Mark 14:53- 15:15
It’s night-time in an olive grove in early spring. The scent of budding flowers is in the air. There’s a full moon, its face shining brightly on the earth, creating strong contrasts of silver beams of lights and dark shadows under the branches of the trees.
And in the shadows we see twelve men huddling in fear. They are fugitives, on the run from the authorities – and they have just been betrayed.
They trusted Judas – he was their treasurer for goodness sake! And now he betrayed them.
They looked at their leader, Jesus, his face drawn with anxiety. They had never seen him like this. He brooded in silence.
Suddenly there was a shout – the soldiers had found them!
“RUN!” shouted Jesus. “Run for your lives”. The twelve men set off in different directions, fear etched on their faces. Jesus threw himself in a ditch, and began to crawl towards the safety of a nearby river.
But it was too late. There were too many soldiers. All too soon the men were rounded up, and their leader, Jesus, his face covered in dirt and leaves and debris, was hauled before the Captain of the Guard. He laughed as Jesus cowered before him, disbelief and fear etched on his face. A shameful end, for a failed prophet.
Or perhaps you’d prefer a the more Hollywood version!
As Jesus crawled away he heard the screams and cries of his friends, his followers, as they were tracked down by the soldiers, bound together, and taken away to judgement and punishment. A few tears escaped before his face grew hard with resolve. Next time, he would teach his men to fight. Next time, he would strike down the authorities. Next time, he will not be skulking away, but be victorious.
As the camera zooms on to Jesus face in close up, his dark eyes glittering with steely resolve. “I’ll be back!” he says, as “to be continued” flashes up on the screen.
If we had to guess or even write about what was going to happen, knowing 200 soldiers were coming to arrest 12 men, wouldn’t that be how we would picture it? If we were Jesus, isn’t that how we would react? Isn’t that what people think about Jesus – just another failed prophet, who accidentally got himself arrested and killed? Or some Che Guvara type leader, sticking up for the poor, rebelling against the authorities?
As we saw over the last two weeks, surprisingly, what actually happened is very, very different. This was no failed prophet, running from death. This is not the weak end to what could have been a lifetime of famous ministry. This is not a tragedy, but a victory!
This is the pinnacle of Jesus’ ministry. This is his crown jewel, the moment he has been working towards his whole life. This is when he will be revealed as the King above all Kings – as he destroys death and Satan, rescues humanity, and glorifies himself!
This is the high point of human history: the reason Jesus came was in order to die.
He came to be the Passover Lamb: sacrificed so that his blood would shield those who trust in Him from the Judgement to come.
He is the King, the one who is strong, the one who prays in deep anguish to avoid the cup of judgement - but faces it anyway. He drinks the cup, the cup which makes men stagger, down to the last poisonous drop.
We are weak, like the disciples, unable to pray, but instead to sleep, unable to stand with Jesus, but instead to be scattered: we are weak, and could not face the judgement to come. So Jesus, in his great love, faces it for us. That is propitiation. He absorbs the judgement, the wrath of God, and shields us from it, by his blood, by his broken body.
That is love.
Last week we saw that Jesus knows that we are weak. And still loves us. Our weakness, our failure is not something we have to try to hide from him. Christianity is not about pretending you’re better than you are!
Jesus is strong where we are weak.
If there’s one thing that stands out about Jesus in these moments leading up to the cross it is his strength. He stands firm while all about him fall. His resolve does not waver, his course is true. He is abandoned, rejected by all – but he stands strong. He does not abandon his Father. He does not reject God. And that gives hope to all of us who have rejected him, failed him, like Peter, like the religious leaders, and like the people.
No-one stood by Jesus. He stood utterly alone. He is rejected by the Jews (represented by the leading priests and high council), rejected by his own dearest friends (represented by Peter), and rejected by the Gentiles (non-Jews, that’s us, represented by Pilate).
1. Rejected by the Jews v55-65
They took Jesus to the high priest’s home where the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law had gathered...55 the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find evidence against Jesus, so they could put him to death. But they couldn’t find any.
The trial is a sham (fake). It is highly irregular: they are meeting in the middle of the night instead of the day, and not in the Temple court but in the high priests house. It was a secret trial with hand-picked witnesses, and no-one around to dispute the lies the witnesses would tell.
