The Illegal Trial of Jesus Christ

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Since it's Good Friday it would be best to talk something about the illegal trial of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why was it illegal? Here are the reasons:

1.) It was entirely based on bias and NO formal charges were made against Him. Also Deuteronomy 19:15 required two or more VALID witnesses. Mark 14:53-55 has it that there were NO charges to be found against Jesus. He was TOTALLY INNOCENT. Note that He spoke the truth that He is the Son of God therefore, He could not be validly executed for blasphemy.

2.) It was an accomplice used to arrest Jesus. Remember Judas Iscariot the apostate (John 17:12)? He was a wolf in sheep's clothing and he was not saved to start with.
Here's another fact to learn, "The ancient Hebrews forbade the use of accomplice testimony . . . The arrest of Jesus was ordered upon the supposition that He was a criminal: this same supposition would have made Judas, who had aided, encouraged, and abetted Jesus in the propagation of His faith, an accomplice. If Judas was not an accomplice, Jesus was innocent, and His arrest an outrage, and therefore illegal." (W. Chandler, The Trial of Jesus, Vol. 1, pgs. 228-229)

3.) No investigation was done. Deuteronomy 19:16-18 required careful inquiry BEFORE any death sentence was to be carried out. Failure to do so makes death penalty ineffective. Nobody is to be executed without being proven guilty. Again more information from the Trial of Jesus:
The only prosecutors known to Talmudic criminal jurisprudence are the WITNESSES TO THE CRIME. Their duty is to bring the matter to the cognizance of the court, and to bear witness against the criminal. In capital cases, THEY are the legal executioners also. Of an official accuser or prosecutor there is nowhere any trace in the laws of the ancient Hebrews. - (Mendelsohn, Criminal Jurisprudence of the Ancient Hebrews, p. 110)

"The judges leaned always to the side of the defendant and gave him the advantage of every possible doubt." (W. Chandler, The Trial of Jesus, Vol. 1, pgs. 153-154)

4.) Arrest planned and carried out at night to conceal evil. Remember there were already several opportunities to arrest Jesus during the DAYTIME but why the night? Simple- take a look at crimes, they happen mostly during the night. Most arrests usually happen during the DAY. Mark 14:18-19 is that Jesus mentioned He was preaching DAILY at the Temple (DAYTIME) yet they the religious authorities did not seize Him.

5.) Other laws of the Jewish religion would declare it invalid such as:
  • Trial was held at night. Jewish laws operated their courts during the DAYTIME.
  • No trial was to be done before the morning sacrifice.
  • No trial was to be done on a feast day which can be seen in this statement, "NO COURT of justice in Israel was permitted to hold sessions on the Sabbath or any of the seven Biblical holidays. In cases of capital crime, no trial could be commenced on Friday or the day previous to any holiday, because it was not lawful either to adjourn such cases longer than over night, or continue them on the Sabbath or holiday" (Jesus the Christ: A study of the Messiah and His mission, J. Talmage, pgs. 646-647, quote from Rabbi Wise, Martyrdom of Jesus, p. 67)
  • It was a rush trial with very little or if not, no evidence at all. Jewish law states,"A criminal case resulting in the acquittal of the accused may terminate the same day on which the trial began. But if a sentence of death is to be pronounced, it cannot be concluded before the following day." (Mishna, Sanhedrin 4:1).
  • More biases can be seen. Matthew 26:3-5 shows the judges already hated Jesus before anything else as it was more of a bias and personal merit rather than anything to do with the truth. Jewish law states in their legal laws saying, "Nor must there be on the judicial bench either a relation or a particular friend, or an enemy of either the accused or of the accuser." (Mendelsohn, Criminal Jurisprudence of the Ancient Hebrews, p. 108) and "Nor under any circumstances was a man known to be at enmity with the accused person permitted to occupy a position among the judges." (Benny, Criminal Code of the Jews, p. 37)

6.) False witnesses were allowed to testify. This is another reason why today's death penalty system is not deterring crime as it should as innocent people get killed by this (which would later lead to the abolishment of the death penalty, thus again causing crime to increase). Matthew 26:59-60 and Mark 14:57 all point that FALSE WITNESSES were in court. Matthew 26:60-61 has him being falsely accused of trying to destroy the Temple when He told them and not He to destroy the Temple.

7.) It was entirely based on self-incrimination. Matthew 26:62-65 has an example of self-incrimination.

Here's another statement from Jewish laws, "Not only is self-condemnation never extorted from the defendant by means of torture, but no attempt is ever made to lead him on to self-incrimination. Moreover, a voluntary confession on his part is not admitted in evidence, and therefore not competent to convict him, unless a legal number of witnesses minutely corroborate his self-accusation." (Mendelsohn,Criminal Jurisprudence of the Ancient Hebrews, p. 133)

8.) There was no witness for a defense.

"If none of the judges defend the culprit, i. e., all pronounce him guilty, having no defender in the court, the verdict of guilty was invalid and the sentence of death could not be executed." (Jesus the Christ: A study of the Messiah and His mission, James Edward Talmage, pg. 647, quote from Rabbi Wise,Martyrdom of Jesus, p. 74.)

9.) Sentencing was done in an unlawful place other than the Sanhedrin.

Commenting on the illegality of Jesus sentencing, Alfred Edersheim in his Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (book 5, chapter 13) states:". . . the trial and sentence of Jesus in the Palace of Caiaphas would have outraged every principle of Jewish criminal law and procedure. Such causes could only be tried, and capital sentence pronounced, in the regular meeting place of the Sanhedrin, not, as here, in the High Priest's Palace."

Jewish law forbid the sentencing of death in any location:

"A sentence of death can be pronounced only so long as the Sanhedrin holds its sessions in the appointed place." (Maimonides, Sanhedrin, 14)

"After leaving the hall Gazith (the chamber of hewn stones in Jerusalem's temple) no sentence of death can be passed upon anyone soever. " (Talmud, Bab., Abodah Zarah, or of Idolatry, chapter 1, fol. 8.)

Realizing this, Jesus allowed ALL THESE to happen to Him (John 10:17-18) as He who knew NO SIN would become the sin sacrifice for ALL mankind (2 Corinthians 5:21). He allowed Himself to be WRONGLY PUT TO DEATH as to pay for the FULL penalty for sins. Either turn to Jesus Christ or burn without Jesus Christ! He did it all to pay all for if salvation was through the works of the Law, Christ is dead in vain (Galatians 2:21). That is, Christians undeserving of God's love as they are, Jesus allowed something He did not deserve like His illegal sentence to be able to allow man to gain salvation simply by His grace and save the people from their sins that would have put them in Hell. Plus, when the penalty was paid, man can be redeemed and a new life is given.

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