See the Passion narrative like you've never seen it before. The Gospels describe a complex chain of events from Jesus's arrest to his crucifixion--interrogations from multiple high priests, a confrontation with Herod the Tetrarch, and finally Pontius Pilate's unusual hesitancy leading to Jesus's execution. The narrative raises several questions: Why was Jesus interrogated so many times? Why was he executed not by the high priests, but by the Romans? What are serious readers of Scripture to make of this narrative, central as it is to the Christian faith?

Paul Barnett sheds light on the story behind the Passion, Resurrection, and the subsequent birth of the church. Barnett fills readers in on the four hundred years of history between Malachi and Matthew, setting the geopolitical stage for the very crux of salvation history. With rich context and expert storytelling, The Trials of Jesus will intrigue and enlighten scholars and everyday Christians alike.