And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
The high priest rises in anger and demands that Jesus answer the conflicting false charges brought against Him, pressing especially the temple accusation of the last two witnesses. It is a midnight secret trial kept under a show of legality, carried on by perjury and abuse and hidden from the people lest they defend Him and turn against His judges. Jesus stands calm, serene and silent before the sneering demand, refusing to answer because His condemnation is already decided and their evidence proves nothing worthy of death. His silence as the afflicted One who opens not His mouth fulfills the prophecy of the lamb brought to the slaughter, and He holds it until the high priest adjures Him by the living God to declare whether He is the Christ, the Son of God. In that moment Christ stands as the true High Priest appointed by God before a corrupt and unworthy priest who wears only the covering garment without the character, humbling Himself in flesh to represent man and open by suffering and death a new and living way into His priestly office forever.
Trial Scene and Accusation
The demand for an answer was made during the hearing before Annas and the court of Caiaphas. It came in the very early dark morning, when Jesus was hurried with insult and mockery through dark and narrow streets by torches and lanterns to the palace of Caiaphas the officiating high priest.
Caiaphas rose to hasten the trial because he felt a holy influence from Jesus pervading the place. The multitude involuntarily contrasted the excited and malignant bearing of Annas and Caiaphas with the calm, majestic bearing of Jesus, and wondered if a man of God-like presence should be sentenced as a common criminal. In rising he took his position on the throne of judgment, while Jesus stood at its foot, with the judges and those specially interested in the trial on either side and the Roman soldiers ranged on the platform below the throne. He arose in gorgeous robe with glittering tiara and costly breastplate upon which the light of God's glory had often flashed in former days, in strong contrast with the coarse habiliments of Jesus. There an earthly high priest in splendor tried for his life One who had reigned in the courts of heaven crowned and clothed in garments of brightness and attended by holy angels, now standing in coarse clothing at the foot of an earthly throne.
The proceeding was a midnight secret trial kept under the appearance of legality. It was carried on by perjury, mob seizure, mockery and abuse before accusation or condemnation, managed to unite the Sanhedrin against Him and to silence possible defenders, in violation of the law that no man be judged before he is heard and that every man be treated as innocent until proved guilty. It was kept secret so the people would not learn of it and testify of His mighty works in His defense, lest such testimony turn public anger against the Sanhedrin, defeat its efforts, and secure His release and renewed honor among the people.
The high priest demanded that Jesus answer the conflicting and false accusations of the witnesses. He pressed especially the temple charge brought by the last two witnesses. He also sneeringly questioned Him and even challenged Him to perform a miracle.
The demand belonged to a fixed purpose to secure condemnation as a blasphemer before the Jews and as a seditionist before the Romans. Under Roman rule the Sanhedrin could not execute a death sentence but could only examine and pass judgment for the Romans to ratify. It followed the failure of the preliminary examination before Annas about His disciples and doctrines, which had tried to draw out proof of a secret society plotting a new kingdom in order to deliver Him to the Romans as a disturber of the peace.
The chief priests and elders, jealous of Jesus and afraid He would gain authority, had arranged for false witnesses so they could condemn Him and put Him to death. The scribes and Pharisees opposed Him with false statements and accusations to portray Him in the worst possible light before the people. Their conduct was driven by a spirit unlike His, the spirit that stirs the unsanctified heart.
While enduring coarse accusation, sneering questioning, and reviling in this mockery of an examination, Jesus suffered a keener pang than His enemies could inflict. That pang came when He heard His beloved disciple deny Him with cursing and swearing.
Silence and True Priesthood
Jesus stood calm, serene and silent before the high priest, patiently refusing to answer the false testimony brought against Him. His dignified bearing stood in sharp contrast to the high priest's haughty, sneering conduct. He did not respond even to the sneering challenge to perform a miracle.
