Mark 14:53-72 (The Comfort of Obedience)

INTRO

The Christian Church is being persecuted in Rome and Mark wants to encourage them to trust in the will and ways of God in the face of persecution and weakness. It is the same message for us today too.

In two parallel scenes Mark helps us see the unshakable confidence of Christ against the crumbling testimony of Peter.

The Folly of Embracing Temptation - Part 1 (vv.53-54)

Their plan was coming together, and the religious elite had Jesus brought before them.

Peter, one who fled from the garden, followed along. He hung back in the shadows, but his curiosity brought him into a place of temptation.

Think about it, when you know that you are weak in a particular area of your life is it smart to engage in that activity, to go to that place, or be around that person?

Here Peter, the one who Jesus said would deny him, the one who had abandoned him with the other disciples in the garden, walked right into the courtyard of the high priest.

I think Peter came here with the right idea - I will not deny him! But by coming into this courtyard, Peter brought upon himself trails that he was not prepared to endure.

Ryle - “It threw him into bad company, where he was not likely to get good but harm. It paved the way for his last and greatest transgression, - his three time denial of his Master.”

Rather than being watchful and prayerful to avoid temptation, Peter was enticed to get as close to his weakness as possible.

As followers of Christ we must be very aware of what tempts us and avoid them at all cost.

James 1:14 “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.”

We have to be prepared to weigh our desires against scripture so that we are not lured/enticed to fulfill our own desires at any cost.

This slow fade has been the fall of many Christians

Ryle - “Like David, you may be tempted to begin with idleness, and end with committing every possible sin. Like Peter, you may begin with cowardice, go on to pridefulness, and onto foolish trifling with temptation, and then end with denying Christ.”

But, we have been called to (Hebrews 12:1-2) “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith...”

The Follow of Embracing Temptation - Part 2 (vv. 66-72)

This scene continues in v.66 and runs parallel to Jesus trial before the high priests.

(v.67) - While Peter is warming himself by the fire, a young girl points out that He had been with Jesus.

Interestingly, this doesn’t seem to be a condemning statement, but Judas received it as a threat.

v.68-69 - Peter denies her claim, but she continues to press the issue. She was sure of the truth, “This man is one of them.”

v.70 - The crowd then joined in. He must be one because he is a Galilean or has a Galilean accent.

Peter, in his weakness, denies Jesus for the third time. He even goes so far as to invoke curses upon himself to prove his distance from his Rabbi.

It is interesting to see that at the same time the crowd is demanding Jesus to prophecy, his prophecy about Peter is being carried out.

R Kent Hughes - The true rock would not crack under pressure, but here the one Jesus called the rock crumbled.

The Foolishness of Lies (vv.55-60, & 63-65)

As Jesus is brought before chief priests and whole council they were seeking to find something against him. Surely there was some crime that would condemn him.

In normal cases the Sanhedrin would give the benefit of the doubt to the accused. But, this was not a normal case! Jesus, before the trial was already found guilty, and now they were searching for a crime to attach to him.

v.55-60 - The Sanhedrin encouraged false accusers to give witness to Jesus’ crimes, but their stories didn’t line up.

There had to be two witnesses in agreement to bring true charges against the accused, but they couldn’t get it together.

v.58 - They referenced a claim to the destruction of the Temple.

Mark 13:1-2 “And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.””

John 2:19 ““ Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.””

John 2:21 “But he was speaking about the temple of his body.”

Not only did their stories not line up with one another, they didn’t line up with what Jesus actually said- these were outright lies.

Lies and deception are one of Satan’s favorite weapons. If he can convince people to believe lies he can distract from what is truly important.

Think back to Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?””

Satan just need to take Adam and Eve’s eye off of the truth for a moment, and look at the consequences.

But, he also wants us focused on our feelings rather than truth.

Remember Jesus’ temptation in the garden? Jesus was in the midst of an emotionally charged spiritual conflict when he ultimately cried out, “Not my will, but your will!”

