Mark 14:55 Commentary and Bible Study

The interrogation that we read about here is the main section of the Jewish trial. All these things are bundled through at great speed, because time is against them. They had badly wanted not to take Christ and put him to death on the feast day, because they feared an uproar of the people (Mark 14:2), but Judas had given them an opportunity which they could not refuse and so the plan had to be put into effect at short notice, at this less-than-ideal time. Such was the timing of God. They had arrested Jesus at night away from public scrutiny and once the trial had begun they wanted it to be completed and the outcome to be decided as soon as possible.Many point out that there were several elements of the trial which were illegal. Hendriksen says, ‘a. No trial for life was allowed during the night. Yet, Jesus was tried and condemned during the hours of 1-3 A.M. Friday, and executed on the Feast, which was forbidden. According to Pharisaic law, no hearing in a case involving capital punishment could even be initiated on the eve of a major festival like Passover. No conviction was allowed at night … b. The arrest of Jesus was effected as a result of a bribe, namely, the blood-money which Judas received. c. Jesus was asked to incriminate himself. d. In the case of capital punishment, Jewish law did not permit the sentence to be pronounced until the day after the accused had been convicted.’The council sought witnesses – what were they looking for? They wanted people who could attest the time and place that Jesus said he was the Son of God. But at first there was trouble finding any. How could they find them in the early hours of the morning? Yes, but they had been organising this for a day or two, and possibly even longer, and they had been scrambling round seeking out people who would be prepared (many among their own ranks) to make statements to the effect that Christ has said something blasphemous or treasonable. Now the trial has to be held in a great hurry in the early hours of the morning, and they found none. This is immediately qualified, ‘For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.’ When they rounded them up and they bought them in the early hours overnight the people went to pieces. They saw the Lord there bound, powerless, the one who had healed thousands, and many were tongue-tied. As soon as they got into that reception room they were muddled and confused and their testimonies contradicted each other. There was immense respect for Jesus. They had seen his miracles, and they didn’t want to see him die. But the fact of his arrest had such an effect. Once they saw him bound, arrested, some were persuaded to cooperate with the Jewish leaders. Matthew’s Gospel tells us they actually sought false witnesses, but when they got them together in the early hours none of them was sufficiently in harmony or credible enough to face a proper, legal hearing. Why did they bother? They had to convince the people, that there had been a proper trial. They had to convince the Roman authority to sanction this trial and apply a death sentence and let Christ be executed. So there had to be some semblance of law, even if they were phoney testimonies. But it was exasperating for Caiaphas, and the chief priests. Everything had been done in such a hurry; nothing was working out.