The Truth on Trial - Mark 14:53-65
Notes
Transcript
What is hatred?
Hatred is a word that is being throw around often these days. Any words spoken against an idea is branded as hatred. We have Hate crimes and hate speech. But our definitions seem to have expanced.
Websters dictionary defines hatred as “extreme dislike or disgust” or “ill will or resentment; a prejudiced hostility or animosity”
Oxford defines it as “intense dislike or ill will”
This week a football player gave a commencement address at Benedictine College, a Catholic school in Kansas. He spoke as a catholic man, espousing traditional catholic values, and urging the graduated likewise embrace traditional catholic values. And the media had an absolute heyday, and the drag that he has experienced from that speech should remind us of where we are in our cultural moment. I had friends that I went to college with rage posting on FB about how hateful his speech was, and how he said so many awful things about women and people from the LGTBQ community.
So I looked up the speech to see what the fuss was all about. And, again, I found a traditional Catholic man advocating for traditional catholic values. He did not speak with hatred, that is, with ill-will or intense dislike, in his voice or words. I’m sure people can disagree with what he said. I certainly disagreed with many things he said, while agreeing with other things. But no matter how you slice it, I do not agree with the assessment that he spoke with hatred.
The sad irony is that his non-hateful speech has been labeled as hatred, and many have expressed in no uncertain terms their intense dislike of him and his words and have made no attempt to hide their ill-will toward him. Some have called for him to be released, others have openly lied about the words that he said, and he has been doxxed and received numerous death threats.
My point is not to defend the content of his speech. I found some things biblical and other things not so.
My point to evaluate the concept of hatred in this cultural moment.
We live in a world where our moral compass is upside down. Isaiah prophesied to the people Is 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
If you disagree with the cultural narrative and agenda, it will be labeled as hatred. There will be more backlash against you and your ideas than there will be against those who make death threats against you.
When Christians say with love and and even with tears in their eyes that those embracing unbiblical lifestyles are doing so to their own demise and are causing harm to themselves and those around them, we will be called hateful for it.
Truth will be called hateful. But brothers and sisters, it must not be true.
There are individuals who would name the name of Christ who would affirm some of our same values on things like marriage, sexuality, gender roles, and abortion, but they would genuinely speak with ill-will and resentment toward those who would walk down those paths. That does happen.
But more often than that, there are countless faithful Christians who speak with love in their hearts towards others our of a desire to see another come to faith and be spared from the consequences of their own sin, both in this life and the next.
But the world doesn’t care to see the distinction, because doing so would get in the way of the cultural agenda.
Jesus said if the world hates you, and he used the world hate in the sense of ill-will, resentment, and detest,
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
In today’s text, Jesus is on the receiving end of the true hatred of the Sanhedrin, the religious leaders of the day. He will held at an illegal trial, false accused of things that are not crimes, and condemned for His true testimony. And yet, though it all, we see the steadfastness of Christ.
And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’ ” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.
The Truth on Trial
The Truth on Trial
The first thing that may be helpful to note about this trial that Jesus is about to undergo is the highly illegal nature of the trial. Trials were no to be held during festivals, at night, or in the house of the high priest. And yet each of those things is true.
This trial takes place in the middle of the night. There is no public trial. No court of public opinion to get in the way of the proceedings. And it’s isn't held at the proper tribunal, but rather in the home of the High Priest.
Mark makes note of Peter and that he slipped into the courtyard and was warming himself by the fire. Next week we will learn more about Peter. Mark makes note of him because of what will follow this text.
But then comes the trial proceedings itself.
Look at vs 55. The chief priests were seeking testimony against Jesus, but they found none.
There was no legitimate claim against him, so they decided to make stuff up.
Notice vs 56 begins with an explanatory “for”. They were trying to get testimony, but those who were testifying were doing so falsely, and they couldn’t even get their liars to agree.
