False Accusers Testify Against Jesus: His Trials

Killing Jesus Required False Witnesses

by Mike Robinson

During the time of Christ, there were three chief categories of testimony according to the Mishnah: irrelevant or useless testimony, a standing testimony, and a satisfactory testimony. The irrelevant testimony was rejected. The standing testimony was accepted if and when it was confirmed. The satisfactory testimony was based on the agreed testimony of two or three witnesses. The testimony collected in the trials of Jesus was inadmissible since it was irrelevant testimony (Mark 14:56).

Jesus had two primary trials (Jewish ecclesiastical and Roman criminal) and numerous legal proceedings within each. The ecclesiastical trial yielded a conviction of blasphemy. The Roman trial never produced a guilty verdict but ended with the death sentence for Christ. Pilate declared that Jesus was innocent (John 18:29-30). Jesus was initially brought to Pilate without formal charges since Rome would not accept a Jewish blasphemy charge for indictment. The elders and Pilate came together together, trying to come up with a charge that would stick—one that was within the jurisdiction of Roman law. They tried various accusations; finally they charged Christ with treason against Caesar and Rome. They misrepresented Christ’s view on taxes and kingship: “We have found this man subverting the nation… He opposes taxes to Caesar … and claims to be a king” (Luke 23:2). Jesus was a target of religious persecution and Roman injustice, but was completely innocent. (see book here). Pilate sentenced Christ to die by crucifixion (John 19:16), even though he declared Him guiltless (Luke 23:14-22).

Christ was executed without a Roman verdict of guilt; nonetheless He was crucified for religious reasons. The Jewish leaders insisted: “We have a law, and according to that law He must die, because He claimed to be the Son of God” (John 19:5-7). Jesus was killed because Temple authorities asserted that He was guilty of blasphemy.  Additional charges were raised because the Jewish leaders knew that Pilate would never approve an execution on a point of religious law. Other charges that fell short of indictment were: Jesus’ threat to destroy the Temple (a misunderstanding of His body metaphor); subverting Caesar; prohibiting the payment of taxes to Rome; inciting rebellion; and claiming to be a king. Perhaps Pilate allowed the unjust sentence to be carried out in fearful deference to Caesar, but, criminally, the chief reason for the crucifixion was not for tax prohibition (Bill O’Reilly) or revolutionary ideas (Reza Aslan). Christ was crucified for blasphemy (John 19:5-7).

Moreover, atonement for sins was the supreme reason for the execution of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53; John 3:15-19; Romans 3:20-26, 4:5; Titus 3:4-7). Jesus died to atone for the sins of men and to set them free.

He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification (Romans 4:25).

Jesus is the vicarious substitution since He died for our sins on our behalf.  Christ was offered in place of us. Jesus accomplished that which we could simply not.  He vicariously stood in our place and bore our sins on the cross as He made propitiation for our sins.

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10).

Whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed (Romans 3:25).

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To see fresh insights into the arrest, trial, and killing of Jesus Christ see my new book Killing Christ HERE. It looks at the death of Christ using ancient Jewish and Roman sources. In it, the reader discovers how the story of the killing of Jesus is at once transcendent, historical, and religious, yet true truth.

Pastor D Review: "Killing Christ: Contesting Trendy Critics Regarding The Death and Resurrection of Jesus"

Killing Christ: Contesting Trendy Critics Regarding The Death and Resurrection of Jesus  

Excerpt from Pasor D's review: 

This book, Killing Christ, by Michael A. Robinson is a desperately needed book for the times in which we live. This book is true to the historic Christian faith and is an excellent read. Christianity is under attack all throughout the Western world by humanists, secular atheists, Muslims, and by many liberal and Quasi-Christian organizations and religions. I have been asking every one I know to read the books by this author. They will be a great help to the body of Christ and to every pastor to defend the Christian faith. 

The author is a pre-suppositionalist and this makes his books all the more important and valuable. Iv'e been a pastor for over forty years and I have never found any books on apologetics any more helpful and insightful as the books by Michael A. Robinson. This book on Killing Christ will be a blessing and a challenge to all...
See full review on Amazon.

