Matthew 26:57, The Unlikely Trial

And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

//In the Gospel of John, there is no trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin (the ruling council of the Jews). But the other three gospels tell of this trial, a sort of kangaroo court, in which Jesus is condemned by the Jews prior to turning him over to the Romans.

One wonders how this could be true. The likelihood of Caiaphas (the high priest) sending messengers around Jerusalem, gathering the 71 members of the Sanhedrin for a hurried assembly, seems remote. But this is the least of the problems. The story told by the Synoptic gospels simply doesn’t jive with Jewish law … at least, not according to the Mishnah.

1. The Sanhedrin is not permitted to meet at night.

2. The Sanhedrin is not permitted to meet during Passover.

3. The Sanhedrin is not permitted to meet casually in public, like the courtyard.

4. The trial must begin with a detailed list of accusations.

John’s version of the story, which includes none of the above, seems far more likely.

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