In Jesus’ day, the Sanhedrin was a Jewish high court made up of rabbis who were responsible for carrying out tribunals that would enforce the law of the Lord. They operated with the permission of the Roman government and were mostly comprised of Saducees, a group of Hebrew scholars who were generally friendly toward local governing authorities. Their meeting place was called the Hall of Hewn Stone and it was within the temple, fairly close to the Holy of Holies. Ironically, though they were appointed to uphold the law, in the case of crucifying Jesus, they broke it in multiple ways. As members of the Sanhedrin, there were three rules they were always supposed to adhere to: they were not supposed to meet at night, they were supposed to meet in the temple, and they were never supposed to meet during a festival. Nevertheless, all three of those guidelines went out the window when they were determined to kill the Savior. They took the Lord to Caiaphas’ house (instead of the temple) at night and they did it during Passover. Amazingly, these were the same men who told people that they couldn’t wear two types of cloth together and who yelled at Jesus’ disciples for eating a little grain on the Sabbath. Yet they broke the written law to murder someone — such hypocrisy! 

My purpose in sharing this history with you, my friend, is to remind you that justice begins and ends in the hearts of individuals, not in governments or systems. Avoid putting your hope in organizations or institutions, and instead let it rest solely in the power of Jesus Christ as He works to transform lives. Without the wisdom and guidance of His Spirit, hearts can easily be turned and minds misled, which is why it’s vital for you to keep your eyes fixed on your Savior. As you do, you become a conduit of His divine love, grace, and peace in an increasingly dark and corrupt world. Look to Him in all things, and He will keep you on course and use you to bless and improve the lives of others!