##Trial of Jesus (mattew 26:57-68)
There were basically two separate trials of Jesus Christ-The Jewish trial and the roman trial. After Judas has betrayed Jesus Christ, he was arrested and taken to Caiaphas, the high priest where the members of Sanhedrin-The highest Jewish council gathered. There Jesus was tried and found guilty of blasphemy for claiming to be the son of God. The punishment for his offence, by the Jewish is the death penalty, but being a colony of the Roman empire, they did not have power to pass the death sentence. So, they had to take Jesus to the roman representative, Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem when he was tried the second time and found guilty.
Christ before the high priest (mattew 26:36-75)
Jesus was arrested at Gethsemane where he went along with Peter and the sons of Zebedee to pray. There, as he was speaking with his disciples on why they could not watch him but rather sleeping. Judas of his disciples suddenly came with a great crowd with swords and clubs from the chief priest and the elders of the people. They seized him, one of his disciples stretched out his hands, drew his sword but Jesus rebuked him, and said “who so ever that killed by the sword shall die by the sword”. He also asked the people why they have come with swords after sitting with them at the temple and teaching them.
At this time, the disciples fled. And those who seized him took him to Caiaphas the high priest. The high priest and the whole council (the Sanhedrin) sought false testimony against Jesus in order to kill him but they found none. At last, two people came forward and said, “this fellow said I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days”. The high priest stood up and asked Jesus to react to the testimony against him, but he kept quiet. Then after much persuasion by the chief priest, Jesus answered and said, “you have said so but I tell you after you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of power and coming on their cloud of heaven.” (mattew 26:64).
The high priest tore his robes and said he has uttered blasphemy. He asked the people the kind of judgement they want and they answered, “he deserves death”. They spat in his face, slapped and struck him.
Peter was then sitting outside the courtly and a maid came and asked him if he was not with Jesus, but Peter denied saying he doesn’t know him. This he did three times on different occasions, then the cock crowed and Peter remembered that Jesus had said that before the cock crow he(Peter) would deny him three times. He went out and went wept bitterly.
Christ before Pilate and the Roman authority. (Mattew 27:11-31)
After the trial by the Sanhedrin, Jesus was arraigned before Pilate. Pilate asked Jesus whether he was the king of Jews according to the allegation brought against him by chief priest, scribes and the Pharisees. Jesus replied that he (Pilate) had said so. Pilate asked him to defend himself of the allegations leveled against him but Jesus kept quiet.
As it was the custom that at the feast of Passover celebration, the governor would release a prisoner whom the people wanted. There was a notorious criminal called Barabbas of whom Pilate presented to the people to release him or Jesus. But the people shouted that Barabbas should be release. He asked again and the people respond the same. The Pilate asked them what they wanted to be done to Jesus, and they shouted, let him be crucified.
Pilate knew the allegation was false against Jesus, and his wife already warned him not to have a hand in the death of an innocent man. He then took water and washed his hands publicly to show he was not part of the decision. Then he released Barabbas to them and delivered Jesus to be crucified.
Jesus was then led by the soldiers to the auditorium and stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him and plaited a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They mocked him, saying the king of the Jews. They spat on him and led him away.
Christ before Herod (Luke 23:6-12)
The trial of Jesus before Herod was only recorded in Luke. When Pilate heard that Jesus was a Galilean, which was within Herod jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod who was himself in Jerusalem. When Herod saw Jesus, he was glad, for he had long desired to see him.
Herod questioned Jesus at length but Jesus did not reply him, not minding that the chief priests and Pharisees where accusing him vehemently. Herod and his soldiers mocked Jesus, dressed him in gorgeous apparels, and sent him back to Pilate.
##Crucifixion of Jesus (mattew 27:32-56)
After Jesus had had been condemned to death, he was led away by soldiers to the place of crucifixion. Due to physical exhaustion, Jesus was unable to carry his cross. A man of Cyrene, Simon, whom they met on the way was complied to carry the cross for Jesus to his place of crucifixion called Golgotha which means the place of skull. There, they offered him wine mixed with gall which he tasted but refused to drink. At that place they crucified him with two robbers, one on his right hand and the other on the left hand. They shared his garment among themselves by drawing lots. Over his head they put on the charge against him, “this is Jesus, the king of Jews.” While on the cross, the passerby, the Pharisees, the scribe, the chief priest mocked him, each talking according to his own perspective.
At about sixth hour, there was darkness over the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice “Eli, Eli lama Sabach Thani” which my God my God why has thou forsaking me.
When those who were watching over Jesus saw what happened, they were filled with awe and said, “truly this was the son of God”. There were many women there that had followed Jesus from Galilee ministering to him. These included Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses the mother of the son of Zebedee.
The burial of Jesus (Mattew 27:57-61)
At the evening of the crucifixion day, a rich man Joseph of Arimathea who was also a disciple of Jesus went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, Pilate ordered it to be given to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen and laid it in his own new tomb. He rolled a great stone at the entrance of the tomb and departed. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary where there sitting opposite the Sepuche.
The significance of Christ’s death.
The death of Christ was to atone for our sins. His messiahship was accomplished on the cross of Calvary.
He was glorified after his death according to Philippians 2:8-11.
The salvation of Christian is based on the strong belief in the sacrifice he made for us.
Jesus Christ allowed himself to be persecuted in other for the scriptures to be fulfilled which showed his level of humility.
##Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Mattew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-6, Luke 24:1-11).
Resurrection means coming to life after death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead was to show his victory over death. The account of the resurrection appears in all the three-synoptic gospel. They all started that when the women disciples-Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James and Salome went to the tomb to embalm the body of Jesus, they discovered that he had resurrected. Mattew reported that there was a great earthquake, an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the stone and sat upon it. It was this angel that informed the women that Jesus had risen from the dead.
However, Luke and Mark, did not report an earth quake. Mark reported that as the women were contemplating who would help them roll away the stone at the entrance of the tomb, they discovered that the stone was no more there. On entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right side dressed in a white robe and they were amazed. He said to them:
“Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place they laid him.” (Mark 16:6).
The angel then directed them to go and inform his disciples to go and prepare themselves and meet him in galilee. Mark added that the women left the tomb trembling and astonished and they could not say anything to anybody. Luke’s account was similar to that of Mark’s except that he added that as the women were perplexed over what happened to the body of Jesus. When the women told the news to the disciples, they did not believe them.
The significance of the resurrection of Jesus.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the basis of Christian faith.
God raised Jesus from the dead thereby confirming him as his son.
Resurrection equally forms the basis of Christian hope of salvation.
It is an assurance that as God raised Jesus from the dead, so will God raise every Christian who die in the Lord on the day of resurrection.
The resurrection of Jesus is the hope that the Lord we are serving is alive.
The resurrection of Jesus helps to encourage the early apostles to preach the gospel with boldness.
The resurrection of Jesus is central to Christian belief.
Christ resurrection day became for Christians the day of the Lord, the day of salvation. Hence the shift away from the Jewish sabbath (Saturday) to the Christians first day of the week, Sunday-a day of devotion to God. The most memorable day.