What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.
The council answered the high priest's demand by declaring Jesus deserving of death under sentence of death. This was the verdict of the night trial before Caiaphas the presiding high priest and the Sanhedrin in the palace judgment hall, held in the dark early morning after Jesus was hurried through dark streets by an armed band. It was drawn from His own public confession under solemn oath that He was the Christ, the Son of God, who would sit at the right hand of power and come in the clouds of heaven. The condemnation was an unjust, hostile and predetermined proceeding where false testimony was arranged yet no charge could be proved against His faultless life, in violation of their own rules of justice. The One thus condemned as worthy of death is the Lord of life and future Judge of heaven and earth, who will come with power and great glory escorted by angels to pronounce sentence on His enemies and judge every person according to deeds.
Trial Setting and Verdict
The answer “He is guilty of death” belongs to the night trial before Caiaphas the officiating high priest and the Sanhedrin council in the palace judgment hall, held in the very dark early morning after Jesus had been hurried through dark and narrow streets by an armed band with torches and lanterns amid insult and mockery. It was a mockery of an examination in which He was coarsely accused by His persecutors, sneeringly questioned by the priest, and reviled by the whole assembly. His keenest pang in that place came not from His enemies but from hearing His beloved disciple deny Him with cursing and swearing.
In the hall Caiaphas sat as presiding officer on the throne of judgment, with judges and specially interested parties ranged on either side and Roman soldiers ranged on the platform below, while the watching multitude looked on. Jesus stood at the foot of the throne in coarse clothing to be tried for His life before the multitude. He stood calm and serene and majestic, with dignified bearing and a holy, God-like presence from which a holy influence emanated. That presence was in strong contrast to the excited, malignant, sneering haughtiness of Annas and Caiaphas in gorgeous priestly robe with glittering tiara and costly breastplate once flashed with God’s glory. The contrast reveals who was truly being judged, for Jesus in coarse, homely garb had reigned crowned in the courts of heaven, clothed in brightness and attended by holy angels. Even the hardened multitude questioned whether a man of such presence should be sentenced as a common criminal, and Caiaphas himself was momentarily struck with admiration and conviction that this man was akin to God. He banished the thought and in sneering, haughty tones demanded a mighty miracle, which Jesus ignored, and perceiving the influence turning in Jesus’ favor he hastened the trial toward death.
The verdict was secured by Jesus’ own public, voluntary confession under the most solemn oath. When adjured by the living God by the highest authority in the nation, He answered Thou hast said, declaring Himself to be the Christ, the Son of God, the Judge of the world who would sit on the right hand of power and come in the clouds of heaven. At that declaration the high priest rent his garments to display pretended horror, to appear jealous for the insulted majesty of heaven, and to rouse the excited people to violence. Lifting his hands toward heaven, he charged blasphemy needing no further witnesses or preliminaries and demanded immediate condemnation. He then put the question to the council for their decision, asking What think ye.
In answer the assembled priests, judges, chief priests and elders all declared Him deserving of death and guilty under sentence of death. The answer was given in exulting yet hidden malicious satisfaction, in hypocrisy and unbelief, with the judges pressing close and repeating the question whether He was the Christ. Their hearts were set against the light of heaven, so that no tracing of prophecy about the Messiah and no mighty miracles could make them believe or release Him.
Unjust Condemnation and Reversal
The death sentence was not the finding of a fair inquiry but the object of a hostile, secret, mock proceeding entered upon with a prior determination to secure death. False statements, testimony and accusations were arranged to present Him in the worst possible light, yet no charge could be substantiated from the witnesses though His life and teaching were faultless. The methods violated their own rules of justice, sought charges that would satisfy both Jewish and Roman authorities, and kept the proceeding secret so the people could not testify in His defense, lest public vindication condemn the council, secure His release and restore Him to honor.
The judges acted in jealousy and fear that He would gain authority, in hypocrisy and unbelief and hidden yet exulting malicious satisfaction, with hearts set against the light of Heaven. They rejected Him as king and refused belief though confronted with tracings of prophecy concerning the Messiah and with mighty miracles, blind to the prophecies they themselves were fulfilling.
