THE TRIAL OF JESUS CHRIST
And The History Behind It
A Podcast Series On The History
Behind The Trial of Jesus Christ
From the Arrest, to the Jewish Trial, to the Roman Trial, and to The Crucifixion
And Continuing on to Select Characters at the Crucifixion
Behind The Trial of Jesus Christ
From the Arrest, to the Jewish Trial, to the Roman Trial, and to The Crucifixion
And Continuing on to Select Characters at the Crucifixion
A great deal of scholarship has gone into the relatively few words of the New Testament that describe the legal process employed to put to trial, convict, and execute, a Jewish rabbi, whose followers for 2,000 years since then have regarded as the Eternal Son of God, the Word made flesh to dwell, and to die, among us.
My goal in this podcast series is to introduce listeners to some of this scholarship, to unpack it, and to let listeners appreciate the difficulty – and reward – of parsing Biblical texts. Believers and non-believers, I think, will at least find the subject fascinating, because history and careful reading of Scripture offers us great insights into passages that are often short and cryptic.
But I also think, or at least hope, that believers will come to see deeper meanings and significance in the details addressed and, in the end, will grow in faith and love for the one who is at the central focus of this event.
I cover this topic in seven episodes:
Episode 1: Background and Sources. Any careful study of any important text requires understanding the background and source material for that text. It’s important to do that here, especially as most mistaken accounts about the Trial of Jesus rely on Jewish trial rules published some two hundred years later that did not likely apply at the time of Jesus. We have to know what we don’t know. And I also want to be faithful to Scripture, especially since we have four different voices – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – telling us when, where, and what, happened.
Episode 2: The Arrest. Who wanted Jesus arrested and why? The arresting parties didn’t just invent reasons to arrest Jesus. They thought they had legitimate grounds for his arrest. And so they showed up at the Garden of Gethsemane with their warrant. And who was there to arrest him? Romans? No, probably not, for a great many reasons, in spite of how many movies portray them being there.
Episode 3: The Preliminary Hearing. The trial was before the Sanhedrin. What do we know about that judicial body, the highest governing body in Jerusalem, subject to no king? But the arresting parties first took Jesus to Annas, a former high priest of great distinction. Why did they do that? And where did the Sanhedrin convene? What kind of courtroom was this? Who was there? And how did Peter end up in the courtyard?
Episode 4: The Jewish Trial. Trial commenced. With what rules? How did the trial proceed? Who testified? Why did the trial go all night? What was a blasphemy? Did Jesus blaspheme? Why did the chief priests bring Jesus to Pilate for capital punishment on a religious charge?
Episode 5: Pontius Pilate. We don’t know much about Pontius Pilate, but we know what his duties were, and we know a few incidents about him from Scripture and history that give us a good glimpse of who he was. He was not a cruel monster and he was not indifferent to injustice. But he acted in a moment of weakness. Why? And what trial processes may we assume he used, especially after piecing together the Gospel accounts?
Episode 6: The Roman Trial. Small details in Scripture give us a fascinating insight into what was going on between Pilate and Jesus. Pilate was intrigued and he gave Jesus due process. He interrogated him twice. He sent him to Herod who wanted to see miracles. We also encounter Barabbas. Why? We encounter Claudia Procula. We see scourging and mocking. And in the end, we see Pilate retreat. He delivers his sentence. Why?
Episode 7: The Crucifixion. Crucifixion was commonly done, and rarely discussed. It was that horrific. What do we know about it and its history? On what day was Jesus crucified? You would think we know. We don’t know for sure, anyhow. But the issues regarding what day that was are worthy of reflection. And the Pascal Mystery emerges; the Triumph of the Cross begins.
Characters at the Crucifixion
After first posting these seven episodes in 2019, I’ve been most grateful to comments from listeners. In 2020, I decided to add more episodes related to the various characters who were at the scene of the Crucifixion. I wanted to address those characters with the same approach as I took in the study of the Trial – to understand as much as we can about these individuals through careful study of Scripture and history.
If you liked the first seven episodes on the Trial, I think you’ll like these additional episodes. And if you haven’t listened to any of the episodes on the Trial, you can pick up with any one of these for starters and not miss anything.
Episode 8: The Two Thieves. Jesus was crucified between two thieves – “robbers,” is the actual word for them. One reviled him, the other asked for his help. There is something terribly poignant about the request from the one robber, and even more poignant about Jesus’ response, when we unpack the meaning behind it. We dive deeply into this profoundly moving, astounding scene.
