Pick up your Bibles again.
And back to Mark 14.
!
Deep into the darkness of Jesus' suffering and closer to the pain of the cross.
And we saw last week that all of these events, everything that's happening this night, it's not just coincidental.
These aren't just random events.
And these aren't just events just to get us to the cross.
And it's only at the cross that Jesus saves us.
No.
That's where his suffering climax is on the cross.
So you can think of it like this.
If the cross is like the peak of a pyramid, the top of a pyramid, all these events we've seen the night before,
these are kind of like the building blocks below the top of the pyramid.
You can't have the top of the pyramid without the layers below.
It's all one piece of suffering and saving.
All these elements in this night are really necessary.
Another way to think of it is, if the cross at Calvary is a big earthquake,
and there was an earthquake at Calvary,
if the cross is an earthquake,
these events the night before, they're kind of like warning tremors beforehand.
They're all a part of the event.
And they tell me what's coming.
And the tremors tonight are getting bigger.
The night is getting darker.
And where do we find ourselves tonight?
In our courtroom.
We're in the Jewish court called the Sanhedrin.
And this is where the priests and the scribes would gather to determine religious laws,
and to see whether or not someone had broken Jewish or Old Testament laws.
And this court was for really big cases.
This is where God's priests judge God's people.
And so you can see who's there in verse 53.
There's the high priest and all the chief priests,
and the elders and the scribes, they came together.
And in verse 55, so there was a whole council gathered.
So this isn't just a few guys having a meeting.
This is the Jewish leadership meeting in the Jewish council city,
in the Jewish Supreme Court,
holding the scales of justice to judge God's people.
And who is in the dock tonight?
Whose life is being weighed here?
Who's the suspect?
Look at verse 53.
And they led Jesus to the high priest.
This is a shocking scene.
They bring Jesus in.
It's a shocking scene, but it's not a surprising scene.
Because we've been waiting for this in Mark's Gospel.
Jesus has already, previously in the Gospel, foretold the future,
and said something like this is going to happen.
So, if you flip with me back to chapter 8, verse 31,
chapter 8, verse 31,
it says,
And he began to teach them, that's the disciples,
that the Son of Man must suffer many things,
and be rejected by the elders, and the chief priests,
and the scribes, and be killed,
and after three days rise again.
If you look ahead to 10, verse 33,
chapter 10, verse 33,
Jesus says,
See, 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.
Jesus says,
All this will happen.
And tonight,
all these puzzle pieces are falling into place.
So, we know exactly what's going on here.
Jesus is here to suffer,
and be condemned.
So, although this is a courthouse,
tonight,
we know that this isn't going to end well.
So, this isn't really a courthouse.
This is a slaughterhouse.
Jesus is here to die.
And did you notice,
he was just outside,
in verse 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 with fire.
I want you to picture Peter,
just outside his courthouse,
in the courtyard,
the whole time,
warming himself by the fire.
trying to listen in to what's happening.
And I want us to join in with Peter tonight,
to stand outside the courthouse,
and I want us to press our ears
up against the windows of the courthouse.
And I want us to listen to how this unfolds.
And so, as we do that,
we begin to hear something.
And this is the first thing we discover,
my first point tonight,
Jesus is innocent.
So this is a slaughterhouse,
not a courthouse.
And we can see this,
because this isn't a fair trial.
Look at verse 55.
Now the chief priest and the whole council
were seeking testimony against Jesus,
to put him to death.
They already had the verdict in mind here.
They already knew what was going to be the outcome.
guilty and worthy of death.
And they were all gathered here tonight,
just to make it happen.
The term for this is a kangaroo court,
meaning it's a corrupt court.
It's a sham.
They all came into this court,
not to seek justice,
not to seek truth.
But what does it say?
They were seeking testimony against Jesus
to put him to death.
They were seeking the verdict
they'd already figured out in their heads.
And so they had to do this
by bearing false witness.
The witnesses were called up
to give evidence about Jesus,
and in verse 56,
many bore false witness against him.
False witness.
In other words,
they were lying.
