Chapter 18 of Jesus Before Christianity is about Jesus' trial by Rome and the collaboration of the Jewish leaders with Rome. Nolan looks at the charges "which
they could have brought against Jesus, the charges which they actually
did bring against him and the real motives for wanting to destroy
him...Jesus could have been charged with deliberately breaking the
Sabbath or practicing magic (casting out devils by the power of Satan);
he was actually charged with claiming to be the Messiah-king; and the
real motive, according to Mark followed by Matthew, was envy or
jealousy..."
He points out that because these distinctions aren't maintained
consistently by the gospel writers, there is confusion about this. The
author also distinguishes between the part played by Rome and the part
played by the Jewish leaders in Jesus' sentencing and death: "Jesus was tried, sentenced and executed by the Roman court. But the
gospel writers, like all early Christians, endeavored to make it quite
clear that, in spite of this, the Jewish leaders were more to blame for
Jesus' death than the Romans."
In the confusing reports by the gospel writers, there is one thing
certain which is that Jesus' claim to be the Messiah or king of the Jews
is the only thing that He was charged with by Rome and it was Rome that
carried out the crucifixion. (The Jews had no authority to do this.)
A remarkable thing about Jesus' trial is that He never defended Himself. No matter what He was accused of or who accused Him, He remained silent. "Jesus stood there without a word, putting everyone else to the test. The truth of the matter is that it was not Jesus who was on trial. His betrayers and accusers were on trial before him. His silence puzzled, disturbed, questioned and tested them. Their words were turned back at them and they condemned themselves out of their own mouths."
The chapter ends with a summary of all those who were tested and judged by the killing of Jesus: the High Priest Caiaphas and his associates who collaborated with Rome to save their nation and their own skin and positions rather than defend Jesus; the scribes, Pharisees and others who knowingly rejected His 'kingdom' of the poor'; the disciples of Jesus who betrayed him (Judas), denied him (Peter) and forsook him (all the rest); Jesus Himself was tested and tried severely in the garden before His death...
"Jesus alone was able to accept the challenge of the hour. It set him above everyone else as the silent truth that judges every human being. Jesus died alone as the only person who had been able to survive the test. Everyone else failed and yet everyone else was given another chance..."
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