REFLECTION FROM FATHER "LINES" DELA CRUZ - Good Friday
Our Holy Week journal continues. Good Friday: The Six Trials of Jesus As we now know, Jesus was arrested by around 12 midnight. Judas Iscariot led the Jewish leaders and the soldiers to the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was praying after the Last Supper. Upon the arrest of Jesus, most of the disciples flee for fear of the Jews. Peter and John secretly followed Jesus. Jesus was subjected and put to trial six times from the time of His arrest up to the time when He was finally made to suffer and die. The first three were religious trials, subject under the Jewish law. The last three were civil trials, subjected to the Roman laws. 1st Trial: Jesus was brought to the ex-high priest Annas at around 2am. The trial was heard at the residence of Annas. The purpose of this trial was to gather evidence against Jesus. There were no specific accusations. It was more of a general questioning just to stir up the mob, just to drum up the notion that Jesus is a criminal. The verdict: Jesus is guilty of whatever it is He is accused of. The sentence was Death. 2nd Trial: The sentence needs a confirming sentence. Jesus was therefore brought to another court at around 3am. The ex-high priest Annas commanded that the second trial be done at the residence of the current high priest Caiaphas. Caiaphas was the son-in-law of Annas. Caiaphas was also the same person who paid Judas the 30 pieces of silver. Now we see where justice is headed. At this trial, there is now a specific accusation against Jesus: Blasphemy- claiming to be the Son of God. The Verdict: Guilty. The sentence was Death. 3rd Trial: Jesus was brought to the Sanhedrin at 6am. The Sanhedrin is the highest court in the Jewish law, it could be equivalent to our Supreme Court. The Sanhedrin is composed of 71 judges; they convene at the temple every day except on festivals and the Sabbath. Jesus was brought to the Sanhedrin whose members were the same high priests, chief priests, elders and leaders who plotted to kill Jesus. That must have been a very special court session because all 71 members were already at the temple at 6am. Also quite special because the Sanhedrin do not convene during festivals, Jesus was brought to trial on a Passover festival. Verdict: Guilty. The sentence: Death. 4th Trial: The leaders wanted their sentence to be confirmed by the Roman law. Jesus was brought to Pilate, Governor of Judea, at around 7am. The Jewish leaders are now using the mob to influence Pilate’s decision. At this point the leaders are charging Jesus of Treason which was worthy of capital punishment in Rome. Verdict: Not Guilty. The trial should have already ended but the mob overruled Pilate, they brought Jesus to Herod. 5th Trial: At 8am Jesus was brought to Herod Antipas, the Governor of Galilee, who at that time happened to be in Jerusalem for the Passover feast. There were no accusations. It was a mock trial, mob violence. Verdict: Not Guilty. The mob decided to bring Jesus back to Pilate knowing they could be persuaded by their shouts for Jesus’ blood. 6th Trial: Just before 9am, Jesus was once again in front of Pilate. Still Pilate could not find any guilt in Jesus. But the mob was relentless. They want Jesus’ blood. Pilate gave in to the mob. We washed his hands and said: “I am innocent of this man’s blood.” The Jews responded: “His blood be upon us and our children.” Verdict: Not guilty. But, Sentence: Death. The rest is history…. The history of Jesus is imbued in the history of humanity. Even to this date Jesus is still on trial. We are the judges. If you find him Not Guilty, do you allow Him to live in you? If you find Him Guilty, what then do you make of your life? God Loves you! ----------------- Please join our livestream liturgical celebrations: *At 7pm, let us altogether pray the recorded Stations of the Cross. Please go to ‘YouTube’ and search on ‘Church Saint Ann’. Then look for the video ‘Stations of the Cross’. We will pray as one parish family if we all start at 7pm. *Easter Vigil Mass is at 7pm *Easter Sunday Mass is 9am Please prayerfully remember to generously help your parish financially during this time, if you can.