The itinerant apocalyptic preach Yeshua from Galilee was executed as a traitor to the Roman empire: he had himself anointed, and thus he was elevating himself to a position above that of the Emperor. This was, of course, seditious behavior, and the punishment for sedition was execution by crucifixion. With his teachings that the Kingdom of Yahweh was coming soon, he disrupted the Passover ceremonies and drew the ire of the Jewish aristocracy and the Sadducees, and having discovered, through Judas, that Jesus had had himself anointed allowed them to simply hand him over to the Roman authorities, who promptly found him guilty and had him executed. This is most likely what happened, and is closest to the telling of this story in the earliest gospel, that named Mark. This, however, isn't an ideal situation for his followers: if you were following the teachings of a condemned and executed criminal, then one may also be expected to be labeled as being seditious, and one may suffer the same fate. Indeed, for the first two hundred years, followers were occasionally oppressed and sometimes executed by Roman authorities. The solution, however, was to tell the story in a manner so as to deflect blame from Yeshua for his execution, and instead to place that blame on the Jews. How this is done, however, differs in the gospels, and the earliest, Mark, is likely the closest to reality, while Luke and John have the most fantastic additions and manipulations to this story.

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The judgment of Yeshua in Mark

After Yeshua's arrest, the author of Mark begins with Yeshua being brough in the middle of the night before a gathering of Jewish religious leadership:

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They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled.

 

This is impressive that this would include the high priests and all chief priests: they must have anticipated this arrest, and they are gathering in the middle of the night to question this troublesome apocalyptic preacher Yeshua. The author then diverges to describe the actions of Peter:

Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest, and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire.

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The author then returns to the matter at hand:

Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree. Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying,

“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’ ”

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Consequently, this is not a short gathering, as they are calling on multiple witnesses, each of which is providing testimony, and they finally get some testimony that may be significant:

But even on this point their testimony did not agree. Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus,

“Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?”

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But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him,

“Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

 

Jesus said,

“I am, and ‘you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power’ and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven.’ ”

 

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said,

“Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?”

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All of them condemned him as deserving death. Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him,

“Prophesy!”

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The guards also took him and beat him.

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This is the complete narrative on the judgement of Yeshua by this gathering, ending in him being assaulted. We will now contrast this with the narrative in Matthew, who you may recalled was copying from Mark.

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The judgement of Yeshua in Matthew

The author of Matthew, who copied from Mark, essentially tells the same story:

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Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered.

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Like the author of Mark, the author of Matthew includes the actions of Peter:

But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards in order to see how this would end. 

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The author of Matthew continues to describe the assembly:

Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said,

“This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”

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The high priest stood up and said,

“Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?”

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But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him,

“I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

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Jesus said to him,

“You have said so. But I tell you, From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

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Then the high priest tore his clothes and said,

“He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. What do you think?”

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They answered,

“He deserves death.”

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Then they spat in his face and struck him, and some slapped him, saying,

“Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who is it that struck you?”

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Note that in Mark, when asked if he is the anointed one, Yeshua answers “I am.” while in Matthew, Yeshua answers “You have said so.” These are two significantly different responses, and thus the author of Matthew had a theological reason for Yeshua not acknowledging that he was the anointed one. Additionally, one may note that “You say so.” is Yeshua's response in Mark to the question of him being the King of the Jews by Pilate a few verses later. The narrative in Matthew is also awkward, as the author leaves out the action of Yeshua being blindfolded, so it is odd that those who strike him are asking “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who is it that struck you?” This is despite the fact that the author of Matthew elaborates on what is said by those who strike him who, in Mark, are only telling Yeshua to “Prophesy!”

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Peter's denial in Mark and Matthew

Following this, both authors tell the same story, and here we see Peter's first denial in Mark juxtaposed with the parallel narrative in Matthew:

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While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the female servants of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said,

“You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.”

But he denied it, saying,

“I do not know or understand what you are talking about.”

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Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A female servant came to him and said,

“You also were with Jesus the Galilean.”

But he denied it before all of them, saying,

“I do not know what you are talking about.”

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The author of Mark then describes the crowing of a cock; an incident not described in Matthew:

And he went out into the forecourt. Then the cock crowed.

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Next, both authors describe a second denial:

And the female servant, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders,

“This man is one of them.”

But again he denied it.

 

When he went out to the porch, another female servant saw him, and she said to the bystanders,

“This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.”

