Mark 14:53-15:20 - Identity
2/4/23
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Jesus Before the Sanhedrin
53 And they led Jesus away to the high priest [Caiaphas[1]], and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together.
The religious leaders have been plotting against Jesus, their Messiah, since almost the beginning of his public ministry [Mark 3:6].
54 And Peter followed him from a distance, right inside, into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the officers and warming himself by the fire.
Why does Peter follow if only from a distance [14:31, 47-50]?
55 Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, and they did not find it. 56 For many gave false testimony against him, and the testimony was not consistent. 57 And some stood up and began to give false testimony against him, saying, 58 “We heard him saying, ‘I will destroy this temple made by hands, and within three days I will build another not made by hands.” 59 And their testimony was not even consistent about this.
The use of false witnesses is breaking Torah [Exodus 20:16; Deuteronomy 19:15; see also Proverbs 19:9]. Mark is making it very clear that Caiaphas and the whole Sanhedrin were breaking Gods law. Jesus did say, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up!” [John 2:19].
What are the “three days”? How does Jesus build a new temple?
60 And the high priest stood up in the midst of them and asked Jesus, saying, “Do you not reply anything? What are these people testifying against you?” 61 But he was silent and did not reply anything. Again the high priest asked him and said to him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Read Daniel 7:13-14. “The Power” may be a reference to the concept of "two powers in heaven" a controversial rabbinical teaching that emerged in the first century AD based on passages such as Daniel 7:13-14. YHWH who is ONE was discerned as being TWO divine powers or entities in heaven: YHWH and THE angel of YHWH, the latter also known as the Son of Man or Metatron.
Who is Jesus affirming that he is? How many titles is he taking on himself?
Go back to 9:7, 13:26 and now 14:62. What to clouds symbolise [see also Exodus 13:21-22; Isaiah 9:1; Ezekiel 1:4; Nahum 1:3]?
63 And the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. 65 And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him with their fists, and to say to him “Prophesy!” And the officers received him with slaps in the face.
Mark has emphasized again and again the evil of the religious leaders. Here he says that “they all condemned him as deserving death”. Is this hyperbole? Were there a few who believed?
Peter Denies Jesus Three Times
66 And while Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the female slaves of the high priest came up. 67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked intently at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean!” And he went out into the gateway, and a rooster crowed.t 69 And the female slave, when she saw him, began to say again to the bystanders, “This man is one of them!” 70 But he denied it again. And after a little while, again the bystanders began to say to Peter, “You really are one of them, because you also are a Galilean, and your accent shows it!” 71 And he began to curse and to swear with an oath, “I do not know this man whom you are talking about!” 72 And immediately a rooster crowed for the second time. And Peter remembered the statement, how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times,” and throwing himself down, he began to weep.
Peter had said who would die rather than deny Jesus [14:38]? Yet Jesus’ prediction of his sin shows God’s control, or sovereignty, over events [see also 14:8, 13, 21, 24, 27, 30, 36, 49, 72].
What does this teach us about human responsibility? Can God use our sin even for good?
Jesus Taken to Pilate
1 And as soon as morning came, after formulating a plan, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes and the whole Sanhedrin, tied up Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” And he answered him and said, “You say so.” 3 And the chief priests began to accuse him of many things. 4 So Pilate asked him again, saying, “Do you not answer anything? See how many charges they are bringing against you!” 5 But Jesus did not answer anything further, so that Pilate was astonished.
What day is this? What is the significance?
“Are you the king of the Jews?” could be translated “You are the king of the Jews.” Perhaps Pilate is being sarcastic.
Pilate Releases Barabbas
6 Now at each feast he customarily released for them one prisoner whom they requested. 7 And the one named Barabbas was imprisoned with the rebels who had committed murder in the rebellion. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask him to do as he customarily did for them. 9 So Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?” 10 (For he realized that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.) 11 But the chief priests incited the crowd so that he would release for them Barabbas instead. 12 So Pilate answered and said to them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one whom you call the king of the Jews?” 13 And they shouted again, “Crucify him!” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”
15 So Pilate, because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas. And after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over so that he could be crucified.
Jesus is denied a trial from Pilate who simply caves into the mob. The Romans had a thorough judicial system.
Why is Jesus denied justice? Have you ever done what is wrong because of the mob, i.e. “peer group”?
Jesus Is Mocked
16 So the soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence) and called together the whole cohort.
A cohort was a tenth of a legion so about 600 soldiers. Why such huge numbers from the Romans [see Matthew 27:19]?
17 And they put a purple cloak on him, and after weaving a crown of thorns they placed it on him. 18 And they began to greet him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 And they repeatedly struck him on the head with a reed, and were spitting on him, and they knelt down and did obeisance to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him, and they led him out so that they could crucify him.
[1] John 18:12-14