From Gethsemane to the Cross: A Chronological Account of the Arrest, Trial, and Crucifixion of Christ

The authors of the gospels approach the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus with a thematic purpose. Each gospel writer chooses the events he records according to the theme he is developing. For this reason, no single gospel has a complete, chronological account of the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus.

Some scholars, when examining the accounts of the four gospels, assert the gospels have irreconcilable differences. But the supposed differences disappear when we examine each Gospel in the chronological order in which the events occurred. Each gospel author, almost without exception, presents his account in chronological order even though he omits certain events another author describes.

Every trial lawyer knows eyewitness testimony is affected by the place and perspective from which they view the events. There is a stunning correspondence between what we know about the eyewitness perspective of each gospel author and the events the author recounts. The gospels are precisely the accounts we would expect to have from reliable eyewitnesses.

Steve Long, a pastor and lawyer, examines all of the gospels, informed by their cultural and historic setting, to uncover the entire chronological record. Long provides a narrative framework within which to understand the passion account in its entirety. He demonstrates that the gospels, considered together, present a complete and accurate account of the passion of Christ.

Steve Long holds the Doctor of Ministry and Master of Divinity degrees from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (now Gateway Seminary) and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of New Mexico. A former pastor, he is an adjunct professor in the Gateway Seminary Doctor of Ministry Program and practices law in the Albuquerque metropolitan area.