Before Annas, Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin
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Christ could have summoned legions of angels from Heaven to His
aid. But it was a part of His mission to endure in His humanity all the
taunts and insults that men might heap upon Him.
From the house of Annas, the Saviour was taken to the palace
of Caiaphas. He was to be tried before the Sanhedrin, and while
its members were being called together, Annas and Caiaphas again
questioned Him, but they gained no advantage.
When the members of the Sanhedrin had assembled, Caiaphas took
his seat as the president. On each side were the judges; before them
stood the Roman soldiers guarding the Saviour; back of these was the
accusing mob.
Caiaphas then bade Jesus work one of His mighty miracles before
them. But the Saviour gave no sign that He heard a word. Had He
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responded by even one soul-searching look, such as He gave the buyers
and sellers in the temple, the whole murderous throng would have
been compelled to flee from His presence.
The Jews were at this time subject to the Romans, and were not
allowed to punish any one with death. The Sanhedrin could only
examine the prisoner, and pass judgment to be ratified by the Roman
authorities.
To accomplish their wicked purpose, they must find something
against the Saviour that would be regarded as criminal by the Roman
governor. They could secure abundant evidence that Christ had spoken
against the Jewish traditions and many of their ordinances. It was
easy to prove that He had denounced the priests and scribes, and that
He had called them hypocrites and murderers. But this would not be
listened to by the Romans, for they themselves were disgusted with
the pretensions of the Pharisees.
Many charges were brought against Christ, but either the witnesses
disagreed, or the evidence was of such a nature that it would not be
accepted by the Romans. They tried to make Him speak in answer to
their accusations, but He appeared as if He had not heard them. The
silence of Christ at this time had been thus described by the prophet
Isaiah:
“He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His
mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before
her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.”
Isaiah 53:7
.