Again he denied it with an oath,

“I do not know the man.”

 

Next, both authors describe a third denial:

Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter,

“Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean, and you talk like one.”

But he began to curse, and he swore an oath,

“I do not know this man you are talking about.”

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After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter,

“Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.”

Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath,

“I do not know the man!”

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Next, we have a problem, for in Mark, Yeshua previously predicted that

“Truly I tell you, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

while in Matthew, the prediction is

“Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.”

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Each author tells the next part based on the prediction that they recorded:

At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him,

“Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

And he broke down and wept.

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At that moment the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said:

“Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.”

And he went out and wept bitterly.

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Thus, although the author of Matthew is copying from Mark, the author of Matthew has explicitly changed the words of Yeshua, and has also modified the subsequent events to match the words of Yeshua.

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The timing in Mark and Matthew

In both Mark and Matthew, the gathering and judgment of Yeshua is occurring at night, as is Peter's denial, for the next verse in each of these texts states that:

As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council.

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When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death.

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Let us compare and contrast the sequence of these events with that described in Luke, and remember that the author of Luke also had access to the text of Mark.

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Luke and the missing gathering

The author of Luke does not include the gathering in the middle of the night. Instead, that author includes Yeshua being brought to the high priest's house, Peter's denial, and the assault on Yeshua:

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Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house.

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But Peter was following at a distance. When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.

 

Then a female servant, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said,

“This man also was with him.”

But he denied it, saying,

“Woman, I do not know him.”

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A little later someone else, on seeing him, said,

“You also are one of them.”

But Peter said,

“Man, I am not!”

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Then about an hour later still another kept insisting,

“Surely this man also was with him, for he is a Galilean.”

But Peter said,

“Man, I do not know what you are talking about!”

 

At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

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What is fascinating here is Luke's error, one of editorial fatigue. Previously, the author of Luke changed the words of Yeshua when the prediction was made:

 

Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day until you have denied three times that you know me.”

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In both Mark and Matthew, the authors quote verbatim Jesus's prediction; the author of Luke, however, copied the text essentially verbatim from Mark (leaving out the second crow), and this no longer aligns with the alternate prediction.

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As an aside, this is one of the very few instances where the authors of Matthew and Luke both diverge from Mark, but where that divergence is the same. This is one of those cases that may be used to support the idea that the author of Luke had access to Matthew as well as Mark; however, an alternative possibility is that the story was simplified over time, and Mark was recording a more complex telling, while later, the story simplified to that of a single crow of the cock. Interestingly, when Yeshua made the prediction regarding Peter that is described above, both the authors of Mark and Matthew include “But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” The Greek is essentially the same:

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ἀλλὰ μετὰ        τὸ ἐγερθῆναί με προάξω ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν. 

            μετὰ δὲ τὸ ἐγερθῆναί με προάξω ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν. 

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Later, in Matthew, following the resurrection, the disciples are told to travel to and do travel to Galilee and meet Yeshua there. You will recall, however, that in Luke, the disciples are ordered to stay around Jerusalem, and never make the journey to Galilee. Interestingly, however, Luke does not include this in his prediction narrative.

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Returning to the execution narrative, the author of Luke includes the insults and assaults, but this occurs before any gathering:

Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; they also blindfolded him and kept asking him,

“Prophesy! Who is it who struck you?”

They kept heaping many other insults on him.

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The gathering described in Mark and Matthew does not occur in Luke until after the rising of the sun:

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When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council. They said,

“If you are the Messiah, tell us.”

He replied,

“If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I question you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

All of them asked,

“Are you, then, the Son of God?”

He said to them,

“You say that I am.”

Then they said,

“What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!”

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Note the abbreviated nature of this narrative: there is no discussion about the false witnesses, and there is no discussion about Yeshua's claim about destroying the temple and rebuilding it in three days. Note also that the question about Jesus being both the anointed one and the Son of Yahweh are now two separate questions, the first with a very different response, and in the second, Yeshua simply said: “You say that I am.” The next statement, however, does not follow, for they say “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!” All Yeshua said was that they were the ones who were saying Yeshua is the Son of Yahweh.

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Brought before Pilate

All three gospels continue by having Yeshua brought before Pilate:

They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him,

“Are you the King of the Jews?”

He answered him,

“You say so.”

Then the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again,

“Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.”