They were making stuff up about Jesus
to make him look guilty.
They were saying,
I heard Jesus did this awful thing.
They were saying,
I saw him do this, actually, as well.
They were saying,
oh Jesus, yeah, yeah,
he's definitely not to no good.
He did this and that.
And then Mark gets specific.
Look at verse 57.
And some stood up
and bore false witness against him,
saying,
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.
And now we've got to ask,
did Jesus say this?
Well, no.
We don't have it written here in Mark,
but in John's Gospel,
Jesus says this,
destroy this temple,
and in three days
I will raise it up.
But do you see what they do
with Jesus' words here?
They've made it sound
like he's been threatening
to destroy the temple.
So look at verse 58 again.
We heard him say,
I will destroy this temple.
He didn't say that.
They're twisting his words.
They're making him sound
like a terrorist,
like he threatened
to destroy the temple.
But Jesus did no such thing.
This is a false witness.
This is lies.
And so you have
a whole judge
and court
and jury
all against Jesus.
Everyone planning
and plotting
to make him look guilty
in the eyes of the Lord.
And how does this all land?
Well, look how verse 55 ends.
They were seeking testimony
against Jesus
to put him to death,
but they found none.
Verse 56.
For many bore false witness
against him,
but their testimony
did not agree.
Verse 59.
Multiple people spoke
about this temple incident.
59.
Yet even about this,
their testimony
did not agree.
Everyone is firing
shots at Jesus,
mudslinging,
giving everything
they've got.
But nothing
is sticking.
Nothing's sticking.
Even when they're
trying to make
their stories match
and conspire
against him
and trying to
coordinate all these lies,
even when the whole
court is stacked
against him,
they have nothing
on Jesus.
Have you ever seen
those,
on adverts
and YouTube
videos,
water-resistant spray,
or hydrophobic spray,
have you ever seen that?
It's like a spray
that you can spray
on a coat,
you can spray on anything,
and it makes it
really water-resistant,
so you throw water on it,
it just slides off.
You throw, like,
juice on it,
it slides off mud,
nothing.
And so that coat
becomes water-resistant,
and that's a bit like
what's going on here
with Jesus.
Jesus is blame-resistant.
They're firing
everything at him,
all this dirt,
but nothing sticks
in him.
All these lies
don't add up.
And that's in part
because lies
never add up.
Lies
never make sense
or agree.
And that's the nature
of how truth works.
So truth
and true statements,
they add up.
They fit together.
They never contradict.
Truth
always agrees
with truth.
Two true statements
always work together.
The truth,
you can think of it
as harmonious.
But a lie,
it never works
with the truth.
It contradicts it.
It disagrees
with the truth.
It's inconsistent.
It never works.
So,
think of it.
The true statement,
Jesus never made a threat.
And the false statement,
Jesus made a threat.
They both can't be true,
can they?
That's how truth works.
Falsity,
lies,
can't work with the truth.
The lie
just doesn't hold up.
It doesn't work.
It always collapses.
So,
no wonder
they didn't find
any bad testimony
against Jesus.
No wonder
their testimonies
didn't agree.
Because lies don't agree.
Lies don't hold up
or work.
But it's also
because Jesus
never,
ever,
once in his life,
did anything wrong.
Jesus
never,
ever,
broke the law.
Jesus never did
anything anyone
can ever bring up
in court and say,
guilty.
Our Saviour
was truly
sinless.
And he was so pure
and so blameless
that they couldn't
make him guilty
even if they tried.
They're trying
their hardest
but nothing
could stain
the sinless Saviour.
Conspire
against him
with all you've got.
There is no
fault in Jesus.
Jesus
is perfect.
And so,
as they face
this perfect
suspect,
the court
is frustrated
and actually
there's still
some integrity
to the court
here because
with all these
testimonies not
adding up
and things not
squaring,
the court
just doesn't
accept them
but they can't
accept them
because they're
not making sense.
