Matthew 26:65

Then the high priest rent his garments, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy: What further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard the blasphemy.

It seems never to have occurred to that Satan-blinded court that Christ's words were true and not blasphemous: The blasphemy they imputed to Jesus, on the basis of his answer, was not from the mere claim that he was the Messiah. It was not a capital offense to claim to be the Messiah; but it was, for making himself the DIVINE MESSIAH, as they viewed it; this led to the charge of blasphemy. In John 19:7, "We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God!" (Leviticus 24:16).

Commentaries are filled with dissertations on the violations of accepted judicial procedure committed by that august body in its rash, unprincipled, and biased handling of the trial of Jesus Christ. Can anyone imagine the judge forsaking the judicial robes to come down and usurp the role of prosecutor? Any night trial of a capital offense was illegal; and, whereas an acquittal could be announced in a single day, no death penalty could be pronounced until three whole days had elapsed. These and many other judicial amenities were violated by the Sanhedrin.