The Trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin

Mark 14:53-65

After Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, he is taken, during the night, to the Sanhedrin (the Jewish Council). Here, false witnesses are brought before him, and for the first time Jesus is open about being the Messiah: he admits openly that he is the Christ, the chosen one of God. After this he is to be taken for a second trial before Pilate, the Roman Governor.

Mark presents the Sanhedrin convening an unfair trial, because they are so determined to have Jesus put to death.

When Jesus is asked if he is the Messiah he openly admits that he is. This dramatic occasion is the only one in Mark’s Gospel when Jesus admits he is the Christ and does not try and make witnesses silent.

The tearing of the robes is a common Jewish reaction to the hearing of blasphemy. (Blasphemy is words or an act which insults God.)

The penalty for blasphemy under the Jewish law is stoning. This is the sentence which was carried out on Stephen (Acts 7:58). However, the other Gospels explain that the Romans did not allow the Jews to carry out executions, so the council had to take Jesus to Pilate for the sentence which they wanted to be carried out.

1. Where did Peter go to? (v54)
2. Why were the chief priests and the Sanhedrin looking for evidence against Jesus? (v55)
3. What accusation did some witnesses make against Jesus? (v57-58)
4. What was the problem with the testimony of the witnesses? (v56, v59)
5. When asked to defend himself, how did Jesus reply? (v61)
6. When the High Priest asked if Jesus was the Messiah, how did he reply? (v62)
7. What crime was Jesus found guilty of? (v64)
8. How was Jesus mocked at the end of the Trial? (v65)

9. What was the meaning of the High Priest tearing his robes?
10. In what ways might it be claimed the Trial before the Sanhedrin was not a fair one.
11. How is Jesus reply to the High Priest so different to other answers Jesus gave to similar comments earlier in his ministry?
12. What was the normal penalty for blasphemy? Why does the Jewish council not carry this out?

13. Rough Justice
    Imagine you are a reporter investigating the trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin. Write an account of the trial - either a Newspaper report, or script for part of a television or radio programme, making the claim that Jesus’ trial was not fair.

or

14. Defence speech
    We know (mainly from Saint John’s Gospel) that there were some members of the Sanhedrin who were sympathetic to Jesus - e.g. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. Imagine you are one of them. Write a speech defending Jesus at his trial.

15. Over the centuries, Christians have often been involved in the persecution of Jews. One of the reasons Christians have given is the way in which Christ was treated. Do you think that Mark’s Gospel could be thought to support that point of view? Give reasons for your answer.
16. Amnesty International is an organisation which works throughout the world in defence of prisoners of conscience and those who are denied basic human rights, such as a fair trial. Does the story of the way Jesus is treated at his trial give a Christian grounds to support Amnesty? How important do you think this should be for Christians?
17. Jesus admits to being the Messiah. Yet he did not appear at all like the Messiah which the Jews expected. How was Jesus different, and do you think the charge of blasphemy was understandable, or justified?