The case
can't continue
and so
they keep pushing,
they're just
waiting for that
piece of evidence
or a testimony
that might
somehow show
a glimmer of guilt.
and so
the high priest
who's kind of
like the moderator
or the manager
of the meeting,
he stands up
and intervenes
in verse 16
and the high priest
stood up
and admits
and asked Jesus,
have you no answer
to make?
What is it that
these men testify
against you?
But he remained
silent
and made no answer.
In all this chaos
and mudslinging
and lies,
what is Jesus
doing?
He's silent.
And this is my
next point,
Jesus was silent.
If this was
happening against
you,
all these
allegations
and made up
stories,
what do you
imagine you
would do?
I think we
all probably
want to speak
up and say,
hold on,
that isn't
true.
No,
no,
I didn't say
that.
Wait,
you're twisting
my words there.
Look,
he said one
thing and he's
saying another.
That doesn't
make sense.
What's going
on here?
All this
isn't right.
We would
defend ourselves,
wouldn't we?
We'd stop this
kangaroo court.
We want to
expose this
nonsense,
these lies.
But Jesus
doesn't do that.
Instead,
verse 61,
he remains
silent.
and made
no answer.
Jesus is
silent.
Press your
ear up
against that
window again.
Silence.
He just
takes it.
He doesn't
protest.
He doesn't
defend himself.
He doesn't
expose their
lies.
He so easily
could.
He's
silent.
And why?
Well, in one
sense, it
doesn't matter
if he defends
himself or
proves the
truth.
They're not
there to
reason or
listen to
Jesus.
They've
already made
up their
lies.
So it's
no use
saying anything.
But more
importantly,
Jesus is
silent on
purpose.
His silence
isn't him
folding his
arms,
refusing to
be there,
holding a
grudge.
No, he's
silent.
He's
willingly
silent.
He willingly
takes these
lies.
He's willing
to take this
judgment.
He's
willing to
go where
these lies
and these
lying men
take him.
This
silence is
Jesus
willingly
laying down
his life
to die.
His
silence
speaks volumes.
Isaiah
53 speaks
of Jesus.
It says,
like a
lamb led
to the
slaughter,
he did
not open
his mouth.
This
silence is
Jesus,
the
sacrificial
lamb,
offering
himself to
ransom his
people from
sin.
And so
it's no
coincidence that
this takes
place on the
night of
the Passover.
It's no
coincidence that
Jesus is
crucified on
the Passover.
Jesus
offered himself
as the
Passover lamb
to redeem
us from
sin.
And do you
know who's
meant to
offer the
lamb on
the Passover?
It's the
high priest.
So Jesus
is the
lamb because
he's offering
himself.
He's the
sacrifice.
But also
he's the
one offering
himself.
He's also
the high
priest.
Jesus is
the great
high priest
here who's
offering himself
the Passover
lamb to
deal with
sin.
him.
And so
there's a
great irony
in this
room.
In this
council there's
the high
priest trying
to put
Jesus to
death.
Not knowing
that the
whole time
Jesus is the
true Passover
lamb.
And all the
while Jesus,
the true
high priest,
he's offering
himself as the
once-for-old
sacrificial lamb
who takes
away the
sins of the
world.
This silence
speaks volumes.
And so if
you keep
pressing your
ear up against
that window,
and if you
listen carefully,
this silence
is the silence
of the lamb
and the silence
of the high
priest.
But he
doesn't remain
silent forever.
Because look
what happens
next in verse
61.
Verse 61,
again, the
high priest
asked him,
are you the
Christ, the
son of the
blessed?
And then the
silence breaks.
Jesus faces
the courthouse
and says in
verse 62,
I am,
and you
will see the
son of man
seated at the
right hand of
power and
coming with
the clouds of
heaven.
This is where
my third point
begins.
Jesus is the
Christ.
Jesus is the
Christ.
Now this
moment is a
huge moment.
moment.
And these
words are
astonishing.
But it's not
a huge moment
just because he's
broken the
silence.
But this is a
huge moment in
Mark's gospel
because this is
the first time
Jesus says
publicly in the
open that he
is the
Christ.
