The Passion Week of Christ: A Study from the Book of Mark
Week 7: The Servant Suffers - He Is Rejected
Mark 14:53-65
I. Introduction
A. You know life is full of paradoxes, particularly 21st Century America. Daylight Savings Time - 1st two weeks can't stay awake to experience it! We spend more and have less, we have bigger houses and smaller families, we have more degrees and less sense, we have multiplied our possessions and reduced our values.
B. The Bible has it's share of paradoxes as well. G.K. Chesterton defined biblical paradox as "truth standing on her head to attract attention." Such as...1st will be last & last will be 1st; find your life & lose it, lose your life and find it; foolish shame the wise, weak shame the strong; more blessed to give than receive; gate is wide, way is easy leads to destruction & many find it but gate is narrow, way is hard leads to life & few find it.
C. Here's two more: John 1:11 tells us that "He (Jesus) came to his own people, and even they rejected him." (NLT) So far in our Passion Week series, we've seen this play out over and over. No more so than on the night that our Lord stood before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin. For all intents and purposes, Jesus appeared to be the one on trial, Jesus appeared to be the guilty one. Yet, it's not so much Jesus on trial as it is Israel on trial. They are in the presence of their Messiah, their King, their God, and their Judge, but they are too blind to see Him for Who He is. The nation of Israel was on trial that night. And in the end, it wasn't Jesus who was guilty but them. And here's the big point I want us to get - these weren't hooligans, hellians, unbelievers; these were church going, alms giving, mission trip taking, Bible reading, Scripture quoting, three time a day praying people of God. And if they were guilty in their dealings with Jesus, we can be as well...and are! Let's explore how as Israel rejected their Messiah, the Christ, they were guilty in their Convocation, their Confrontation and their Condemnation.
II. Scripture Reading & Prayer
A. Stand with me to honor the reading of God's Word. Read Mark 14:53-65.
B. Pray - Father, that last verse makes me angry, makes me physically sick and yet I, and I dare say we, are just as guilty at times in our dealings with Jesus as the Sanhedrin that terrible night. Forgive us, convict us, transform us.
III. Guilty In Their Convocation (Read and explain Mark 14:53-59)
A. What a night this had been for Jesus! One of many spiritual highs and lows - HIGH of the Passover & Lord's Supper, LOW of Judas Iscariot's betrayal, HIGH of teaching of Disciples on the way to Gethsemane, LOW of the spiritual agony in the Garden, HIGH of total submission and surrender to Father's Will, LOW of Judas' kiss and arrest by soldiers. In spite of all this, the night was far from over. Before dawn came, Jesus had many more difficulties to face.
B. And when the word went out that Judas was leading the soldiers to Jesus’ location, the Sanhedrin began to gather together. Like sharks in the water, these powerful, religious men could smell blood. They had wanted to destroy Jesus for some time (cf. Mark 3:6), and this was their chance. So, they came together to judge Him. They basically had two tasks before them. Recall who's in power? Rome! The Sanhedrin had full power over religious matters, but it had none to inflict the death penalty. #1 They had to formulate a legal charge adequate to justify the death penalty. Even if they could find some clear breach of the Torah, sufficient in Jewish eyes to warrant death, they still must convince Rome. So #2 They had to produce some political charge adequate in Roman eyes for death. First things first...first the legal charge, first the Jewish trial. As we explore their little convocation that Thursday night/Friday AM, we see that it was illegal on multiple levels:
- When It Was Held: Recall it's Passover. And it's night - they've arrested Jesus in the cover of it to prevent a riot. Mark tells us Peter was warming himself at the fire suggesting it's still night as April nighttime temps are in the 40s in Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin court could not meet at night, nor could it meet at any of the great feasts.
- Where It Was Held: The official meeting place of the Sanhedrin was the Hall of Hewn Stone which was within the temple precincts. Decisions were not valid unless reached at a meeting in that place. Mark tells us that Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.
