Is Jesus On Trial? (AM Sermon Notes)
GIST: Regardless of personal prejudices and desires, Jesus is God and the only hope of salvation.
SCRIPTURE: Mark 14:53-65
53 And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. 54 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. 55 Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. 56 For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. 57 And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, 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.’” 59 Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. 60 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?” 61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 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.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” 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, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.
We’re nearing the end of our Mark Study. Jesus has been betrayed by Judas and arrested by the religious leaders. Every passage we’ll look at from this point forward will be of the familiar variety. As always, let’s not let that detract from just how powerful and vital these passages are.
Today, we’re going to look at “Jesus on Trail” in both services. This evening, we’ll actually be cracking into Mark chapter 15 and discussing His trial before Pilate. This morning, we’re looking at this mockery of trial before the Sanhedrin, the religious ruling body. I want to start by breaking down what’s happening here. Then, we’ll apply this using two questions: 1. Why do people still put Jesus on trial?, and 2. What does this teach us about being “on trial” ourselves? The gist? Regardless of personal prejudices and desires, Jesus is God and the only hope of salvation.
I. WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?
Let’s start by breaking down what’s going on here.
Illegal Trial. First of all, everything about this trial was illegal. We don’t even need to understand Jewish law to pick up on this, right? I’m not an expert in Jewish law, but from what I’ve read not only did the “case” itself not follow these laws, but even the timing of the trial was illegal. They weren’t supposed to have trials at night, or during the time of “great feasts”. This is at night...during Passover! The way the witnesses were produced, the way the sentence was past, everything about this was 100% illegal.
Predetermined Verdict (55). Why? Because this wasn’t a trial! The root of trial is “try”, to see if something is or something works. A trial is conducted to determine the truth of a case. Their minds are already made up. Look at verse 55 again, “55 Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none.(emphasis added)” They had already decided that He was guilty and were looking for people to corroborate this. The trial is a sham.
False Witnesses (56-59). So in this attempt to support what they have already decided to be true, they go looking for witnesses...but can’t find any. (No surprise there!) Instead, they end up calling in these false witnesses who can’t even agree with each other. That’s a big deal because in Jewish law, for a case to be considered, there had to be at least two witness who agreed. That isn’t happening. We’re not sure what all the accuse Jesus of, but are told that they claim that He told people He was going to destroy the temple, but they couldn’t even agree here. Did Jesus actually make this claim? Not exactly, or at least, not in the way they are trying to take it here. In John 2:18-22, this conversation is recorded after Jesus cleanses the temple by running off the merchants: “18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?”19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.” So yes, He had in fact said something like this, and the claim He made was true, but, no, He did not say He was going to physically come in and tear down the temple (though He does predict that that will happen, too!).
Silent Jesus (60-61). So they chased down these false witnesses and brought forth these contradicting testimonies...and Jesus said nothing. This drove the high priest crazy. “Aren’t you going to say something!” But just like Isaiah prophesied, He remained silent. “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.”(Isaiah 53:7) Why? As not to legitimize the blasphemous show. He had no charges to respond to because nothing of substance had yet been produced.
Messiah? (61b) Then the high priest takes matters into his own hands and directly confronts the issue. “61b...“Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” He presents a direct question: Are You the Messiah? This claim was doubly loaded. The high priest wants Him to say, yes. Why? Because if He does, then Jewish law can condemn Him for blasphemy, and Roman law, already stirred up by recent riots in Jerusalem, can condemn Him for insurrection. In Matthew’s account, we’re told that the high priest even puts Jesus “on oath” here: “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God” (Matthew 26:63).
Truth (62). Now a legitimate question has been raised. In fact, this is the most important question anyone can ever ask, and Jesus breaks His silence and responds simply with the truth. “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.” In doing so, He’s actually turning the tables on them. Not only does He say, “Yes”, but He goes one step further and quotes a well known Messianic prophecy from the Old Testament: Daniel 7:13, ““13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man,”. So in essence, He’s saying, “Yes, and you’re going to see it too.” Who’s on trial now?
Blasphemy? (63-64a) Yet, resolute in his decision, rather than hear the words of truth,
“63... the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” The high priest making this declaration, by the way, was also illegal. To avoid council members being swayed by the opinions of others, verdicts were given separately starting with the youngest members and moving to the oldest. Instead, the high priest just tells everyone this is blasphemy. What does he mean? Well, if Jesus isn’t God, then to claim to be God is 100% blasphemous. Yet, as Jesus is God, the only blasphemy here is the religious leaders setting themselves up as His judges!
