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Illegal Trial of Jesus
423
Determined Efforts to Condemn Jesus
As soon as it was day, the Sanhedrin again assembled, and again
Jesus was brought into the council room. He had declared Himself
the Son of God, but they could not condemn Him on this, for many
had not been present at the night session and had not heard His
words. And they knew that the Roman tribunal would find in them
nothing worthy of death. But if from His own lips they could all
hear His claim to the Messiahship, they might construe this into a
seditious political claim.
“Art Thou the Christ?” they said, “tell us.” But Christ remained
silent. They continued to ply Him with questions. At last He an-
swered, “If I tell you, ye will not believe: and if I also ask you,
ye will not answer Me, nor let Me go.” But He added the solemn
warning, “Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the
power of God.”
“Art Thou then the Son of God?” they asked. He said unto
them, “Ye say that I am.” They cried out, “What need we any further
witness? for we ourselves have heard of His own mouth.”
And Jesus was to die. All that was now necessary was for the
Romans to ratify this condemnation.
Then came the third scene of abuse, worse even than that received
from the ignorant rabble. In the very presence of the priests and
rulers, with their sanction this took place. When the condemnation of
Jesus was pronounced by the judges, a satanic fury took possession
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of the people. The crowd made a rush toward Jesus. Had it not
been for the Roman soldiers, He would not have lived to be nailed
to the cross of Calvary. He would have been torn in pieces. Roman
authority interposed, and by force of arms restrained the violence of
the mob.
Heathen men were angry at the brutal treatment of One against
whom nothing had been proved. The Roman officers declared that
it was against Jewish law to condemn a man to death on his own
testimony. This brought a momentary lull in the proceedings; but
the Jewish leaders were dead alike to pity and to shame.
Priests and rulers forgot the dignity of their office, and abused
the Son of God with foul epithets. They taunted Him with His
parentage. They declared His proclaiming Himself the Messiah