And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.
Luke 22:71 belongs to the formal hearing before the Sanhedrin, where the leaders were seeking grounds to condemn Jesus for blasphemy and to secure His death. It is part of the account of Jesus before Annas and the court of Caiaphas. He had been brought before the full council so that all could hear His claim to be the Messiah and Son of God. At that hearing the leaders were intent on finding cause for condemnation and death.
After asking whether He was the Christ and the Son of God, they treated His answer that the Son of man would be seen sitting at the right hand of God's power as sufficient witness, saying they needed no further witness because they themselves had heard Him. They treated His own declaration of His identity as sufficient evidence to condemn Him and judged Him guilty of death. This use of His answer about being the Son of God was the third condemnation by the Jewish authorities.
They construed His claim as a political charge against Him. Under Roman rule the Sanhedrin could judge a prisoner but could not carry out a death sentence. They expected Pilate and the Roman authorities to ratify their condemnation and hand Him over to them. The proceedings violated their own rules requiring that a person be treated as innocent until proved guilty.
The condemnation did not rest on reliable testimony, for the witnesses contradicted one another, and Pilate later declared that he found no fault in Him. The scene shows religious leaders acting through envy, jealousy, and bigotry, in alliance with evil against good.
Luke 22:71 belongs to the formal hearing before the Sanhedrin, where the leaders were seeking grounds to condemn Jesus for blasphemy and to secure His death. It is part of the account of Jesus before Annas and the court of Caiaphas. He had been brought before the full council so that all could hear His claim to be the Messiah and Son of God. At that hearing the leaders were intent on finding cause for condemnation and death.
After asking whether He was the Christ and the Son of God, they treated His answer that the Son of man would be seen sitting at the right hand of God's power as sufficient witness, saying they needed no further witness because they themselves had heard Him. They treated His own declaration of His identity as sufficient evidence to condemn Him and judged Him guilty of death. This use of His answer about being the Son of God was the third condemnation by the Jewish authorities.
They construed His claim as a political charge against Him. Under Roman rule the Sanhedrin could judge a prisoner but could not carry out a death sentence. They expected Pilate and the Roman authorities to ratify their condemnation and hand Him over to them. The proceedings violated their own rules requiring that a person be treated as innocent until proved guilty.
The condemnation did not rest on reliable testimony, for the witnesses contradicted one another, and Pilate later declared that he found no fault in Him. The scene shows religious leaders acting through envy, jealousy, and bigotry, in alliance with evil against good.