But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

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The author of Matthew starts by telling essentially the same story:

They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

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The author of Matthew now diverges to tell about how Judas Iscariot kills himself; however, the inconsistencies there are discussed elsewhere. We continue with Yeshua before Pilate as recorded in Matthew:

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him,

“Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus said,

“You say so.”

But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. Then Pilate said to him,

“Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?”

But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

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Both stories are essentially the same.

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The author of Luke, however, gives a very different story:

Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. They began to accuse him, saying,

“We found this man inciting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.”

Then Pilate asked him,

“Are you the king of the Jews?”

He answered,

“You say so.”

Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds,

“I find no basis for an accusation against this man.”

But they were insistent and said,

“He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.”

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Once again, we see editorial fatigue: the author of Luke explicitly lists many accusations, and yet, the only question asked by Pilate is “Are you the king of the Jews?” The author of Luke simply reverted to paralleling the story told in Mark. At this point, Luke begins to diverge from Mark and Matthew: instead of making the observation that Yeshua does not seem to be responding to any of the accusations against him, the author of Luke replaces this with a declaration of innocence:

“I find no basis for an accusation against this man.”

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This is the statement needed by so many followers: Yeshua was never executed for declaring himself to be King of the Jews, and in fact, the complete opposite occurred: Pilate had found Yeshua innocent. Thus, the followers of Yeshua could claim that they were following one who was unjustly murdered by the Jews, as opposed to being executed by the Roman government for sedition.

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The author of Luke, however, now includes a completely different story: he sends Yeshua to Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea:

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When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by vehemently accusing him. Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.

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So, now Yeshua is sent back to Pilate in an elegant robe, and so the drama continues:

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Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people and said to them,

“You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people, and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. I will therefore have him flogged and release him.”

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The story does not follow, for Herod Antipas seems to first have reverence for Yeshua, but is then mocking him. Additionally, if Yeshua is not guilty, why flog him? 

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Barabbas and Yeshua

The authors of Mark and Matthew now include another story to have it appear that Yeshua's execution was not the result of a criminal sentence, but rather the Jews themselves:

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Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. Then he answered them,

“Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?”

For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again,

“Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?”

They shouted back,

“Crucify him!”

Pilate asked them,

“Why, what evil has he done?”

But they shouted all the more,

“Crucify him!”

So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them, and after flogging Jesus he handed him over to be crucified.

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One may note that once again, blame is being directed at the Jews: "it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over." It is the Jews who demand that Yeshua be executed. A lot of this is likely a fantasy dreamed up in the years following Yeshua's execution. Frist, and the most telling are variations in this story where the other is named "Jesus Barabbas", or "Yeshua, son of the father;" an interesting coincidence that the Jews would be choosing Jesus, son of the father over Jesus the anointed. Also, no such amnesty is recorded elsewhere, and all records of the personality of Pilate make this exceptionally unlikely.

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Next, let us look at Matthew:

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Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Jesus Barabbas. So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them,

“Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him,

“Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.”

Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. The governor again said to them,

“Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”

And they said,

“Barabbas.”

Pilate said to them,

“Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

All of them said,

“Let him be crucified!”

Then he asked,

“Why, what evil has he done?”

But they shouted all the more,

“Let him be crucified!”

So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying,

“I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.”

Then the people as a whole answered,

“His blood be on us and on our children!”

So he released Barabbas for them, and after flogging Jesus he handed him over to be crucified.

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Woven into the story told by Mark are three additional narratives:

1. The author of Matthew had become aware that the wife of Pilate gives him a message, indicating that she had "suffered a great deal" as a result of a dream about Yeshua. It is interesting that while the authors of the gospels cannot even agree on the words of Yeshua, and yet the author of Matthew somehow became aware of this private message between Pilate and his wife.

2. The author of Matthew includes an explicit scene where Pilate explicitly washes his hands before the crowd: a very public act that is not recorded in any other gospel.

3. The author of Matthew includes another statement that Yeshua is innocent and includes that notorious verse that has caused more suffering than any other single verse in the entire New Testament: a curse on all Jews and their children, understood by those who wished to persecute Jews, all descendants for all time.

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Apart from that, the balance of the narrative parallels that found in Mark.

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Finally, we will look at Luke: 

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Then they all shouted out together,

“Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!”

(This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city and for murder.)

Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, but they kept shouting,

“Crucify, crucify him!”

A third time he said to them,

“Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.”

But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified, and their voices prevailed. So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.

