FYI. The chief priests were Sadducees appointed by the Romans - an illegal chief priesthood since they were not from the priestly line of Zadok. The people knew it and they knew it. The people hated them. Most of the later conflicts between the Apostles were with the Sadducees who did not believe in resurrection and were corrupt. They controlled the Temple by permission of the Romans and were the ones ripping the people off. The year that Jesus died, the Pharisees were essentially kicked out of the Temple proper area where the Sanhedrin previously met adjacent to the Temple - a place called the chamber of hewn stone. They were relegated to the outer court area with the rest of the people.

The Sadducean high priesthood, with a very small number of Pharisee collaborators, orchestrated a kangaroo illegal court to interrogate Jesus. They were looking for a crime to give them reason to have him tried by Pilate on charges of sedition. It was not a full Sanhedrin which did not have the authority to pass sentence on a capital case. No capital cases were allowed to be heard during the the entire month of Nisan - the season of Passover. There were many reasons why this was an illegal court which did not have the authority to pass a death sentence - which the Romans barred them from administering as well. Therefore, the Sadducees had to get Rome to do their dirty work.

The "multitude" present at Pilate's tribunal were preselected agitators - the very same thing that happens today. There is nothing new under the sun. This was NOT the same large group of worshippers that welcomed Jesus into the city just a week prior that mostly consisted of fellow Galileans that had followed Jesus' ministry for three years. Matt. 27.25 must be understood in the context of the crowd of agitators assembled at the praetorium. Most of the people in the city were getting ready for the Passover holiday and were clueless about what was taking place at the praetorium. Pilgrims that were just arriving in the city for the holiday also did not know what was taking place until they were told later. Everyone was focused on the holiday and the Sabbath.

They could not fit a huge number of people in the courtyard of Pilate's praetorium where Jesus was on trial. The praetorium was part of Herod the Great's former palace located on the western hill above the the upper city. Herod Antipas also shared this same complex with Pilate on the opposite side of the palace grounds. This was Antipas's residence when he was in Jerusalem. His normal capital residence was in Tiberius.

Pilate and Antipas' close proximity is what allowed Jesus to be shuttled back and forth between the two without alerting the rest of the city. Jesus had a huge number of supporters and the last thing the Sadducees wanted was for the people to find out that their beloved rabbi was being railroaded by the high priests.

The common people did not have access to this area in order for the Roman guard to maintain control. Only family members and supporters for the accused would have been allowed at the praetorium when Pilate was seeing prisoners. The Sadducees had placed their agitators posing as supporters of Jesus. It was too early in the morning for the disciples to have rallied the troops before the tribune to petition Pilate on Jesus' behalf. By the time they arrived, Jesus had already been convicted and was being led off to execution. Those that took the curse of blood were only those present at the tribunal - not the entire city nor the entirety of the people. John was the only one that stayed close - but from a distance. The rest had fled and were in hiding after Jesus was arrested. Therefore, the rest of the people did not know what was taking place until it was too late.

You can go ahead and piece together whatever narrative you wish based upon interpretation not grounded or rooted in the original languages, culture, and historical records. The historical and archeological evidence paints a much different picture for anyone that takes an unbiased look at the evidence according to the historical record, from multiple sources, and let it speak for itself.

As far as my original statement - it still stands. If we are to believe that Jesus died for us to save us, then we are the reason for his death - no matter who was the instrument used by the Father to give us such a precious gift. To shift blame somewhere else, is to cheapen and negate what Jesus accomplished. We are the reason for his death. Otherwise, his resurrection is meaningless.

FYI. The chief priests were Sadducees appointed by the Romans - an illegal chief priesthood since they were not from the priestly line of Zadok. The people knew it and they knew it. The people hated them. Most of the later conflicts between the Apostles were with the Sadducees who did not believe in resurrection and were corrupt. They controlled the Temple by permission of the Romans and were the ones ripping the people off. The year that Jesus died, the Pharisees were essentially kicked out of the Temple proper area where the Sanhedrin previously met adjacent to the Temple - a place called the chamber of hewn stone. They were relegated to the outer court area with the rest of the people.

The Sadducean high priesthood, with a very small number of Pharisee collaborators, orchestrated a kangaroo illegal court to interrogate Jesus. They were looking for a crime to give them reason to have him tried by Pilate on charges of sedition. It was not a full Sanhedrin which did not have the authority to pass sentence on a capital case. No capital cases were allowed to be heard during the the entire month of Nisan - the season of Passover. There were many reasons why this was an illegal court which did not have the authority to pass a death sentence - which the Romans barred them from administering as well. Therefore, the Sadducees had to get Rome to do their dirty work.

The "multitude" present at Pilate's tribunal were preselected agitators - the very same thing that happens today. There is nothing new under the sun. This was NOT the same large group of worshippers that welcomed Jesus into the city just a week prior that mostly consisted of fellow Galileans that had followed Jesus' ministry for three years. Matt. 27.25 must be understood in the context of the crowd of agitators assembled at the praetorium. Most of the people in the city were getting ready for the Passover holiday and were clueless about what was taking place at the praetorium. Pilgrims that were just arriving in the city for the holiday also did not know what was taking place until they were told later. Everyone was focused on the holiday and the Sabbath.

