BEHIND THE BOOK Connecting to the Bible (Observation) MARK 14:53-65 (READ VARIOUS TRANSLATIONS) FEBRUARY 15, 2017 RESOURCES: THE NEW INTERNATIONAL COMMENTARY ON THE NEW TESTAMENT THE PILLAR NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY NIV APPLICATION COMMENTARY NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY MARK 1-8: TIM CHESTER MARK: 9-16: TIM CHESTER MARK: 1-8: JOHN MacARTHUR: THE MacARTHUR NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY MARK: 9-16: JOHN MacARTHUR: THE MacARTHUR NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY THE KING S CROSS: TIM KELLER Introduction: 1 - For the third time in this chapter alone Mark employs another sandwich technique, the point of which on this occasion is to highlight Jesus true testimony to that of the false witnesses and Peter, who denies knowing Jesus. The word witnesses has occurred only 4 times previous to this chapter (1:44; 6:11; 10:19; 13:9) but it occurs 7 times in various forms in this chapter. Jesus is the true witness. He has truthfully predicted his suffering and death (8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34), all of which is now transpiring just as he predicted. The juxtaposition between Jesus and Peter is a sermon without words and the section opens with a) Peter following at a distance instead of being at Jesus side 54a b) Sitting with the guards, warming himself, instead of standing with Jesus 45b Of course, the gap between Jesus and Peter reminds us of Peter s confession to die with Jesus if necessary (14:31). His distance already foreshadows his denial, between which Mark sets the 1
story of Jesus interrogation by the Sanhedrin.Peter has forsaken a discipleship of costly following (8:34) for one of safe observation (JE). 2 - In the farewell sermon of Deuteronomy Moses gave the people instructions to govern the nation justly. Deuteronomy 16:18-20 You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. 19 You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. 20 Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the LORD your God is giving you. The Jews eventually developed a sophisticated system of jurisprudence.they prided themselves on maintaining a just and equitable society, enforced by a system of courts and judges (JM). A local court was established in any town with 120 men who were heads of households. Each council, known as a Sanhedrin (GR = sitting together) provided legal counsel and oversight for the community. The council itself was comprised of 23 men ensuring no tie votes and a majority rule. Israel s supreme court met daily in the Temple. This Great Sanhedrin, also known as the Council of the Elders (Luke 22:66; Acts 22:5) or the Senate of the sons of Israel (Acts 5:21) consisted of 71 members including the high priest. By the time of Jesus trial the Great Sanhedrin was corrupted by nepotism, politics and social standing. According to the Mishnah (rabbinic traditions), 23 members of the Sanhedrin were necessary to be present to judge capital cases with reasons for acquittal preceding reasons for conviction. In capital cases, a verdict of guilty required a second sitting the following day. Both sittings had to take place during daytime, and neither on the eve of Sabbath or a festival. Witnesses were to warned against rumor and hearsay A charge of blasphemy could not be sustained unless the accused cursed God s name itself, in which case the punishment prescribed was death by stoning, with the corpse then hung from a tree (JE). The Jewish legal system possessed these fail-safe mechanisms to ensure justice based on truth, prevailed: a) Public trials during the daylight hours b) An opportunity for a defense c) Two witnesses to support any accusation d) Perjury was forbidden Deuteronomy 19:16-19 If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, 17 then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. 18 The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false 2
witness and has accused his brother falsely, 19 then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. e) In a death penalty ruling, the two witnesses had to inflict the first blows Deuteronomy 17:7 - The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. f) A full day had to pass between the verdict and the fulfilment of the sentence g) Members of the court were required to fast in the interim h) Trials could not be conducted on the day before a feast Jesus trial had two major phases: Jewish and Gentile. Each phase had three parts. Jewish a) An appearance before Annas John 18:13-24 b) An appearance before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin Mark 14:53-65 c) A second, after dawn, appearance before the Sanhedrin Luke 22:66-71 Roman a) Pilate Mark 15:1-5 b) Herod Antipas - 23:6-12 c) Pilate again Mark 15:6-15 In this section, Mark focuses on the 2 nd part of the Jewish trial. In clear violation of he Mosaic law, Jesus trial took place in private, at night, away from the temple, just hours before the Passover. There were no credible witnesses, no defense was mounted and immediate execution took place. It is clear that Nearly every detail of Jesus trial violates the rules for capital cases prescribed in the Mishnah.the Sanhedrin short-circuited procedures and contravened the law, egregiously at points, in order to expedite Jesus execution. Josephus, in fact, records a similar trial in A.D. 62 when the high priest Ananus convened a rump session of the Sanhedrin in order to secure the death of James, brother of the Lord (JE). First: The Illegal Arraignment 53-54 Jesus was arrested at night and led directly to a trial in the house of the high priest A guilty verdict had already been arranged before the trial began John 11:45-53 - Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in 3
