Jesus’ Trial before the Jewish High Council Matt 26:57-68 // Mark 14:53-65 // Luke 22:63-71; cp. John 18:19-24
57Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered.58Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.
59Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death.60But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward61who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’ ”
62Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?”63But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
64Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy.66What is your verdict?”
“Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!”
67Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him,68jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”
God has a way of making things perfectly clear. The Jewish leaders held a kangaroo trial and were willing to find witnesses they knew were lying, but they still couldn’t come up with a verdict that would put Jesus to death. In the end Jesus had to, in effect, cause his own death by his own words…and the words were the truth. Even at this point it is clear that Jesus was truly in control. As many times as he had out-witted the Scribes and Pharisees in public, he could have surely gotten himself out of this too, but he chose to die for me and for you.
So in short, Jesus died for each of us. He died because the leaders of this world reject God and Truth. He died because he chose to.
Lord, help me to die to my own desires and my own ways and accept you completely into every tiny corner of my life because you are God and you are Truth. *obbs*
