The Trial
After his arrest in Gethsemane Jesus was taken to Caiaphas, the high priest, and the teachers of the law and the elders were also there. Peter followed at a distance and waited in the courtyard, sitting down with the guards to await the outcome. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin wanted a conviction in order to put Jesus to death, but even with false witnesses they could not build a case. Eventually two men came forward and declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.”
Caiaphas said to Jesus, “Are you not going to defend yourself against what these men are saying?”. But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest then said “I charge you under oath by the living God: tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Jesus replied, “That is what you say. But I say to you - from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Almighty God and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Caiaphas tore his clothes and said, “You all heard that – blasphemy. Why do we need any more witnesses? What is your decision?” “He deserves to die,” came the answer. They taunted Jesus, spitting in his face, punching him and slapping him saying, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”
The Arrest
Peter was sitting in the courtyard when a servant challenged him, saying, “Weren’t you with Jesus of Galilee?”. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied and moved away to sit by the gateway.
Another servant started telling those within earshot “This man was definitely with Jesus of Nazareth”. He denied it but people argued, “You must be one of them, your Galilean accent gives you away”.
Peter began cursing and swearing and, as he shouted, “I don’t know that man” a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times” and he went outside and wept bitterly.
The Regret
Early in the morning, plans had been agreed on how to have Jesus executed. They bound him and handed him over to Pilate the governor. When Judas realised what was going to happen, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
Judas threw the money into the temple, went away and hanged himself.
The chief priests picked up the coins and, because it was against the law to return what was now blood money to the temple treasury, they used it to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners and it became known as the Field of Blood.
By this, what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter’s field.”
The Judas Tree – Cercis siliquastrum – carries the legend that, from shame, its white flowers changed colour after Judas, the betrayer of Christ, hanged himself on such a tree.