Caiaphas, a Sadducee, was cut to the quick because Christ's testimony assailed his cherished denial of the resurrection of the dead and of a future reckoning in which all stand before God to be rewarded according to works. There opened momentarily before him a panorama of the final judgment, with graves giving up their dead and hidden secrets exposed and himself standing with soul laid open before the all-seeing eternal Judge. Even His Godlike presence convicted Caiaphas for a moment, with admiration, that this man was akin to God.
He banished the conviction, was maddened, and in sneering haughty tones demanded a mighty miracle which Jesus ignored; then, perceiving an influence working in Jesus' favor even among the hardened multitude, he hastened the trial. By rending his priestly garment in pretended zeal to display horror and appear jealous for the insulted majesty of Heaven, he did the very thing God had commanded should not be done, and so stood himself under God's condemnation. Beneath a gorgeous priestly dress covering a wicked heart he acted under Satan's inspiration and did the work of the enemy of God, and by that rending he ended his own priesthood and disqualified himself for the priestly office though he still acted as priestly judge and officiating high priest. Afterward he could not act without unreasonable passion, scourged by a tortured conscience but without the sorrow that leads to repentance.
Jesus knew His announcement would secure His condemnation and so gave the designing priests their object and advantage. That condemnation unleashed satanic fury, so that the people roared like wild beasts and rushed upon bound Jesus demanding His death. Only the interference of the Roman soldiers by force of arms held back the violence of the mob and kept Him from being torn in pieces before His judges, preserving Him to be hanged on the cross of Calvary.
The scene is a reversal, for the One condemned as deserving death and under a death sentence is the Lord of life and glory and the future Judge of all the earth. He will be seated at the right hand of God as supreme Judge of heaven and earth from whose decision there is no appeal, and instead of being surrounded and abused by a riotous mob headed by priests and judges He will come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory escorted by legions of angels to pronounce sentence on His enemies and judge every person according to deeds.
By killing Him to keep Him from gaining authority, His enemies brought about the very outcome they meant to prevent, for Christ became the Redeemer of mankind and Saviour of the world. God's providential use of their crime for good did not lessen their guilt.
The council answered the high priest's demand by declaring Jesus deserving of death under sentence of death. This was the verdict of the night trial before Caiaphas the presiding high priest and the Sanhedrin in the palace judgment hall, held in the dark early morning after Jesus was hurried through dark streets by an armed band. It was drawn from His own public confession under solemn oath that He was the Christ, the Son of God, who would sit at the right hand of power and come in the clouds of heaven. The condemnation was an unjust, hostile and predetermined proceeding where false testimony was arranged yet no charge could be proved against His faultless life, in violation of their own rules of justice. The One thus condemned as worthy of death is the Lord of life and future Judge of heaven and earth, who will come with power and great glory escorted by angels to pronounce sentence on His enemies and judge every person according to deeds.
Trial Setting and Verdict
The answer “He is guilty of death” belongs to the night trial before Caiaphas the officiating high priest and the Sanhedrin council in the palace judgment hall, held in the very dark early morning after Jesus had been hurried through dark and narrow streets by an armed band with torches and lanterns amid insult and mockery. It was a mockery of an examination in which He was coarsely accused by His persecutors, sneeringly questioned by the priest, and reviled by the whole assembly. His keenest pang in that place came not from His enemies but from hearing His beloved disciple deny Him with cursing and swearing.
In the hall Caiaphas sat as presiding officer on the throne of judgment, with judges and specially interested parties ranged on either side and Roman soldiers ranged on the platform below, while the watching multitude looked on. Jesus stood at the foot of the throne in coarse clothing to be tried for His life before the multitude. He stood calm and serene and majestic, with dignified bearing and a holy, God-like presence from which a holy influence emanated. That presence was in strong contrast to the excited, malignant, sneering haughtiness of Annas and Caiaphas in gorgeous priestly robe with glittering tiara and costly breastplate once flashed with God’s glory. The contrast reveals who was truly being judged, for Jesus in coarse, homely garb had reigned crowned in the courts of heaven, clothed in brightness and attended by holy angels. Even the hardened multitude questioned whether a man of such presence should be sentenced as a common criminal, and Caiaphas himself was momentarily struck with admiration and conviction that this man was akin to God. He banished the thought and in sneering, haughty tones demanded a mighty miracle, which Jesus ignored, and perceiving the influence turning in Jesus’ favor he hastened the trial toward death.