Beatings and Mockery (64b). The passage then closes with this sad conclusion. We will consider many more scenes like this in the coming weeks, and each one should hit us hard. This mockery and abuse was taken by Christ, in our place!
64b 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, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.
II. WHY DO PEOPLE STILL PUT JESUS ON TRIAL?
Alright, I know that was a fairly lengthy first point, but think of it this way, these last two points are your takeaways. Here we see Jesus on trial before a hostile crowd. Tonight, we’ll see much the same (with different applications, however, so you should still come ☺). Aren’t people still doing this today? Calling into question Jesus’ claims even though they have already determined in their hearts that those claims are false? Why? Why is this still happening 2000 years later?
Honestly, the reasons are the same. Sure, the Pharisees were jealous, but why? Not only did Jesus threaten their popularity and authority, but if He really was the Messiah, then He had a claim on their lives. If He was the Christ, then they had no choice but to follow Him. They knew that--and they didn’t want that! Jesus’ claims make people uncomfortable because they challenge them.
I love Flannery O’Connor. She is one of my favorite authors. I say that, but I want to provide a disclaimer here for anyone who has never read anything by her and might check into it: her writing isn’t comfortable. In fact, most of it is pretty disturbing. Nonetheless, she was a devout Christian woman who mastered writing thought-provoking fiction. In one of her most famous stories, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, she has her villain make this observation: "Jesus was the only One that ever raised the dead,... and He shouldn't have done it. He shown everything off balance. If He did what He said, then it's nothing for you to do but thow away everything and follow Him, and if He didn't, then it's nothing for you to do but enjoy the few minutes you got left the best way you can-by killing somebody or burning down his house or doing some other meanness to him.”
This is the dilemma, right? If Jesus really is who He claimed to be, then that changes everything. Life can’t be about you, if it’s really about Him! That grates. By nature, we want everything to be about us. We want to do what we want, when we want. But, if there is a specific purpose to our lives, then that restricts our desires, and we’re not interested in restriction. However, O’Connor really nails this dilemma with the second observation. The ending of the quote might have seemed a bit harsh: either you live for Jesus or you go kill people and burn down houses. That sounds extreme, but the point she’s making is if Jesus isn’t God, then what purpose is there in life? What is the point of all our strivings? Jesus doesn’t present arbitrary restrictions on your life, He came and died to provide you with His life--the life you were made for!
So, in essence, people put Jesus on trial today because they don’t want Him to be the Messiah because they prefer being their own. Hold that thought.
III. WHAT DOES THIS TEACH US ABOUT BEING “ON TRIAL”?
Lastly, what’s the flipside of this coin? If this passage points to why people are still hostile to Jesus today, it also provides an example for His followers. It shows us how to face that hostility. I’ll be brief here, but these points are huge!
1. Remember, Jesus is the one on trial, not you. We’ve talked about this frequently, but need reminded of this all the time. It is so easy to be personally offended by attacks against Christianity. However, even when those attacks are directed toward you, they are really against Jesus. John 15:18-21, “18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 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.20 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. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.”
2. Don’t engage in silly debates. When Jesus confronted this kangaroo court, how did He respond? He didn’t. Why? Because there was nothing to be gained by engaging in that foolishness. When Paul was writing Timothy, he told him not to engage in “silly myths” (1 Timothy 1:4, 4:7). This is not to say we should not take seriously the questions of those who have earnest objections and concerns about Christianity. We are called to always be “15 ...prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). However, if a conversation leaves the realm of “gentleness and respect”, we’re no longer really engaging in evangelism. People aren’t “yelled” into Heaven.-->
3. Instead, plainly speak the truth. That’s what Jesus did. When a serious question was presented, He gave a serious and simple reply. That’s what we’re called to do, as well. Point people to the Gospel. God is Holy. We are sinners deserving Hell. Jesus willing came and died in our place and rose again. If we give Him control of our lives, we will be saved.
TAKEAWAYS
We’ve already hit the takeaways this week along the way, so consider this a quick review☺.
1. Do Jesus’ claims make you uncomfortable?
Don’t let your personal prejudices and desires keep you from your Savior.
2. Are you on trial?
- Remember Jesus is the one on trial, not you.
- Don’t engage in silly debates.
- Instead, plainly speak the truth.
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