him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. John indicates that Jesus went first to Annas, a former high priest (AD 6-15) and then, according to Mark, to Caiaphas, the present high priest (AD 18-36) and the Sanhedrin. John 18:12-13 - So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews [d] arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people. Annas was the father-in-law, Caiaphas the son-in-law, through whom Annas wielded continued influence. In addition, five of Annas sons held the office of the high priest. Like a first-century mafia family, Annas and his sons controlled the lucrative temple operation, including money changing and the sale of the sacrificial animals notoriously nicknamed the Bazaar of Annas. John 18:19-24 - The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said. 22 When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, Is that how you answer the high priest? 23 Jesus answered him, If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me? 24 Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. Annas was only interested in getting Jesus to incriminate himself. He had no witnesses to accuse Jesus of any wrongdoing. Jesus response reminded Annas that he was required to call witnesses. Unable to get Jesus to incriminate himself, Annas did not want to release Jesus. He was at the head of the conspiracy against the Lord. Instead of releasing him, as was the appropriate thing to do, he sent him on to Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin for further questioning. Second: The False Witnesses 55-59 Those same people - chief priests, and elders and scribes (53) who continually sought to disprove and discredit Jesus, have now gathered for a mock trial. Mark is equally transparent to highlight Peter s lack of truthfulness and the Sanhedrin s lack of truthfulness. According to Mark, the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death (55) something forbidden in their role as truthseekers. Seeking = zetein = always implies negative intent in Mark see Mark 1:37. 4
Nonetheless, they found none. And when they did, it was false witness that did not agree (56), an observation Mark repeats in verse 59 so as to highlight the well-orchestrated human machinations against him (JE). Mark details the conversation with Caiaphas as this: 1 Jesus arrived at Caiaphas house 53 2 Peter followed at a distance 54 3 The council was looking for evidence against Jesus but found none 55 4 False witnesses contradicted each other 56-59 5 Caiaphas questioned Jesus 60 6 Jesus made no response 61a 7 Caiaphas asked Jesus if he was the Christ 61b 8 Jesus said I am 62 9 Caiaphas condemned Jesus 63-64a 10 The council condemned Jesus 64-65 Until Jesus arrived at Caiaphas house, no witnesses had spoken against him and no indictment had been given. But in Caiaphas home, false witnesses were gathered against Jesus. According to Jewish law, the Sanhedrin could not initiate charges against a person. They could only investigate the charges and render a verdict. But at Jesus trial, members of the Sanhedrin acted as prosecutors. The false witnesses only highlighted Jesus innocence and the conspiracy to convict him. Eventually, two men did falsely claim that Jesus threatened to destroy the temple (John 2:19), a conversation he publicly held in the Temple almost three years earlier. Jesus never said he would destroy the temple. And when he made the statement, he was speaking of his body and not the actual, physical temple in Jerusalem The temple was, however, the seat of Sanhedrin power in Jerusalem and Judaism. For Mark, Jesus has replaced the Jerusalem man-made (only in Mark) Temple (58) Third: The Illegal Interrogation 14:60-61a The Jews were motivated by pure evil and employed illegalities to convict Jesus. But behind it all, God was sovereignly moving to accomplish redemption. John 11:49-52 - But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish. 51 He did not say this of his own accord, 5
but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. Caiaphas words reveal how unwitting he was to God s intent and how he was just a pawn in God s plans. ILL - Grumbling is the most serious sin, a capital crime, a primal offense against the God whose universe this is. David Powlison Matthew 18:7 is a challenge: "Woe to the world for temptations to sin. For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom temptation comes." Mark 14:21 - "For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born" a) It is written means that Jesus had to be betrayed b) Woe to him by whom the Son of Man is betrayed means Judas acted freely But Judas is not the first cause. God is the first cause and the only real cause. Judas acts in response to God s prophesy, nevertheless, Judas acts freely in what God caused to come to pass, i.e., the betrayal of Jesus. Psalm 118:22-24 - The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice [not complain] and be glad in it. Example: Consider Lady Jane Grey s address at her execution: Good people, I am come hither to die, and by a law I am condemned to the same; the fact indeed against the Queen s Highness was unlawful and the consenting thereunto by me: but touching the procurement and desire thereof by me or on my behalf, I do wash my hands thereof in innocency before the face of God and the face of you good Christian people this day. I pray you all good Christian people to bear me witness that I die a true Christian woman and that I do look to be saved by no other mean, but only by the mercy of God, in the merits of the blood of his only son Jesus Christ. I confess when I did know the word of God I neglected the same and loved myself and the world, and therefore this plague or punishment is happily and worthily [deservedly] happened unto me for my sins. I thank God of his goodness that he has given me a time and respite to repent. Now good people, I pray you to assist me with your prayers. Now good people, while I am alive, I pray you to assist me with your prayers. https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/evangelical-history/2017/02/13/the-execution-of-lady-janegrey/ 6
