The Innocent Condemned

The Innocent Condemned

Mark 14:53-65

            Most of us are old enough to remember one of the most incredible trials of recent history. On June 17th, 1994, if you turned on your television set you couldn’t help but witness the infamous police chase of O.J Simpson. The famous football player turned broadcaster as he led the Los Angeles police department on a low-speed chase down the highways of LA. He had just been indicted for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.

95 million viewers watched for more than an hour until OJ finally surrendered and was arrested at his home in Brentwood California. But the story didn’t end there, the following year the trial began, and for ten months you could not turn on the Tv without seeing some type of coverage of the trial, America was captivated.

            Finally, in one of the greatest travesties of justice the world has ever known OJ was found not guilty. The public was outraged. The nation was divided and today must Americans believe OJ Simpson got away with murder. The trial became known as the trial of the century, and it is very likely that on October 3rd, 1995, a guilty man was set free.

            In our story this morning we will see another travesty of justice, only this one took place in Jerusalem in the first century when a completely innocent man was convicted of committing a crime He did not commit. And what we learn from the trial of Jesus is the innocent was found guilty, so that we who are guilty could be set free. (Mark 14:53-65)

  53      They led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together.

  54      Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire.

  55      Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and they were not finding any.

  56      For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent.

  57      Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying,

  58      “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’”

  59      Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent.

  60      The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?”

  61      But He kept silent and did not answer. Again, the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”

  62      And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

  63      Tearing his clothes, the high priest *said, “What further need do we have of witnesses?

  64      “You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

  65      Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slaps in the face.  (pray)

            In our passage this morning we’ve come to the very early morning hours of Friday, the day Jesus will be crucified. And from a very worldly perspective, things have gone from bad to worse for Jesus. What seems like an eternity ago, Jesus began the longest night of His life, in the upper room celebrating the Passover with His disciples. It was there that He announced His betrayal by Judas, and He instituted the Lord’s Supper.

Then on the journey through the Eastern Gate, across the Kedron Valley, to the Mount of Olives we saw the painful prediction that all His disciples would desert Him at a time when He needed them most. That prediction came true in the agonizing hours of Gethsemane as Jesus felt the weight of the world come crashing down on Him in anticipation of what He is about to endure. Now, He is in the hands of the enemy, and on trial for His life.

            This is the first of two trials Jesus will endure, because the Jewish leaders, known as the Sanhedrin, don’t have the authority to execute Capital Punishment, and they want Him dead. But all they can do is gather evidence and present it to the Roman Authority and try to get them to carry out their evil intentions. The Sanhedrin is only out for blood and have already determined His fate. What we learn from this story is, Jesus is the innocent who was found guilty, so we who are the guilty could be set free.

            The first thing I want you to see in this passage is the illegitimate trial, Vs 53. The gathering together of the Sanhedrin in the early morning hours was illegal. But their corruption knows no bounds and they will break their own laws to condemn Jesus.

            Vs. 53 says, “They led Him away to the high priest.” The word “they” here is referring to the angry mob that arrested Jesus in Gethsemane. They led Him away, but they didn’t take Him immediately to the high priest. John’s gospel tells us He was questioned by a man named Annas first.

            Annas was the former high priest at the time and even though he no longer held the office, he held great influence. He was the Father-in- law of the current high priest, a man named Caiaphas. By this time the office of the high priest was no longer a spiritual position that helped people come to know God, but it was a political position of power. Somehow Annas had managed to keep the position of high priest in the family for 50 years.

            They operated like the mafia because it was a very lucrative business. The family controlled all the buying and selling that took place in the temple and made money from every sacrifice made. The tables set up in the court of the Gentiles were called the bazaar of the sons of Annas.

So, when Jesus came to Jerusalem and cleansed the temple and said, “This is my Fathers house and it will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” He was not only calling them out for their spiritual hypocrisy but their business practices as well.

            That is the backdrop of the position Jesus finds Himself in. Their anger is raging within them and their desire to put Him to death knows no limits. They will break their own laws to make it happen. For example, the assembling of the court in the middle of the night was illegal. Their law stated that all criminals were to be tried during the day.

2. They were meeting in the home of the high priest when their law required them to meet in the court room at the temple. 3. They are meeting during the Passover when no cases were supposed to be tried. So, this whole thing is a sham trial, a kangaroo court. They are not interested in truth. They want to devise a charge against Him, so they can put Him to death.

I can’t help but think about how this reminds me of the world we live in. In America we celebrate people who break the rules. They are put on pedestals and seen as powerful and successful. Meanwhile people who do what is right are seen as easily taken advantage of. Our leaders don’t want to lead anymore and do what is right for the American people. They just want to fight with each other to maintain power, and they will twist the rules to do it.

