JEWISH TRIAL [JOHN'S GOSPEL].

 JOHN'S GOSPEL HAS A DRAMATIC OVERARCHING THEME. IT PICTURES JESUS COMING INTO THE WORLD TO FACE SOMETHING LIKE A  COURT TRIAL. THE ACCUSATION AGAINST HIM IS THAT HE IS AN IMPOSTER AND A BLASPHEMER. WITNESSES FOR THE PROSECUTION AND DEFENSE ARE CALLED AND THE WORLD SEEMS TO GAIN THE VICTORY UNTIL THE RESURRECTION PUTS THE RECORD STRAIGHT. THIS POINT EMERGES MORE CLEARLY WHEN THE FOLLOWING TEXTUAL DETAILS ARE CONSIDERED. CHS 13-17 DESCRIBES EVENTS IN THE UPPER ROOM. JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES PROCEED FROM THERE TO THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE WHERE HE IS CAPTURED. THOSE WHO SEIZE AND BIND HIM TAKE HIM TO ANNAS. ANNAS HAD BEEN HIGH PRIEST UNTIL 15 A.D., WHEN HE WAS DEPOSED BY THE ROMANS. FOUR OF HIS SONS SUCCEEDED HIM AS HIGH PRIEST, AND CAIAPHAS WAS HIS-SON-IN LAW; HERE ARE THE FIRST STAGES OF PETER'S DENIAL  OUTLINED" IN" JOHN 18:15-18. THE "HIGH PRIEST" THEN  QUESTIONS JESUS---HE MUST BE ANNAS, NOT CAIAPHAS; 18:19,24,28. WHAT TRANSPIRES BETWEEN ANNAS AND JESUS IS NOT A TRIAL, BUT A CONVERSATION IN WHICH ANNAS QUESTIONS JESUS ABOUT HIS DISCIPLES AND TEACHING. ANNAS SENDS HIM TO CAIAPHAS, THOUGH THERE IS NO REFERENCE TO A TRIAL, OR CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE LATTER AND JESUS. FURTHER DETAILS OF PETER DENIAL ARE THE GIVEN, AFTER WHICH JESUS IS TAKEN TO PILATE. 918:28). WHY HAS JOHN OMITTED ANY REFERENCE TO A FORMAL JEWISH TRIAL? THE ANSWER BECOMES CLEAR WHEN THE EVENTS OUTLINED IN CHS. 11 AND 12. ARE UNDERSTOOD. WHEN JESUS GOES TO THE AID OF LAZARUS, HE IS MET BY MARTHA AND MARY. BOTH PROFESS FAITH IN HIS POWER. MARTHA EXPRESSES HER
CONVICTION THAT LAZARUS WILL RISE IN THE RESURRECTION AT THE LAST DAY,
 EXPRESSES (AT THE TIME) JEWISH HOPE. JESUS ASSURES HER THAT HOPES CONCERNING DEATH AND RESURRECTION HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED, FOR HE IS PRESENT. 11:25-27. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, HE RESTORES LAZARUS TO LIFE. THE RESPONSE TO JESUS ACTION IS IMMEDIATE. SOME REJOICE, BUT SOME INFORM THE PHARISEES WHAT HE HAS DONE (THE PHARISEES BELIEVED IN A RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, TO TAKE PLACE AT THE CLOSE OF THE AGE WHEN MESSIAH CAME). JESUS ACTIONS CAUSE THEM DISTRESS. HAS THE MESSIANIC AGE COME,  AND IS JESUS THE MESSIAH?  IMPOSSIBLE! THE FORMAL JEWISH TRIAL FOLLOWS. THE MEMBERS OF THE SANHEDRIN DETERMINE THAT, RATHER THAN RISK LOSING THEIR NATION AND TEMPLE, JESUS MUST GO. ACCORDINGLY, JESUS IS TRIED IN ABSENTIA AND CONDEMNED TO DEATH. FURTHERMORE, A DECISION IS MADE TO KILL ALSO LAZARUS, "EXHIBIT A" IN THE DISTURBING RESURRECTION EVENT. THE IMPLICATIONS OF JESUS RAISING LAZARUS ARE SCANDALOUS TO THE JEWS. THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, PLACED BY JUDAISM IN THE FUTURE, IS ALREADY TAKING PLACE IN THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS AS MESSIAH. THOUGH 5:25-29 ANTICIPATES A FUTURE RESURRECTION, JOHN EMPHASIZES ELSEWHERE THAT THE FUTURE HAS ALREADY MOVED TO THE PRESENT FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS. THE RESURRECTION IS ALREADY TAKING PLACE. THE FUTURE AGE HAS COME! "IMPOSSIBLE THE JEWS CRIED. JESUS MUST GO!"