They could not fit a huge number of people in the courtyard of Pilate's praetorium where Jesus was on trial. The praetorium was part of Herod the Great's former palace located on the western hill above the the upper city. Herod Antipas also shared this same complex with Pilate on the opposite side of the palace grounds. This was Antipas's residence when he was in Jerusalem. His normal capital residence was in Tiberius.

Pilate and Antipas' close proximity is what allowed Jesus to be shuttled back and forth between the two without alerting the rest of the city. Jesus had a huge number of supporters and the last thing the Sadducees wanted was for the people to find out that their beloved rabbi was being railroaded by the high priests.

The common people did not have access to this area in order for the Roman guard to maintain control. Only family members and supporters for the accused would have been allowed at the praetorium when Pilate was seeing prisoners. The Sadducees had placed their agitators posing as supporters of Jesus. It was too early in the morning for the disciples to have rallied the troops before the tribune to petition Pilate on Jesus' behalf. By the time they arrived, Jesus had already been convicted and was being led off to execution. Those that took the curse of blood were only those present at the tribunal - not the entire city nor the entirety of the people. John was the only one that stayed close - but from a distance. The rest had fled and were in hiding after Jesus was arrested. Therefore, the rest of the people did not know what was taking place until it was too late.

You can go ahead and piece together whatever narrative you wish based upon interpretation not grounded or rooted in the original languages, culture, and historical records. The historical and archeological evidence paints a much different picture for anyone that takes an unbiased look at the evidence according to the historical record, from multiple sources, and let it speak for itself.

As far as my original statement - it still stands. If we are to believe that Jesus died for us to save us, then we are the reason for his death - no matter who was the instrument used by the Father to give us such a precious gift.

FYI. The chief priests were Sadducees appointed by the Romans - an illegal chief priesthood since they were not from the priestly line of Zadok. The people knew it and they knew it. The people hated them. Most of the later conflicts between the Apostles were with the Sadducees who did not believe in resurrection and were corrupt. They controlled the Temple by permission of the Romans and were the ones ripping the people off. The year that Jesus died, the Pharisees were essentially kicked out of the Temple proper area where the Sanhedrin previously met adjacent to the Temple - a place called the chamber of hewn stone. They were relegated to the outer court area with the rest of the people.

The Sadducean high priesthood, with a very small number of Pharisee collaborators, orchestrated a kangaroo illegal court to interrogate Jesus. They were looking for a crime to give them reason to have him tried by Pilate on charges of sedition. It was not a full Sanhedrin which did not have the authority to pass sentence on a capital case. No capital cases were allowed to be heard during the the entire month of Nisan - the season of Passover. There were many reasons why this was an illegal court which did not have the authority to pass a death sentence - which the Romans barred them from administering as well. Therefore, the Sadducees had to get Rome to do their dirty work.

The "multitude" present at Pilate's tribunal were preselected agitators - the very same thing that happens today. There is nothing new under the sun. This was NOT the same large group of worshippers that welcomed Jesus into the city just a week prior that mostly consisted of fellow Galileans that had followed Jesus' ministry for three years. Matt. 27.25 must be understood in the context of the crowd of agitators assembled at the praetorium. Most of the people in the city were getting ready for the Passover holiday and were clueless about what was taking place at the praetorium. Pilgrims that were just arriving in the city for the holiday also did not know what was taking place until they were told later. Everyone was focused on the holiday and the Sabbath.

They could not fit a huge number of people in the courtyard of Pilate's praetorium where Jesus was on trial. The praetorium was part of Herod the Great's former palace located on the western hill above the the upper city. Herod Antipas also shared this same complex with Pilate on the opposite side of the palace grounds. This was Antipas's residence when he was in Jerusalem. His normal capital residence was in Tiberius.

Pilate and Antipas' close proximity is what allowed Jesus to be shuttled back and forth between the two without alerting the rest of the city. Jesus had a huge number of supporters and the last thing the Sadducees wanted was for the people to find out that their beloved rabbi was being railroaded by the high priests.

The common people did not have access to this area in order to maintain control. Only family members and supporters for the accused would have been allowed at the praetorium when Pilate was seeing prisoners. The Sadducees had placed their agitators posing as supporters of Jesus. It was too early in the morning for the disciples to have rallied the troops before the tribune to petition Pilate on Jesus' behalf. By the time they arrived, Jesus had already been convicted and was being led off to execution. Those that took the curse of blood were only those present at the tribunal - not the entire city nor the entirety of the people. John was the only one that stayed close - but from a distance. The rest had fled and were in hiding after Jesus was arrested. Therefore, the rest of the people did not know what was taking place until it was too late.

You can go ahead and piece together whatever narrative you wish based upon interpretation not grounded or rooted in the original languages, culture, and historical records. The historical and archeological evidence paints a much different picture for anyone that takes an unbiased look at the evidence according to the historical record, from multiple sources, and let it speak for itself.

As far as my original statement - it still stands. If we are to believe that Jesus died for us to save us, then we are the reason for his death - no matter who was the instrument used by the Father to give us such a precious gift.