Mark 14:53-65

Having decided to eliminate Jesus and then having him unexpectedly betrayed into their hands the council had to move forward with a plan to kill Him. If He got away, they might not get such an opportunity again. Killing Him was either now or maybe never. Jesus, in their opinion, had to die and that had to be now or His power might undermine their control. But this creates for them a problem. A simple assassination would be easily accomplished and it would not be beneath the high priestly family’s conduct. But the murder of the prophet of Galilee would be fraught with problems. After the confrontation in the temple everyone would know who had ordered the killing. The murderer must be a judicial murderer. It had to be carried out by the Romans so the council would have some deniability of responsibility for His death. But to turn a fellow Jew over to the Romans would be vastly unpopular, unless they could manufacture a religious reason. A murder would bring a riot, which would bring harsh Roman reprisal. Turning a fellow Jew over to the Romans might bring the same results. 

Religion is often a useful tool wicked people use to accomplish their wicked plan. So the witnesses offer religious testimony, which was inconsistent. But even if it had been consistent, prophecy does not qualify as a capital crime, even prophecies that include supernatural powers. Especially since supernatural power is clearly at work in Jesus' ministry. 

Perhaps the priests knew that Jesus had accepted the title “Christ”. But this would be an even more dangerous game. If He was the Christ to turn him over to the Romans makes the council the very enemy of Israel and of God.  In the past, the council apparently didn't make much effort to root out would-be Christs. 

Jesus had to solve their problems for them because on their own they lack the wit, courage, or the convictions to condemn Jesus.  Jesus has to serve Himself up to them on a platter so that they don't bungle it.  In verse 62, Jesus’ quoting from Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13 and attributing it to Himself would be a blasphemous act if it were not true. It would be punishable under Mosaic Law, but not under Roman law.  In this statement we are confronted with a terrible trilemma. In His claims, Jesus is either a madman-a raving lunatic, perhaps being driven mad by the very forces of darkness. It could be that Jesus was a calculated deceiver and with His lies had some scheme or plan for personal advantage. The third possibility is that He was the One we will all see sitting at the right hand of God and coming in Glory.