Gethsemane, the Arrest and the Trial

Once their Passover meal had concluded, Jesus and the Apostles went over to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. This short time in the Garden is marked by Jesus’ anguish and submission to God’s will. 

Jesus instructed the Apostles to stay awake and pray while he stayed at a small distance, praying alone. In profound distress, he expressed his human desire to avoid the coming suffering: "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.  Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39) Despite his repeated pleas to the disciples to stay vigilant, he found them sleeping, and noted that "the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mark 13:41.)

One of the Apostles, Judas Iscariot, then led a group of Sanhedrin, temple guards, and a Roman cohort over to arrest Jesus, identifying him by a pre-arranged signal in the form of a kiss. (Mark 13:48-55) The Roman officers arrested Jesus, although one of Jesus's Apostles attempted to stop them with a sword and cut off an ear. The Gospel of John specifies that this was Simon Peter (John 17:10), and Luke adds that Jesus healed the wound. (Luke 22:51) Jesus rebuked the violent act: "Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take the sword shall perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52)

Immediately following his arrest, a religious trial began before Annas, the former high priest, and then before Caiaphas, the current high priest, as well as before the Sanhedrin. During these proceedings, Jesus was accused of blasphemy for declaring himself the Messiah and Son of God, and the council condemned him to death (Matthew 26:63–66). However, since the Jewish authorities lacked the power to carry out capital punishment, they brought Jesus before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea. 

Once before Pilate, the charges were then reframed to be political: Jesus was accused of inciting rebellion by claiming to be King of the Jews, and by forbidding tax payments to Rome—the two charges most likely to catch Roman displeasure.  (Luke 23:2).

It seems clear that Pilate was reluctant to fall-in with their plans, however; initially he found Jesus not guilty, and was going to release him (Luke 23:4) This enraged the Jewish authority, and so Pilate promptly passed the buck; because Jesus was from Galilee, he decided to send him to Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, who was also in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. (Luke 23:6-8)

For his part, Herod hoped that Jesus would perform a miracle, but when Jesus refused to speak, Herod angrily sent him back to Pilate. (Luke 23:6–12). 

Again, Pilate told the crowd he didn’t find Jesus guilty of a capital crime; he would only flog and release him. But the crowd was adamant, and so Pilate made one last attempt; it was the custom at Passover to release one prisoner: “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” But the crowd insisted that Barabbas, a rebel leader, should be released instead.

And so, Jesus was condemned to death.

Fun fact: The Apostles had scattered, fearing they’d meet the same fate as Jesus. Simon Peter, however, hung around the courtyard when all this back-and-forth was taking place. Recognizing his accent, several people accused Simon Peter of being with Jesus, but—just as Jesus had predicted—Simon Peter denied knowing Jesus on three different occasions.