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No explanation for this Barabbas is given, no reason is given for why the crowd may demand his release over that of Yeshua. Additionally, Pilate is making an exceptional effort to release Yeshua, essentially declaring him to be innocent, and yet there is no washing of his hands before the crowd.

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Mocking Yeshua

Once again, the gospels of Mark and Matthew diverge from Luke. Recall previously in Luke that after Yeshua was brought before Herod Antipas, 

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Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. 

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It is the soldiers of Herod Antipas who mocked Yeshua, and it was these soldiers who put an "elegant robe" on him. Not surprising, Luke does not include the following narratives in Mark and Matthew, where it is the Roman soldiers who mock Yeshua and it is Roman soldiers who dress him in a robe:

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Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and after twisting some thorns into a crown they put it on him. And they began saluting him,

“Hail, King of the Jews!”

They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

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Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying,

“Hail, King of the Jews!”

They spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

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None of this narrative is told in Luke, the author of which is likely wanting to avoid placing blame on Roman soldiers. Some note that in Mark, Jesus is dressed with a purple robe, while Matthew has him dressed with a scarlet robe; however, more significant is that the author of Luke has the guards of Herod Antipas dressing Jesus in an elegant robe and makes no mention of this event with Roman soldiers.

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The road to execution

The three gospels tell similar stories:

They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.

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As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross.

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As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

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The author of Luke, however, has Yeshua speaking to women who are following him to his execution:

A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said,

“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say,

‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’

Then they will begin to say to the mountains,

‘Fall on us,’

and to the hills,

‘Cover us.’

For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

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The execution

Next the three gospels tell the story of the execution:

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Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull).

And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.

And they crucified him and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take. It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.

The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.”

And with him they crucified two rebels, one on his right and one on his left.

Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying,

“Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!”

In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying,

“He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.”

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And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull),

they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 

And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; then they sat down there and kept watch over him.

Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

Then two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying,

“You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying,

“He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to, for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’ ”

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Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

And they cast lots to divide his clothing.

And the people stood by watching, but the leaders scoffed at him, saying,

“He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!”

The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”

There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

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Mocked by his fellow executees 

The actions of those executed with Yeshua differ, for the authors of Mark and Matthew tell the same narrative: both taunt him; however, the author of Luke has one claiming Yeshua is innocent:

Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.

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The rebels who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.

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One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying,

“Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

But the other rebuked him, saying,

“Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”

Then he said,

“Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.”

He replied,

“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

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Again, the author of Luke, who is able to retell the private conversations between angels and Mary and Elizabeth, who is able to recite verbatim the words of Simeon and Anna at the Temple, who is able to relay the private conversation between Pilate and his wife, is also able to better discern what was said between Yeshua and those condemned with him on the cross.

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Death​

Next is Yeshua's death:

When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

When some of the bystanders heard it, they said,

“Listen, he is calling for Elijah.”

And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying,

“Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”

Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.

And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

 

​From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

When some of the bystanders heard it, they said,

“This man is calling for Elijah.”

At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said,

“Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”

Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many.
 

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed,

and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

Then Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said,

“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

Having said this, he breathed his last.

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You will note that all three gospels give the same time of the darkening of the sky and of the time of death of Yeshua: 3 o'clock in the afternoon, however, Luke has the temple curtain rip before the death of Yeshua, rather than after as is recorded in Mark and Matthew. Also, the last words of Yeshua are very different: Mark and Matthew have Yeshua questioning Yahweh, and then crying with a loud voice. Luke, however, has Yeshua accepting his fate and quietly passing away. Matthew, however, includes an entire narrative about earthquakes, tombs opening, the bodies of saints being raised, and those being raised subsequently entering Jerusalem and speaking to those there, none of which is recorded in any other gospel. One may note, also, that Matthew is the only author who records an earthquake at Yeshua's resurrection.

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The words of the centurion

Note that, again, Luke has the Romans emphasizing Yeshua's innocence: the centurion, rather than saying “Truly this man was God’s Son!” instead says “Certainly this man was innocent.”

Now when the centurion who stood facing him saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said,

“Truly this man was God’s Son!”

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Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said,

“Truly this man was God’s Son!”

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When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said,

“Certainly this man was innocent.”

 

The women at the execution

Finally, all three gospels record that Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and others were at the execution:

There were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome, who followed him when he was in Galilee and ministered to him, and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

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Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

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And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.

