Have you heard that the Sanhedrin is being re-established? I don’t know what to make of this, so I’ll just report; you decide.
The Sanhedrin was an ancient Jewish judicial and adminstrative body. The council was made up of 71 members, including both Pharisees (believed in the entire Old Testament and resurrection of the dead) and Sadducees (believed only the first 5 books of the OT and didn’t believe in resurrection) and presided over by the chief priest. The Bible depicts the Sanhedrin as delivering Jesus to the Romans for execution:
Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.
Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. (John 11: 45-53)
That was the beginning of the plot to kill Jesus. He was accused of blasphemy for claiming to be God, but they wanted to be sure:
As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, “If You are the Christ, tell us.”But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe. And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go. Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.”
Then they all said, “Are You then the Son of God?”
So He said to them, “You rightly say that I am.”
And they said, “What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”(Luke 22: 66-71)
The Sanhedrin needed the testimony of at least two witnesses, which they couldn’t find, so false witnesses came forward. Blaspheming the Hebrew God wasn’t a crime under Roman law, capital or otherwise, so the Jews accused Jesus of plotting to overthrow Roman authority. Because they didn’t have authority to execute Jesus, the Sanhedrin pressured Pontius Pilate to kill him:
Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate. Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”
And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!” But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled…
Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”
Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!” (Mark 15: 1-5, 12-14)
As you can see, Christians have a bad association with the Sanhedrin. But its re-estalishment is… interesting.
