Six Trials

Six Trials
John 18:19-24

19 The high priest [archiereus] then [oun] asked [erotao] Jesus [Iesous] of [peri] his [autos] disciples [mathetes] , and [kai] of [peri] his [autos] doctrine [didache] .
20 Jesus [Iesous] answered [apokrinomai] him [autos] , I [ego] spake [laleo] openly [parrhesia] to the world [kosmos] ; I [ego] ever [pantote] taught [didasko] in [en] the synagogue [sunagoge] , and [kai] in [en] the temple [hieron] , whither [hopou] the Jews [Ioudaios] always [pantote] resort [sunerchomai] ; and [kai] in [en] secret [kruptos] have I said [laleo] nothing [oudeis] .
21 Why [tis] askest thou [eperotao] me [me] ? ask [eperotao] them which heard me [akouo] , what [tis] I have said [laleo] unto them [autos] : behold [ide] , they [houtos] know [eido] what [hos] I [ego] said [epo] .
22 And [de] when he [autos] had [epo] thus [tauta] spoken [epo] , one [heis] of the officers [huperetes] which stood by [paristemi] struck [didomi] [rhapisma] Jesus [Iesous] with the palm of his hand [didomi] [rhapisma] , saying [epo] , Answerest thou [apokrinomai] the high priest [archiereus] so [houto] ?
23 Jesus [Iesous] answered [apokrinomai] him [autos] , If [ei] I have spoken [laleo] evil [kakos] , bear witness [martureo] of [peri] the evil [kakos] : but [de] if [ei] well [kalos] , why [tis] smitest [dero] thou me [me] ?
24 Now Annas [Annas] had sent [apostello] him [autos] bound [deo] unto [pros] Caiaphas [Kaiaphas] the high priest [archiereus] . KJV-Interlinear

19 The high priest therefore questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, 'I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues, and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret. 21 'Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; behold, these know what I said.' 22 And when He had said this, one of the officers standing by gave Jesus a blow, saying, 'Is that the way You answer the high priest?' 23 Jesus answered him, 'If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?' 24 Annas therefore sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. NASB

The first trial, held at midnight or thereabouts, was the first violation of the prosecution of Jesus. Of course we have already seen that He was arrested and bound, though not a flight risk, nor even under any kind of indictment. So the arrest procedure was not fully legitimate, nor necessary.

The priests who will participate in the formal trial of Jesus, as His judge, also participated in the arrest. A judge is supposed to be unbiased and impartial, yet these men not only have been plotting to kill Jesus for some time now, but they also went out to attend to His arrest. Both the prior conspiracy and the involvement in the arrest are taboo activities for those who would sit in judgment of others. We have already seen how it was Caiaphas who had decided that Jesus should die, and thus be removed from society.

Already judged guilty, Jesus is now standing in front of one of the judges, Annas, who is at this time one of the most powerful men in Judea. A former High Priest, he had neither virtue nor honor within his character.

He now conducts an interrogation of Jesus. It is very late at night. Annas is one of those who will sit in judgment of Jesus in the formal trial in the morning.

Annas asks questions but we are not told the specifics of the questions, only the general nature of them - about His disciples and His teachings. Since we are not told the specific questions, then they are irrelevant as far as the scriptures are concerned. What is relevant is the conduct of the interrogation and its participants.

We have already seen that an accused cannot be made a witness against himself, but others who are valid witnesses must be questioned in order to determine the facts of a matter. Second it is nighttime. All trials must be held during the daylight hours. Third, the judge himself cannot participate in the interrogation. That must be done by a prosecutor.

Jesus answers Annas, by suggesting that He has done nothing wrong, that there are many who have heard and seen Him, that as a matter of proper procedure, those others, should be asked the questions, in order to determine the facts.

For that Jesus is hit extremely hard. Prisoners are not supposed to be beaten either before or during their trial. Of course we know from history that beating prisoners was probably a regular practice in those days. Just another example of abuse in the worlds judicial system.

Annas did not succeed in getting anything that might be incriminating against Jesus from this interrogation. Jesus is either bound again or He has remained bound throughout the entire period, and was then sent to the second trial before Caiaphas. Again at night, and again before one who would be sitting as His judge.

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