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Issues with Luke

Around the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, the day is very close to twelve hours in length, and thus, sunrise and sunset occur very close to six o'clock in the morning and afternoon, respectively. Passover, being in April, the day is 13 modern hours long, but in antiquity, the period of daylight was broken into twelve hours. Thus, nine o'clock in the morning is approximately one quarter of the daylight hours after sunrise, although to be fair, we may consider this to be an approximation and thus let us assume no more than four modern hours between sunrise and Yeshua's execution. The gospel of Mark is very explicit: It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. This is not unreasonable, for it was at night that "high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled" and then "[a]s soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate." Thus, at most, four hours passed between sunrise and Yeshua being judged, flogged, marched perhaps a quarter of a mile, and executed. This is not unreasonable, and if Mark is indeed believed to be inerrant, then nine o'clock is indeed the time he was executed. Remember, however, how Luke changes the story:

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When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council...Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!”

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Recall that in Mark, we have:

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They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled...Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?”

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The exact words differ, but these do seem to refer to the same event, only with Mark, this gathering occurs before morning, while in Luke, it occurs "when day came," that is, after the sunrise. The author of Luke, while copying Mark, was careful not to include the time of Yeshua's execution (recorded as nine o'clock in Mark). This omission is necessary, for we require a number of events to occur prior to Yeshua's execution, at least, according to Luke, for between sunrise and Yeshua's execution, we require that:

1. Yeshua appears before the gathering and is judged by those present,

2. Yeshua is brought to Pilate,

3. Yeshua is judged by Pilate who hears the evidence and finds the evidence wanting,

4. Yeshua is brought to Herod Antipas, who is somewhere else in Jerusalem,

5. Yeshua is judged by Herod Antipas, who makes no headway, so has Yeshua beaten and dressed in an elegant robe,

6. Yeshua is sent back to Pilate,

7. Yeshua is once again judged by Pilate, who finds him innocent,

8. Yeshua is once again condemned by the Jewish aristocracy and priesthood and thus sentenced to be executed,

9. Yeshua passed over in the offer of clemency,

10. Yeshua is beaten,

11. Yeshua is marched to the place of execution, and

12. Yeshua is executed.

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Recall that all such travel is by foot, and after having been flogged, Yeshua was likely not able to move that quickly to his place of execution. Additionally, it is unlikely that Pilate and Herod Antipas would drop all other matters to deal with a common criminal. All of this needs to occur in a maximum of four hours if Mark is to be considered trustworthy. It is reasonable that the events described in Mark could occur over a period of four hours; however, somehow packaging all the events described in Luke into only four hours is beyond belief, which is likely why the author of Luke left out the time of execution of Yeshua, even though he was copying from Mark.

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The gospel of John

Now the greater entertainment comes, for the author of John did not have access to Mark, Matthew or Luke. 

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So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police arrested Jesus and bound him. First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the people.

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Immediately, we diverge from the synoptic gospels: Yeshua is taken to the house of the father-in-law of the high priest, and not--as is recorded in Luke--the high priest’s house. The story of Peter's denials are interwoven into the narrative:

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Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. The woman said to Peter,

“You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?”

He said,

“I am not.”

Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself.

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First, in all three synoptic gospels, Peter is not described as being with anyone else, but now not only is Peter with another disciple, that other disciple is sufficiently familiar with the high priest that he was able to enter into the courtyard of the high priest. That other disciple returns to bring Peter into the courtyard, and it is the woman who recognizes Peter who is guarding the gate. What is awkward, however, is that it is a woman guarding the gate of the courtyard of the high priest in the middle of the night, and that same woman says “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” It seems the woman was aware that the first disciple was already a disciple of Yeshua.

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Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. Jesus answered,

“I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said.”

When he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying,

“Is that how you answer the high priest?”

Jesus answered,

“If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?”

Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

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This one-on-one interrogation of Yeshua by the father-in-law of the high priest Caiaphas is not recorded in any of the synoptic gospels. In Mark and Matthew, Yeshua is brought to the gathering in the middle of the night, while in Luke, Yeshua is held and assaulted by the guards until he is brought to the gathering the next morning, but neither mentions this more private interview.

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The author of John returns to Peter:

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Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him,

“You are not also one of his disciples, are you?”

He denied it and said,

“I am not.”

One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked,

“Did I not see you in the garden with him?”

Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.

