The Trial of Jesus Christ by One Catholic Lawyer

For Jesus' enemies, his death was certain, the process was not.  They could make it up as they go along.  The role of the scribes was eerily similar to that of a modern trial lawyer or staff counsel at a Congressional hearing, brains behind the scene.  Now that we know what scribes did, and how they were regarded, we have a good idea of what they were doing before, during, and after Jesus' trial. They set a strategy in motion, and with conniving and effort, it worked.  Little did they know, their End Game would become the proximate cause of the salvation of the world. 

It's Holy Week and the scribes have had it.  Jesus has humiliated them.  And the crowd was "delighted."  They appeared to like lawyer jokes just like people do today. The scribes now want him dead.But, again, not all scribes, and Jesus approves of some and he confirms the importance of their work.  For others, First Degree Murder is now in the works and their motive is crystal clear.  Timing now, for them, is everything.

Jesus takes the scribes head-on.  He parries with them and wins, every time.  Seeing how he does that makes us understand exactly why they want to kill him.  But not all of them.  Some come very close to the kingdom of God.  The Gospels present us with a fascinating account of Jesus' interaction with them, both as a class, and individually.

Scribes were the scholars of the Torah.  They taught The Law; they were expected to know The Law.  What they did was very much like what lawyers do today.  Knowing what they did, and how they were regarded, tells us much of what they were like when Jesus encountered them.

Who were the scribes - a remarkable class of people who arose in about the 5th century B.C. and gave us the Bible in written form? Why would we find them involved in the Crucifixion of Jesus several centuries later? I think I know why; they were lawyers like I am.

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."  Is it plausible that change occurred at the scene of the Crucifixion?

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?

Jesus called him a "Son of Thunder." He was also known as the "Apostle of Love." When, how, and why did he change? What can we know about him through Scripture and history? Let's go into his life in Galilee, how he was raised, how he prayed, how he worked as a commercial fisherman and why Jesus needed his special skills. (Part 2)

Jesus called him a "Son of Thunder." He was also known as the "Apostle of Love." When, how, and why did he change? What can we know about him through Scripture and history? Let's go into his life in Galilee, how he was raised, how he prayed, how he worked as a commercial fisherman and why Jesus needed his special skills. (Part 1)

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, rabbinic literature, and the Gospels. Things that help us understand what Nicodemus may have thought and taught. 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.”

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.  In this first of two parts, we unpack what the Gospel of John says 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.  He turns out to be an extraordinary figure worthy of our contemplation and admiration.

John's Gospel records Jesus as having told His mother to "behold her son" and John to "behold his mother."  Many Church Fathers and other commentators say that Jesus was acting as a good son in taking care of His mother before He died.  But is this really the case?  Do John's words mean something different?  Why did Jesus call Mary "Woman," and not "Mother?"  Is there an echo to Cana?  To Genesis?  If so, what does that tell us about the relationship between John and Mary and who they represent?  (The last in a four-part series on "The Women at the Cross.")

Who were these wealthy women who followed Jesus and supported him out of their means?  What can we know about Joanna, the aristocratic wife of Herod's steward, Chuza?  Was she the one whom Paul called "outstanding among the apostles" after spending time with her in prison in Rome?

Mary of Clopus was at the Cross.  Who was she and who was Clopus?  Mary Magdalen was there, too.  Was she the "Sinner Woman" mentioned elsewhere in the Gospels?  And another Mary was there, too, Mary, the Mother of James and Joses.  What do we know about her?  And finally, Salome, who was she?  Join us for Part 2 of a four-part series on "The Women at the Cross."

Jesus’ followers included many women from Galilee who supported him out of their means.  They followed him to Calvary.  Who were these extraordinary women and what do the different Gospel accounts say about them?  Did Jesus have an "Aunt Mary" who was there, too?  Join us for this Part 1 of a four-part series on "The Women at the Cross."

Who was the Centurion at the foot of the Cross? What do we know about centurions in history and in Scripture? What do we make of his words, "Truly, this was God's Son?"

Who were the two criminals executed along with Jesus?  What do we know about robbers then?  What do the legends say?  Why did one repent?  What did Jesus mean when he said he would be with him in Paradise that day?

How did crucifixion originate?  Why did the Romans use it? How was it done?  How was it done to Jesus? What figures did Jesus meet along the way?  What day was he crucified on? What is the significance of that day in relation to the Passover Feast?

Who was Pontius Pilate?  Why was he involved? What was his role in conducting trials?  What laws did he care about? What laws did he not care about? Who did he really fear, and why? 

What happened when Jesus appeared before the Sanhedrin?  Who was there? What was he charged with? Was fair process observed?  What was he convicted of? What was the plan of the high priests having secured a conviction on religious grounds?

Who was Annas?  Why was Jesus taken to him first?  What was the Sanhedrin? How did it originate?  How did it change over time? What do we know (or not know) about its procedures?  What was going on with Peter in the courtyard below?​

Who wanted Jesus put on trial?  What issues concerned them? What was their plan for his arrest?  What happened in the Garden of Gethsemane? Who was there? Were Romans there?

What are the sources for information on the Trial of Jesus?  How do scholars divide, more or less, in their treatment of the Trial?  What are the strengths and limitations of the historical-critical method?  What sense can be made giving serious regard to Scripture, history, and theology?