Recap, day one was Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Day two Jesus cleansed the temple.
Day three is preparation. Jesus prepares for his disciples final meal and the Sanhedrin plans to arrest Jesus and try him for blasphemy.
Day four: Lord's supper, prayer, arrest and trial
As nighttime descended Jesus and the disciples met, Jesus washes all of their feet, Peter even objects to his master descending to something so lowly. He missed the point of a concrete example of what our Lord expects of all His followers; they are to serve, not command others around them.
The share a meal, Jesus creates a ritual, we now refer to as the Lord's Supper. He takes bread, breaks it and explains the metaphor of it representing His body, then takes wine and does the same with the similarity of wine to His blood.
Judas has already met with the priests and agreed to betray Jesus accepting their bribe of 30 pieces of silver.
The group, minus Judas, go to the garden of Gethsemane, where he repeatedly prays while the disciples are to keep watch. He comes back three times to catch them sleeping. Knowing what is asked of him he wrestles with the decision asking that "This cup pass of from me." He accepts his fate.
Judas arrives with the temple guard, the signal of identifying Jesus to the soldiers is a kiss. Jesus is arrested and all of his followers flee. Peter is the lone disciple to follow, but he keeps his distance.
The Sanhedrin meets in secret to try Jesus on blasphemy charges. It's held at night and is in secret against Jewish law. He is judged guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to death.
Political Situation
There's a problem with carrying out this sentence. Judea is a province of Rome. Rome allows all provinces to judge their people according to their laws and apply penalties except the death penalty. Execution has to be approved by the local Roman magistrate. In this case it is the governor of Judea, a man named Pontius Pilate.
Pilate normally stays in Caesaria on the coast, but during Passover, the population of Jerusalem reaches close to a million people crowded around a city only two miles square within its walls. It's a volatile situation and Pilate has to be present with an enlarged garrison in case problems arise.
In Rome, the emperor, was Tiberias. He was secluded on the Island of Capri living in total debauchery. The actual running of the empire was in the hands of the prefect of Rome, a man named Sejanus. As commander of the Praetorian Guard, he ruled in the emperor's name and had the means to enforce it. He appointed the governors of many of the provinces. Pontius Pilate was one of his appointees.
Pilate ran into difficulties upon assuming his role as governor. He tried to march his troops into Jerusalem while carrying their eagle standards. Jewish leaders met him outside the city's walls demanding they not take graven images into their holy city. He ordered them out of his way, and they all kneeled baring their necks as they would rather die than see God's city defiled.
Pilate was savvy enough not to kill the high priest and the other leaders. He wasn't happy, but he relented.
In the governor's palace, a part of the Herodium, the castle on the western side of Jerusalem built by Herod the Great, Pilate wanted to decorate the walls of the reception room with unadorned silver shields. The high priest objected again, saying it was part of Roman religion and not allowed. He installed them anyway. The high priest appealed to Rome and Sejanus ordered him to remove them and not bother him with trivial matters like this again.
Pilate wasn't happy, but he would do as told and feared angering Sejanus.
Sejanus overreached in his power. He murdered the husband of the emperor's niece and asked permission to marry her. This placed him within the emperor's family and most likely his successor.
Tiberias while in the grips of hedonism knew enough to not let Sejanus become his heir, as he would most likely be assassinated. Sejanus was arrested, tried and executed.
This placed Pilate in a delicate situation. Macro, the replacement for Sejanus was now prefect of Rome looking for any reason to replace him and put a handpicked man in his place.
Tomorrow I'll cover the tribunal before Pilate and the crucifixion.
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