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Setting the stage
There is so much information to cover in the last 18 hours of Jesus life.
First may we set the stage for one of the two trials Jesus will face.
The first being the Jewish trial then followed by the Roman trial.
Setting the stage the Jewish trial will happen in stages
The preliminary hearing (Jn18:12-14, 19-24) and Jn11:50)
Sitting before High Priest (Mk14:53-65)
Sitting before the council (Mk14:53-15:1)
FYI, the Roman trial happens in stages too
Sitting before Pilate (MK15:2-5)
Sitting before Herod (Lk23:6-12)
Back to Pilate (MK15:6-15)
Some scriptures then some historical information to help us set the stage.
Information on the preliminary hearing from outside of our passage today.
So everyone needs to turn to Jn18 since we will be there for a bit this morning.
So the first stop that was made was going to be before Annas, former High Priest, and father in law to the current High Priest, Caiaphas.
He already had a history and a plan on what should be done with Jesus (Jn11:50)
But now back to our night at hand
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
Next in sitting before the High Priest, Caiphas and it is in his home that the whole council gathered and that bring in our passage this morning.
What do you see, what do you notice what sticks out to you?
(Court of the Sanhedrin)
Now a little about the counsel, aka: Sanhedrin
It consisted of of seventy-one members and was considered the supreme court of the Jews.
The body consisted of Sadducees, Pharisees,Scribes and respected men who were elders.
The current High Priest presided over the court.
I will get into the participants etc. in a few minutes I just want to talk about the procedure first.
At the time the Sanhedrin had limited authority, they only had authority over religious matters, all civil matters came under the Roman court system.
They could not at this time inflict the death penalty.
So, within it’s system they would prepare the case to be presented to the Roman court for judgment to be passed down.
Much like our grand jury process now.
The court of the Sanhedrin had laws that it was to keep as outlined in the Mishnah (the oral traditions of Jewish law and the first part of the Talmud).
The meeting place was the Hall of Hewn Stone, notice in our passage they met in the home of Annas then onto courtyard of the High Priest, so they were not meeting where they were supposed to meet.
No judgment would be valid unless it was held and entered into with in designated place.
The court could not meet at night or during time of any of the great feasts.
Hello, more broken laws, it was night and it was the start of Passover.
Witnesses would be presented to the court and they had to have more than 2 in agreement before any judgment could be entered (Deu17:6).
Also, the verdict was given individually by each of the members from the youngest to the oldest.
Hello, another broken law.
If the verdict was to be a death penalty there had to be a day lapse before given to the Romans to carry out in case anyone over night would change their mind.
- Do you see the pattern here?
Another broken rule.
So in summary we have a meeting at night, in the wrong place, with the wrong procedure taking place in an expediency to eliminate Jesus.
Now that we have the setting, may we now turn to the participants, the charges and the abuse.
Participants
There are many who played a part in God’s grand plan, even though this is a mock trial, it was a part of God’s scheme of redemption.
Group 1
We first have the Roman cohort and officers of the Jews (Jn18:12)
We then have Annas, as mentioned before (Jn18:13)
Then Caiphas the High Priest (Mk14:53-54; Lk22:54; Jn11:49-53)
and I want to bring in more of what John recorded for us
Caiaphas had previously predicted Jesus death and he was involved in the plot from the beginning.
Caiphas served for 18 years as the High Priest according to history from 18-53 AD and he had taken it from his Father Annas.
He presided over the Sanhedrin.
Group 2
The chief priests, elders and scribes (Mk14:53, Mk14:1; Mk14:43)
They had previously plotted to kill Jesus
They are the ones who sent those to arrest Jesus, some of them went with the Roman cohort and the Jewish officers to get Him.
Members of the counsel (Mk14:55)
This is the members of the Sanhedrin that I already mentioned.
the Jewish supreme court on all matters religious at this time.
Now there is a chance that Joseph of Arimathea and even Nicodemus were a part of this counsel, for both were “leaders of the Jews.”
False witnesses (Mk14:55-56)
In the wrong place, at the wrong time (not in the proper place of meeting , not at the proper time of meeting) the chief priests and the counsel bring in witnesses to testify.
Testimony did not agree and the scripture even says it was false testimony.
A couple of apostles (Mk14:54, Jn18:15-16) and a other unnamed people (Mk14:65)
We know from our passage (v.54) that Peter was there and he followed at a distance.
He was not alone
Whoever this other Apostle was he was known by the High Priest.
Some believe it was John since he was the one who was at the crucifixion.
We know that he spoke up so even Peter could enter the court of the High Priest.
It possibly was John, but scripture does not tell us for sure it is.
Now with the presupposition of most in attendance of what they wanted to do with Jesus, it brings us to the next item, the charges.
Formal charges given
Like any court today the charges are given, then they had to be proven.
so exactly what are the charges?
Let’s see what the scripture tells us.
Charges by the false witnesses (Mk14:57-60; Jn2:19-22, Isa53:7)
Did you know that eyewitness testimony is oftentimes unreliable?
Look at what the witnesses against Jesus had to say, then we will look at what Jesus said, and then what Jesus did not say.
What Jesus said about the temple
So the witnesses, were giving false testimony about what Jesus had previously said, what He had previously taught, and are basing their charge against Jesus on that and even in that they could not agree.
Charges by the High Priest (Mk14:61-64)
May we be reminded from the scripture what the charges are by Caiphas
So, what are the charges brought against Jesus when you put them together.
In Today’s language a terrorist threat to destroy the temple
Blasphemy against God, which under Jewish law would be punishable by death (but they are under Roman rule at this time and could not carry it out)
So now after the charge came the abuse before they met again and sent Him off for the Roman trial (that we will look at next week)
The Abuse
What transpires next is for humiliation purposes.
They did it to mock Jesus.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
Spit, blindfold.
beat, slap (Mk14:65; Mt26:67)
Demanded prophesy (Mk14:65; Mt26;68)
Just one more piece of info, this fulfills the prophesy of Isaiah.
The injustice is apparent, the difficulty for some must have been unbearable, but think, think what it was like for Jesus.
He knew why He came (Mk8:31, 9:31, 10:33-34)
He knew the power he could call on, but did not (Mt26:53)
He did not call for help for He came to help the helpless sinner, came to help you and me!
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