- Way It Was Held: 1) Trials were illegal on the eve of the Sabbath because Jewish law required a one day adjournment in the event of a conviction. 2) If the verdict was a verdict of death, a night must elapse before it was carried out, so that the court might have a chance to change its mind and its decision toward mercy. 3) The Sanhedrin could not bring charges against a defendant, they could only investigate charges that had been made by others. Yet, the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death. 4) The charges against Jesus were changed during the trial. He was first charged with threatening to destroy the Temple. Later, He was charged with blasphemy. Then, when He stood before Pilate, His charges were changed again. That time, He was charged with claiming to be the King of the Jews and of forbidding the paying of taxes to Rome. 5) Jesus was allowed no defense before the court. All charges against Him should have been thoroughly investigated and He should have been allowed time to call His Own witnesses. 6) The Sanhedrin pronounced the death sentence. By law the Sanhedrin could not convict or pass down a death sentence. 7) When evidence was taken, witnesses were examined separately and their evidence, to be valid, must agree in every detail. There's no suggestion of separate examination of the witnesses. To the contrary, for many bore is an imperfect which implies a repeated action - a parade, one after the other of liars, false witness. Not only that, look at what God's law prescribed for such a false witness - read Deut. 19:16-19. There were a lot of guilty people deserving of punishment and death in Caiaphas' home that night but none of their names were Jesus!!!
- Why It Was Held: This trial was not about seeking the truth of a man’s guilt or innocence or seeing justice served and the law upheld. This trial was over back in Mark 3:6, it was over 2 days before Passover, and it was definitely over the moment he stepped foot in front of Caiaphas! In the eyes of the Sanhedrin, Jesus was guilty before the trial ever began. He had no chance of leaving this trial with anything but a guilty verdict and a sentence of death!
- Witnesses Called: There's an old legend that the Sanhedrin could get plenty of the kind of evidence they did not want, for man after man came forward saying, "I was a leper...I was blind...I was deaf...I was lame...I was paralyzed and..." But they found none of the kind they wanted! So instead a cavalcade of liars stepped forward - read 14:56-59. #1 OT Law required exact agreement by at least two witnesses - read Deut. 17:6, 19:15. You know it's hard to agree on lies?! Round 1 of the liars step to the mic and their testimony did not agree. So round 2 of the liars step up. #2 They twisted and misquoted Jesus' words - read John 2:19. Not to mention #3 This was an incredulous claim! Herod had demolished Zerubbabel's old temple and laboriously rebuilt it over a period of many years and with massive blocks of masonry. Could any Pharisee seriously believe that Jesus intended to repeat this process in three days?!
C. Application: A convocation is simply an assembly of persons. Do we have convocations that stand guilty this AM in their dealings with Jesus? YES! Our country for one. In which we can't display the 10 Commandments but can display every type of filth and sex on TVs and movie screens. In which Muhammad mocking cartoons are heresy and DJesus Uncrossed is the greatest piece of satire in SNL history! In which we ban prayer from schools but hand out condoms! In which everyone has equal rights but Christians. We all get our shorts in a wade and say "America was founded on the Bible and by Christians." We are not American citizens but kingdom citizens (cf. Phil. 3:20)! We can't expect comfort and to always live in a "Christian nation." That's not what Christ called us to (cf. John 15:18-21, 16:1-4). Our churches for two. Preaching is anemic self-help pop psychology not the meat of God's Word. Joel Osteen on "Katie" suggested that although he might touch on doctrine in his messages, he believes an emphasis on doctrine may be what is contributing to low attendance at other churches. We rob God on a consistent basis (Africa letter & COC pastor, Hope & refusal to forgo rent as a tithe, Teddy Evans 11/44 BHBA churches, massive bldg funds and puny mission funds). Legalism is rampant (Germantown Baptist - might be Scriptural but it ain't Baptist). Yes, we too stand guilty in our convocation.
IV. Guilty In Their Confrontation (Read and explain Mark 14:60-62)
A. Caiaphas & His Shame (v. 60): As Jesus' trial is turning into a circus of one lie after another, one failed attempt after another, Caiaphas must see his and the Sanhedrin's opportunity to destroy Jesus slipping away. Not to mention, how can this man sit here silent through all of this and not offer one word in self-defense? So, no doubt feeling shamed, Caiaphas changes tactics. He assumes the role of prosecutor and goes on the attack, calling on Jesus to defend Himself. And so he stood up in the midst and asked Jesus two opening questions: 1) Have you no answer to make? You dare stand there and not say a word? 2) What is it that these men testify against you? If this gets to Roman ears, you'll be put to death!? And so hanging on the edge of their seats, no doubt every head turned and looked upon Jesus, straining to hear His response...