Episode 9: The Centurion. He was there. He was the first to make a bold proclamation of faith. How on earth did he do that? This episode addresses everything you want to know about how one came to be, and what it was like to be, a Roman Centurion. And we’ll cover what the New Testament says about other Centurions, too. Which is not only surprising, but edifying.
Episodes 10-13: The Women at the Cross. This is a subject that keeps going and going and touches on a profound mystery: Why were women at the Cross and not men (well, other than John)? They could withstand the horror of crucifixion and the men could not. Why? There’s much to talk about in these episodes and about the unique role that women had in salvation history.
Episode 10: The Gospel Accounts. The Gospels mentions at least seven women at the Cross – Mary, Mary, Mary, Salone, Susanna, Joanna, and Holy Mary. We get different details for each of them. Really interesting details. It’s worth paying close attention to those details.
Episode 11: Three Marys and Salome. Mary of Clopus; who was this woman? Jesus’ aunt? And who was Clopus, her husband? Mary Magdalene is unforgettable. But she is not likely the “sinner woman” as often thought. Then there’s Mary, the mother of James and Joses, another strong woman. And then Salome. She was rich. She helped support Jesus and his disciples out of her means. What would that have entailed? Lots.
Episode 12: Susanna and Joanna. Susanna was rich, too, although we don’t know much about her. But we have a lot we can know about Joanna, because she was “the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward.” Joanna is probably the most overlooked and most important women in all of the Gospels. We come to see exactly why. You will never overlook her, or any of these other women, again. And we have Professor Richard Baukham to thank for this.
Episode 13: Mary, the Mother of Jesus. The theotokos was at the Cross, too, the “Mother of God.” The Gospel of John invites us to a Master Class on Scriptural Interpretation, and Mary here is our chief study. Why did Jesus call her “woman?” What is her connection to Eve? And what was the significance of the Wedding at Cana? Close attention to words makes all the difference in the world. And it does so here. Pay attention. We’re talking about the Mother of all Christians. And Jesus was not telling John to take her home and give her a nice seat by the fireplace.
Episodes 14 and 15: Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a rich Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews who met with Jesus and who helped bury Jesus. Many have questioned his faith over the years, but many others see him as a believer, though one in development. I wanted to crawl under his skin and see what he saw and why he did what he did. He turns out to be an extraordinary figure worthy of our contemplation and admiration.
Episode 14: Nicodemus, The One Who Came At Night. The Gospel of John tells us three things about him – his meeting with Jesus at night, his defense of Jesus at Sukkoth, and his lavish burial of Jesus. On careful reading, each of these incidents tells us much about him. And much we can learn from him.
Episode 15: Nicodemus, The Pharisee. Scholars say we know less about the Pharisees than we once thought we did. But we do know some things. Things from history, Josephus, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and rabbinic literature. And those things make Nicodemus one of the most intriguing characters in all of the Gospels. A compelling case can be made to call him “St. Nicodemus.”
Episode 16: John, The Fisherman (Part 1). Jesus called him a "Son of Thunder," apparently for his temper and impetuosity. But he was later known as the "Apostle of Love." How, when, and why did he go from being the former to the latter? At the Crucifixion? He grew up as a commercial fisherman on Lake Galilee. What can we know about him?
Episode 17: John, The Fisherman (Part 2). John grew up in Bethsaida, in a devout Jewish family. He studied, he prayed, he looked forward to the Messiah. He worked with his dad, Zebedee, and his older brother James, in the commercial fishing industry. They were partners with Peter and Andrew. The skill sets they had as fisherman were exactly the skills Jesus was looking for in picking his first Apostles.
Episode 18: John, The Apostle (Part 1). John was likely the "other disciple" of John, the Baptist, along with Andrew, which explains why he followed Jesus immediately at Lake Galilee. Jesus singled out John (along with Peter and James) to experience three secret events -- the raising of Jarius' daughter from the dead, the Transfiguration, and the Agony in the Garden. Why? What did John learn from these events?
Episode 19: John, The Apostle (Part 2). Jesus had good reason to call John a "Son of Thunder." John was fiery, impetuous, and we see that from different events in the Gospels. He was also the "Beloved Disciple" mentioned in the Fourth Gospel and the arguments that say otherwise just don't hold up. At some point, he became known as the "Apostle of Love." Did that change occur at the scene of the Crucifixion?