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The author of John does not record Yeshua as predicting that Peter would deny him three times before the cock crowed once or twice, and so there is no realization by Peter following the crowing of that cock, there is no drama. However, let us look at who confronts Peter at each of these three accusations:

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1. In Mark, a female servant confronts him, then that female servant tells bystanders all of whom confront him, and then the bystanders again confront him.

2. In Matthew, a female servant confronts him, then another female servant tells bystanders all of whom confront him, and then the bystanders again confront him.

3. In Luke, a female servant confronts him, then someone else (a male) confronts him, and then yet another person (also a male) confronts him.

4. In John, a female guard confronts him, then the bystanders confront him, and then a slave and relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off confronts him.

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These are four different tales, but the author of John continues, but it is awkward, as there is no record of any large gathering of priests and scribes. Removing the story of Peter's denial, we have:

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Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning.

They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover.

So Pilate went out to them and said,

“What accusation do you bring against this man?”

They answered,

“If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.”

Pilate said to them,

“Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.”

The Jews replied,

“We are not permitted to put anyone to death.”

(This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)

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There is no record of Yeshua standing in front of any great gathering, or Yeshua being blindfolded and told to prophesy who struck him. Instead, they take Yeshua directly to Pilate, and yet they do not enter the building. This refusal to enter Pilate's headquarters is not recorded in any of the synoptic gospels, but this is not contradicted by them, either. The interaction between Pilate and Jesus is, however, much more philosophical, and it is not interrupted by accusations by chief priests (who, in John, are waiting outside):

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Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him,

“Are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus answered,

“Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”

Pilate replied,

“I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?”

Jesus answered,

“My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

Pilate asked him,

“So you are a king?”

Jesus answered,

“You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

Pilate asked him,

“What is truth?”

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Contrast this with the narrative in Mark:

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Pilate asked him,

“Are you the King of the Jews?”

He answered him,

“You say so.”

Then the chief priests accused him of many things.

Pilate asked him again,

“Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.”

But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

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The author of John continues, but immediately jumps to a discussion of who to release:

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After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them,

“I find no case against him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?”

They shouted in reply,

“Not this man but Barabbas!”

Now Barabbas was a rebel.

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The entire questioning by Pilate is bizarre: the Jews allegedly handed Jesus over specifically to be executed, and yet Pilate finds "no case against him." Why is he then offering to "release" him? Anyway, the author of John continues:

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Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face. 

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In all three synoptic gospels, once the Jews chose Barabbas over Yeshua, Yeshua is assaulted by the soldiers, and the next actions are taking Yeshua to his place of execution; however, this does not happen in John:

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Pilate went out again and said to them,

“Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.”

So Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them,

“Behold the man!”

When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted,

“Crucify him! Crucify him!”

Pilate said to them,

“Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.”

The Jews answered him,

“We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.”

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In Mark and Matthew, once Yeshua is dressed in a robe of some color (purple or scarlet), he is then as quickly stripped of that robe and led away to be executed. In John, however, we see the author bringing Yeshua back in front of the Jews. Once again, the discussion does not follow: Pilate explicitly tells the Jews that they can "crucify him," and the response is that "he ought to die." Pilate has just given the crowd permission to kill Yeshua, and yet rather than accept the offer, they push it back on Pilate.

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Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever.

He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus,

“Where are you from?”

But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate therefore said to him,

“Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you and power to crucify you?”

Jesus answered him,

“You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out,

“If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against Caesar.”

When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover, and it was about noon. He said to the Jews,

“Here is your King!”

They cried out,

“Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!”

Pilate asked them,

“Shall I crucify your King?”

The chief priests answered,

“We have no king but Caesar.”

Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

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None of this is recorded in the other gospels, and all occur after Yeshua is dressed in a robe of purple or scarlet. However, what is most critical here is the highlighted text: Yeshua has yet to be crucified and it is "about noon," and yet according to Mark:

It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.

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We continue in John:

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So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross by himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.

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All three other gospels record that Simon as carrying the cross; for example, in Mark

They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.

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The author of John continues:

There they crucified him and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

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It seems that none of the gospels agree on what as written:

1. In Mark, “The King of the Jews.”

2. In Matthew, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

3. In Luke, “This is the King of the Jews.”

4. In John, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

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The author of John, however, includes that his version was written in three languages, and that the chief priests confronted Pilate about the text; something, again, not discussed in any of the other gospels. The author of John continues to elaborate another familiar story:

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When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says, “They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.” And that is what the soldiers did.

