Posts Tagged ‘sanhedrin’

Yeshua guilty?

March 24, 2010

I don’t see in the NT writings that Yeshua was hold guilty by the Sanhedrin, the Jewish court.

When Yeshua was at Caiaphas the high priest there were only many false witnesses. And although the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus (Math.26:59), that they might put him to death, there was no valid accusing to be found and they didn’t find anything.  (Math.26:59, Mark 14:55) They couldn’t find two witnesses which was necessary to judge him according to the Torah. Also the two who said that Yeshua had said he would destroy the temple and built it in three days, didn’t agree together. (Mark 14:59) The high priest however, asked him if he would say something about what he was alleged for, but he said nothing. Just and only when the high priest asked: הוא המשיח בן המברך  are you the Messiah the son of the Blessed? Then Yeshua answered: אני הוא   I am. And right then he promised the court that they shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven. (Mark 14:62)

That was the reason why he was brought to Pilate, they couldn’t find him guilty according to the Torah, but they find him guilty because he said to be the Messiah. Because he was the Messiah he was sentenced to dead. The Sanhedrin couldn’t find another reason than this one: Because he was the Messiah.

The same is said from Pilate. He found no guilt in him. (John 18:38) But as is said to the Sanhedrin that he was the Messiah, so Yeshua said to the Roman court that he was the King. (John 18:37)

After all he was sentenced to dead because of two reasons: he was the Messiah for the Jews and he was the King for the Roman world. The Jews [1] argued for their own: We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. (John 19:7) And the Jews argued for Pilate: Every one that maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. (John 19:12)

So in fact I didn’t find any text that reads that Yeshua was guilty. What do you think?

[1] Said by the public Jews who were outside the Roman court. (John 18:26) Not said by the Sanhedrin, at least not officially. Otherwise they didn’t need the Roman court because they were allowed to stone him according to the Torah. (Lev.24:16)