Chapter

Matthew 26:59

ESV Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death,
NIV The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death.
NASB Now the chief priests and the entire Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death.
CSB The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death,
NLT Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death.
KJV Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;
NKJV Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,

What does Matthew 26:59 mean?

The Jewish ruling body was known as the Sanhedrin. It included the high priest, along with 70 men made up of priests, teachers of the law, and laymen known as elders. It's likely not all 70 were gathered at this hasty late-night trial conducted in Caiaphas' mansion. Only 23 would have been needed to make any decisions official.

Matthew makes it clear this is only a "trial" by appearances. The chief priests and the council had already decided the verdict and the sentence: they wanted to put Jesus to death. They just needed evidence they can use to justify their prejudice. This leads them to seek false testimony about Jesus that would allow them to condemn Him. This is not only unethical, but punishable, in this case by death, under Mosaic law (Deuteronomy 19:18).

These ruling religious leaders hated Jesus for what He had said about them (Matthew 23:1–7). They rejected and despised what He said about Himself (John 15:18). They did not want to disrupt the status quo with the Romans (John 11:48), to the point of rejecting their own long-promised Messiah (John 5:39–40). Given His popularity (Mark 12:12) and invincibility in public debate (Luke 20:40), Jesus had to die if they were going to continue in their positions of power and influence over the people.
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