B. Christ & His Silence (v. 60a): But he remained silent and made no answer. Doesn't the resolve of our Lord to remain silent paradoxically leave us speechless? I would have probably given them an ear full alright! I would have pulled a Paul - Acts 23:1-5. Jesus #1 is silent out of respect - as evil and wrong as this whole thing was, Caiaphas still held a God-ordained office, and was to be granted the respect it demanded. Yet #2 there really was no need to answer such ridiculous witnesses! An answer by Jesus would give this hooligan court with its false testimonies and illegal proceedings the appearance of legitimacy. They had distorted Jesus' own words, repeatedly lied and broke their own laws of jurist prudence. They would be judged soon enough. Read 1 Peter 2:23. Also #3 it fulfilled prophecy! Read Isaiah 53:7.
C. Caiaphas & His Solution (v. 61b): The only prophesy Caiaphas is interested in fulfilling is inadvertently his own - read John 11:47-52. To get around Jesus' refusal to speak, Caiaphas changes tactics again. He places Jesus under oath before God. In Matthew 26:63, Caiaphas said, “I adjure thee by the living God...” This was an attempt to force Jesus to answer. Caiaphas is finished with witnesses who can’t agree. He is finished with the trial. He is finished with Jesus. So, he gets right to the heart of the Sanhedrin’s problem with the Lord. He asks Jesus point blank, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" This question is designed to make Jesus incriminate Himself and was the very kind of question that the law completely forbade. It was forbidden to ask questions by which answering the person on trial might incriminate himself. It's the same reason we have the 5th Amendment! No man could be asked to condemn himself, but that was exactly what Caiaphas asked Jesus to do - what did Jesus say? Read John 10:14-18. The Jews did not expect the Messiah to be God incarnate, but a gifted & empowered human; so to claim to be Messiah was not blasphemous. "Blessed One" was a common Jewish title for God. Thus, to claim to be the Son of the Blessed would be to them intolerable blasphemy, for which he could be condemned to death. Would he extricate Himself from this question designed to trap Him like a wild animal as He had done multiple times on Tuesday in the Temple on the Day of Teaching - what authority, paying taxes, the resurrection, the greatest commandment? I bet you could hear a pin drop as everyone waited to hear...
D. Christ & His Statement (v. 62): In a nutshell, NO! He doesn't extricate Himself, He exonerates Himself! #1 I am - cf. Exodus 3:14 I imagine those words rolled out of our Lord's mouth like massive claps of thunder! This was an explicit, unambigious declaration that not only is He the Messiah, but also that He is the Son of God! Jesus accepts the title suggested by Caiaphas' and then defines it further in terms of Son of Man, his special self-chosen title. Thunderously, He continues. #2 Seated at the right hand of power - cf. Psalm 110:1 This is a metaphor for the place of authority. The term "power" is a reference to YHWH. Caiaphas understood it as a threat to his power & authority and Rome's power and authority. Yet, Jesus had a different concept of the kingdom of God. Discuss the differences. #3 And coming with the clouds of heaven - cf. Daniel 7:13 This phrase in very clear OT terms is an assertion by Jesus of His deity. No one rode on the clouds except YHWH. Cole: "If the high priest had ears to hear, there was a solemn warning in this choice of title, for this is the Son of Man vindicated and enthroned, and returning in judgment...the priesthood stood on trial that day, although the execution of sentence was yet to come, on the terrible day in AD 70 when the priests were cut down by the Roman soldiers at the altar."
E. Application: Why were they guilty in their confrontation of Jesus? Why did they reject Him as Messiah and Immanuel, God with us? Many reasons but a large one being they were people who ignored the very teachings of the Bibles they thumped, read, and quoted, particularly OT prophecies. Discuss pic of Two Branches in Stream of Messianic Prophecy. We likewise do the same! Quote John 14:6, Matt. 28:20. Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life = 70% Americans, 56% Evangelicals believe many paths other than faith in Christ; Barna.org = 73% born again say have responsibility to share faith, 52% practiced what they preach ONCE in last year. Yes, we too stand guilty in our confrontation of our Lord!