But even then no evidence could be found! Even though they’d already decided the verdict - back in chapter 11:18 they had decided that Jesus must die and were plotting to kill him. This was no fair hearing, but a loaded gun pointed at Jesus’ head. But even then his innocence shone through
56 Many false witnesses spoke against him, but they contradicted each other. 57 Finally, some men stood up and gave this false testimony: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another, made without human hands.’ ” 59 But even then they didn’t get their stories straight!
If this wasn’t so serious it would be like a comedy sketch! The bungling baddies, oafishly getting their stories wrong. The paid witnesses saying the opposite of each other! You can almost see little fight breaking out between them: “why’d you say that, you idiot, you were supposed to say….” You can almost imagine them getting cream pies out and hitting each other in the face with them. It is so utterly foolish.
So, even the high priest can now see that they’re getting nowhere. Even as a sham trial this is pretty thin. He’s probably beating his head against the wall in frustration – while Jesus stands there calm, resolute, quiet. Eventually in frustration he turns to Jesus v60 “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 61 But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”
This is the real question, isn’t it. Are you really the one you claim to be? You can imagine everything going still. Everyone holding their breath. What would he answer? Would he finally give in? I mean, who would risk their life for a lie?
And then Jesus says 62 “I AM.” This was explosive. This was the name of God that he told Moses: I AM the I AM. And Jesus uses God’s name. You can imagine the high priests eyes widening first in horror, then in glee as they thought “we’ve got him”. And because the time is right, because it is now time for Jesus to make plain who he is, he continues: And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Blasphemy! BLASPHEMY!! You dishonour God! How dare you claim to be God! BLASPHEMY! Death!
But not once did they stop to consider maybe this is true. They did not listen to his words: I AM, the personal name of the God of Israel (Yahweh or Jehovah means I AM.
Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? Yahweh, says Jesus. I am.
And just to make sure they understand, he then claims to be the human figure in Daniel 7 who is given all authority in heaven and earth by the Father (the “Ancient of Days” in the prophecy).
Da 7:9–14 I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like purest wool. He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, 10 and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened. … 13 As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, honour, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.
Jesus says “I am that person. I am the King of the eternal Kingdom”. He is the Messiah. He is God Almighty. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
But they miss it. Their sin blinds them to the truth, and drives them to murder their own king, their God.
We, too, are blinded by our sin. Without his grace we too would be shouting Crucify him! Blasphemer! Playing our religious games while murdering the Son of God.
Religion does not lead you to God, but away from God. Unless you know Jesus, religion is dangerous. Paul the Apostle was a very religious man, and loved God (or so he thought) – but that love expressed itself in murdering Christians until the day that Jesus met him and turned his life around.
Unless you know Jesus, religion is dangerous, poisonous, futile, and hellish.
65 Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and beat him with their fists. “Prophesy to us,” they jeered. And the guards slapped him as they took him away.
Why did Jesus suddenly openly proclaim his divinity (that he is God, the Son of God), the Son of Man in power, and that he is the Messiah? Up to now he has always refused to proclaim this publically, always told demons to be quiet, and those whom he has healed not to tell anyone. Why now?
Because now, chained, arrested, beaten, abandoned, there is no misunderstanding what type of Messiah he is. He is the suffering servant of Isaiah. He is the conquering King as well, but it is a spiritual conquest, not a political. Jesus can openly claim to be the Messiah because now no-one will want to force him to be the political king. He is arrested, weak, with no followers. Who’d want this fellow to be king?
Now there is no risk to his mission being compromised – he came to die, and he will achieve it. Now it is unstoppable, and so he can reveal himself because no-one will believe it. In fact, revealing who he is will achieve his goals!
64 You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?” “Guilty!” they all cried. “He deserves to die!”
So the Jews, the very people of God, with the religion of God, the word of God, the rituals of God, the Law of God – reject God.
And even Jesus’ closest friends reject him.
2. Rejected by his own
66 Meanwhile, Peter was in the courtyard below. One of the servant girls who worked for the high priest came by 67 and noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and said, “You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth.” 68 But Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, and he went out into the entryway.