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER   1      The Arrest of Christ

CHAPTER   2      The Various Trials of Jesus Christ

CHAPTER   3      Securing the Death of Christ: Salvation

CHAPTER   4      The First Good Friday

CHAPTER   5      The Death of Jesus Christ

CHAPTER   6      Who Killed Jesus?

CHAPTER   7      Evidence of The Historicity of Christ’s Life, Death, and Resurrection

 

Appendix A  Quotes on the Cross and The Death of Christ

Appendix B  Christ in The Work of Redemption

Appendix C The Death of Christ

Appendix D Harmony of the Gospel Accounts Concerning The Trial and Crucifixion of Christ

Appendix E Killing Jesus: A History - Book Review

Appendix F Aslan’s Zealot—The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth: A Critique

 

 check out Killing Christ: Contesting Trendy Critics Regarding the Death & Resurrection of Christ HERE

"Killing Jesus Christ" the Book

In present-day literature, of all the themes written about the life and death of Jesus Christ, none

have recurred more frequently than the “historical Jesus.” Naturalistically inclined authors claim the New Testament picture is not reliable, we've been told again and again [see Killing Christ book HERE].

But this snubs the obvious truth. Christ’s life and death are best known through first century Jewish accounts (the New Testament) and not contemporary occidental scholarship. The truth flows from one’s core convictions and makes no sense if severed from the presuppositions that give it force.

To understand the historical content of Christ’s death and life, start with the writers of His period who spoke His language within His culture.

Indeed, early Christianity was basically a movement of disenfranchised Jews who placed great emphasis on human sin and the need of divine redemption. The wickedness involved in the execution of Christ we can recognize and know. Besides, the tragic nature of the crucifixion of Jesus was foreordained to forever solve the problem of sin as it alleviates human condemnation.

This volume aims to correct slurs, while simultaneously positing positive evidence and rational proof that the Gospels reveal the truth about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Bill O’ Reilly, Skeptics, and Killing Jesus

Bill O’ Reilly, author of Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy, declared that Jesus merely started “a philosophy”¹ and much of the biblical narratives are allegorical and symbolic—not real history. He also suggested that Christians do not worship Jesus Christ but worship the “spirit of Jesus.”² He’s convinced that Christ’s main undertaking was to teach men how to live. I have no doubt that Christ’s moral teaching is as important as it is profound, yet His primary mission was to die to set men free. Many other skeptics and liberals have mounted quests for the historical Jesus and have landed not far from where O’ Reilly takes his readers. Ultimately the Bible holds, as the skeptics have found nothing. But skeptics will continue to publish books about their new theories on the life and death of Christ even though we have an infallible account of Christ in the New Testament.

Beyond Bill O’ Reilly, few disbelieving sleuths believe that Jesus Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 4:5) and rose from the grave in victory (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). I do. And not only that, I know with full certainty. Some contend Christ was a good teacher who died because of a tragic set of accidents. Still a few others say that Christ never existed, thus never died.

Of course, theories abound in cases of history were evidence is scarce. But as the reader will discover, there exists not only deep layers of historical data for the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, there are potent logical reasons why such must be the case.

My objective is to lay out the evidence for the truth of the Gospel’s narratives and demonstrate that theories by skeptics (O’ Reilly, Aslan, etc.) not only have several faults, but what they pen, when it is inconsistent with the scriptural accounts of Christ, cannot possibly be true. I will argue:  

• God is.
• His word has been revealed.
• Scripture reveals the truth about Christ’s arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, and resurrection; the contrary is impossible.

Indeed, Jesus Christ died. He was crucified. Nevertheless, His illegal execution was merely the beginning of a comprehensive transformation in history. Since Jesus’ death and resurrection, it often appears that the kingdom of man and the kingdom of God have traded places. Christ's outlook, however, was a bold and challenging assurance. The kingdom Jesus launched is the one we still see expanding today.

 *Purchase Killing Christ book HERE.