Corruption is willing to do whatever it takes to get what it wants. And that’s what we see happening in this story, Jesus is not guilty of a crime, but He is guilty of a system that is corrupt and will do anything it has to maintain power. 3 John 11 says, “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.” Living for God means seeking truth and Justice with honesty in life.

The next thing we see in this story is the brave follower. I am talking about Peter in Vs. 54. Vs 54 interrupts the flow of the story. It almost doesn’t belong here, but Mark includes it because he wants us to know that Peter’s denials in the next section of scripture are taking place at the same time Jesus is on trial. They are happening simultaneously like two ships passing in the night.

But there is something about Peter here in Vs. 54 that reflects his commitment to Christ. There is something about his bravery you have to admire. Not only does he follow the mob back to Jerusalem, but he walks right into the courtyard of the high priest and begins to warm himself by the fire.

This is amazing for two reasons. 1. He has just cut off the ear of one of the high priests’ men. They know who he is. 2. He is not hiding in the shadows of darkness; he is standing in the light of the fire where everyone can see him. You talk about bold; I wish I was that bold.

We learn a great lesson from Peter, no matter how far you have fallen or how far you have run away you can always come back to Christ. Now, ultimately Peter will fall again, but so will you and so will I, but isn’t it incredible to know we can boldly come back again?

The next thing I want you to see in this passage is the Inconsistent evidence, Vs. 55-59. All the members of the Sanhedrin are gathered in the early morning hours. There are 71 of them in all. These make up the Jewish ruling council, the supreme court if you will. They are all out to get Jesus and they think they have Him trapped now.

Notice Vs. 55, “Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus, to put Him to death.” Notice the verb tense her they “Kept trying.” They are looking for anyone who will come forward, anyone who will say something negative about Jesus. They have posted their job on indeed. They have put up help wanted signs all over Jerusalem, and they will pay good money. They have already given Judas 30 pieces of silver just to locate Him.

This is the same crowd that will mingle in among the people later and shout “crucify Him, crucify Him.” They are on a fishing expedition trying to dig up dirt, and they don’t care where it comes from. Their problem is, they don’t have the authority to carry out capital punishment. All they can do is gather evidence and present it to the Romans and then hand Him over. But they have a problem.

Notice the end of Vs. 55, “They were not finding any.” Well of course they’re not because there isn’t any to find. He is the sinless Son of God. Even Pilot will later say, “ I find no fault with this man.” There are no skeletons in the closet, He is innocent. But their minds are set on rejecting Him and opposing Him no matter what. Their not interested in the truth.

Notice Vs. 56, “For many were giving false testimony against Him.”  There were many who testified, but their testimonies didn’t make any sense. There is no way any of this is going to stand up in court. In my mind, I can picture the line of liars they have lined up beyond the door, but the Sanhedrin didn’t have what they needed. It was obvious these were false witnesses because they contradicted themselves.

Yet, through it all Jesus stood silent. He is not standing up for His rights. He is not denying their false accusations, He is not objecting in any way.

Notice what happens next in Vs. 57-58, “Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him. Saying, We heard Him say, I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days, I will build another made without hands.”

This is an allusion to John 2:19 and the first cleansing of the temple, but that was three years ago. They were twisting His words trying to use them against Him but Vs. 59 tells us nothing was working. Mark continues to emphasize the fact that these were false witnesses.

There are people today who have closed their minds to truth, and they will reject and oppose Jesus in every way they can. They will search for false testimony of Christ wherever they can find it because people who have no hope and don’t believe in God do not want you to believe either. Misery loves company and there are a lot of miserable people in this world.

The next thing I want you to see is the irrational judge, Vs. 60-61. The situation comes to a head. This is an intense moment. The night getting old and none of the charges are sticking. So, the line of questioning must intensify. Vs. 60 says, “The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus.”

Caiaphas has reached a boiling point. He has become frustrated. The evening is dragging on and nothing is being accomplished and their case is coming apart at the seams. So, he takes matters into his own hands. He seizes the moment, and the judge becomes the prosecutor. Remember this is supposed to be the most religious man in the world at the time. He is the spiritual leader of the nation of Israel. This is the high priest, but he is a hypocrite. He is corrupt to the core.

Notice Vs. 60, “do you not answer, what is it these men are testifying against you?” In other words, don’t you realize the situation you are in? Who are you to stay silent and not answer us? He is trying to intimidate Jesus into saying something that will incriminate Himself. He wants Jesus to hang Himself with His own words. But nothing he was doing was working.

Notice Vs. 61, “But He kept silent and did not answer.” Standing in the middle of the room, starring into the eyes of the high priest Jesus stands majestic and calm. Everyone is in a frenzy and are about to explode, but Jesus has a supernatural peace from heaven and doesn’t move a muscle.