Earlier on that same evening Peter had boldly claimed that he was ready to “die for Jesus”. And maybe he had convinced himself that he could still do it. Although he ran away when Jesus was arrested, he then went back and v55 says that he followed Jesus right in to the courtyard. “I’ll do it this time”
Really, Peter? You’ll stand for Jesus this time – despite the fact that, unlike Jesus, he had not prayed for strength, but fallen asleep. And despite the fact that Jesus had already told him that he would fall.
He did not believe Jesus. He thought he was fine by himself. How often is that us? Or our friends, or family members, or work colleagues?
We don’t want to hear the uncomfortable truths. We don’t want to hear that we are sinners who sin. That there is a God, and we are not him! That God is angry with us and will judge us and condemn us to hell if continue to rebel against him. That shame covers us. We have dishonoured our King. Lalalala we say with our hands over our ears, trying to block it out. The problem is, is that it is true. And reliable, true, truth. There is no escape.
Jesus said a few hours before: v30 “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
A servant girl questions him v67 “You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth.” 68 But Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” One.
V69 She began telling the others, “This man is definitely one of them!” 70 But Peter denied it again. Two.
“You must be one of them, because you are a Galilean.” 71 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” Three.
And he broke down and wept.
There is no escape. We are weak. We reject Jesus in our own strength and condemn ourselves to hell.
This morning I showed this piece of junk - sorry, I mean “modern art”. This is a mess, a bunch of meaningless scribbles, worthless trash. Yet someone paid $52 000 000 for it! Kr440 000 000. And that is what it is now worth.
You see, although it has no intrinsic value – it’s crap – it has been given value by the purchaser. Someone has said that mess of scribbles is valuable to me.
And that is what Jesus does with us. Maybe our life looks like that. That’s probably how Peter was feeling when that rooster crowed. Like he’d just scribbled over his life. Wrecked it. But later we find Peter boldly preaching “Believe in Jesus, he is the Messiah, the Lord”. What happened? Jesus met him, after he rose from the dead. He found Peter and gave him a new value. No longer worthless, but of infinite value.
And you and I are the same. If we are in Christ, our value is his body and his blood. You may look like scribbles on a page, but in Christ you are a world-class work of art!
We are weak. We deny our King. Jesus was rejected by his own.
But He is strong.
Praise Him that he knows our weakness, and is able to cover over our failure with his blood. Peter, after meeting with Jesus after his resurrection, became the head of the church, its first evangelist and missionary. Jesus knows our weakness, yet still loves us.
Rejected by the Jews, rejected by his own disciples, and
3. Rejected by the Gentiles
Because the Jews were under Roman occupation, they had no authority to put someone to death. So they needed Pilate to find Jesus guilty in order to sentence him to death. Unfortunately “blasphemy” was not punishable under Roman law – so they accuse Jesus of being the King, and therefore rebelling against the true ruler: the Emperor of Rome! Ironic, isn’t it. 2 Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
Jesus then makes no further defence, says no further words – to Pilate’s amazement. He just says “yes, I am the King” 3 Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes, 4 and Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?” 5 But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate’s surprise.
The Jewish leaders should have understood. This is exactly what the prophet Isaiah said. Again Jesus fulfils Scripture: Isaiah 53:7 says “He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth”.
Even though he makes no defence, even Pilate is not fooled. Just as in the first trial, Jesus’ innocence shines through: 10 (For he [Pilate] realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.)
But Pilate is a crowd-pleaser, amoral, with no fear of God. He was not a good man, forced into a bad situation. He was a bad judge who condemned a man he knew was innocent to a brutal and disgusting death. He rejected the King, he rejected God, he even rejected his own conscience. 15 So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.
Jesus was rejected by the chief priests and the Jewish nation, rejected by his closest friends, rejected by the whole world. He stood alone, bearing the weight of our cruelty, our injustice, our sin upon his shoulders. And that’s why he came. This is the cup he came to drink. This is why he died for us. To take our cruelty and injustice and sin – and to conquer it, so that he can say to us, like Peter, come with me, you are restored.
What about you? What will you do with Jesus?