The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ

Jesus before the Council

Inside the house, Caiaphas had called together an emergency council of the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. This was unusual, because Jewish law normally prohibited courts from sitting at night, but the circumstances were urgent; if they were going to deal with Jesus the priests would have to do it before the festival began.

Jesus was brought before this council, and they began to question him. Some of the priests who had lost to him in argument were eager for a reason to hand him over to the Romans, and they had summoned witnesses in the hope of convicting him. However, they hadn’t coached the witnesses well enough, and several of them contradicted one another; for example, one said, ‘I heard him say he could destroy the temple, and build another in three days.’

‘No! That wasn’t him!’ said another. ‘That was one of his followers.’

‘But Jesus didn’t deny it!’

‘It was him. I heard him say it myself.’

Not all the priests were sure that was reason enough to condemn him.

Finally Caiaphas said, ‘Well, Jesus, what have you got to say? What’s your answer to these charges?’

Jesus said nothing.

‘And what about this other charge of blasphemy? That you claim to be the son of God? The Messiah?’

‘That’s what you say,’ said Jesus.

‘Well, it’s what your followers say,’ said Caiaphas. ‘Don’t you bear any responsibility for that?’

‘I have asked them not to. But even if I had said that, it would not be blasphemy, as you well know.’

Jesus was right, and Caiaphas and the priests knew it. Strictly speaking, blasphemy consisted of cursing the name of God, and Jesus had never done that. ‘ Then what about this claim to be king of the Jews? We see it everywhere daubed on the walls. What have you to say to that?’

Jesus said nothing.

‘Silence is no answer,’ said Caiaphas.

Jesus smiled.

‘Jesus, we’re trying very hard to be fair to you,’ the high priest went on. ‘It seems to us that you’ve gone out of your way to provoke trouble, not only with us, but with the Romans. And these are difficult times. We have to protect our people. Can’t you see that? Don’t you understand the danger you’re putting everyone in?’

Jesus still said nothing.

Caiaphas turned to the priests and scribes, saying, ‘I’m sorry to say that we have very little choice. We shall have to take this man to the governor in the morning. Of course, we shall pray that he is merciful.’