This is the silence of innocence. This is the silence of dignity; this is the silence of unwavering trust in God. This is the silence of Isaiah 53:7, “He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before shearers, He did not open His mouth.”

Jesus is dying in our place, and not only does He bare our sin, but He bares our shame and our sorrow. He is not going to die a hero proving Himself by fighting for His innocence before Godless men. But instead, He remains silent and willingly suffers that we might be saved.

It is important to understand that throughout the Bible silence from God speaks of judgment.  The moment God becomes silent in a person’s life or in the life of a nation is the moment they have been abandoned to themselves and their sin.

Vs. 61 says, “Again the high priest was questioning Him.” The silence of Jesus is deafening and speaking louder than words. The high priest is becoming more and more intolerant of this innocent, sinlessness man. He must condemn this man to die. Finally, he stops beating around the bush and gets to the heart of the matter. He says, “Are you the Christ the Son of the Blessed One.” In other words, “tell us you are the Messiah.”

Jesus has a choice to make in this moment. If He remains silent their case against Him is over, they don’t have the evidence. But If He speaks, He can only speak truth and remember He is under oath before God in this court of law.

Leviticus 24:16 says, “the one who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death.” This is what Caiaphas is after. He is going in for the kill. If Jesus confesses, He is the Christ, He will be charged with blasphemy, turned over to the Romans and put to death. That is exactly what is going to happen.

The next thing I want you to see in this passage is the bold confession, Vs. 62. Jesus is on a mission from God to go to the cross, and nothing is going to stop it, so His reply is straight forward and decisive. He says, “I am and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

The phrase “I am” is more than a response to the high priest it is the tittle of God. Jesus has said, I am the bread of life. I am the light of the world. I am the river of living water. So, as He stands here before these religious leaders of Israel with their case against Him crumbling He boldly proclaims “I am.”

And then just for good measure, so there is no mistaking what He is saying, He quotes Daniel 7:13-14. It is important that we recognize Jesus responded with the Word of God. Just like He did in the wilderness of temptation when He was dealing with Satan himself. He now uses the Word of God as His shield of defense.

He says, “You shall see.” In other words, lets be clear about who I am. I am God and I may be standing before you today, but the day is coming when you will stand before me. I may be standing before your throne of judgment today, but you will stand before my throne and be judged for eternity.

Jesus is now looking beyond the cross, beyond the resurrection, beyond the ascension to the moment of His return. When He is seated in the highest place of honor and authority in the universe at the right hand of the Father. Paul says it will be a day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

There was nothing He could have said in this moment that would have enraged them more. There is nothing He could have said that would more seal His fate. They came unglued when they heard this. The palace erupted into a fury against Him, yet He spoke the truth boldly.

We need to speak the truth boldly today. We will probably never find ourselves in a situation where our lives are on the line, but we will find ourselves in God appointed moments and we must be as bold as Jesus with the truth.

Finally, I want you to see the incorrect Verdict, vs. 63-65. Jesus has condemned Himself now by speaking the truth. The high priest has gotten what he wanted and in a theatrical display of moral superiority he tears his garments. He rips his shirt open as a sign of outrage. Again the hypocrisy is breathtaking. The idea that someone could be so morally corrupt and yet pretend to be so righteous at the same time is stunning.

Vs. 64 says, “You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you? And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.” Jesus has indicted Himself with His words. There is no further need to search for testimony. He has condemned Himself and said, “He is God.”

What is blasphemy? It is deviant, defiance, and irreverence against God. It is the most grievous sin one can commit. And if Jesus were not the Son of God, then He was guilty of blasphemy. But He is the Son of God, yet they judged Him worthy of death.

How blind can the blind be? How deaf can the deaf be? They were standing in the presence of the Savior of the world, and they couldn’t see Him. They were standing in the presence of the one who was full of grace and mercy. The one who brought the love of God into the world to us. But they were blinded by their religion. There thirst for power and control caused them to look into the eyes of God and condemn Him to die.

And as I read of their degrading behavior in Vs. 65, how they spit on Him, and slapped Him and mocked Him. I can’t help but think to myself; it is not enough for men to reject Jesus, they will abuse Him, defile Him, and degrade Him. It is not enough for the people of the world to not believe, but in the darkness of their heart, they will curse His name, protest His church, and hate His people.

So, the question becomes which side will you stand on? Will you be found with Jesus, or with a guilty world who condemned the innocent Son of God to die. There is no neutral zone, you are either in Christ or completely lost in the world. The choice is yours. The Bible says, “God sets before us life and death, choose life.” The Holy Spirit is asking you to make that choice today. Whose side are you on? From the trial of Jesus we learn; The innocent was found guilty so we who are guilty could be set free.