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NOTES

1.        http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/bill-oreilly-christianity-is-not-a-religion-but-a-philosophy/

http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/bill-oreilly-christianity-is-not-a-religion-but-a-philosophy/

http://www.cafemom.com/answers/1302178/Did_you_see_Bill_OReilly_making_the_claim_to_David_Silverman_that_Christianity_is_a_philosophy_not_a

2.        http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3004813/posts

Video: Killing Jesus Christ - New Book

In this fully loaded apologetics resource [buy it HERE] Robinson gives a complete biblical account of the events leading up to the illegal trials, killing, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Drawn from numerous ancient documents and archives, the lofty as well as the minutia of facts are examined within the Jewish and Roman proceedings that led to the atoning death of Jesus of Nazareth.

This is a remarkable look at the killing of Jesus Christ, and one that will leave an unforgettable imprint on every reader.

Killing Christ reveals the truth about:

• The Arrest of Jesus Christ
• The Various Trials of Christ: An Apologetic Approach
• The Errors of the Trendy Critics (Bill O’Reilly, Reza Aslan, Bart Ehrman, etc.)
• The First Good Friday and Its Redemptive Provision
• The Ancient Rabbinic, Roman, and Non-biblical Historical Accounts
• The Proof of the Resurrection of Christ: The Facts within an Assured Rational Framework
• Who Really Killed Jesus?
• The Evidence of The Historicity of Christ’s Life, Death, and Resurrection

In Killing Christ, Robinson invites you to experience the most stunning injustice in the history of civil law, conjoined to the supreme triumph of the power of God, and the redemption provided by the death of Christ. The author provides a chronological examination that includes a detailed look at everything from rabbinical law to Roman justice to Christ's courtroom declarations of His divinity. This new volume furnishes a readable examination and analysis of the indictments, preliminary proceedings, trials, and execution of Jesus—great for apologetics and the defense of the faith.

purchase the fascinating book Killing Christ: Contesting Trendy Critics Regarding the Death and Resurrection of Jesus HERE

Press Release: Killing Jesus Christ Book

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Tel: 817-710-4174

Email: AppliedApologeticsPress@gmail.com

Pastor's New Book Offers Rebuttal to Bill O'Reilly's “Killing Jesus”: Author Mike Robinson Unlocks New Insight Into Why Jesus Died in His Book “Killing Christ: Contesting Trendy Critics Regarding The Death and Resurrection of Jesus”

Granbury, Texas, September 9, 2013 – Television host Bill O'Reilly's book Killing Lincoln was a runaway bestseller, and the author is poised to take on Christianity with a new book Killing Jesus in September. However, author and pastor Mike Robinson presents a rebuttal to O'Reilly's book with Robinson's new title, Killing Christ: Contesting Trendy Critics Regarding the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, now available on Amazon.

Robinson's publication is a direct response to the deviant views saturating the media regarding the reasons why Jesus was killed, such as Stephen Mansfield's Killing Jesus: The Unknown Conspiracy Behind the World's Most Famous Execution. Robinson is a prolific author of numerous books on apologetics, and in his new book, he calls upon the world to realize the truth behind Jesus' execution. Using scripture and providing a complete Biblical account of the events leading to Jesus' death, he offers a look at the historical events that is rational, serious and spiritual. Killing Christ: Contesting Trendy Critics Regarding the Death and Resurrection of Jesus is an exhaustive compilation of research on this poignant and hotly-contested event. Drawing from numerous ancient documents, archives and sources, Robinson examines the Jewish and Roman proceedings that led to the atoning death of Jesus of Nazareth.  The result demonstrates how the story of the arrest, trial, and killing of Jesus is at once transcendent, historical, and religious.

Killing Christ: Contesting Trendy Critics Regarding the Death and Resurrection of Jesus is a valuable resource and a must-read for every Christian, minister and apologist. Robinson presents a clearly defined treatise on Christ's death that is easy-to-understand with lessons that help us appreciate and understand why Christ died.  The book examines the errors of the trendy critics, such as Bill O'Reilly, Ehrman and others, plus discusses the first Good Friday, the Proof of the Resurrection of Christ, the Evidence of the Historicity of Christ's life and more.  Killing Christ: Contesting Trendy Critics Regarding the Death and Resurrection of Jesus is now available on Amazon for $7.99 in a Kindle edition.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Robinson is the author of dozens of books on apologetics. He serves as the long-time pastor of Christ Convenant Church and instructor at CCBS. Please visit his blog at http://goddoesexistiknowit.blogspot.com for more information.