He answered nothing to the conflicting accusations and to the temple charge pressed by the last two witnesses, because His condemnation was already decided and their evidence proved nothing worthy of death. His calm silence left the priests and rulers disappointed and perplexed, fearing they would fail to gain their object after all, since they had gained nothing from the false witnesses on which to condemn Him. The high priest's angry demand that He answer revealed desperation over lies that had produced no charge that could condemn Him. Their only hope now was to make Jesus speak out something that would condemn Him before the people.
His silence as the oppressed and afflicted One who opens not His mouth fulfilled the prophecy of One brought as a lamb to the slaughter. That continued silence held until the high priest adjured Him by the living God to tell whether He is the Christ, the Son of God. That adjuration was the Jewish form of placing a person on oath, made as an appeal by the first magistrate of the nation in a position higher than any in earthly courts.
The questioning high priest was corrupt and unworthy to occupy that office, hiding a hard, cruel heart under a cloak of religion. He lorded over the people and made godliness a source of gain, never accepted by God as a typical high priest, with fitness for the priesthood extending only to the covering garment he wore. He lacked the character that would enable God to connect with him, and belonged to a priesthood become corrupt, performing religious duties like actors in a theater, whom the people detested.
Christ fully knew that unworthiness and incapacity, yet He responded. The true High Priest appointed to His office by God stood before the false priest to be criticized by him. Concealing His divinity in a prepared body of flesh and garb of humanity, He refused to glorify Himself or display power to make His judges quail, humbling Himself, being found in fashion as a man, to be qualified to represent man in the heavenly courts. He did not take even the nature of angels, but washed the disciples' feet and mourned over transgression.
He did not rend His robe, but had His soul rent and His garment of human flesh rent on the cross as Sin-bearer, and by suffering and death opened a new and living way to enter upon His priestly office forever. By that way He entered the holy place as High Priest for the whole world, with no longer a wall of partition between Jew and Gentile. The enemies' effort through this unjust accusation to prevent Jesus from becoming king instead led to His becoming the Redeemer of mankind, but God's overruling of events did not lessen their guilt.
The high priest rises in anger and demands that Jesus answer the conflicting false charges brought against Him, pressing especially the temple accusation of the last two witnesses. It is a midnight secret trial kept under a show of legality, carried on by perjury and abuse and hidden from the people lest they defend Him and turn against His judges. Jesus stands calm, serene and silent before the sneering demand, refusing to answer because His condemnation is already decided and their evidence proves nothing worthy of death. His silence as the afflicted One who opens not His mouth fulfills the prophecy of the lamb brought to the slaughter, and He holds it until the high priest adjures Him by the living God to declare whether He is the Christ, the Son of God. In that moment Christ stands as the true High Priest appointed by God before a corrupt and unworthy priest who wears only the covering garment without the character, humbling Himself in flesh to represent man and open by suffering and death a new and living way into His priestly office forever.
Trial Scene and Accusation
The demand for an answer was made during the hearing before Annas and the court of Caiaphas. It came in the very early dark morning, when Jesus was hurried with insult and mockery through dark and narrow streets by torches and lanterns to the palace of Caiaphas the officiating high priest.
Caiaphas rose to hasten the trial because he felt a holy influence from Jesus pervading the place. The multitude involuntarily contrasted the excited and malignant bearing of Annas and Caiaphas with the calm, majestic bearing of Jesus, and wondered if a man of God-like presence should be sentenced as a common criminal. In rising he took his position on the throne of judgment, while Jesus stood at its foot, with the judges and those specially interested in the trial on either side and the Roman soldiers ranged on the platform below the throne. He arose in gorgeous robe with glittering tiara and costly breastplate upon which the light of God's glory had often flashed in former days, in strong contrast with the coarse habiliments of Jesus. There an earthly high priest in splendor tried for his life One who had reigned in the courts of heaven crowned and clothed in garments of brightness and attended by holy angels, now standing in coarse clothing at the foot of an earthly throne.
