EXAM Unit 7: parts 6-10

Good Friday: Jesus Before Caiaphas and the Council

• Participants in the Trial: After Jesus was seized, He was led to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest. There, the scribes and the elders had gathered for the proceedings.

• Search for Testimony: The chief priests and the entire council were actively seeking false testimony against Jesus. Their specific objective was to find grounds to destroy Him.

• The False Witness Accusation: Many false witnesses came forward. One specific accusation made was: "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in $3$ days.'"

• The Silence of Jesus: When Caiaphas questioned Jesus about the testimony, asking, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?", Jesus remained silent.

• The High Priest's Adjuration: Caiaphas said to Jesus, "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."

• Jesus’ Declaration: Jesus replied, "You have said so. But I tell you from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven."

• The Verdict: Caiaphas responded by tearing his robes and declaring that Jesus had uttered blasphemy. He asked the council for their judgment, and they answered, "He deserves death."

• Mistreatment and Mockery: The members of the council spat in Jesus' face and struck Him. Others slapped Him, mocking His prophetic identity by saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?"

Peter's Denial and the Charcoal Fire

• The Context of Peter's Presence: Peter followed the procession at a distance and sat with the guards to see the outcome.

• The Prediction (Matthew 26:34): Jesus had previously told Peter that before the rooster crows, Peter would deny Jesus $3$ times.

• Peter's Initial Vow (Matthew 26:35): Peter had responded to Jesus by claiming he would die before he would ever deny Him.

• The Three Denials:

  • First Denial: A servant girl at the door of the high priest's courtyard asked Peter if he was one of the disciples. Peter responded, "I am not."

  • Second Denial: Peter was standing and warming himself by a charcoal fire with servants and officers because it was cold. They asked, "You also are not one of his disciples, are you?" Peter again responded, "I am not."

  • Third Denial: One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of Malchus (the man whose ear Peter had cut off), asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" Peter denied it for the third time.

• The Fulfillment: At once, the rooster crowed. Remembering Jesus' words, Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Good Friday: Jesus Before Pilate and Herod

• Delivery to the Roman Governor: On Friday morning, the chief priests and elders bound Jesus and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor.

• The Death of Judas:

  • When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and tried to return the $30$ pieces of silver to the chief priests.

  • Judas stated, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood."

  • The religious leaders dismissed him, saying, "What is that to us? See to it yourself."

  • Judas threw the silver coins into the temple, departed, and hanged himself.

  • The Potter's Field: Because the money was considered "blood money," the priests could not put it into the treasury. Instead, they used it to buy the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. The field became known as the Field of Blood.

• Interrogation by Pilate: Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "You have said so." Despite many other accusations, Jesus gave no further answer, which greatly amazed Pilate.

• Pilate's Initial Finding: Pilate declared to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no guilt in this man."

• The Transfer to Herod (Luke 23:6-16):

  • Upon learning Jesus was from the jurisdiction of Galilee, Pilate sent him to Herod.

  • Herod was very glad to see Jesus, as he had long desired to see Him perform a sign.

  • Herod questioned Jesus, but Jesus made no answer. The chief priests stood by vehemently accusing Him.

  • Herod’s soldiers treated Jesus with contempt, mocked Him, dressed Him in "splendid clothing," and sent Him back to Pilate.

• Final Judgement by the Governors: Pilate recalled the chief priests and rulers, stating that neither he nor Herod found Jesus guilty of any charges deserving death. Pilate proposed to punish (flog) and release Him.

The Crowd's Decision and the Sentence

• The Customary Release: It was customary to release one Jewish prisoner during the Feast of Passover. At that time, they held a notorious prisoner named Barabbas.

• Pilate's Choice: Pilate offered the crowd a choice between Barabbas and Jesus.

• The Message from Pilate's Wife: While at the judgment seat, Pilate's wife sent an urgent message warning him to have nothing to do with "that innocent man," as she had suffered greatly in a dream (nightmare) because of Him.

• The Choice of Barabbas: Persuaded by the chief priests, the crowd shouted for the release of Barabbas.

• The Demand for Crucifixion: When asked what to do with Jesus, the crowd repeatedly shouted, "Let Him be crucified!"

• Washing of Hands: Seeing a riot beginning, Pilate took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves."

• The People's Response: The crowd answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!"

• The Scourging and Mockery: Barabbas was released. Jesus was flogged and delivered to the soldiers. They stripped Him, put a scarlet robe on Him, and twisted a crown of thorns for His head. They placed a reed in His right hand, knelt before Him, and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" They spat on Him and struck Him on the head with the reed before leading Him away to be crucified.

The Crucifixion: Cross-Gospel Comparison

• The Prophecy (Mark 10:32-34): Jesus had foretold all these events: He would be delivered to the chief priests/scribes, condemned to death, delivered to the Gentiles (Romans), mocked, spit upon, flogged, and killed, and would rise after $3$ days.

• The Purpose of the Cross: While Jesus performed miracles and taught, the main reason He came to earth was to die (John 12:27).

