Jesus is Officially Rejected by the Sanhedrin

In the time of Christ, pharisaic Judaism had a stranglehold on the nation of Isra’el because of the Oral Law (to see link click EiThe Oral Law). For twenty centuries the Jews had labored under a “leadership complex” meaning, whichever way the Jewish leadership went, the people were sure to follow. We see this very often in the history of the TaNaKh. When the king did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, they followed; and when the king did that which was evil in the sight of ADONAI, they also followed. When witnessed to today by believers, many Jews will say, “Why don’t the rabbis believe this?”

When they saw the miracles that Jesus performed, the masses asked themselves: Could this be the Son of David (Matthew 12:23)? The masses were willing to ask the question, but they were unwilling to answer it for themselves.652 Because of this “leadership complex,” the masses thought it was the responsibility of the Great Sanhedrin to decide if the Meshiach had come. And tragically the Great Sanhedrin said “No!”

As a result, the Great Sanhedrin rejected Christ on the basis of demon possession, and later the masses will scream: Let His blood be on us and on our children (Matthew 27:25). Because of their belief in the traditions of men (Mark 7:8), they missed the Messiah. As a result of this rejection, the Jewish leadership and the Jewish people will have to ask Him to come back before He will return (see my commentary on Revelation Ev – The Basis for the Second Coming). The nation of Isra’el had reached a point of no return.