Before this,
throughout the
gospel, it's
implied that Jesus
is the Christ.
in fact, his
actions clearly
show it.
Peter in
chapter 8 even
confesses that
Jesus is the
Christ.
But Jesus
says to him,
let's not make
that public.
Keep that
quiet.
Jesus had to
keep his
identity
veiled and
hidden slightly.
king.
And that's
mainly because
if he came
out straight
away,
beginning his
ministry and
said, I am
the Christ and
everyone knew
it, two
things could
happen.
Either people
would rush in
and quickly make
him king
straight away,
which would
mean he would
avoid the
cross, which
he has to go
to.
or the
Roman authorities
might come
along and
they would
hear of it,
seize him
straight away
and stop his
ministry and
likely he would
be killed too
early.
And so Jesus
had to wait to
reveal his true
identity.
And he had to
go to the
cross.
Now, in this
courtroom, the
time is right.
And so the
high priest gets
straight to the
point, what
everyone is
wondering in
this courtroom,
he says,
Jesus, are
you the
Christ, the
son of the
blessed?
And this is a
massive question.
It's hard to
appreciate how
big this question
is.
He's asking,
are you the
one God
promised in
the Garden of
Eden to crush
the head of
the serpent?
Are you the
promised king
from the line
of Judah?
Are you the
prophet greater
than Moses who
we've been all
waiting for?
Are you the
eternal king who
sits on David's
throne?
Are you the
one who's come
to bring peace
on earth?
Are you the
one who takes
away the sins
of Israel?
Are you the
one who will
stand before the
ancient of days
and be given
an everlasting
kingdom?
Jesus, is that
you?
And Jesus
declares in front
of the whole
courthouse, I
am.
man, I am the
Christ.
I am the one
the world has
been waiting
for.
The Christ, the
true king of
Israel, stands in
their midst.
But Jesus
doesn't stop
there.
He continues
verse 16.
He says to
them, and you
will see the
son of man
seated at the
right hand of
power and
coming with the
clouds of heaven.
Now Jesus
refers to two
Old Testament
passages here.
He calls himself
the son of man,
who's a figure in
Daniel 7.
And that figure
also comes with
the clouds of
heaven before
God.
And in that
scene, God
gives him a
dominion and
glory and
everlasting
kingdom.
And being
seated at the
right hand of
power, power is
just a term for
God here, because
God is power,
he's powerful.
This is a term
from Psalm 110,
where the right
hand is the
place of,
highest honour
by God.
It's essentially
a throne where
someone will
rule from.
So these words
Jesus says here
are all about
authority and
power.
Jesus is saying
to this
courtroom, yes,
I am the
Christ, and
you will see me
being given all
authority by God.
You will see me
enthroned, and
I will be king
over all.
He says in front
of the highest
authority in
Israel, the
Supreme Court
and the law
makers all
around him, as
they judge him
and poke their
fingers and stand
above him, he
says to them,
you think you're
in charge here?
No.
I'm the real
authority in this
room.
I'm in charge
here.
I am your
king.
And then he
says, in those
words, he says
you will see,
you will see
all this to
them.
So let's
ask, when
will they see
this?
Well, it's his
resurrection and
his ascension.
Only in a few
days' time, Jesus
will rise from
the dead as the
everlasting king,
the risen Lord
of lords.
And he will be
taken into heaven
and seated at
God's right hand
where he will
rule over all
creation.
In fact, he is
ruling right now
over all creation
at God's right
hand.
And so who is
in charge in
this room?
Jesus is in
charge.
Who's in charge
right now?
Jesus is in
charge.
But why does
Jesus say this?
It's true, but
this is obviously
like throwing a
grenade into the
middle of the
room, isn't it?
This doesn't go
well as we'll see,
but why does he
start to fire like
this?
Well, he does
this because they
need to know.
It means that they
won't condemn him
not knowing that he
is the Christ.
They can't say,
oh, we never
asked him.
Oh, we never
knew.
At least they
know now.
No one in this
room has an
excuse.
Things are very
clear now.
