Arrest and trial of Jesus facts for kids
The Arrest and Trial of Jesus is a very important story in Christianity. It happened around February or March in the year 30 AD. This event took place after the Last Supper and before Jesus's death and coming back to life.
| Major events in Jesus's life in the Gospels |
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What Happened to Jesus?
Jesus is Arrested
The New Testament Gospels, which are books about Jesus's life, all tell the story of his arrest. Jesus was with his friends, called disciples, in a garden. He was praying there. After it got dark, some soldiers arrived. With them was Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus's disciples. Judas showed the soldiers who Jesus was by kissing him. The soldiers then took Jesus as their prisoner. All of Jesus's other followers ran away.
Jesus is Questioned
After his arrest, Jesus was taken to the high priest. A high priest was a very important religious leader. There, Jesus was asked many questions. People who were not telling the truth made many accusations against him. Finally, the high priest asked Jesus if he was the Son of God. Jesus said that it was true and that he would return in the future. The high priest then said that Jesus was guilty of blasphemy. Blasphemy means showing disrespect to God or claiming to be God.
Before Pontius Pilate
At that time, the Roman rulers did not allow the Jewish leaders to put anyone to death. So, Jesus was then taken to Pontius Pilate. Pilate was the Roman governor, a powerful leader in charge of the area. Pilate also asked Jesus many questions. Jesus did not answer some of them. However, he told Pilate that he was a king, but his kingdom was "not of this world." This meant his rule was spiritual, not about earthly power.
Pilate wanted to let Jesus go free. But a large crowd of people demanded that Jesus be crucified instead. Crucifixion was a very harsh way to execute someone. To stop a big public disturbance, Pilate agreed to what the crowd wanted.
