Mark 14:53 They led Jesus away to the high priest. All the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes came together with him. 54 Peter had followed him from a distance, until he came into the court of the high priest. He was sitting with the officers, and warming himself in the light of the fire. 55 Now the chief priests and the whole council sought witnesses against Jesus to put him to death, and found none. 56For many gave false testimony against Him, and their testimony didn’t agree with each other. 57 Some stood up, and gave false testimony against Him, saying, 58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'” 59 Even so, their testimony did not agree. WEB
The “council” is the Sanhedrin (think Supreme Court) that was in charge of Jewish religious issues and had the final say in all matters of the law. Neither the Sanhedrin nor any of the Jewish leaders have the authority to put someone to death. (If they did put someone to death, it would be by stoning and not by crucifixion).
In Jewish jurisprudence, facts can only be established if there is more than one witness which they were unable to come up with. This is a court without standing because it is violating its own rules of operation and as such, is nothing more than an illegitimate sham. The first of these many violations is that the people who will judge Jesus are also the people who arrest Him. The fact that it took place at night in a private home rather than the court building during the day are also violations. Capital trials are never completed in one day as that gives the appearance of a conspiracy against the accused and unanimous guilty verdicts are set aside for the same reason. It also appears that not all of the Sanhedrin were there to vote as Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus would not have voted against Jesus.
John 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jewish leaders therefore said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he spoke of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this, and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. NHEB
Even their false charges (which changed to something entirely different before Pilate, see Luke 23:2) were problematic as Jesus never said what they claimed He said.
Mark 14:60 The high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it which these testify against You?” 61 But He stayed quiet, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 Jesus said, “I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky.” WEB
Jesus will not answer to the false charges being made against Him and only responds to a direct question from the high priest regarding whether or not He is the Christ. (It is up to the witnesses to establish His guilt and not the people doing the judging nor by the person on trial. These are additional violations of their rules). Jesus has revealed Himself earlier in Mark to Peter and is now explicitly revealing Himself to the Jewish leaders.
Jesus often refers to Himself as the “Son of Man”. Some in reading this verse want to say that Jesus is talking about someone other than Himself. It’s as if after saying “I am”, He then goes on to talk about another person you will see. This viewpoint doesn’t match with what is about to happen with Resurrection and Ascension nor does it take into account the fact that He makes 14 “I am” (counting this one) statements in the New Testament all of which make clear just who He is.
John 5:2 Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew, “Bethesda,” having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, or paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water; … 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been sick for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.” 9 Immediately, the man was made well, and took up his mat and walked. Now it was the Sabbath on that day. 10 So the Jews said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry the mat.” 11 He answered them, “He who made me well, the same said to me, ‘Take up your mat, and walk.'”…..16 For this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because he did these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, so I am working, too.” 18 For this cause therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making Himself equal with God. WEB
Healing on the Sabbath was bad enough in the eyes of the Jews (enough to kill Him) but His answer to them in verse 17 really sets them off as it is blasphemy in their eyes. (Our favorite rabbi said when reading this verse that if Jesus did in fact say this then He deserved to die).
Mark 14: 63 The high priest tore his clothes, and said, “What further need have we of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” They all condemned him to be worthy of death. 65 ome began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to beat him with fists, and to tell him, “Prophesy!” The officers struck him with the palms of their hands. NHEB
The room goes crazy and they begin to strike Jesus (which is illegal under the Sanhedrin rules as is tearing clothes). Since the Jews lack the power to kill Jesus, Rome must be the agent to bring His death about. See: https://deanbible.org/dbmfiles/notes/22_RulesBrokenAtYeshuasTrial.pdf
Mark 14:66 As Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the maids of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him, and said, “You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus!” 68But he denied it, saying, “I neither know, nor understand what you are saying.” He went out on the porch, and the rooster crowed. 69 The maid saw him, and began again to tell those who stood by, “This is one of them.” 70 But he again denied it. After a little while again those who stood by said to Peter, “You truly are one of them, for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.” 71 But he began to curse, and to swear, “I don’t know this man of whom you speak!” 72 The rooster crowed the second time. Peter remembered the word, how that Jesus said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” When he thought about that, he wept. NHEB
Peter was recognized by his accent as being from Galilee (not unlike people from different parts of the U.S. have differing accents).
Mark 15:1 Immediately in the morning the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate. 2 Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered, “You say so.” 3 The chief priests accused him of many things. 4 Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer? See how many things they testify against you.” 5But Jesus made no further answer, and Pilate was amazed. NHEB
They have been meeting secretly at night but under their rules, can’t issue a finding until daylight so a second session is held. Pilate is the Roman governor representing Roman authority in Palestine. The job is a difficult assignment but he is a climber and if he succeeds in this job, who knows how far he might go? Although based in Caesarea, during the High Holy Days he is at the Praetorium which is located next door to the Temple. The Roman government has stationed additional soldiers there as well just in case there is trouble. It is perhaps a half mile from the chief priest’s house to the Temple so once the plan is in place, they drag Him to Pilate.