V. Guilty In Their Condemnation (Read and explain Mark 14:63-65)
A. Their Drama (v. 63): Caiaphas rips his clothes. It was a dramatic reaction to what he considered blasphemy, a symbolic display designed to convey horror in the face of a terrible crime against God. Caiaphas thought he was being dramatic, in truth, he was doing far more than that. Read Leviticus 10:6, 21:10. Caiaphas disqualified himself; he was no longer worthy to remain high priest. Thank the Lord we have a High Priest who can NEVER be disqualified - read Hebrews 7:26-28.
B. Their Decision (v. 64): Notice first, you have HEARD. NOT verified it but heard it only! If false then indeed blasphemy. If true then Jesus is executed for the truth. Same happens today - Jesus is rejected for being the truth! Josh McDowell in "Evidence That Demands a Verdict" says there is no middle ground. Jesus then was either a blasphemer deserving of death or Messiah and Savior of the World. Today, He is either a lunatic, a liar, or God! There is no middle ground! And no middle ground did the Sanhedrin take. Not interested in truth finding, only Jesus' death, the whole council renders their verdict, “Guilty!” They declare Jesus to be worthy of death and they condemn Him to that fate.
C. Their Damnation (v. 65): I don't know about you but this verse makes me fighting mad! How contemptuously they treated our Lord. They began to spit on him - this was an OT symbol of rejection (cf. Num. 12:14, Deut. 25:9, Job 17:6). They also began to cover his face...saying to him, "Prophesy!" This was designed to make a mockery of our Lord. Rabbis of Jesus' day had interpreted Isa. 11:3 that the Messiah could judge by smell, not just sight. Finally, they begin to fulfill prophesy by transforming the appearance of our Blessed, Beloved Jesus. They strike him - Greek = "to rap with the fist," to strike with such force and depth in the flesh that it remains there. Even the guards get in on the action - received him with blows - Greek = "to smite with slaps." All of this in fulfillment of Isaiah 50:6, 52:14. The Servant must suffer much including human cruelty to the point that he no longer even looks human! Indeed, His appearance will become so awful that people look at Him in astonishment!
D. Application: They stood guilty in their despicable display of mockery and contempt for our Lord, the worst to me had to be the spitting in His face. Yet, don't we stand just as guilty? Don't we too spit in our Lord's face? Take the following: pretty names to sin - cohabitation & work wives/husbands, divorce rates 50%, blatant racism both sides of the fence, proudly display our Christian T-shirts (unforgiveness, joyless, worry warts), idolatry (sports, technology), bind ourselves with yokes of slavery, licentious lifestyles and call it grace, break the greatest sermon ever preached daily (Sermon on the Mount), skip divine appointments and call it working for the kingdom, O ye of little faith. The worst? We keep the cure for soul CA to ourselves! Ill. Yellow sheet (stand) then White sheet (stand). Discuss God whooping me and breaking my heart over the lost afresh!!! We need to stop spitting in our Lord's face and start sharing Him with everyone we can...not once a year! At least once a week if possible!
VI. Conclusion
A. You know as we reflect on this AM's message, what of it do you think was the most painful for our Lord? The warm spit that ran down His face? The hot stinging sensation in His cheeks from the open handed slaps? The bruises forming under His skin from bare knuckles rapping him over and over? The humiliation of His face being covered and being openly mocked? Certainly, it was all terrible and to think He went through that for me, overwhelms my soul and makes my head spin! What do I think was the most painful thing that night for our Lord? The pain in His chest...from His heart breaking!!! From the rejection at the hands of His own people whom He had come to save and received Him not. And from knowing they were simply going to be the first of billions to come who would reject His loving sacrifice, His free gift of eternal life. One's that you and I know the antidote to their decaying/dying soul and paradoxically stand silent, never opening OUR mouths. Remember, His first coming was as a Lamb to give His life as a ransom for many; In His second coming He will be Lion, tribe of Judah, to judge the world...including each and everyone of us in this room.
VII. Invitation and Benediction
A. Are you unbeliever ready to stand before the Lord, guilty? Guilty of sin and deserving of Hell? Jesus paid your ticket! Tetelestai - it's finished, paid in full!
B. Are you believer guilty in your dealings with Jesus this AM? Not witnesssing, backslidden? Not followed Him in baptism, not joined His church?