He did not give into his emotion, but trust in the unchanging truth of the Father’s will.

v.63-66 - we see this emotionally charged response from the Caiaphas, the high priest.

Mark: An Introduction and Commentary D. The Fall of Peter (14:53–72)

the condemnation of the high priest is not simply that he did not believe the claim, but that he did not even ask himself whether it was true or false. He was wilfully and culpably blind, for he had closed his eyes in advance to the truth.

Emotions are a great thing, but when they cause us to close our eyes to the truth, they become a tactic of Satan to distract.

In Christ we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to understand what is true, and to think upon the things that are pleasing to God.

The Fortitude of Jesus (vv.61-62)

Let’s look back to how Jesus responds to all that is taking place around him.

In the face of lies and deceit Jesus remained silent.

His silence was a fulfillment of OT prophecy:

Ps. 38:13-14 “But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes.”

Isa. 53:7 “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.”

Later Peter would write, 1 Peter 2:23 “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”

His silence was not enough for the high priest, so he asked again, but this time very specifically he asked the only question worth answering, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”

Jesus responds with another “I AM” statement.

Here he positively identifies himself with God! An illusion back to Exodus 3.

But, he doesn’t just identify as God’s Son, he claims the position of favor and power.

Mk. 14:62 “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.””

Jesus declares that all of humanity would see, in his second coming, that he is the Son of God come to judge the living and the dead.

The Gospel according to Mark True versus False Witness (14:53–72)

Though Jesus is dishonored by the high priest, he will be honored by God; and in place of his present vilification, God will vindicate the Son.

Friends, if you are in Christ, there will be hard times, people will turn on you, lies will be spread, though we may be dishonored,

John 15:19-20 - If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

but like our Savior we can trust that his resurrection and ascension secured that we we will be honored ultimately and finally through him before God.

The Faithfulness of God (vv.62 & 72)

The faithfulness of God is seen in the midst of Peter’s breakdown and in Jesus trial.

R Kent Hughes - references Peter and Jesus’ encounter here as the Trial of Two Rocks.

Christ, certainly the is the unblemished corner stone of the Church (1 Cor. 10:4), and Peter, the Rock as named by Jesus, is crumbling under the pressure of being identified with Christ.

v.62 - Jesus answer to Caiaphas’ question is very important because it shows where his confidence is found -it’s in the perfect plan of God.

He knew he would die, he knew he would be raised, he knew he would ascend to the right hand of God, and he knew he would return to judge mankind.

The Father’s faithfulness was comforting to the Son at the moment of his condemnation. This confidence led to his obedience unto death.

Jesus’ resolve was rooted in the Father. “Jesus stood rock-like before the Sanhedrin, the Pilate, and then the corss because he did not rely on his flesh, but on God the Father.”

This is in contrast to Peter’s discomfort in his disobedience.

Can you imagine the internal struggle Peter endured that night?

v. 72 - However, Mark gives us a glimpse of hope to the repentance of Peter, He remembered the word of Jesus “And he broke down and wept.”

Peter’s disobedience and denial led to his break down, but that was not the end of the story. He was God’s!

We need to understand the depth of his Peter’s denial, so we can better understand the bitterness of his remorse (verse 72), the beautiful depths of his repentance, and the grace of his restoration. On the shore of the Sea of Galilee Peter ultimately declares “Lord you know everything; you know that I love you.”

Jesus, in his obedient response to the will of God, confidently declares that he is both the Messiah and the Son of God - he is the source of salvation and final judgement!

You see, God is faithful! In Christ, He brought to fruition his eternal plan of redemption. Those who confess Jesus Christ as Lord can be comforted knowing that final judgement is not this world’s, not even our own hearts, but it belongs to the Son of God.

So, let us know and embrace our weakness that we might know the strength of Christ.

2 Cor. 12:9-10 Paul wrestling with weakness wrote - “But Jesus said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”