Jesus

====Trials by the Sanhedrin, Herod, and Pilate====
{{Main|Sanhedrin trial of Jesus|Pilate's Court|Jesus at Herod's Court}}
{{See also|Jesus, King of the Jews|John 18:38|Ecce homo}}

After his arrest, Jesus is taken late at night to the private residence of the high priest, [[Caiaphas]], who had been installed by Pilate's predecessor, the Roman procurator [[Valerius Gratus]].<ref>[[Josephus]] Antiquities 18.2.2.</ref> The [[Sanhedrin]] was a Jewish judicial body.{{sfn|Brown|1997|p= 146}} The gospel accounts differ on the [[Sanhedrin trial of Jesus|details of the trials]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Bromiley |first=Geoffrey W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yklDk6Vv0l4C&pg=PA1050 |title=International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: E–J |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |year=1988 |isbn=978-0-8028-3782-0 |pages=1050–1052 |language=en |access-date=14 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907182833/https://books.google.com/books?id=yklDk6Vv0l4C&pg=PA1050 |archive-date=7 September 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> In Matthew 26:57, Mark 14:53 and Luke 22:54, Jesus is taken to the house of the high priest, [[Caiaphas]], where he is [[Mocking of Jesus|mocked]] and beaten that night. Early the next morning, the chief priests and scribes lead Jesus away into their council.{{sfn|Evans|2003|pp=487–500}}{{sfn|Blomberg|2009|pp=396–400}}<ref name="Holman608">{{cite book |title=Holman Concise Bible Dictionary |publisher=B&H Publishing Group |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-8054-9548-5 |pages=608–609 |language=en}}</ref> John 18:12–14 states that Jesus is first taken to [[Annas]], Caiaphas's father-in-law, and then to the high priest.{{sfn|Evans|2003|pp=487–500}}{{sfn|Blomberg|2009|pp=396–400}}<ref name="Holman608" />

[[File:Ecce homo by Antonio Ciseri (1).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|''Ecce homo!'' [[Antonio Ciseri]]'s 1871 depiction of [[Pontius Pilate]] presenting Jesus to the public|alt=A depiction of Jesus' public trial]]
During the trials Jesus speaks very little, mounts no defence, and gives very infrequent and indirect answers to the priests' questions, prompting an officer to slap him. In Matthew 26:62, Jesus' unresponsiveness leads Caiaphas to ask him, "Have you no answer?"{{sfn|Evans|2003|pp=487–500}}{{sfn|Blomberg|2009|pp=396–400}}<ref name="Holman608" /> In Mark 14:61 the high priest then asks Jesus, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus replies, "I am", and then predicts the coming of the [[Son of man (Christianity)|Son of Man]].<ref name="Britannica" /> This provokes Caiaphas to tear his own robe in anger and to accuse Jesus of blasphemy. In Matthew and Luke, Jesus' answer is more ambiguous:<ref name="Britannica" />{{sfn|Evans|2003|p=495}} in Matthew 26:64 he responds, "You have said so", and in Luke 22:70 he says, "You say that I am".{{sfn|Blomberg|2009|pp=396–98}}<ref>{{cite book|title=Luke's presentation of Jesus: a christology|first=Robert F.|last= O'Toole|year= 2004| isbn= 978-88-7653-625-0|page= 166 |publisher=Editrice Pontificio Istituto Biblico}}</ref>

The Jewish elders take Jesus to [[Pilate's Court]] and ask the Roman governor, [[Pontius Pilate]], to judge and condemn Jesus for various allegations: subverting the nation, opposing the payment of tribute, claiming to be Christ, a King, and claiming to be the son of God.<ref>Matthew: "claiming to be king of the Jews". Mark: "king of the Jews". Luke: "subverting nation, opposing payment of taxes to Caesar, claiming to be Christ, a king" John: "breaking Jewish law, claiming to be the son of God".</ref><ref name="Holman608" /> The use of the word "king" is central to the discussion between Jesus and Pilate. In John 18:36 Jesus states, "My kingdom is not from this world", but he does not unequivocally deny being the King of the Jews.<ref>{{cite book|publisher=Twenty-Third Publications|title=The Names of Jesus|first= Stephen J.|last= Binz |year=2004 |isbn= 978-1-58595-315-8| pages= 81–82}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Ironside |first=H. A. |title=John |publisher=Kregel Academic |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-8254-9619-6 |page=454 |language=en}}</ref> In Luke 23:7–15, Pilate realizes that Jesus is a Galilean, and thus comes under the jurisdiction of [[Herod Antipas]], the [[Herodian Tetrarchy|Tetrarch]] of Galilee and Perea.{{sfn|Niswonger|1992|p=172}}{{sfn|Majerník|Ponessa|Manhardt|2005|p=181}} Pilate sends Jesus to Herod to be tried,{{sfn|Carter|2003|pp=120–21}} but Jesus says almost nothing in response to Herod's questions. Herod and his soldiers mock Jesus, put an expensive robe on him to make him look like a king, and return him to Pilate,{{sfn|Niswonger|1992|p=172}} who then calls together the Jewish elders and announces that he has "not found this man guilty".{{sfn|Carter|2003|pp=120–21}}

Observing a [[Passover]] custom of the time, Pilate allows one prisoner chosen by the crowd to be released. He gives the people a choice between Jesus and a murderer called [[Barabbas]] ({{lang|he| [[wikt:בר-אבא|בר-אבא]]}} or ''Bar-abbâ'', "son of the father", from the common given name ''[[Abba (given name)|Abba]]'': 'father').{{sfn|Evans|2012b|p=453}} Persuaded by the elders,<ref>[[wikisource:Bible (American Standard)/Matthew#27:20|Matthew 27:20]].</ref> the mob chooses to release Barabbas and crucify Jesus.{{sfn|Blomberg|2009| pp=400–01}} Pilate writes a sign in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that reads "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews" (abbreviated as [[INRI]] in depictions) to be affixed to Jesus' cross,<ref>[[wikisource:Bible (American Standard)/John#19:19|John 19:19–20]].</ref>{{sfn|Brown|1988|p=93}} then [[Flagellation of Christ|scourges Jesus]] and sends him to be crucified. The soldiers place a [[crown of thorns]] on Jesus' head and ridicule him as the King of the Jews. They beat and taunt him before taking him to [[Calvary]],<ref name="Senior">{{cite book|title=The Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew|first= Donald |last=Senior |year=1985| isbn= 978-0-8146-5460-6 |publisher=Liturgical Press |page= 124}}</ref> also called Golgotha, for crucifixion.{{sfn|Evans|2003|pp=487–500}}<ref name="Holman608" />{{sfn|Blomberg|2009|p=402}}