Station 3: Day 2

Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin

When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council. They said, “If you are the Messiah, tell us.” He replied, “If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I question you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” All of them asked, “Are you, then, the Son of God?” He said to them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”[1]

Luke 22:66-71

Meditation

            Because Jesus had been very public in his ministry, and because he had not tried to hide his oneness with God, he was defiant in his response to the Temple council questioning. When they asked if he was the Messiah, he told them they would not believe him, even if he told them! This is the pinnacle of unbelief – that when the truth stands before us, as Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin, we still do not believe.

            Jesus had embarrassed the Temple authorities in the past by answering their public questioning in ways that illustrated how much greater his knowledge of God was than theirs. He points out their hypocrisy by noting that they would not be willing to answer Jesus’ questioning of them.

Spiritual Discipline

            Meditate for 10 minutes about your faith. What do you believe about Jesus and why? If you do not have faith in Jesus, or if your faith waivers, what would it take to strengthen your faith? Picture Jesus on trial before the religious authorities of the day. What if Jesus was called before your church today – would he be found guilty of religious or societal crimes?

Prayer

            Enduring Lord, strengthen my faith in you. Help me to more fully understand who you were and who you are to me today. Let my faith establish a connection to you that cannot be broken by the ebb and flow of my days. Amen.

This is the 12^thin a daily series titled The Stations of the Cross that will run through Easter 2026, at which time I will return to my weekly Life Notes. Life Notes are my explorations into mysteries that interest me. They are invitations for readers to explore more deeply into life’s mysteries. Engage with me or explore contemplative spiritual direction at ghildenbrand@outlook.com.

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[1] Luke 22:66-71