
Read today's scripture here: John 18:19-24
I watch a lot of Cops, 48 hours, 20/20, Forensic, plus I work in the Court System. I have always been fascinated with that type of work, and I am blessed to be able to observe how the process works. Not everyone that gets thrown in jail is always completely guilty, sometimes they are not guilty at all. Some are very much guilty. But there is a process to make that determination. There are rules to being thrown in jail, like how long you can hold someone you arrest, if you can make them talk, the right to legal council, fair treatment while in jail, a fair trial, witnesses and so on.
As I read today's scripture I note the "process" in which Jesus was arrested. Remember, he freely went with the soldiers when they came to arrest him. He did not give a fight or resist arrest. He was completely cooperative.
Next we observe Jesus being questioned, (to establish guilt I assume) which as you know today, Jesus would not have had to answer anything they asked of him without some sort of legal council. Not only that, but he should have been told what he was being "charged" with. Why did they arrest him? Notice, they don't say that. They instead arrested him and started to question him to try to come up with something. Jesus responds by saying, everything I have done, I've done in the open in front of witnesses, in front of you. I've done nothing in secret. He even tries to make them realize that he is being treated unfairly and suggests they go ask those that heard him.
Further, when Jesus asks them to talk to witnesses, not only do they ignore that request, they strike his face. I am here to tell you that if any of our officers strike an arrested citizen during questioning because they didn't like his answer, there would be most definitely be a lawsuit. But here you see, nothing happens. Jesus again, says what did I do that was wrong? Tell me what I said that would cause you to strike me.
Knowing that they could find no fault in Christ, they probably would have had to let him go free, but instead they send him further into the justice system, still bound. That would never happen today.
If Jesus is who he says he is...why do we treat him as we do?
Until tomorrow.