The Legal System During Jesus' Day -Day 2

"Appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment" (Deut 16:18). Notice the last two words of this Scripture!

Hey Gang:  In the last morning message we learned how the judicial system came into being with the establishment of the Sanhedrin.  In the years since its origination, it, like everything pertaining to government, went through many transitions and grew in size and power.

 In Jesus’ day it consisted of three sets of courts:  The Judges Court, consisting of three judges who tried only civil matters; the Lesser Sanhedrin, consisting of 23 members which could try all kinds of cases; and the third, the Great Sanhedrin, which consisted of one set of 23 scribes (attorneys), one set of 23 elders (business men) and one set of 23 priests. 

To be a member of the Sanhedrin you had to be thoroughly trained and conversant and linguistically perfect in all the languages of the surrounding nations.  Why? Because it was illegal to have an interpreter in their sessions.  One had to be forty years of age, married and parent.    It was felt married members were more apt to be more merciful.

God’s original design was for Aaron’s line to be the High Priest, but man’s ideas caused change. The chairman of the Great Sanhedrin was referred to as the High Priest and was elected by the people. However, at the time of Christ the Romans had changed this and they appoint this position to assure only those willing to do it Rome's way were appointed.  It was now purchased by the highest bidder and given to the one the Roman governor felt would be of the greatest value at the Imperial Court. 

The House of Annas was a godless, wicked aristocracy and guilty of the most atrocious and wicked deeds against the people.  Annas and his son-in-law Caiaphas, the past and present high priest, were very much involved in the trial of Jesus for obvious reasons, they had the most to lose.  It is also believed that most of the other Sanhedrin members, involved in the trial, were sons and relatives of Annas.   In other words Jesus faced a no-win stacked deck.

 According to the Law he Sanhedrin could meet only in one place- in the Temple in a room known as the 'Hall of Hewn Stones'.  If they choose to meet someplace else, the business conducted was null and void and of no affect.  Jesus was taken to the home of the High Priest. here was also an under-ground chamber prison.

The Sanhedrin that sat at the trial of Jesus had plotted against Him and had made it known that He must die.  He had rung their bell and ticked off the Jewish aristocracy with what they considered ‘radical teaching’. Even more insulting was that the people gravitated to Jesus.  Mark tells us "The common people heard Him gladly" (Mark 12:37) and Mathew recorded, “The people were astounded because He was one who taught with authority, and not as the scribes" (Matt. 7:29).

We are told that throughout the trial and crucifixion of Jesus the true motivation of the scribes, Pharisees, and elders was one of jealousy and pride.  After healing the incurable, He was accused of witchcraft (Matt. 12:24; Mark 3:22 and Luke 11:15).  When He told them that no prophet was accepted in his own country they were filled with wrath and wanted to kill Him (Luke 4:24-29).

It is recorded in the Jewish Annals that they did not have the needed 23 Rabbis to make up a 'small Sanhedrin in order to try Him.   He was accused of defiling the Sabbath, when He healed the man with the withered arm on the Sabbath. (Matt. 12:9-13; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-121). 

Even though Jesus gave a clinic on the reasons that "It is lawful to save life on the Sabbath.” “The Pharisees joined hands with the Herodians,”… taking counsel together on how they might destroy Him.” (Mark 3:6)

Soooo, the noose was rapidly being tightened simply because of jealousy and envy.  Do you think that is what has Satan so ticked off today? It seems Satan is doing all he can to destroy Believers around the world?