Mark 14:55-62
Psalm 27:12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.
Isaiah 53:7a He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth;
Jesus is now before the religious Supreme Court, the Sanhedrin. These proceedings were supposed to be held during the daylight and required at least two witnesses to a specific crime. They were also to sleep on what they had heard before declaring a judgment. They broke every one of their rules during Jesus’ trial. In today’s reading we see the fulfillment of 2 different prophecies – false witnesses and Jesus remaining silent to His accusers.
These religious leaders hated Jesus so much that they were willing to pay people to testify against Him but even with paying them, they couldn’t get two that could get their stories enough in line to fulfill the necessary requirement of a witness. They finally get two that are talking about the same thing but even they can’t get their stories straight and don’t have their facts correct. And even if they had gotten their stories together, it wasn’t one of the sins that qualified for the death penalty. Even though they tried to trap Him, Jesus didn’t say anything. He knew they wouldn’t understand what He meant when He said He would rebuild His temple in three days. So the high priest decides to try a different approach.
The High priest was supposed to be the one who led the people in worshiping God and yet here he was refusing to believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Because of his unbelief he thought this was the greatest trap to set Jesus up for death. Claiming to be equal to God was worthy of the death penalty and so that is what he asks Jesus about.
After His prayer of submission in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was willing to do what He knew included His dying the most horrible death on the cross of crucifixion, so He replied with, “I AM.” The high priest knew that this wording choice was identifying Him as Jehovah because He used the same words that God had used with Moses. He went from silence to signing His own death warrant.
Making It Personal
This Supreme Court was justifying breaking the rules to get what they wanted, do you ever do that? Where are there gray areas in your life? What do you need to speak truth about, no matter the results?
Making It Personal Kids
Have you ever broke the rules because they didn’t allow you to do what you wanted to do? Why is it important to tell the truth? Do you tell the truth even when it means you may get in trouble?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for Your willingness to endure this treatment for us. Give us hearts that are always willing to speak for You and be speakers of truth. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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