It was much better to have an inquest and then present Jesus to Pilate along with a list of formal
charges. That is why one of charges centered around Jesus’ comments about the destruction of the
Temple. If it seemed that Jesus was fomenting insurrection, then the Romans were much more likely to
act. If the matter had to do with Jewish law and theological issues within Judaism, the Romans would
not be interested. But the Romans were very concerned to keep the peace in Jerusalem with so many
people present. That meant arresting and executing zealots, and as well as any who disrupted the peace.5
So, it is important to keep both Jewish law and the local politics of this in mind, as these events unfold in
the last part of chapter 14. The Sanhedrin’s carefully arranged plan is coming to pass just as they had
hoped that it would. Jesus would be dead, Rome would get the blame, and it would all be over.

Kim Riddlebarger