““Of all the questions Of all the questions regularly asked about regularly asked about

Jesus, the question ‘Why Jesus, the question ‘Why did Jesus die?’ must be did Jesus die?’ must be

among the most among the most frequent. It is certainly frequent. It is certainly the most fascinating.”the most fascinating.”

~ N. T. Wright, ~ N. T. Wright, Historian & TheologianHistorian & Theologian

““Christianity makes much of Christianity makes much of the credibility of its theology the credibility of its theology

because it is rooted in because it is rooted in history.”history.”

~ John Gilmore, Professor, ~ John Gilmore, Professor, Spurgeon’s School of Theology, Spurgeon’s School of Theology,

LondonLondon

““It should now be clear, not only It should now be clear, not only that Jesus was executed by the that Jesus was executed by the Romans on a charge of being a Romans on a charge of being a

messianic pretender, but also that messianic pretender, but also that this charge was brought to the this charge was brought to the

Roman authorities by the Jewish Roman authorities by the Jewish leaders, who had extracted from leaders, who had extracted from Jesus a confession of what they Jesus a confession of what they had already inferred from his had already inferred from his

actions: he did indeed suppose actions: he did indeed suppose himself to be the Messiah. … We himself to be the Messiah. … We

are here on firm historical are here on firm historical ground.”ground.”

~ N. T. Wright, ~ N. T. Wright, Historian & TheologianHistorian & Theologian

““Standing before the High Standing before the High Priest of his own nation, Jesus Priest of his own nation, Jesus

claimed a status by comparison claimed a status by comparison with which that High Priest was with which that High Priest was as nothing. Clearly threw was as nothing. Clearly threw was

here a fundamental and here a fundamental and irreconcilable clash. The city irreconcilable clash. The city was not ‘big enough for the was not ‘big enough for the both of them.’ One of them both of them.’ One of them

had to go.”had to go.”

~ Peter Walker, Professor of ~ Peter Walker, Professor of History, History,

Wycliffe Hall, Oxford UniversityWycliffe Hall, Oxford University

““For the leadership, Jesus’ claim to For the leadership, Jesus’ claim to be their judge and to intimately be their judge and to intimately

share God’s authority had not only share God’s authority had not only offensive religious overtones but offensive religious overtones but

also political overtones. A also political overtones. A disruptive religious dispute within disruptive religious dispute within Judaism was an invitation to the Judaism was an invitation to the Romans to assume even tighter Romans to assume even tighter control of Israel. In their view, to control of Israel. In their view, to act against Jesus was to protect act against Jesus was to protect not only their religion and power not only their religion and power

base but also the nation”base but also the nation”~ Darrell L. Bock, ~ Darrell L. Bock,

First-Century HistorianFirst-Century Historian

““Their religion was getting in Their religion was getting in the way, as law-bound and the way, as law-bound and

respectable religion sometimes respectable religion sometimes still does. Two hundred still does. Two hundred metresmetres from where the interrogation from where the interrogation

took place, God was being took place, God was being religiously worshipped in the religiously worshipped in the temple sanctuary. But where temple sanctuary. But where they stood, that same religion they stood, that same religion

was leading to the execution of was leading to the execution of God’s Son.”God’s Son.”

~ Derek Tidball, Theologian~ Derek Tidball, Theologian

““It is true, or it is It is true, or it is blasphemy. Christ blasphemy. Christ

was God or godless.”was God or godless.”

~ John Piper~ John Piper

““The crucifixion of Jesus Christ The crucifixion of Jesus Christ followed a trial that was more followed a trial that was more

sensational than even the most sensational than even the most spellbinding legal dramas of our spellbinding legal dramas of our time. This kind of event today time. This kind of event today would be front page news from would be front page news from

start to finish. People all over the start to finish. People all over the world would talk about the world would talk about the

witnesses, the evidence, and the witnesses, the evidence, and the defendant’s strangely calm defendant’s strangely calm

demeanor in the face of incredible demeanor in the face of incredible charges.”charges.”

~ David A. Skeel, Professor of Law, ~ David A. Skeel, Professor of Law, University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

““Jesus was condemned to Jesus was condemned to death, not by the irreligious death, not by the irreligious and uncivilized, but by the and uncivilized, but by the highest representatives of highest representatives of Jewish religion and Roman Jewish religion and Roman

law.”law.”

~ Vinoth Ramachandra, ~ Vinoth Ramachandra, PhilosopherPhilosopher

““The only perfect man who The only perfect man who ever lived was physically ever lived was physically

abused and brutally abused and brutally murdered. From a legal murdered. From a legal

standpoint, the whole thing standpoint, the whole thing was a travesty, the greatest was a travesty, the greatest miscarriage of justice in the miscarriage of justice in the

history of the world. Yet, history of the world. Yet, strangely, it was all done in strangely, it was all done in

the name of justice.”the name of justice.”~ James Montgomery Boice, ~ James Montgomery Boice,

Bible ScholarBible Scholar

As Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem, he took the twelve

disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to

him. "When we get to Jerusalem," he said, "the Son of Man will be

betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They

will sentence him to die.”

~ Matthew 20:17-18 (NLT)

“Our just man will be thrown into prison,

scourged and racked, will have his eyes burnt out, and, after every kind of torment, be impaled.”

~ Plato, The Republic

History as Self-Criticism…

Point #1: Admitting that the Jewish Religious leaders are chiefly responsible for Jesus’ murder.

Point #2: Noting that it was their blind religious convictions, not their Jewishness, that was the root of their motivation.

Point #3: Applying the lesson to ourselves as potentially religious people at odds with the message and mission of Jesus.

Jesus was arrested by: …“officers of the Temple guard”…who were “sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders” …probably with the back up of “a battalion of Roman soldiers”.~ Luke 22:52; Mark 14:43 (TNIV); John 18:3 (NLT)

When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and

the prophets and all the people seized him, saying,

"You must die!”

~ Jeremiah 26:8 (NASB)

LET’S PLAY: BIBLE TRIVIA!

Q: Where was Jesus arrested?

The garden (John) of Gethsemane (Matthew & Mark) on the Mount of Olives

(Luke).

After his arrest, Jesus is…

- First taken to Annas (the former High Priest) for questioning.- Sent to Caiaphas (the High Priest) and the Great Sanhedrin.- Taken to Pontius Pilate for execution.- Sent by Pilate to Harod Antipas, governor of Galilee.- Sent back to Pilate where he is finally condemned.

“Annas and family had managed to turn the high priesthood into an incredibly

profitable business, and they had amassed enormous wealth through it.

They did this chiefly by collecting license fees and commissions from the brokers who changed money and sold

sacrificial animals on the temple grounds.”

~ John MacArthur Jr., The Murder of Jesus

“In the last analysis, it is not Jesus who is on trial. That is over. You are the one who is on trial now, and the question

before you is: What will you do with Jesus?”

~ James Montgomery Boice, Bible Scholar