Giving False Testimony to Kill a Man

 

 

 

Let us meditate on Mark 14:55–59 and reflect on the lesson it teaches:

“The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put Him to death, but they did not find any. Many testified falsely against Him, but their statements did not agree. Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against Him: ‘We heard Him say, “I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.”’ Yet even then their testimony did not agree.”

 

(1) The purpose of the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin was clear: to kill Jesus (v.55).

In today’s language, their intent was to have Jesus sentenced to death.

(a) With that goal in mind, the chief priests and the “whole Sanhedrin” sought evidence against Jesus.
But was this Sanhedrin even a legal assembly?
According to the Hokma commentary, there is reason to believe this was an illegitimate court:

“The Sanhedrin was composed of three groups: leading priests, scribes, and elders. While the full council had 72 members, only 23 were required for a quorum. Thus, the phrase ‘whole Sanhedrin’ doesn’t mean every single member was present, but rather that enough key figures (such as the high priests) had gathered to conduct legal proceedings.”

(i) If this interpretation is correct, then this was an unlawful assembly—a hastily convened group of leaders, fanatically driven to kill Jesus.
They were consumed with their mission to destroy Him, to the point of obsession (ref: online sources).

(b) Despite lacking any legitimate evidence warranting a death sentence, they first arrested Jesus anyway.
This raises the question: Shouldn’t they have found evidence before arresting Him?

(i) In their desperation, the chief priests, scribes, and elders even brought in many false witnesses:

“Many testified falsely against Him, but their testimonies did not agree” (v.56).

According to Hokma, in a Jewish trial, witnesses had to testify separately—they could not confer in advance.
That’s why the false witnesses gave inconsistent accounts.

(ii) Finally, two witnesses stepped forward and said:

“‘This fellow said, “I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.”’”
(Matthew 26:60–61, Modern Translation)

At last, there appeared to be a consistent testimony.

This claim was based on Jesus’s actual words:

“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (John 2:19).

The Hokma commentary explains:

“Jesus did indeed speak against the temple and predicted its destruction. But the witnesses misunderstood His words. Jesus never said He Himself would destroy the temple; rather, He said, ‘If you destroy this temple, I will raise it up in three days’ (John 2:19–21). His words were a prophecy about His own resurrection—not a literal rebuilding of the physical temple. Thus, the witnesses’ testimony was based on a misunderstanding and was not credible, especially since their accounts still did not fully agree (Mark 14:59).”

Though their statements were based on misunderstanding, the chief priests, scribes, and elders likely saw this as proof of a serious crime.

To them, threatening to destroy the temple, the very center of worship, amounted to blasphemy—an offense punishable by death.
This added to their belief that Jesus, who also claimed to be God (John 10:33), was guilty of blasphemy and deserved execution (cf. Mark 14:55, Modern Translation).

Eventually, the chief priests and Jewish leaders delivered Jesus over to be sentenced to death and crucified (Luke 24:20, Modern Translation).
This fulfilled Jesus’s own prophecy:

“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles, who will mock Him, spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him. Three days later He will rise” (Matthew 20:18–19, Modern Translation).

This was the deeper meaning of Jesus’s words in John 2:19:

“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
(cf. Matthew 26:61)

(c) Bible verses about false witnesses:

  1. Proverbs 12:17 (Modern Translation):
    “An honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies.”

  2. Proverbs 14:5, 25 (Modern Translation):
    “A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness pours out lies… A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness betrays.”

  3. Proverbs 21:28 (Modern Translation):
    “A false witness will perish, but the words of the truthful last forever.”

  4. Proverbs 19:5, 9 (Modern Translation):
    “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.”

  5. Proverbs 24:28 (Modern Translation):
    “Do not testify against your neighbor without cause—do not deceive with your lips.”

  6. Proverbs 6:16, 19 (Modern Translation):
    “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him… a false witness who pours out lies…”

  7. Deuteronomy 5:20 (Modern Translation):
    “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”