* * *
As always, I thank you listeners for your comments and feedback. And mostly I thank you for your common interest in this great subject of our Faith.
Enjoy.
- David A. Shaneyfelt
Lent 2024
My goal in this podcast series is to introduce listeners to some of this scholarship, to unpack it, and to let listeners appreciate the difficulty – and reward – of parsing Biblical texts. Believers and non-believers, I think, will at least find the subject fascinating, because history and careful reading of Scripture offers us great insights into passages that are often short and cryptic.
But I also think, or at least hope, that believers will come to see deeper meanings and significance in the details addressed and, in the end, will grow in faith and love for the one who is at the central focus of this event.
I cover this topic in seven episodes:
Episode 1: Background and Sources. Any careful study of any important text requires understanding the background and source material for that text. It’s important to do that here, especially as most mistaken accounts about the Trial of Jesus rely on Jewish trial rules published some two hundred years later that did not likely apply at the time of Jesus. We have to know what we don’t know. And I also want to be faithful to Scripture, especially since we have four different voices – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – telling us when, where, and what, happened.
Episode 2: The Arrest. Who wanted Jesus arrested and why? The arresting parties didn’t just invent reasons to arrest Jesus. They thought they had legitimate grounds for his arrest. And so they showed up at the Garden of Gethsemane with their warrant. And who was there to arrest him? Romans? No, probably not, for a great many reasons, in spite of how many movies portray them being there.
Episode 3: The Preliminary Hearing. The trial was before the Sanhedrin. What do we know about that judicial body, the highest governing body in Jerusalem, subject to no king? But the arresting parties first took Jesus to Annas, a former high priest of great distinction. Why did they do that? And where did the Sanhedrin convene? What kind of courtroom was this? Who was there? And how did Peter end up in the courtyard?
Episode 4: The Jewish Trial. Trial commenced. With what rules? How did the trial proceed? Who testified? Why did the trial go all night? What was a blasphemy? Did Jesus blaspheme? Why did the chief priests bring Jesus to Pilate for capital punishment on a religious charge?
Episode 5: Pontius Pilate. We don’t know much about Pontius Pilate, but we know what his duties were, and we know a few incidents about him from Scripture and history that give us a good glimpse of who he was. He was not a cruel monster and he was not indifferent to injustice. But he acted in a moment of weakness. Why? And what trial processes may we assume he used, especially after piecing together the Gospel accounts?
Episode 6: The Roman Trial. Small details in Scripture give us a fascinating insight into what was going on between Pilate and Jesus. Pilate was intrigued and he gave Jesus due process. He interrogated him twice. He sent him to Herod who wanted to see miracles. We also encounter Barabbas. Why? We encounter Claudia Procula. We see scourging and mocking. And in the end, we see Pilate retreat. He delivers his sentence. Why?
Episode 7: The Crucifixion. Crucifixion was commonly done, and rarely discussed. It was that horrific. What do we know about it and its history? On what day was Jesus crucified? You would think we know. We don’t know for sure, anyhow. But the issues regarding what day that was are worthy of reflection. And the Pascal Mystery emerges; the Triumph of the Cross begins.
Characters at the Crucifixion
After first posting these seven episodes in 2019, I’ve been most grateful to comments from listeners. In 2020, I decided to add more episodes related to the various characters who were at the scene of the Crucifixion. I wanted to address those characters with the same approach as I took in the study of the Trial – to understand as much as we can about these individuals through careful study of Scripture and history.
If you liked the first seven episodes on the Trial, I think you’ll like these additional episodes. And if you haven’t listened to any of the episodes on the Trial, you can pick up with any one of these for starters and not miss anything.
Episode 8: The Two Thieves. Jesus was crucified between two thieves – “robbers,” is the actual word for them. One reviled him, the other asked for his help. There is something terribly poignant about the request from the one robber, and even more poignant about Jesus’ response, when we unpack the meaning behind it. We dive deeply into this profoundly moving, astounding scene.
Episode 9: The Centurion. He was there. He was the first to make a bold proclamation of faith. How on earth did he do that? This episode addresses everything you want to know about how one came to be, and what it was like to be, a Roman Centurion. And we’ll cover what the New Testament says about other Centurions, too. Which is not only surprising, but edifying.
