Unmentioned Evidence

In other words, what the disciples did not understand; while Matthew focuses on Peter’s spiritual gains, or what the disciples learned. Matthew also portrays Peter in an abrogating way. For instance, when Jesus asks Peter why he puts forth doubt in his leader in 14:31 Matthew is portraying him as someone who doubts his leader, who is almighty and powerful. Jesus does not question Peter’s faith in Him in Mark. However, Jesus presents some positive light in Matthew as

Pilate fear that the people would consider him a traitor to Caesar, instead of a friend. Moreover, Pilate could not ignore the charges brought against Jesus. The Jewish council did not only charge him with blasphemy, besides, the political charges brought against him (misleading the people saying that he was Christ, the king). Such charge that was consider treason, Pilate could not ignore. Which lead to Pilate reacting in such manner. However, after finding no fault against Jesus Pilate refused the verdict. Nonetheless, they sought more charges against Jesus. Leaving Pilate with no choice but to hand him over to them.

In the Bible, the population, at first does not accept Jesus, but more come to believe in Him after he is able to prove his powers through the miracles he performs.  However, the nobility, especially, they fear that their power is threatened; eventually, they are out to get Jesus.  Once Jesus' authority is questioned, most people who once believed in him no longer acknowledge their faith in him.  Eventually, swayed by the aristocrats, the people begin hating Jesus. He is treated less than human and is no longer a useful tool for the people, a source of healing or peace.  He becomes a scapegoat, and is considered the source of problems.  Even the people closest to him, his disciples, betray him.  Judas sells

Yet only in Matthew does Peter have a role in the story. Upon seeing Jesus on the water, he calls out, "'Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water'"(Mt. 14.28). He almost succeeds, yet he suddenly gives in to fear and begins sinking. Jesus scolds him by saying, " 'You of little faith, why do you doubt?'"(14.31). This draws a strange picture of Peter. He no longer simply listens to Jesus, but tries to become actively involved in his teacher's lessons. This idea is again shown in Matthew 15.15. After the parable of the blind leading the blind, Peter asks, " "Explain this parable to us." Jesus replies with a rather impatient remark, but dives a little further into the meaning. He often comes to Jesus with questions throughout Matthew and these questions always ask for clear definitions of stories or truths about some spiritual detail. Many times Jesus snaps a little at him, but Peter obviously is not swayed by any impatience his teacher bestows. This seems to paint a closer relationship between the two men, where Peter is not afraid of Jesus and Jesus is not simply polite to Peter, as teachers tend to be. Jesus' obvious favoritism of Peter, shown in the transfiguration and throughout the gospel, leads one to believe that the two are indeed close friends with trust and mutual respect, which allows them to be freer with their words to one another. Friends tend to be less polite and more open with

The severity of the humiliation that was precedent to the death of Jesus is strategically diminished when it is recounted in order to

Pontius Pilate, as Roman Governor, had a position to fulfill to the Roman population along with the Jewish community. During a time of Jewish Passover, along with the chaos Jesus had created, Pilate was under great influence from many outside factors. “The stir created by Jesus' preaching and the size of his following perturbed both the Roman and the Jewish authorities, fearful of any wind that might fan the smoldering discontent in Palestine into a raging flame of revolt.” (Hexter 62) In the Roman trial, Pilate was chosen to judge Jesus on the act of sedition, however counter to Hexter's perspective, repeatedly stated that he saw no case against him. In the Gospel of John, it is apparent that Pilate not only doesn't want to be involved but is puzzled at the situation at hand. “Your own nation and the chief of priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?” (John 18:33) Pilate is attempting to keep order in his city and rather not involve

He predicted that Peter would deny him three times and he did. Three asked if Peter was a follower of Jesus and he replied with “I don’t know what you’re talking about”. Later he cried because he remembered what Jesus had told him. Even though he had forgotten Jesus and given up on him for a short day. Jesus took him back and forgave him.

