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A short time ago we remembered the trials of Jesus before the Sanhedrin of the Jewish leaders (Luke 22:66-71), King Herod (Luke 23:6-11), and repeatedly before the governor Pontius Pilate (Luke 23:13-17 & 18-24). But just as he was put on trial again and again, he has been on trial continuously ever since. Confronted with the question "Who is Jesus?" people, just as in the time of Christ, pause to judge in their own minds and hearts whether or not Jesus really is the Divine Son of the one true God.
Occasionally, detractors or proponents have made their case public and much of what they say is what others have said ever since Jesus' resurrection. First, we have the written eyewitness accounts in scripture (Matt 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, & John 20, 21), and documentation of the public declarations of numerous believers testifying with their blood to their personal knowledge of the fact that Jesus was crucified; he died; three days later he rose from the dead in a glorified body; and after forty days he ascended into heaven. On the other side we have reports that the Roman soldiers having fallen asleep on guard duty, without waking to see anything, claimed that his disciples stole the body, and that the guards were unable to stop the disciples because the soldiers were asleep. On the face of it, we must conclude that the early Christians had the better case.
However, latter Roman antagonists against Christianity argued that the disciples of Jesus made up the whole thing. Throughout the centuries this argument has often resurfaced like some mantra of disbelief. In the beginning of the 4th century the historian Eusebius of Caesarea in his Proof of the Gospels [3.5] presented a brilliant defense which convinced many in his time and silenced the prosecution for a while. In it he suggested that they should examine the reasonability of the Roman opposition by considering what this imagined conspiracy would be like.
Eusebius pointed out that all the close disciples and acquaintances of Jesus would have had to have been in on it and would have had to gather to make up a common story and unanimously pledge to stand by it no matter what might be done to force them to recant. This was essential. Because should even one of Christ's close disciples deny their story, it would wreck their entire scheme. Eusebius then presented the ancient world with what this imaginary meeting of the disciples would have been like.
He wrote that at this fictitious gathering, even though their faith in him had been fruitless, and they had been disappointed and hurt by the loss of everything they had hoped for, it would have been suggested that they perpetrate a hoax declaring that he was divine and had risen from the dead. They would then have coordinated on concocting an account of amazing miracles to convince people of their lie. Everyone had to agree to this falsehood and accept the fact that perpetrating it would certainly mean hardship and even persecution. Although they would gain no benefit from their lie, they would stand by it even to the point of torture and death.
They then supposedly went forth from this meeting and nearly all of them suffered as a result and were cruelly put to death. Can anyone believe that not one of them would ever recant their testimony to save their lives even in the face of extreme agony? Against this logic the learned men of Rome had no answer. The testimony in favor of Christ was compelling. Jesus was judged to be in fact the divine Son of God.
And yet he has been brought to trial over and over again. Millions having heard the testimony have declared him to be the Son of God. Today he is still being put on trial. The prosecution without witnesses or proof drudges up accusations of perjury against his witnesses or in some cases the falsification of their testimony by some unknown latter group which supposedly acted without the people of their time calling them on it. They have no proof to offer, just unfounded accusations.
Again today, Jesus is forced to stand before the people of this world and account for himself. Members of the jury, I ask you what is your verdict?
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Finding Faith is written by area pastors. This week's column comes from Rev. Fr. Joseph Orr of Holy Spirit Catholic Parish, Lock Haven.