Example: George Mueller had been married twice: to Mary Groves when he was 25, and to Susannah Sangar when he was 66. Mary bore him four children. Two were stillborn. One son Elijah died when he was a year old. His daughter Lydia married James Wright who succeeded Mueller as the head of the Institute. But she died in 1890 at 57 years old. Five years later Mueller lost his second wife, just three years before he died. And so he outlived his family and was left alone with his Savior, his church, and two thousand children. He had been married to Mary for 39 years and to Susannah for 23 years. He preached Mary's funeral sermon when he was 64, and he preached Susannah's funeral sermon when he was 90. It's what he said in the face of this loss and pain that gives us the key to his life. Concerning Mary, he wrote - Were we happy? Verily we were. With every year our happiness increased more and more. I never saw my beloved wife at any time, when I met her unexpectedly anywhere in Bristol, without being delighted so to do. I never met her even in the Orphan Houses, without my heart being delighted so to do. Day by day, as we met in our dressing room, at the Orphan Houses, to wash our hands before dinner and tea, I was delighted to meet her, and she was equally pleased to seeme. Thousands of times I told her My darling, I never saw you at any time, since you became my wife, without my being delighted to see you. Sunday, February 6, 1870, Mary died. I fell on my knees and thanked God for her release, and for having taken her to Himself, and asked the Lord to help and support us. Mueller recalled later how he strengthened himself during these hours. And here we see the key to his life. The last portion of scripture which I read to my precious wife was this: The Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory, no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Now, if we have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have received grace, we are partakers of grace, and to all such he will give glory also. I said to myself, with regard to the latter part, no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly I am in myself a poor worthless sinner, but I have been saved by the blood of Christ; and I do not live in sin, I walk uprightly before God. Therefore, if it is really good for me, my darling wife will be raised up again; sick as she is. God will restore her again. But if she is not restored again, then it would not be a good thing for me. And so my heart was at rest. I was satisfied with God. And all this springs, as I have often said before, from taking God at his word, believing what he says. http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/george-muellers-strategy-for-showing-god This joy in the midst of such sorrow does not deny reality, it confirms reality. Romans 8:28 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Fourth: The Illegal Sentence 61b-65 Once the witnesses fail their intended purpose, Caiaphas personally questioned Jesus but Jesus (60) but Jesus did not respond to their false charges. 7
Jesus silence undoubtedly enraged Caiaphas. He was hoping to get Jesus to indict himself or confess to a crime. But Jesus silence was strategic. First, it fulfilled Scripture: Isaiah 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. Second, it provoked Caiaphas to ask the right question. He became so angry that he invoked God s name Matthew 26:63 - I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. Mark 14:61b - Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? Interestingly, Caiaphas demanded truth from Jesus while he espoused lies about Jesus. At this point, however, God puts the truth in Capaphas mouth. The effect, is to put a full Christological confession into the mouth of the high priest.false witnesses could not agree against Jesus now, in the question of the high priest, his arch-prosecutor confesses his name! (JE) How ironic that in the Gospel of Mark the two most complete Christological confessions [2 of the 3 / Peter in Mark 8:29] from humans occur in the mouths of those responsible for Jesus death: the high priest in 14:61, and the centurion at the cross in 15:39! (JE) Nonetheless, this was the first legitimate question posed to Jesus throughout the entire trial. It was a straightforward inquiry that called for a truthful response. The Lord understood, of course, that Caiaphas was hoping to trap him in a statement the council would regard as blasphemous. The high priest knew that Jesus had repeatedly claimed to be the Messiah and the Son of god, making Himself equal with God (JM) Jesus responded unambiguously and affirmed Caiaphas question: I am Son of Man is an OT designation for God (Daniel 7:13-14; Psalm 119:1) Power is a figurative title for God (Acts 2:33; 7:55) Before Israel s supreme court, Jesus confessed that he was the Supreme Being, their God and their Judge 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. Caiaphas responded with a hypocritical tearing of his garments. 8