To me, his description of Judas’ arrival with an “armed mob” immediately paints these men as hooligans, “the hundreds (who) came heavily armed to arrest an unarmed prophet.” Regardless of their evil intent, the movies and other readings show them as being led by soldiers and officials. And, Hodge interprets Peter’s attacking Malchus because of his low status as a slave. It is more likely that Malchus was standing close to Peter when he wielded the sword and cut off Malchus’ ear. Then, he says, “The armed mob was scared – scared to death of Jesus.” Hodge does not explain how he arrived at this conclusion.

Pontius Pilate probes further in verse 13 and asks “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” Ironically, Jesus gave no response. Why was Jesus remaining silent? Possibly, due to the crowd’s obvious people power there was no response that would have satisfied the hostile climate. Furthermore, Jesus predicted his death many

Because he fed the people, large crowds followed Jesus wherever he went; however, as soon as Jesus demanded self-sacrifice, even his closest followers threatened to abandon him. Undeniably, the Truth (Jesus) can empty

In the Absence of Evidence On the night of December 23, 2002, Scott Peterson killed his wife, Laci Peterson, and unborn child, Conner, in cold blood. He then dumped their bodies in San Francisco Bay and returned home (Case 1). At least, that’s what the prosecution would want you to think. Was Scott Peterson proven guilty of his wife’s murder beyond reasonable doubt? No, he was not, and here’s why.

Judas is disloyal to Jesus. Jesus and the disciples travel through the Kidron Valley. When Jesus inquires about their purpose, Judas says that they are looking for Him. Peter jumps to the defense of Jesus and injures one of the soldiers by slicing his ear with a sword. To fulfill the scriptures, Jesus allows the soldiers to bind His hands as they whisk Him away to be questioned. Jesus is taken before Pilate, the Roman emperor. The temple soldiers ask that Pilate find Jesus to be a common criminal and sentence Him to death. Pilate is not satisfied with the accusations that are given and sees no fault in

Jesus' decision to physically cast out the moneylenders from the temple stands as one of the most interesting events of his life, because it represents what seems to be the only moment in the Gospel narratives where he becomes visibly angry to the point of physical action. While one could argue that Jesus is frequently (and justifiably) angry with the disciples from time to time, this is the only moment that Jesus' anger moves him to physical force. Although the event is recorded in all four of the Gospels, this study will focus specifically on its rendering in Matthew, because when considered in the context of Matthew's larger narrative, one can see how Jesus' decision to cleanse the temple does not represent an aberration in either his character or theological message, but rather the natural culmination of Jesus' life and works prior to that point, and demonstrates a kind of revolutionary, anti-authoritarian element of Jesus' message of salvation that is all too often overlooked by Christians and critics alike.

The teachings of Jesus focused primarily on the "the kingdom of God" and were usually relayed through parables drawing on familiar images from agricultural life. He rebuked the hypocrisy of some Jewish leaders and taught the importance of love and kindness, even to one's enemies. Jesus' popularity grew quickly, but so did opposition from local leaders. Roman rulers were uncomfortable with the common perception that he was the Messiah who would liberate the Jews from Roman rule, while Jewish leaders were disquieted by Jesus' shocking interpretations of Jewish law, his power with the people, and the rumor that he had been alluding to his own divinity. In the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly suggests to his disciples his end is near, but they do not fully understand or accept the idea. The clearest expression of this is at the "Last Supper," which took place on the night before his death. All four Gospels record that Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples, asking them to "do this in remembrance of me." Christians celebrate this event in the sacrament of the Eucharist, or Communion. On this evening Jesus also predicts that one of them will betray him, which is met with astonishment and denial. But that very night, Jesus' fate was sealed when Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples and possibly the group's treasurer, led Roman soldiers to Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. As they arrested Jesus, the ever-colorful Peter defended his master with a sword, slicing off

It is at this point that the story of Rome and the story of Israel’s leadership boldly intersect. The Jerusalem elite regarded Jesus as a threat to their own status as those authorised to speak and act on God’s behalf, and they presented Jesus to the Jewish people as a false prophet and to Pilate as a rebel. For all these reasons, it was necessary that Jesus be put to death.