I have to be a little amused at the nature of the recorded accusations.
vs 58. We heard him say “I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands”
1. We have no record of Jesus ever saying that.
2. Even if he did, it might be considered insulting to the religious leaders, but it hardly goes against any law.
3. even so, vs 59 says they couldn’t even agree with this testimony!
But that’s part of Mark’s point. These men are so desperate to get rid of Christ at any cost that they are making up non-death-sentence worthy things and trying to use that against him, but even then cannot get their testimony to agree.
Their hatred of Christ leads them to these extreme measures of attempting to condemn him to death for threatening the temple.
Hatred of Christ leads to False Testimony
Hatred of Christ leads to False Testimony
Just a note about the significance of this charge and why it would have been so offensive to the leaders.
They accuse Jesus of saying this temple is made with hands, and the new temple he claims he will build will not be made with hands.
In the Old Testament, the concept of something being made with hands has the idea of being of purely human origin and often times even idolatrous.
An example of this is Is 2:8
Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made.
And the temple Jesus was said to rebuild will be done without hands, which is to say, it is of heavenly/divine origin and will be pure and undefiled.
The implication of this is that they are accusing Jesus of speaking against the temple as a location of idolatry and that his new temple will be free from their idolatrous impurities.
For the religious leaders, that is insulting.
But even so, Jesus never said it. He did cleanse the temple and say they had turned it into a robber’s den.
He did say the temple would be destroyed.
But he never said he was going to be the one to do it.
There have been countless times in history when evil people have falsely accused innocent individuals of crimes or sin that they did not commit. This happens in the political realm. This happens in churches. This happens in the workplace. It happens anywhere there are people with competing agendas or worldviews.
It often happens to believers naming the name of Christ. Jesus warned it would happen, and its because of the world’s hatred of Jesus Christ.
And I don’t know about you, but when I’m falsely accused of things I didn’t do, I tend to get rather defensive. I will speak up “That isn’t true. I did not say that. I did not do that.” and if it is insisted upon its easy to get upset over it.
I remember different times being accused of things I didn’t do as a child. At times it didn’t matter how much I protested or insisted that I didn’t do something. I would still get in trouble. And that does not feel good.
I developed a inner lawyer of sorts. Always ready to defend myself and my motives and actions.
But look at what Jesus does in vs 60-61
Have you no answer to make?? But he remained silent and made no answer. Isaiah predicted the silence of Christ.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
Jesus exercised his right to remain silent in that moment, which I’m sure only further enraged the Sanhedrin.
So a follow up question is asked.
And it is here that the so-called Messianic Secret is fully made known.
Mark 14:61–62 (ESV)
“Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Are you the Christ. Are you the Messiah.
All throughout this Gospel, we have seen Jesus be very keen not to reveal too much too quickly. He remained in control of his ministry and his precise identity. When he healed people he often told them not to say anything about it. When he entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, the Messianic undertones were clear, but he never overtly just came out and said “I am the Messiah”
Until. Right. Here.
Are you the Christ? Are you the Messiah? Are you the Son of the Blessed?
I am. Yes. It is true. I am he. Messianic Secret is over.
Of all the things that Jesus kept silent toward, and of all the times he chose to open his mouth, in the midst of all the false testimony that was being thrown around, Jesus chose this moment to affirm a true testimony about himself.
And not only does he answer in the affirmative, but he goes on to say more:
You will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.
He alludes to Psalm 110:1
The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”
and Daniel 7:13-14
“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Jesus says, yes, I am the Messiah. And so much more.
And the Sanhedrin hates him all the more for it.
Hatred of Christ leads to Hatred of True Testimony
Hatred of Christ leads to Hatred of True Testimony
Mark 14:64 (ESV)
You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?”
They hear him proclaim that he is the Messiah and will one day sit at the right hand of God.
There is a sense that Jesus predicts a turning of the tables here.
