With Easter just over two weeks away, our Easter series will be messages that focus on the cross, or more accurately the characters that surrounded it and it's proceedings. This week we focus in on one particular group of people who played a central role in Jesus trial and crucifixion, the religious leaders of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem was a deeply religious city with the temple being the heart of the Jewish religion. This means that those responsible for the leading and guiding of the people had immense power and responsibility. When this Nazarite teacher named Jesus arrived, the religious leaders were suspicious, sceptical and even jealous. All of this led them to a simple conclusion, he had to die. Of all people they should have known better.