The Sanhedrin was the Jewish High Court of 70 leading Pharisees and Sadducees plus the High Priest who presided as the judge. These men had been hurriedly assembled in the middle of the night to hear the evidence against Jesus (Matthew 26:57). After a lot of conflicting evidence had been presented, Caiaphas asked Jesus if He was the Messiah, the Son of God. It was a question under oath; the judge knew that Jesus would reply.
 
Jesus affirmed His true identity and went further. He said He was equal to Father God and that, one day, He would have authority to judge those who judged Him. Quoting from Daniel 7:13 (which the Jews accepted as a Messianic prophecy) Jesus declared that He was the person that all Israel had been longing to see. They had prayed for the Messiah to come and there He was standing in front of them. But far from stirring their worship, His statements infuriated Caiaphas.
 
To their ears, Jesus had said that He was equal to God - a blasphemous statement if it was not true, and punishable by death. The corrupt court had its self-determined answer. Nobody could now say that the Chief Priest had rigged the trial. The final evidence came from the prisoner's mouth and they all agreed that He was guilty of blasphemy. But they were wrong. He truly was God, in a human body; one day He would be their judge and He would rule the whole world as its King. Nevertheless they thought they were right and continued blaspheming God the Son by spitting in His face and punching Him with their bare fists. They were so angry with Him as they assaulted and ridiculed Him.
 
The most important question anybody can ask is, "Who is Jesus?" He cannot be just a good teacher or a moral example – because He claimed to be God. It is the biggest claim anyone could ever make, and to make it falsely is indeed blasphemous. But when it is true, as it is uniquely for Jesus, anybody who speaks against Him is themselves guilty of blasphemy and answerable to God. The Apostle Paul called himself a blasphemer (1 Timothy 1:13) and yet He repented and asked for mercy. So, do not ignore blasphemers because they need to be saved … and you can tell them how to be saved (www.crosscheck.org.uk). Ask the Lord for courage to tell your friends and colleagues about Jesus, who saves sinners of every kind.