Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

“The high priest said to him, ‘I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ ‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ “ –Matthew 26:63-64 (NIV)

The Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Court, was determined to bring about the death of Jesus Christ. At the house of Caiphas, the high priest, Jesus faced his Jewish accusers. This court did not have the power, under Roman rule, to assign the death penalty. They would have to send Jesus on to Pilate for the death sentence. Between these two trials were the travails of Peter and Judas. Peter denied Jesus three times. Judas, in great chagrin, returned the thirty pieces of silver to the temple, threw the coins down, then went out and committed suicide by hanging. And while these notable events were taking place, Jesus was sentenced to capital punishment on the evidence of false witnesses.

Notice how Jesus accepted Messianic titles: Christ, the Son of God; the Son of Man; the One sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One; the One who will return, coming on the clouds of heaven. How much Jesus told his unbelieving accusers of God’s plan and purpose in his death and future glory! Did these purveyors of the Jewish law, those who knew the prophecies and could quote them, not know that the Innocent One who stood before them was the one of whom Isaiah wrote in his great Messianic prophecy? (Read Isaiah 53). Isaiah’s description of the Suffering Servant predicted the vicarious suffering and death of Jesus. The One who stood before the Sanhedrin was He. And the Sanhedrin clamored for His death. They, in their headstrong determination were, unawares, fulfilling God’s plan and purpose in the redemption and restoration of mankind.

Jesus, though He had remained silent up until this point in His mock trial, gave in a brief statement the expanse of Who He is and what He will do. Emmanuel, the Son of Man, God with us—and the future victorious One who will return in the clouds of glory to receive those unto Himself who believe. Before the unbelieving and unaccepting Sanhedrin, He established Who He is and His eternal purpose. Praise be to God!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Saturday, March 27, 2010