The verdict was secured by Jesus’ own public, voluntary confession under the most solemn oath. When adjured by the living God by the highest authority in the nation, He answered Thou hast said, declaring Himself to be the Christ, the Son of God, the Judge of the world who would sit on the right hand of power and come in the clouds of heaven. At that declaration the high priest rent his garments to display pretended horror, to appear jealous for the insulted majesty of heaven, and to rouse the excited people to violence. Lifting his hands toward heaven, he charged blasphemy needing no further witnesses or preliminaries and demanded immediate condemnation. He then put the question to the council for their decision, asking What think ye.
In answer the assembled priests, judges, chief priests and elders all declared Him deserving of death and guilty under sentence of death. The answer was given in exulting yet hidden malicious satisfaction, in hypocrisy and unbelief, with the judges pressing close and repeating the question whether He was the Christ. Their hearts were set against the light of heaven, so that no tracing of prophecy about the Messiah and no mighty miracles could make them believe or release Him.
Unjust Condemnation and Reversal
The death sentence was not the finding of a fair inquiry but the object of a hostile, secret, mock proceeding entered upon with a prior determination to secure death. False statements, testimony and accusations were arranged to present Him in the worst possible light, yet no charge could be substantiated from the witnesses though His life and teaching were faultless. The methods violated their own rules of justice, sought charges that would satisfy both Jewish and Roman authorities, and kept the proceeding secret so the people could not testify in His defense, lest public vindication condemn the council, secure His release and restore Him to honor.
The judges acted in jealousy and fear that He would gain authority, in hypocrisy and unbelief and hidden yet exulting malicious satisfaction, with hearts set against the light of Heaven. They rejected Him as king and refused belief though confronted with tracings of prophecy concerning the Messiah and with mighty miracles, blind to the prophecies they themselves were fulfilling.
Caiaphas, a Sadducee, was cut to the quick because Christ's testimony assailed his cherished denial of the resurrection of the dead and of a future reckoning in which all stand before God to be rewarded according to works. There opened momentarily before him a panorama of the final judgment, with graves giving up their dead and hidden secrets exposed and himself standing with soul laid open before the all-seeing eternal Judge. Even His Godlike presence convicted Caiaphas for a moment, with admiration, that this man was akin to God.
He banished the conviction, was maddened, and in sneering haughty tones demanded a mighty miracle which Jesus ignored; then, perceiving an influence working in Jesus' favor even among the hardened multitude, he hastened the trial. By rending his priestly garment in pretended zeal to display horror and appear jealous for the insulted majesty of Heaven, he did the very thing God had commanded should not be done, and so stood himself under God's condemnation. Beneath a gorgeous priestly dress covering a wicked heart he acted under Satan's inspiration and did the work of the enemy of God, and by that rending he ended his own priesthood and disqualified himself for the priestly office though he still acted as priestly judge and officiating high priest. Afterward he could not act without unreasonable passion, scourged by a tortured conscience but without the sorrow that leads to repentance.
Jesus knew His announcement would secure His condemnation and so gave the designing priests their object and advantage. That condemnation unleashed satanic fury, so that the people roared like wild beasts and rushed upon bound Jesus demanding His death. Only the interference of the Roman soldiers by force of arms held back the violence of the mob and kept Him from being torn in pieces before His judges, preserving Him to be hanged on the cross of Calvary.
The scene is a reversal, for the One condemned as deserving death and under a death sentence is the Lord of life and glory and the future Judge of all the earth. He will be seated at the right hand of God as supreme Judge of heaven and earth from whose decision there is no appeal, and instead of being surrounded and abused by a riotous mob headed by priests and judges He will come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory escorted by legions of angels to pronounce sentence on His enemies and judge every person according to deeds.
By killing Him to keep Him from gaining authority, His enemies brought about the very outcome they meant to prevent, for Christ became the Redeemer of mankind and Saviour of the world. God's providential use of their crime for good did not lessen their guilt.