Episodes 10-13: The Women at the Cross. This is a subject that keeps going and going and touches on a profound mystery: Why were women at the Cross and not men (well, other than John)? They could withstand the horror of crucifixion and the men could not. Why? There’s much to talk about in these episodes and about the unique role that women had in salvation history.
Episode 10: The Gospel Accounts. The Gospels mentions at least seven women at the Cross – Mary, Mary, Mary, Salone, Susanna, Joanna, and Holy Mary. We get different details for each of them. Really interesting details. It’s worth paying close attention to those details.
Episode 11: Three Marys and Salome. Mary of Clopus; who was this woman? Jesus’ aunt? And who was Clopus, her husband? Mary Magdalene is unforgettable. But she is not likely the “sinner woman” as often thought. Then there’s Mary, the mother of James and Joses, another strong woman. And then Salome. She was rich. She helped support Jesus and his disciples out of her means. What would that have entailed? Lots.
Episode 12: Susanna and Joanna. Susanna was rich, too, although we don’t know much about her. But we have a lot we can know about Joanna, because she was “the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward.” Joanna is probably the most overlooked and most important women in all of the Gospels. We come to see exactly why. You will never overlook her, or any of these other women, again. And we have Professor Richard Baukham to thank for this.
Episode 13: Mary, the Mother of Jesus. The theotokos was at the Cross, too, the “Mother of God.” The Gospel of John invites us to a Master Class on Scriptural Interpretation, and Mary here is our chief study. Why did Jesus call her “woman?” What is her connection to Eve? And what was the significance of the Wedding at Cana? Close attention to words makes all the difference in the world. And it does so here. Pay attention. We’re talking about the Mother of all Christians. And Jesus was not telling John to take her home and give her a nice seat by the fireplace.
Episodes 14 and 15: Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a rich Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews who met with Jesus and who helped bury Jesus. Many have questioned his faith over the years, but many others see him as a believer, though one in development. I wanted to crawl under his skin and see what he saw and why he did what he did. He turns out to be an extraordinary figure worthy of our contemplation and admiration.
Episode 14: Nicodemus, The One Who Came At Night. The Gospel of John tells us three things about him – his meeting with Jesus at night, his defense of Jesus at Sukkoth, and his lavish burial of Jesus. On careful reading, each of these incidents tells us much about him. And much we can learn from him.
Episode 15: Nicodemus, The Pharisee. Scholars say we know less about the Pharisees than we once thought we did. But we do know some things. Things from history, Josephus, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and rabbinic literature. And those things make Nicodemus one of the most intriguing characters in all of the Gospels. A compelling case can be made to call him “St. Nicodemus.”
Episode 16: John, The Fisherman (Part 1). Jesus called him a "Son of Thunder," apparently for his temper and impetuosity. But he was later known as the "Apostle of Love." How, when, and why did he go from being the former to the latter? At the Crucifixion? He grew up as a commercial fisherman on Lake Galilee. What can we know about him?
Episode 17: John, The Fisherman (Part 2). John grew up in Bethsaida, in a devout Jewish family. He studied, he prayed, he looked forward to the Messiah. He worked with his dad, Zebedee, and his older brother James, in the commercial fishing industry. They were partners with Peter and Andrew. The skill sets they had as fisherman were exactly the skills Jesus was looking for in picking his first Apostles.
Episode 18: John, The Apostle (Part 1). John was likely the "other disciple" of John, the Baptist, along with Andrew, which explains why he followed Jesus immediately at Lake Galilee. Jesus singled out John (along with Peter and James) to experience three secret events -- the raising of Jarius' daughter from the dead, the Transfiguration, and the Agony in the Garden. Why? What did John learn from these events?
Episode 19: John, The Apostle (Part 2). Jesus had good reason to call John a "Son of Thunder." John was fiery, impetuous, and we see that from different events in the Gospels. He was also the "Beloved Disciple" mentioned in the Fourth Gospel and the arguments that say otherwise just don't hold up. At some point, he became known as the "Apostle of Love." Did that change occur at the scene of the Crucifixion?
* * *
As always, I thank you listeners for your comments and feedback. And mostly I thank you for your common interest in this great subject of our Faith.
Enjoy.
- David A. Shaneyfelt
Lent 2024
"He treats Scripture seriously.
He treats history seriously.
He treats theology seriously.
And the trials come alive."
He treats history seriously.
He treats theology seriously.
And the trials come alive."
