Wednesday
Wednesday
The Trial before the Sanhedrin
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death.
Mark 14:55
Scholars are still debating some details of the four trials Jesus endured—before Annas, Caiaphas, Herod, and Pilate. It seems clear, however, that he was taken straight from Gethsemane to a late-night, informal, and preliminary hearing by Jewish leaders chaired by Annas, who, we are told, was himself an ex–high priest and Caiaphas’s father-in-law. His reputation was that he was a covetous old man who had made himself rich by the commercial abuse of the temple. Jesus was interrogated about his followers and his teaching but declined to answer the questions put to him on the grounds that his words and deeds were already well known.
Next, probably early the following morning, Jesus was brought before a plenary session of the Sanhedrin, which was the supreme court responsible for political, legal, and religious affairs in Jerusalem. The purpose of this meeting was to formulate an accusation against Jesus that could be submitted to the Roman court presided over by Pilate. Pilate would not be interested in trivial ecclesiastical offenses against Jewish law but only in revolutionary claims that might threaten public security. So Caiaphas, who as high priest presided over meetings of the Sanhedrin, directly challenged Jesus on whether he was the Messiah. In response Jesus not only affirmed “I am” but quoted both Daniel 7 and Psalm 110:1 as fulfilled in him, thus claiming to have universal dominion and to share the throne of God. No wonder Caiaphas accused him of blasphemy and so as deserving of death.
We cannot help contrasting the behavior of Peter (yesterday) and Jesus (today). Peter denied Jesus, but Jesus, while refusing to answer frivolous questions, courageously affirmed his messiahship before the highest Jewish court in the land.
For further reading: Mark 14:53–65