On Maundy Thursday, after celebrating the Last Supper, Jesus is arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, and lead before Annas.
What happened next belongs to the kernel of the Christian faith, thousands of paintings show the events, and the Matthäuspassion moves the unfaithful as well.
But there are a few aspects to this story, who do not get the attention they deserve, and I will discuss them here.
- - Pilate himself interrogates Jesus. That was very unusual. Thousands of Jews have been crucified with no judge involved. And Pilate was not known for justice, quite the opposite, he was more corrupt and more cruel than his predecessors.
But he interrogates Jesus.
- The interrogation: Which language was used? Pilate certainly did not speak Aramaic. Most Roman officials spoke Greek. So Jesus must have spoken Greek, otherwise he could not have talked to Pilate.
- The dream of Pilate's wife (Matt. 27:19)
According to the tradition she was called Claudia Procula.
“When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.”
Highly remarkable. So Pilate's wife must have known Jesus, at least by name, otherwise she could not dream of him. And as she suffered very much in her dream she must have known him rather well, or maybe admired him.
But a wife of a governor stood far away from the the ordinary Jewish life.
Pilate must have talked about Jesus, maybe during a dinner, and have talked in such a way she could dream about him.
- Pilate tried to release Jesus. He did not succeed, because the Jewish leaders did not go along. Very strange, because Pilate was a cruel and corrupt governor, who had no trouble to let innocent people crucify.
- The Jews say they do not have the right to execute Jesus (John 18:31).
However, the Romans never prevented another people to execute one of their subjects (when he was not a Roman citizen).
Three possible explanations are found:
- Pilate had badgered the Jews.
- The decision of the Sanhedrin meeting was not legal: not announced in time, and/or not enough members were present. In that case the Jews did not have the right to execute Jesus because of their own rules.
- The text has been added later-on.
Each can choose what he or she likes best.
- When Jesus was crucified, Pilate let the accusation nail on the cross. ”And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS" (John 19:19-22). And when the Jewish leader protest he insists. But if he really thought Jesus intended to become king of the Jews he should he condemned him in the first place, and not have tried to release him, as the gospels tell us.
- Jesus dies very quickly. The next piece will deal with that.
- When Jesus is dead, Joseph of Arimathea asks for the body of Jesus to bury it. That was against the Roman rules. The body of a crucified person should stay on the cross untill eaten so far by birds that it would fall down.
According to the Thora the body had to be removed: (Deut. 21:22-23).
“And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”
Often a family could get hold of the body by bribing. That may have happened here as well.
These facts have let to spectacular speculations.
I found one that describes Jesus as an alien. The Ascension was his return to his space-ship.
Basilides thought that Simon of Cyrene was nailed to the cross.
The idea that Jesus was not dead is popular. He would have been drugged, and look dead. Joseph of Arimathea would be part of the plot.
Sometimes Pilate as well. That does explain why he is so keen in releasing Jesus.
Less spectacular theories state that the stories have been adapted to accuse the Jews more than is right.