JESUS BEFORE THE HIGH PRIEST

Mark 14:53-64

Morning Meditation 4/20/2013

Mark 14:53-64, "And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. But neither so did their witness agree together. And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death."

WE SEE CHRIST IN THIS AS A PASSIVE VICTIM

Verse 53 says, "They led Jesus away." Isaiah 53:7-8, "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken." Over seven hundred years before Isaiah the prophet prophesied that Jesus would be "brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." Here we have the Scripture fulfilled.

When a man's mind is closed (the leaders of the nation of Israel) it is amazing how many facts do not appear as facts. It is like looking directly at something you want and you can't see it. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies concerning him, yet they could not see it. They accused Him of being an imposter. And Jesus to fulfill the Scriptures, remained passive.

He told Peter in the Garden that He could call twelve legions of angels if He wanted to. John tells us in John 18:5-6, "They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground." All Jesus had to do to avoid being taken and tried and crucified was to speak. They could not resist His words. He has the power to create with His spoken word. What could one do with this kind of a leader. The Roman army would be helpless. Jesus would not have to fire a shot. All He would have to do is to speak and down they would go. I can't keep from seeing a funny side to all this. Imagine them attempting to drive nails in His hands. And He whispers. Nails don't enter. They would get their strongest and most accurate man to hit the nail and it would not even leave a mark on Jesus hands. Now maybe you don't think of stuff like that but I do. I can imagine after they tried and tried to put the nails in His hands and feet they were too embarrassed to tell their superiors so they decided to tie him to the cross. Well they got the rope but everyone of them forgot how to tie a rope. Jesus just spoke the word and their memory left them. None of them could remember how to tie a rope.

Well, it didn't happen like that. I told that story to magnify the truth that He went with them voluntarily. He allowed the brutal nails to enter his sinless flesh. He allowed them to curse Him, spit upon Him, and say all kinds of things in mockery. He took the complete penalty of our sins upon Himself and paid the price in full. Why did He do that? Because He loves us. He still does. Next we see,

THE NEGLECTED LORD

Where is Peter's willingness to go even to death with Christ? Mark 14:29-31, "But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all." They all said the same thing as Peter.

Matthew 26:58 says, "But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end."

Peter was looking for the end but instead he saw the beginning. Revelation 1:5 says, "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," Why is Jesus called the first begotten of the dead? It is because He stands at the head of a great multitude who are able to experience a resurrection because Jesus did. They are all begotten from the dead but Jesus is the first begotten.

1 Corinthians 15:20 says, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." Why first fruits? Because Jesus brought those who waited by faith on Him from Old Testament days. Many of those who slept arose and appeared on the streets of Jerusalem after His resurrection. Next we see,

THE FALSELY ACCUSED

They hired false witnesses against Christ. But they could not agree among themselves. They finally crucified Him because of the truth that they thought was a lie.

John 18:7-12, "Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: that the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him."

Do you know anyone who would stand and take what Jesus took when He was sinless and had never broke a single law. I think I would have a battery of lawyers standing at my side at this time. Jesus knew what they were about to do. They were going to crucify Him. This was the most cruel of punishments that a person could possibly bear. Today they choose the most humane way for a prisoner to suffer even though he may have showed no mercy as he killed unharmed and helpless people. I would hate to sit on a jury where someone like that is being tried for murder. Mark 14:27-31, "And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all." Jesus pitied these men. He knew they meant it. He was special to them. However, they did not know the power of the flesh nor of Satan who would make them feel that they would also die in this manner. Next we see,

THE SILENT SAVIOUR

Mark 14:60-61, "And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"

Jesus was the Lamb of God, and He like a sheep, did not open His mouth as they judged Him and treated Him in all sorts of ways. This in itself should have convinced them. But they were willingly blind and had chosen to remain in silence that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. The fact is, He was not on trial for His sins. He was on trial for ours. He could not claim that His disciples had not sinned. He stood in our place, His silence admitted our guilt, and paid the just penalty of the broken law. Had he pled His innocence, He would have ceased to be our substitute. Had He not died for our sins, He would have eventually died and done that which the law said He would do. "The soul that sinneth it shall die." Had He died for His sins, He would have been a fraud. Next,

THE BLESSED CHRIST

Mark 14:61-62, "But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." This infuriated the high priest along with the others. For someone to claim that He is God in the flesh was blasphemy to the Jews. And certainly, He did claim that, because He was Emmanuel which being interpreted is "God with us." Matthew 1:23, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

Jesus is the "Blessed One." He is the One history will surround. He is a witness around which the entire world will eventually gather.

Jesus stood before the high priest and He stood there in dumb silence because He would die at their wicked and sinful hands, but in His dying the greatest miracle of all takes place. He provides a sacrifice for sin. There is a fountain that will never run dry now that Jesus has died. May the Lord bless us to love and adore Him for His death and resurrection. This is the message that, if believed, will save every man, woman, boy and girl in the world.

In Christ

Bro. White