A BIBLE STUDY

"JESUS CONDEMMED BY THE SANHEDRIN" 
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A BIBLE STUDY

"JESUS CONDEMMED BY THE SANHEDRIN" 
By Evangelist Diana Gray
Copyright (C) 2001 All Rights Reserved

     The religious leaders of the Jewish people had to find a way to stop Jesus from ruining their power and control over the people through God’s truth.  They were highly threatened by Jesus and His wonderful teaching.  Instead of listening to the Lord’s spirit filled teachings they selfishly desired to destroy the one person who could save them from their sins and give them eternal life through Him. 
     They had to find Jesus guilty of a capital crime that would be punishable by death.  All they could come up with was blasphemy and they intended to do just that but using lies against Jesus.  They brought in some people who could care less if they sinned by lying or not.  To the Jewish people telling a lie was a terrible thing to do.  It destroyed one’s character and gave a person a bad reputation.  A man’s word was his bond and just as he spoke something it was considered true until he was proved to be a liar.  Then after that no one would ever believe him again. 
     The Sanhedrin leaders being corrupt knew how use money and favors to find a few people who would be willing to lie for them against Jesus.  Even having lied for the Sanhedrin against Jesus, their stories were not united enough in truth to be believed.  They simply couldn’t find enough evidence to convict Jesus of a crime serious enough to receive the death penalty. 
     Their frustration was great as they frantically looked at ways to bring Jesus down.  At last they questioned Him only to not receive a response.  This was illegal to do because a conviction had not been successfully laid down first.   Legally a person on trial could not be forced into a false confession in order to convict them.  The testimony of the lying witnesses was inconclusive do to none agreement of issues. Their stories simply didn’t match up with each other. 
    Also trials calling for the death penalty could not be rushed through as this one had been.  A 24 hour waiting period had to be done first before a verdict of quilty  could be handed down or any verdict for that matter. 
     They also were wrong according to their laws of court justice, not to have held the trial during the day instead of late at night.  If this had been an honest trial, Jesus would have been given the chance to prepare with an attorney for His defense. They had not wanted this to be a real trial and Jesus was never given a fair chance to defend himself.  The Sanhedrin simply wanted to rail road this case through as quickly as possible before the people were given a chance to rise up in protest.
     At last the High Priest asked Jesus if He was the long awaited Christ that they all knew would someday come to save His people. 

     Luke 22:70-71  Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am.  And they said, What need we any further witness? For we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

      Jesus could have still kept quiet not saying anything but He chose to give them what they wanted, admission that He was.  Jesus did it for the very reason as to why He came into the world, to save people from their sins. Jesus had the power to call upon a legion of angels to protect Him and get Him away to safety but He didn’t do that.   No one wants to die, specially if one is innocent of any wrong doing but Jesus loved us enough to be willing to do just that.  Die for our sins.   He wanted to lay down His life so that we might be saved from our sins.  He became our substitution so that we might have victory over death. 
     Jesus admitted to the High Priest that He was the Son of God knowing that by doing so He was enabling them to bring down the death penalty of Blasphemy against Himself.  Without His help they could do nothing to Him.  Being the Son of God Jesus had all of the power of Heaven at His fingertips yet He chose not to use it to save Himself.  Truly how great His love is for us.

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    "WE DO ASK THAT YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THE AUTHORSHIP OF THIS WRITER "DIANA GRAY MINISTRIES."  MAY THEY BE A BLESSING AND ENCOURAGE YOU INTO A DEEPER SPIRITUAL GROWTH.