Jesus is taken by the assembly to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered. Many false witnesses came forward to testify against him but their testimony did not agree. Jesus remained silent. Finally the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?" to which Jesus replied, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven." The high priest tore his clothes and said, "Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?" All of them condemned him as deserving death.
Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth. (Isaiah 53.7)
This meeting of the Sanhedrin was very irregular. Normally they meet in
the daytime and in the temple. They would have had to have been plotting
in secret for some time to bring this about. What was the source of this
hatred? People were turning to Jesus in great numbers. Were they
envious? Were they angry at their loss of control, power and influence?
Or were they simply trying to defend their traditions and customs? The
Roman governor Pontius Pilate himself tells us the answer: "He realized that it
was out of jealousy that they had handed him over." (Matthew 27.18) In any
case they deliberately closed their hearts to God's grace to cling to the
familiar. Not all, though. Joseph of Arimathea did not consent to Jesus'
death.
Jesus remains silent to their false accusations. He knew that no reply
would have been sufficient. How do we respond to false accusations?
How often have we falsely accused? There is one with the title of Accuser
and when we accuse we act like him. ("The accuser of our brothers has been cast
out, who night and day accused them before God." (Revelation 12.10))
The high priest tore his clothes. This was a symbolic gesture and they actually
used a special seam so the garment would not be damaged.
I think often in our life of faith we tempt God, putting questions or tasks
before him to try to get him to show himself. yet he remains silent. We may
throw a tantrum, lashing out at him or making a big show of it interiorly. Yet
if we calm down we will realize he has been there all along. "I am," he says.
What is deserving of death is all that is false in our life of faith, all the
idolatry. Bring it along and put it on the cross.