They are judging
the Christ.
So he wasn't
mistaken.
He wasn't
confused for
someone else.
No, they know
he's the Christ.
Jesus died and
was condemned
as the Christ.
So Jesus says
these words, but
they don't bow
down to him.
They don't
tremble before
him as they
should.
But as we
press our ears
up against
even more,
we hear
instead that
Jesus is
condemned.
And this is my
final point
tonight.
Jesus is
condemned.
Jesus is
condemned.
Look how they
respond to Jesus'
words in
verse 63.
And the
high priest
tore his
garments and
said, what
further witness
do we need?
You've heard
his blasphemy.
What is your
decision?
And they all
condemned him
as deserving
death.
The high priest
was furious.
He calls it
blasphemy.
He says, this
man claims to
be the Christ.
He's dishonoured
God's name by
claiming to be
the Christ.
He's made
himself king
over all.
And only God
can do that.
He's making a
mockery of
God's majesty
here.
And that
technically is
blasphemy.
And that's
because,
they're saying
it's blasphemy
because they've
already made
up their mind
that he's not
the Christ.
This
technically
wouldn't be
blasphemy,
or isn't
blasphemy,
because he is
the Christ.
It would be
blasphemy if he
wasn't, but he
is.
Everything he
said is 100%
true.
But they
don't care.
They've already
made up their
powers.
Their hearts
are hardened.
They cannot
see the Christ
who's right in
front of them.
And so they
do what they've
been waiting for
all along.
They all
condemned him
as deserving
death.
The sentence
is passed.
The juries
read out their
decision.
This Jesus
is a
blasphemer,
a sinner,
and he
deserves
death.
And this
is where we
feel the
tremors of
the cross
more vividly.
Jesus was
condemned under
God's curse
on the cross.
He was
punished as a
blasphemer and
a sinner under
God's wrath.
He was made
sin on the
cross.
He was
numbered among
the transgressors
on the cross.
And that's
the epicentral
of it all.
But we're
feeling the
tremors of
that here.
Because he
was so under
the curse of
divine law on
the cross,
that he also
fell under the
curse of
human law.
He was so
condemned in
God's eyes on
the cross,
that he was
also condemned
in man's eyes.
The tremors of
the cross are
being felt here.
And he was
so tormented
on the cross,
that he was
tormented in
his courtroom.
Verse 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.
Look how
they treated
the Christ.
Look how
they treated
the spotless
lamb.
Look how
they treated
their king.
Spatter,
mopped,
the
Pharisee,
they say to him,
prophesy,
I thought you
were the
Christ,
go on,
prophesy.
And he was
beaten,
he was
bruised.
Our justice
system today
wouldn't even
treat our
worst criminals
like this,
yet look how
they treat
the Christ.
And again,
how does
Jesus respond?
He takes it.
we hear the
silence again.
And he
takes it
because he
must take
it.
And he
must because
this is how
he saves
his people.
He's doing
this for
someone.
He's doing
this for the
sake of his
people,
to ransom
them from
sin.
He's doing
this for his
people.
And do you
remember who's
outside?
It's Peter,
the man
who has
just abandoned
Jesus and
run away
from him.
The man
who in this
courtyard
denies
Jesus.
That
sinner,
Jesus is
doing it
all for
him,
to save
Peter.
And as we
stand in that
courtyard too,
we can take
our ears away
from the window
and realise
this was all
for us too.
we are all
Peter in that
courtyard.
He did
this for us.
He took
that sentence
of condemned
because that
is our
sentence.
We are
the sinners
and blasphemers
who deserve
death.
And Jesus
says,
yes you do,
but let me
be condemned
instead.
He was
silent for
us.
Brothers and
sisters,
he did this
for us.
Condemned
for us,
spat on,
for us,
mocked,
for us,
beaten,
for us,
crucified,
for us.
The Christ
was condemned
in our place
so that we
can hear
these glorious
words.
There is
therefore now
no condemnation
for those
who are in
Christ Jesus.
Praise his name.
Let me pray.
Thank you.