Hands Of Hypocrisy (Caiaphas)

The Silent Sin-Bearer Speaks Up For You

3.10.21 [Mark 14:55-65] River of Life (Midweek Lenten Worship)

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.

As a person is being arrested, it is standard operating procedure for the police officer to recite a person’s Miranda Rights. Why does an officer have to do this? Because the courts told them to is one answer. But the courts determined it was necessary to protect people and the integrity of the legal system. The courts understood something about that moment. As soon as a person is accused of a crime, instinctively they will want to clear their name. And the most natural way of trying to prove you’re actually innocent is by opening your mouth and pointing out how and why you didn’t do what you are being accused of doing.

The trouble with this tactic is that it is used by both the innocent and the guilty alike. Few admit guilt on the spot, and there is no connection between how vigorously someone insists that they are innocent and how likely they are to actually be innocent.

Which is why they are not tried on the spot. They are given time. Time to seek legal counsel. And they are given a chance to defend themselves in a courtroom before an impartial party—a judge who has sworn to administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich. It’s not a perfect system, but its goal is to uphold the laws of the land, to administer to justice, and to hold the guilty accountable for their actions.

The system we see tonight is nothing like that—and not just because this trial was conducted in a time and place far removed from us. This trial was a sham even within its own culture and system.

The Sanhedrin was a body with legal powers. The 71 member body listened to cases concerning violations of the Law of Moses. When they met for capital cases, like this one, they had rules. These cases had to be heard in the Hall of Hewn Stones in the Temple, with at least 23 members of the Sanhedrin, during the day, and not during a festival or Sabbath or Sabbath eve. All witnesses were warned against rumors and hearsay. A man was presumed innocent until it was proven that he was guilty. And if the defendant was found guilty, they would meet a second time to make sure they got it right.

But what we find in Mark 14 is disgraceful and devious. Instead of taking Jesus to the Hall of Hewn Stones in the Temple, they took him to the home of the high priest, Caiaphas. We don’t know how many members of the Sanhedrin were there. How many men could you scrounge up so late at night during Passover week? The witnesses were scoundrels. Slanderers looking for something to stick. Mark tells us the members of the Sanhedrin assembled that night were anything but impartial. (Mk. 14:55) The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any.

This wasn’t the first time they tried to execute Jesus. They had tried to stone him twice before. Each time he had been teaching on the Temple grounds and explaining who he was and what he came to do. Each time, his opponents literally (Jn. 8:59; Jn. 10:31)had stones in their hands ready to end him, but Jesus (Jn. 8:59; Jn. 10:39) slipped away.

Caiaphas would not be denied a third time. Ever since Jesus claimed to have raised Lazarus from the dead, he could feel a groundswell of support building. The Sanhedrin had to step in and put a stop to it. (Jn. 11:48) “If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” In that meeting, Caiaphas had a moment of savage clarity. (Jn. 11:50) It is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”

Caiaphas had had enough. He was furious with the failure of the false witnesses to get their stories straight. But he was also enraged with the defendant’s silence. Throughout it all, with the exception of one statement, Jesus remained silent. He allowed them to drag his name through the mud. He allowed them to say the worst things about him. He would even allow them to do the worst things to him. And they were all too happy to oblige.

That is the chilling thing about this ‘court’. These were ‘men of God’. Elders who were supposed to be examples of godliness had lips dripping with slander. Scribes dedicated to seeking to know and do the Law of the Lord were now turning a blind eye to justice, righteousness, & mercy and spitting at the Son of God. Teachers of Israel were striking him with their fists and demanding he Prophesy! And at the center of it all was Caiaphas. The high priest was meant to be God’s mouthpiece. The man who annually made atonement for the sins of the people of Israel by pronouncing their sins upon a goat, was determined to make Jesus the scapegoat.

That reality should send chills down our spines. Because the perversity and cruelty which came from their hearts was not limited to that time and place. This is the path mankind has chosen since Adam and Eve.

Even the flood could not wash away the wickedness of mankind. After that great judgment, it was back to sinful business as usual. (Gen. 8:21) Every inclination of the human heart was still evil from childhood.

Those evil inclinations are alive and well even among those known as the people of God. Among those known as the people of God today, we find lips dripping with slander, eyes intoxicated by lust, greed, and envy. Among those known as the people of God today, we find eyes blind to justice, minds dulled to righteousness, and hearts that have grown cold to mercy—all so that things work out the way they want. Among those who claim a deep love for God, we will find feet that avoid God’s house, God’s table, and paths of righteousness for the sake of God’s name. Among those known as the people of God today, we find ingratitude and anger. Among those known as the people of God today, we find fists that clench up when they hear God’s commands. Among those known as the people of God today, we find brazen falsehoods and and reckless deception; we see prideful preening and outrageous hypocrisy.

We know this, because far too often, we find these same sins in us. We know how easily our minds are deceived by the devil’s lies and temptations. We know how easily our hearts are led astray by shallow worldviews, the cares of this world, and our own selfishness. We know how quick we are to sin—and even defend it at times—and how slow we are to confess our wickedness in thought, word, and deed.

Mark gives us two ends of the spectrum. A violent, slanderous, murderous group of guilty sinners and an innocent victim. We are more like them than we are like the silent, suffering Son of God. For much of the night (Mk. 14:61) he remained silent. Until Caiaphas asked (Mk. 14:61) Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? You?

(Mk. 14:62) I am, Caiaphas. And you might be in charge now. You might hold power over me now. But it is only because I have allowed you to do so. It is only because this is my Father’s plan. It is only because I love you enough to leave the sins you are committing right now unpunished, so that I can show you what righteousness and justice really look like. I am doing this to justify sinners. But one day, (Mk. 14:62) you will see me sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming to judge the world.

The Son of the Blessed One allowed his name to be cursed and slandered. The Son of the Blessed One allowed a band of evil men to spit upon him and strike him with their fists. The Word made flesh allowed wicked people to taunt him to prophesy—even though he had and they refused to listen. The Messiah allowed all this to happen to him because he was fulfilling the Scriptures. (Is. 53:3) He was despised and rejected by mankind. (Is. 53:7) He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. (Is. 53:8) By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? (Is. 53:9) He was assigned a grave with the wicked…though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. (Is. 53:10) Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin. (2 Cor. 5:21) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us. That was what was really going on that night. Jesus was taking upon himself the guilt, the shame, the sin of the world. He willing offered himself as our silent Sin-Bearer.

He was committed to being treated as guilty so that we might be justified. He was condemned in our place. And while this is a hideous and horrific thing, it should be. Our sins are hideous and horrific rebelliousness. At the same time, this is beautiful. Because he we get a glimpse of our God’s (2 Pt. 3:9) patience. God gives us time. Time to find someone to represent us, to defend us, and to save us. Time alone, isn’t enough. But our abounding in love God has also given us himself—his Son and his Spirit. His Spirit works in our hearts through God’s Word—giving us clarity about our own sinfulness and God’s plan of salvation. His Son has become our silent Sin-Bearer. He took our place on the cross and in the fires of hell, but does one more wonderful thing, too. (1 Jn. 2:1-2) If anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Christ is our certain hope. Jesus remained silent as he bore our sins. But he speaks up for us when we fall short of God’s glory. He pleads our case by pointing to his suffering and death. (Is. 53:5) By his wounds we have been healed. Because of his resurrection, we have been exonerated. He has won our case for us with his righteousness. God’s system works! Amen.