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Jesus Christ: His Love, Promises, and Our Duty

Following a Wonderful Savior

By Mike Robinson

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory (1Timothy 3:16).

Since God keeps His promises, we should focus on Jesus. Christ is the Master in every realm known and unknown: the realms of nature, the church, the future, and the spiritual. Christ flung the stars across the cosmos; He is the Lord of the universe. Additionally, He is the ground of rationality, the Logos of all true philosophy, and the precision of mathematics. Jesus is the Captain of salvation for He overmastered sin, death, and the grave. He turned the darkness of death into the dazzling glory of the Resurrection. With Jesus no one needs religion to escape death’s grip; no one needs religion to be loved and accepted: Jesus is alive and He loves His own to the end.

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him (1 John 3:1).

Jesus is all wise, omnipotent, omniscient, and He is everywhere present; He is blessed and radiant in power and glory. He propitiates God’s judgment and wrath as He offers unconditional love to all His people. Jesus saves, redeems, protects, delivers and leads His people. Jesus, as God, accomplished the supreme purpose as the conqueror of darkness and wickedness. Jesus is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Contemplate the glory of Christ. Rejoice in the wonder of His person. Delight in His friendship. Thank Him for His forgiveness and love Him for His loveliness. With Jesus you do not need manmade religion. So focus on Jesus, live upon Jesus, walk with Jesus, and follow hard after Jesus as you obey His word out of gratitude; moreover, love Him for all He is and all that He has done for you.

Expressing Love to God

Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind (Jesus).

Packer offers the following practical applications for expressing our love to God:

To worship God is to recognize his worth or worthiness; to look God-ward, and to acknowledge in all appropriate ways the value of what we see. The Bible calls this activity "glorifying God" or "giving glory to God," and views it as the ultimate end, and from one point of view, the whole duty of man (Ps. 29:2; 96:6; 1 Cor. 10:31). Scripture views the glorifying of God as a six-fold activity: praising God for all that he is and all his achievements; thanking him for his gifts and his goodness to us; asking him to meet our own and others' needs; offering him our gifts, our service, and ourselves; learning of him from his word, read and preached, and obeying his voice; telling others of his worth, both by public confession and testimony to what he has done for us. Thus we might say that the basic formulas of worship are these: "Lord, you are wonderful"; "Thank you, Lord"; "Please Lord"; "Take this, Lord"; "Yes, Lord." …This then is worship in its largest sense: petition as well as praise, preaching as well as prayer, hearing as well as speaking, actions as well as words, obeying as well as offering, loving people as well as loving God. However, the primary acts of worship are those which focus on God directly—and we must not imagine that work for God in the world is a substitute for direct fellowship with him in praise and prayer and devotion (James Packer, Your Father Loves You).

Make Note of the Power of the Gospel

During the Great Awakening through the work of God’s Spirit many people came to Christ; furthermore, by the preaching of Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield America was transformed. One of the most curious fads that appeared during that period of revival was an unexpected interest in shorthand in the American colonies. Almost everywhere people had pens in their hands as they hurried off to a revival service. They took their feather pen, portable ink well, and paper to write notes as many attendees recorded the sermon in shorthand. This led to a viral surge of shorthand books being purchased. During this mighty revival people were talking about Jesus and running to and fro while hearing the Cross preached; these inexperienced scribes were endeavoring to record every word for later study and meditation.

The preaching of Jesus Christ crucified and risen with the justification that comes by God’s grace led to the greatest revival America has ever witnessed.

Justification

But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness (Romans 4:5).

