to HIDE the evil they were doing! His arrest in the middle of the night was the beginning of the council's planned SUBVERSION of the entire legal process so that they could "legally" murder him! Perverting justice is condemned in scripture:
i) "You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to PERVERT JUSTICE." (Exodus 23:2)
ii) "You shall do NO INJUSTICE in judgment . . . You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord." (Leviticus 19:15-16)
iii) "YOU SHALL NOT PERVERT JUSTICE . . . " (Deuteronomy 16:19)
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