Another commentator put it this way, and I think this is just so good
Commentator Timothy Geddert wrote that in quoting Psalm 110 and Dan 7, “he predicts the Son of Man’s future exaltation and coming role as judge. Someday Jesus’ present accusers will be facing him in his courtroom. Then the truth will emerge.” —Geddert
Jesus says I am on trial now here before you, but there will be a day when I have the seat to judge. There will be a day when I have the authority.
And this is not missed on the Sanhedrin.
The High Priest, he tears he clothes, which is a sign of extreme grief at a situation, and cries out
And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need?
You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.
Hatred of Christ leads to an Unjust Sentence
Hatred of Christ leads to an Unjust Sentence
They reason they condemn him is because they say he has Blasphemed. What is Blasphemy?
Blasphemy is a transliteration of the original Greek word Blasphema. Depending on the context it can be translated as slander, reviling, or a denigrating disrespect.
When spoken of other individuals it is usually translated as slander. False words intended to lower the reputation of an individual.
When spoken against the Lord, it is translated as Blasphemy and is consider and even greater offense, because it is against the Lord. Anything that denigrates, maligns, lies about who God is in His being in blasphemy, including claiming to be God when you are not.
This was the charge of the scribes way back in chapter two when Jesus said to the paralytic “your sins are forgiven
“Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
There are literary parallels between that passage and this one.
If he is not God, then yes, that is blasphemy. If he is the Messiah, then sure, that is blasphemy.
But in order to rightly label it as blasphemy that has to be proven. And it was not.
They are so consumed by their hatred or and rejection of Jesus the Messiah, that his affirmation of his true identity was all they needed to condemn him to death and mistreat him.
This must do this if they are to hold on to their positions of power, but as Geddert again note,
“If they want to reserve their authority, they need to be rid of Jesus. The irony is that precisely by rejecting his authority, they lose theirs. Jesus, by submitting to their misused authority now, is granted authority, glory, and sovereign power hereafter.” Geddert
They wouldn’t have it.
And so the passage concludes
And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.
It’s a mockery of a trial, and now they do all they can to mock him in their condemnation. That spit on him. Cover his face and strike him saying “Prophesy!” which is a mocking game “you claim to be the Messiah, well, who hit you just now?”
Only the beginning of the mockery and mistreatment that he was to endure in fulfillment of Is 53:8
Isaiah 53:8 (ESV)
By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
I have focused primarily upon the hatred and scorn of Christ in the midst of this mockery of a trial. Mark really wanted to drive home the illegitimacy of the proceedings. The illegal location, timing, and season of the trial. The False testimony. The unhinged response to true testimony. The unjust sentence.
And yet, through it all, there is Jesus Christ. Steadfastly moving toward the cross.
Brothers and sisters, I’ve been hitting on this theme several times over the last few weeks and will continue to do so as we move forward, and I hope that it never grows old. I hope that the Gospel of Jesus Christ never grows old.
At any point, Jesus could have said, enough. I’m done. I’m not gonna do it.
At any point, Jesus could have struck everyone down with fire from heaven.
At any point Jesus could have refused the condemnation of the Sanhedrin.
But he didn’t. He had a mission, and he steadfastly marched on to his fate.
Christ’s Remains Steadfast in His Mission
Christ’s Remains Steadfast in His Mission
Commentator Mark Strauss wrote
“Though [this trial was] seemingly a disaster for Jesus, God’s plan of redemption moves forward toward his death as a ransom for sins” — Strauss
This is the road Jesus walked on his way to the cross. He did so because of your sin and mine. He did so in order to redeem fallen humanity. He did so because of the great love with which he loved us.
The good news of the Gospel is that even while you and I were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And this is the road that took him there.
And Jesus doesn’t say “hey. I died for you. If you can just do these five good works, then I will save you. If you can just be baptised. If you would just take the Lord’s table. If you would just ______.
No! The offer is repent and believe! Turn from your way to God’s way! Look and live!
Jesus did it all. And he did it that you might live.