A Trial

A Trial

“Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled.  
But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. 
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death.  
But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward  
and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’ ” 
Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?”  
But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 
“Yes, it is as you say,”Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.  
What do you think?” “He is worthy of death,” they answered. 
Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him  and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?” 
                  Matthew 26:57-68.
Here we have the first trial before the Sanhedrin. It was illegal in that it took place at night and no trials were permitted at night under Jewish law.
Those who put Jesus on trial tried to find something he’d done wrong but couldn’t. Finally someone came forward and Matthew records,
“The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
“Yes, it is as you say,”Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.  
What do you think?” “He is worthy of death,” they answered.”
Jesus made it clear who he was. It was this statement that had him put to death as he equated himself to God, blasphemy in they eyes of the religious leadership.
For the better part of three years they had tried to get something against him to have him either jailed or put to death. Now they had it.
The die was cast and within hours Jesus would be put to death.
Today in this world there are a millions of people out there who are against Jesus. Terrorist groups and others who stand against Christians. Groups who think nothing of putting Christian men women and children to death.
In some countries churches are bombed or set on fire. Christians are shot or put in prison. The latest figures tell us that one Christian dies every eleven minutes for his or her faith.
And the world’s media ignore it.
Open Doors, said that ...the top 10 countries on the list - North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Maldives, Mali, Iran, Yemen and Eritrea - eight are majority Muslim states threatened by what Open Doors called "Islamic extremism"
Open doors is a non-denominational group, which documents cases of persecution of Christians, said its report was based on official studies, news reports and field reports and questionnaires filled out by its staff workers around the world.
   Raymond Ibrahim author of Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War in Christians. States,
“Christianity is the quintessential religion of martyrdom” from its inception it has been persecuted. He goes on to say,
“...because of their sheer numbers around the globe, including the Muslim world, Christians are the most likely targets of Islamic intolerance; because sharing the Gospel, or “witnessing,” is a dominant element of Christianity, Christians are most likely to fall afoul of Islam’s blasphemy and proselytism laws, as even the barest pro-Christian talk is by necessity a challenge to the legitimacy of Islam; because most Muslims who apostatize to other religions convert to Christianity, it is as Christians that they suffer persecution; and because boldness in face of certain death—martyrdom, dying for the faith—is as old as Christianity itself, Christians are especially prone to defy Islam’s anti-freedom laws, whether by openly proclaiming Christianity or by refusing to recant it, and thus die for it.”
Sadly like the teachers of the law in Jesus time Islamic and other groups see Jesus and Christianity as a threat. Yet Jesus never once called out to his followers to incite violence of any kind. 
Think about it.