Clothes = chiton the inner garment like a long nightshirt worn next to the skin Jews tore their garments as an expression of grief (Gen 37:29; Job 1:20; Acts 14:14). According to Leviticus 21:10 the high priest could not tear his clothes Leviticus 21:10 - The priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes. But the Talmud, the text of rabbinic Judaism, did allow him to tear his clothes if God was blasphemed The Old Testament taught that blasphemy was punishable by death Leviticus 24:10-16 - Now an Israelite woman's son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, 11 and the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. Then they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12 And they put him in custody, till the will of the LORD should be clear to them. 13 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 14 Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. 16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. Of course, Jesus was not guilty of blasphemy. He was guilty of telling the truth. It was the council who were blasphemers Luke 22:63-65 - Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. 64 They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, Prophesy! Who is it that struck you? 65 And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him. A council normally voted one-by-one, from the youngest member to the oldest member, so that the indictment could be reached impartially and tabulated. But a mob mentality ruled the council that night. The Sanhedrin knew they needed Rome s approval to execute Jesus. Blasphemy was not a Roman crime so when Jesus was later brought to Pilate, it was alleged that he was guilty of insurrection. Luke 23:2 - Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king. 9
Conclusion: Mark s trial scene is profoundly ironic. The Sanhedrin stands on the law and Jesus sits in the dock, but in reality the Sanhedrin breaks the law and Jesus upholds it. [Further] The testimony that the Sanhedrin seeks against Jesus is in the end not provided by the false witnesses but by Jesus himself in the claim to be God s Son. Jesus stands on trial before the Sanhedrin, but the Sanhedrin will stand trial before the Son of Man when he returns in glory. The Sanhedrin makes a charade of Jesus ability to prophesy, but his prophesies all come true. Above all, it is the high priest, not Jesus, who blasphemes, because Jesus is God s Son (JE). In fact, Jesus had prophesied all of this Mark 10:33-34 - we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise. That prophecy came true. Because Jesus is the faithful and true witness (Revelation 3:14), the one to Caiaphas will also come true. you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven (62). Small Group Questions: 1 Why does Mark sandwich Jesus trial, his confession and Peter s denial? To point out Jesus truthfulness. Jesus is the faithful and true witness. He was faithful to the disciples even though they were unfaithful. He is truthful even though all around him foes and friends alike are untruthful. 2 - Recall everything the Jews intentionally did wrong during Jesus trial. a) Public trials during the daylight hours b) An opportunity for a defense c) Two witnesses were required to support any accusation d) Perjury was forbidden e) In a death penalty ruling, the two witnesses had to inflict the first blows (Deut 17:7) in stoning f) A full day had to pass between the verdict and the fulfilment of the sentence g) Members of the court were required to fast in the interim h) Trials could not be conducted on the day before a feast 3 Why did the Jews orchestrate Jesus trial as they did? 4 What does Mark want his readers to know about Jesus trial? It was a sham. About Jesus? He is not going to lie to save his life. It is a truth that gets him crucified. 5 What truthful confession is Jesus guilty of in this passage? He is God and God s Son! 10
5 What is Mark s primary point in this passage? All the world is guilty of sin. Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. Jesus alone is perfectly righteous. All the world is guilty of lies. Jesus alone is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). ---------------------------------- Behind the Book is only one aspect of Heritage s teaching ministry which seeks to employ our church s mission statement: Connecting to God, Growing with Others and Impacting the world. On Wednesday evenings, we connect to Sunday morning s Bible passage and discover what it says through in-depth Bible study. Sunday morning in corporate worship (9:30am) we grow from the passage by learning what it means for our daily living. In Community Groups (10:45am) we practically apply the text, being impacted by it and learning to impact the world with it. CGI provides a balanced approach to life and Bible study; an upward look (Connect), an inward look (Grow) and an outward look (Impact) ensuring that our mission fulfils our vision to be a God-centered, Great Commission congregation. It s a well-known and beneficial way to approach the Bible Connect/Observation, Grow/Interpretation, Impact/Application. It s also a Trinitarian approach to Scripture: Connecting to the Father, Growing in Christ and Impacting the world by the Spirit, so that the way we study the Bible daily reminds us about who our God is and how he is unique among all religions of the world. 11