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Compare this with what is told in the synoptic gospels:

1. In Mark, they crucified him and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.

2. In Matthew, when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; then they sat down there and kept watch over him.

3. In Luke, they cast lots to divide his clothing.

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The author of John seems to suggest that the soldiers ripped all clothing, other than the tunic, into four. Was this for a trophy? In each of the synoptic gospels, it simply suggests that Yeshua's clothing was divided by lot. 

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Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

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This is awkward, for John is the only gospel recording that Yeshua spoke to his mother and the other women. In all three other gospels, the women are at "a distance" from the site of the execution. The author of John includes in this crowd of women "the disciple whom he loved." The author of John continues with Jesus's death:

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After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

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Let us contrast what Yeshua does in the last moments of his life in all four gospels: 

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1. In Mark, Yeshua first cried out in a loud voice “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”, then someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, and then he gave a loud cry and breathed his last.

2. In Matthew, cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”, then one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, and then he cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. 

3. In Luke, Yeshua cried out with a loud voice “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”, and then he breathed his last.

4. In John, Yeshua first says “I am thirsty,” then they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth, then he says “It is finished,” and then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

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These are three different stories. The author of John, however, includes another tale that is not included in any of the other gospels:

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Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the Sabbath, especially because that Sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth, so that you also may continue to believe.) These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, “None of his bones shall be broken.” And again another passage of scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.”

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The author of Matthew was keen to highlight how Yeshua fulfilled prophesy (recall how Luke has the family travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem and then back to Nazareth via Jerusalem, while Matthew had the family start in Bethlehem, flee to Egypt only to return and be forced to migrate north to Nazareth, all to fulfill prophesy), one would think it would have been trivial to include these two subsequent prophecies.

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Summary

The execution of Yeshua is told in four different ways in the four gospels, and there are significant and irreconcilable differences. Not even in these last hours do the four authors get their facts straight. The easiest and most likely narrative is that Yeshua's disruptions at the Temple frustrated the Jewish aristocracy and Sadducees, and when Judas made them aware that Yeshua had had himself anointed, this was the information they needed to rid themselves of this annoying itinerant apocalyptic preacher: he was declaring himself king, and this put him in opposition to the Roman government, and the punishment for sedition was execution by crucifixion. Unfortunately, this puts the followers of Yeshua in a precarious situation, as they are following a convicted and executed criminal and traitor to the state. Consequently, each author had a need to find a different reason for Yeshua's execution, and the stories become more elaborate and cast more blame on the Jews, all while having Pilate declaring Yeshua as being innocent. That is, they weren't following a convicted and executed criminal and traitor to the state, but rather they were following an innocent man who was executed through the machinations of the Jewish aristocracy and Sadducees.

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For the apologist, one may ask:

1. Where and when was Yeshua brought before a gathering of chief priests and scribes?

2. Was Yeshua brought before Herod Antipas, and was it Herod who dressed Yeshua in an elaborate robe, or did the Roman soldiers responsible for executing Yeshua dress him in such a robe? If Yeshua was brought before Herod Antipas, why did none of the other gospels record this?

3. Did Yeshua speak to his mother and other women while hanging on the cross or were the women watching the execution from a distance? If Yeshua was speaking to his mother, why wouldn't the other gospels record this?

4. Was there an earthquake when Yeshua died? Were the bodies of dead saints raised, and did they visit people in Jerusalem? If so, why do three of the four gospels not record this?

5. Was Jesus crucified at 9 o'clock in the morning, or was he still before Pilate at noon?

6. What exactly was written on the cross?

7. Who confronted Peter after Yehsua's arrest?

8. What were Yeshua's interactions with the two criminals executed with him?

9. Did Yeshua carry his own cross, or did another carry it?

10. Did the centurion declare Yeshua to be the Son of God, or innocent?

11. Was the curtain torn before or after Yeshua's death?

12. What were Yeshua's last words, and what was his demeanor at his death?

13. What exactly were Yeshua's interactions with Pilate?

14. Was the cock supposed to crow once or twice?

15. Was Yeshua interrogated by chief priests and scribes at night or in the morning?

16. Where exactly was Yeshua interrogated?

17. Why, if the authors of Matthew and Luke both have access to Mark, did they diverge so significantly from Mark, even changing the very words spoken by Yeshua?

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