• Key Details from the Gospels (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19):

  • Simon of Cyrene: Forced by Roman soldiers to carry Jesus' cross.

  • The Crucifixion Site: Jesus was crucified between two criminals.

  • The Garments: Soldiers divided His clothes and cast lots for His garment, fulfilling prophecy.

  • The Mockery: Onlookers and the criminals at first mocked Him, saying, "Save yourself!" One criminal eventually believed Jesus was the Messiah.

  • The Darkness: Darkness came over the land from noon (12:00) until $3:00$ PM.

  • Cosmic and Physical Signs: The temple curtain was torn in two, the earth shook, and many were resurrected.

  • The Centurion’s Testimony: Upon seeing these events, the guards/centurion said, "Surely this man was the Son of God."

  • The Final Moments (John 19): Jesus' mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, and John were present. Jesus said, "I am thirsty." The Romans gave Him wine vinegar. His final words were, "It is finished."

• The Burial:

  • Joseph of Arimathea: A secret disciple who personally asked Pilate for the body.

  • The Tomb: Joseph wrapped the body in a new linen cloth and placed it in a stone tomb cut out of rock in a garden. No bones of Jesus were broken.

  • Witnesses: Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus sat opposite the tomb.

Holy Saturday and Resurrection Sunday

• Holy Saturday (The Silent Saturday): This is the day between the death of Jesus and His resurrection. It represents the "in-between" times where God is working even in silence.

• Securing the Tomb (Matthew 27:62-66): The chief priests and Pharisees reminded Pilate that Jesus claimed He would rise after $3$ days. Pilate's solution was to seal the stone and set a guard of soldiers to secure the tomb.

• Resurrection Sunday (Easter):

  • The Meaning: Signifies that the price for sin is paid, death is conquered, and the power of God is on full display.

  • The Evidence from the Gospels (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21):

    • The Women: Mary Magdalene and other women brought spices to the tomb early Sunday morning.

    • The Angel: An angel came from heaven, rolled the stone away, and sat on it. The guards fainted from fear.

    • The Proclamation: The angel told the women, "He is not here; for He has risen."

    • The Appearance to Mary: Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene near the tomb; she initially thought He was the gardener.

    • The Disciples' Verification: Mary ran to tell Peter and John. John ran faster to the tomb, but Peter was the first to enter. They found the tomb empty and the burial cloths folded.

    • The Disciples: Jesus appeared to the disciples in a locked house. He told them, "Peace be with you." Thomas famously doubted until he saw the nail marks.

The Restoration of Peter and the Evidence of the Resurrection

• The Neurobiology of Smell and Memory:

  • Limbic System: The brain system supporting emotion, behavior, motivation, and long-term memory.

  • Olfactory Bulb: The first region to receive signals about smells detected in the nose.

  • Hippocampus: Forms new memories and connects emotions and senses (like smell) to them.

  • Amygdala: Processes emotions; its link to the olfactory bulb explains why smells evoke strong reactions.

• The Charcoal Fire Connection: Peter's denial happened by a charcoal fire (John 18:18). After the resurrection, Jesus prepared a charcoal fire on the shore (John 21:9). The scent likely triggered Peter's memory of his failure.

• The Reinstatement: Peter denied Jesus $3$ times. In response, Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?" $3$ times.

  • Jesus’ Command: "Feed my sheep."

  • The Invitation: After describing the death Peter would eventually suffer, Jesus said, "Follow me."

  • Conclusion: Jesus did not reject Peter for his failure but reinstated him for service.

Eight Exhibits of Resurrection Evidence

1. The Disciples' Martyrdom: The disciples went from hiding to facing execution for their testimony. People do not die for a known lie.

2. Conversion of Jesus' Brothers: James and Jude, who did not believe Jesus' claims during His life, became leaders in the church and authors of New Testament books after the resurrection.

3. Conversion of Saul (Paul): A Pharisee who persecuted Christians but converted instantly after encountering the risen Christ on the road to Damascus.

4. Drastic Changes to Judaism: Within $5$ weeks of the crucifixion, over $10000$ Jews abandoned centuries of tradition to follow Jesus as the initiator of a new faith.

5. Communion: The early church began celebrating Jesus' death as a victory because they knew He was alive.

6. Baptism: This ritual became a celebration of being buried with Christ and being raised to "newness of life."

7. Emergence of the Church: The movement spread so rapidly that it reached Caesar's Palace in Rome within $20$ years, eventually overwhelming the Roman Empire.

8. Ongoing Transformation: The resurrected Christ continues to change lives worldwide $2000$ years later.

• Expert Testimony: Sir Lionel Luckhoo, record holder for $245$ consecutive murder acquittals, stated that the evidence for the resurrection is so overwhelming that it "leaves absolutely no room for doubt."

• Note on Sunday Worship: Christians worship on Sundays to celebrate the resurrection. While the New Testament describes gathering on Sundays, it is not a scriptural command replacing the Saturday Sabbath. Worship and rest in the Lord should occur every day.