You say hold on a minute; I know what justification means: declared righteous. Why is it so important? When I hear this type of questioning, I can understand the reason Martin Luther said: “I feel sometimes that you are so slow to receive it; that I could almost take the Bible and bang it about your heads.” These truths are essential, yet often we don’t really embrace them and it seems we need it pounded into our hearts. Thomas Watson rightly noted that justification is the “very hinge and pillar of Christianity.”

Van Til pointed out that “the idea of grace is wholly out of line with the idea of autonomous man.” Paul declared: “Let God be true and every man a liar.” We should believe God and not any man that attempts to controvert God’s Word. By God’s grace through faith in Jesus one is justified, forgiven, and accepted by God. That’s good news.

• And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:6).
• Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).
• For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3).
• But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness (Romans 4:5).
• For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, "Peace, peace!" When there is no peace (Jeremiah 8:11).

The Imputation of Christ's Righteousness

God the Father sent His Son, who is sinless and perfect in character, to live a perfect life in accordance to God’s Law and sacrifice himself for the sins of mankind. The sins of the repentant sinner are cast onto Christ: the perfect sacrifice. Furthermore, salvation includes the gift of the "righteousness of God" (Rom. 3:21, 22; 10:3; Philippians 3:9). This is the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 1:30). His life of sinlessness and perfect obedience to God's law on this earth was required to give believers a perfect record in regard to the postive aspect of Justification (Christ’s active obedience). The need for a human life of perfect obedience to God's law is one of the most important reasons that Jesus as God, had to become fully man (incarnate) and live as a man born of a virgin.

Romans 4:6 declares that God "imputes righteousness apart from works," hence this righteousness of Christ is imputed to the believer's account. God forensically (legally) credits (imputes) the believer with the righteous acts that Christ performed as fully man on the earth. This is the great exchange: Christ gives his perfect holiness, righteousness in exchange for human sin. This is great news for sinners who by God’s grace alone turn in faith to God's Son: Christ takes their sin and believers receive His perfect record of law keeping and His perfect righteousness. God credits believers with the righteousness of Christ solely through faith by grace alone. Justification forensically renders the believer righteous and gives him peace with heaven.

Justification

Without justification, the unbeliever has no peace with God. We must never assert that there is peace, when there is no peace between the ungodly and God. Without justification by grace alone, there can be no real peace. Imputation is the biblical term for the positive element of justification. Through God’s grace by faith: The believer is judicially constituted as righteous. He is declared righteous. Christ preached in Matthew 5:48, “Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The law demands perfect obedience. This is a perfection equal to the Father’s perfection. Nobody except Christ has pulled that off, so we need a perfect righteousness that is not our own. We need to be justified by the works and righteousness of another. Justification is a forensic term which speaks of the Christian’s legal position before God. The believer is declared righteous despite his unrighteous deeds. The justified are given an alien righteousness. A righteousness that is not their own, but is imputed to the believer by faith alone. Not having a righteousness of our own insures that God gets all the glory.

We should delight in the good news of our justification and get stirred-up to teach others this stupendous truth: Christ came to save sinners. When we witness, we must hoist the person and work of Christ. After pressing the law on the heart of the wicked, share the gospel and justification with them. Pray that God changes their hearts, and that they cast themselves upon the person of Jesus Christ.

Obedience Motived by Gratitude

All Christians must understand that keeping God’s law doesn’t save their soul, but grace through faith in Christ alone saves them. And the Christian is to follow God’s law out of gratitude and love.

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments (John 14:15).

I … believe that I am, by Christ, freely and fully justified and acquitted from all my sins … yet, methinks, I find my heart more willing and desirous to do what the Lord commands … than ever it was before I did thus believe (Edward Fisher; notes by Thomas Boston: Marrow of Modern Divinity: Covenant of works & Grace: The Ten Commandments).

The Christian is motivated to obey God’s word by gratitude and love. The believer is to follow God’s law because he loves God and his fellow man. God is good and loving. This truth infuses obedient love into the believer’s heart, by the power and person of the Holy Spirit, through faith. If you love Jesus, you are called to follow His moral law. If a church loves Jesus, it is going to instruct and admonish its members to follow God’s law.

check out my new book that defends the biblical view of Jesus Christ HERE