Crime shows and whodunit mysteries are among the most popular shows on TV. I’m not sure why. Perhaps we like the challenge of trying to piece together the clues and solve the mystery. Perhaps we are curious about how evil people think and how they hatch their plots. Perhaps we like the thrill of the chase and feeling afraid – but all observed from a safe distance.
Crime and subsequent court cases happen all the time in real life. These are often petty crimes but occasionally a high profile case stirs the public imagination, such as the recent Brittany Higgins rape trial or the impending case of a man accused of killing two campers in the Victorian Alps. In a court of law, witnesses are called to give evidence, the truth of statements made is weighed and the judge or jury must decide a verdict.
We may be surprised to find several public ‘trials’ of Jesus In the Gospel of John, starting with the one in chapter 5. Jesus’ crime is healing someone on the Sabbath day, a day designated to be free of work, including healing it seems. When confronted with his crime, Jesus defends himself by saying that he is just doing what he sees the Father (i.e. God) doing. This statement is interpreted by his opponents as a second crime, claiming equal authority with God. Jesus then calls on various witnesses – John the Baptist, the powerful signs he is performing (like the healing) and Scripture – to support his own claims.
Where is truth to be found? What verdict will we – the jury – come to in this case? Why does any of this matter two thousand years after the events in question? It matters if we want to get to the truth of who Jesus is and by implication, who God is. We each have to come to our own conclusion.