Why the Rabbis disbelieved in Christ

In the Gospel account of Jesus' death we see several signs occur. Creation is protesting the murder of its Maker:

1) Matthew 27:45 suggests an eclipse happened in the middle of the day
2) Matthew 27:51 says the Temple's veil was ripped in half--top to bottom
3) Matthew 27:51 also says the earth quaked.
4) Matthew 27:52-53 says Tombs were opened and some of the dead resurrected and were seen in Jerusalem.

Witnessing all this we are told the response of the Gentile centurions:

The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said, “Truly, this was the Son of God!”--Matthew 27:54

The evidence for these Gentiles was clear--the man Jesus that they just executed was "the son of God."

Presumably, all of the Jewish authorities witnessed this, the Sanhedrin, the high priest, chief priests, the rabbis, the Sadducees and the Pharisees. We are told a few of the Jewish authorities were covert believers in Christ like Nicodemus in John 3, yet most disbelieved him and sought to kill him seeing him as a deceiver and finally pulling strings to get him executed as an insurrectionist.

 So why were the Rabbis so stubborn to believe Christ despite the groans of creation, the signs and wonders happening? There is a passage in the Talmud that may give us an idea:

We learnt elsewhere: If he cut it into separate tiles, placing sand between each tile: R. Eliezer declared it clean, and the Sages declared it unclean; and this was the oven of 'Aknai. Why [the oven of] 'Aknai? — Said Rab Judah in Samuel's name: [It means] that they encompassed it with arguments  as a snake, and proved it unclean. It has been taught:  

On that day R. Eliezer brought forward every imaginable argument, but they did not accept them.  

Said he to them: 'If the halachah agrees with me, let this carob-tree prove it!'  

Thereupon the carob-tree was torn a hundred cubits out of its place — others affirm, four hundred cubits. 

'No proof can be brought from a carob-tree,' they retorted.  

Again he said to them: 'If the halachah agrees with me, let the stream of water prove it!'  

Whereupon the stream of water flowed backwards —  

'No proof can be brought from a stream of water,' they rejoined. 

Again he urged: 'If the halachah agrees with me, let the walls of the schoolhouse prove it,'  

whereupon the walls inclined to fall.  

But R. Joshua rebuked them, saying: 'When scholars are engaged in a halachic dispute, what have ye to interfere?'   

Hence they did not fall, in honour of R. Joshua, nor did they resume the upright, in honour of R. Eliezer; and they are still standing thus inclined.  

Again he said to them: 'If the halachah agrees with me, let it be proved from Heaven!'  

Whereupon a Heavenly Voice cried out: 'Why do ye dispute with R. Eliezer, seeing that in all matters the halachah agrees with him!'  

But R. Joshua arose and exclaimed: 'It is not in heaven.'  

What did he mean by this? — Said R. Jeremiah: That the Torah had already been given at Mount Sinai; we pay no attention to a Heavenly Voice, because Thou hast long since written in the Torah at Mount Sinai, 

After the majority must one incline.  

R. Nathan met Elijah and asked him: What did the Holy One, Blessed be He, do in that hour? — He laughed [with joy], he replied, saying, 'My sons have defeated Me, My sons have defeated Me.' It was said: On that day all objects which R. Eliezer had declared clean were brought and burnt in fire.  

Then they took a vote and excommunicated him.

 --Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Baba Mezi'a 59a-b (emphasis mine)

This show the attitude in the Talmud, even the testimony of miracles from God and the voice of God Himself is insufficient if it contradicts the dominant opinion of the rabbis. Similarly, Christ produced many miracles, the voice of Heaven appeared in a few times in His ministry, and then when Christ was executed heaven and earth protest, but the authorities are confident in their decision and ignore it all since what Heaven says does not matter.