The proceeding was a midnight secret trial kept under the appearance of legality. It was carried on by perjury, mob seizure, mockery and abuse before accusation or condemnation, managed to unite the Sanhedrin against Him and to silence possible defenders, in violation of the law that no man be judged before he is heard and that every man be treated as innocent until proved guilty. It was kept secret so the people would not learn of it and testify of His mighty works in His defense, lest such testimony turn public anger against the Sanhedrin, defeat its efforts, and secure His release and renewed honor among the people.
The high priest demanded that Jesus answer the conflicting and false accusations of the witnesses. He pressed especially the temple charge brought by the last two witnesses. He also sneeringly questioned Him and even challenged Him to perform a miracle.
The demand belonged to a fixed purpose to secure condemnation as a blasphemer before the Jews and as a seditionist before the Romans. Under Roman rule the Sanhedrin could not execute a death sentence but could only examine and pass judgment for the Romans to ratify. It followed the failure of the preliminary examination before Annas about His disciples and doctrines, which had tried to draw out proof of a secret society plotting a new kingdom in order to deliver Him to the Romans as a disturber of the peace.
The chief priests and elders, jealous of Jesus and afraid He would gain authority, had arranged for false witnesses so they could condemn Him and put Him to death. The scribes and Pharisees opposed Him with false statements and accusations to portray Him in the worst possible light before the people. Their conduct was driven by a spirit unlike His, the spirit that stirs the unsanctified heart.
While enduring coarse accusation, sneering questioning, and reviling in this mockery of an examination, Jesus suffered a keener pang than His enemies could inflict. That pang came when He heard His beloved disciple deny Him with cursing and swearing.
Silence and True Priesthood
Jesus stood calm, serene and silent before the high priest, patiently refusing to answer the false testimony brought against Him. His dignified bearing stood in sharp contrast to the high priest's haughty, sneering conduct. He did not respond even to the sneering challenge to perform a miracle.
He answered nothing to the conflicting accusations and to the temple charge pressed by the last two witnesses, because His condemnation was already decided and their evidence proved nothing worthy of death. His calm silence left the priests and rulers disappointed and perplexed, fearing they would fail to gain their object after all, since they had gained nothing from the false witnesses on which to condemn Him. The high priest's angry demand that He answer revealed desperation over lies that had produced no charge that could condemn Him. Their only hope now was to make Jesus speak out something that would condemn Him before the people.
His silence as the oppressed and afflicted One who opens not His mouth fulfilled the prophecy of One brought as a lamb to the slaughter. That continued silence held until the high priest adjured Him by the living God to tell whether He is the Christ, the Son of God. That adjuration was the Jewish form of placing a person on oath, made as an appeal by the first magistrate of the nation in a position higher than any in earthly courts.
The questioning high priest was corrupt and unworthy to occupy that office, hiding a hard, cruel heart under a cloak of religion. He lorded over the people and made godliness a source of gain, never accepted by God as a typical high priest, with fitness for the priesthood extending only to the covering garment he wore. He lacked the character that would enable God to connect with him, and belonged to a priesthood become corrupt, performing religious duties like actors in a theater, whom the people detested.
Christ fully knew that unworthiness and incapacity, yet He responded. The true High Priest appointed to His office by God stood before the false priest to be criticized by him. Concealing His divinity in a prepared body of flesh and garb of humanity, He refused to glorify Himself or display power to make His judges quail, humbling Himself, being found in fashion as a man, to be qualified to represent man in the heavenly courts. He did not take even the nature of angels, but washed the disciples' feet and mourned over transgression.
He did not rend His robe, but had His soul rent and His garment of human flesh rent on the cross as Sin-bearer, and by suffering and death opened a new and living way to enter upon His priestly office forever. By that way He entered the holy place as High Priest for the whole world, with no longer a wall of partition between Jew and Gentile. The enemies' effort through this unjust accusation to prevent Jesus from becoming king instead led to His becoming the Redeemer of mankind, but God's overruling of events did not lessen their guilt.