The Trail Of Jesus A Travesty of Justice

The prayer of Jesus at Gethsemane has ended the cup of God’s wrath accepted, and Jesus is betrayed, bound-arrested and taken to Annas for interrogation. Only John writes about Jesus’ appearance before Annas, and the Roman trail of Jesus is given the greatest detail in comparison to the other gospel writers. John spotlights the trail of Jesus as a travesty of justice, but it is a travesty of justice that God ordains to happen to fulfill His plan of redemption.

John writes in v. 12 “So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him,”

I marvel at the fact that they arrested and then bound Jesus. Remember when Jesus asked them “whom do you seek?” And they answered Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus then said “I am he” and all of them drew back and fell to the ground. Now Jesus willingly allows himself to be arrested and bound because He must for our sake suffer many things from the elders and chief priest, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.

This is the path Jesus was willing to take. This path beginning at Jesus’ arrest, trail and to his crucifixion is called The Via Dolorosa (Latin for "Way of Grief," "Way of Suffering"). This path begins as recorded in the Bible after the Passover meal, to place called Gethsemane where Jesus was praying and Judas led a group of soldiers to arrest Him. From there Jesus was bound and led to Annas who sent him to his son-in-law Caiaphas, the high priest. Then the Jewish leaders then appealed to the Roman governor Pilate to have Jesus put to death. Luke records that Pilate sent Jesus to Herod Antipas, who questioned Jesus but returned him to Pilate without rendering any judgment. Pilate then being under Jewish pressure he sends Jesus to be crucified at Golgotha.

This was the path the Via Dolorosa the Way of Suffering that Christ willfully took to save you and me.

John then describes what happens to Jesus next in v. 13 “and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.”

It is important to know who Annas is and why he was taken to him first oppose to Caiaphas who was the high priest. For this all ties into the travesty of justice that Jesus took upon himself to die for us.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

Annas was appointed as the high priest in the year 6 A.D. and about 15 A.D. the Roman perfect (civil officer) Va-ler-ius Gratus removed him from office. But by Jewish law the position of the high priest was a lifetime position. So although he was removed and replaced by his son-in-law Caiaphas the current high priest, and five other sons held the position after him, Annas was still looked upon by the Jewish Sanhedrin (the name for the highest Jewish tribunal, of 71 members), as one who welded the power of decision making and govern over the actions of the Jewish Sanhedrin.

He was not only powerful, he was wealthy and he was also corrupt. His family were known for being greedy. In fact the main source of his wealth came from taking the proceeds from the price of sacrificial animals which were sold in the court of the Gentiles. It was Annas who turned the house of prayer into a den thieves. Jesus you remember turned a few tables over and did some whipping with some cords as he cleaned house. I’m sure Annas never forgot that day.

So with Annas still holding power and the Jewish leaders who wanted Jesus killed looked to him to gather enough incriminating evidence to carryout their plan to kill Jesus the Christ. This is why Jesus was brought to Annas first, to begin this travesty of justice.

But this was the process that needed to be taken in order for Jesus to reach the place called Calvary, to be nailed and lifted up to fulfill what Jesus had previously spoken And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”

Jesus accepted this travesty of justice because of our sin. And so this travesty of justice set him on this path to the cross to die for us so that Christ could turn travesty to victory! Lets pray-

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson. up so that He could draw all