Mark 14:53-65 Every Step is Joy: Christ Is Accused For Us
The Text
Mark 14:53–65 (CSB)
53 They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes assembled.54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the high priest’s courtyard. He was sitting with the servants, warming himself by the fire.
55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they could not find any.
56 For many were giving false testimony against him, and the testimonies did not agree.
57 Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, stating,
58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another not made by hands.’ ”
59 Yet their testimony did not agree even on this.
60 Then the high priest stood up before them all and questioned Jesus, “Don’t you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you?”
61 But he kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest questioned him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”
62 “I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
63 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses?
64 You have heard the blasphemy. What is your decision?” They all condemned him as deserving death.
65 Then some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to beat him, saying, “Prophesy!” The temple servants also took him and slapped him.
The Devotion
Isaiah 53:7 (CSB) He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth.
And.
Romans 8:34–36 (CSB) Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.
Our Christ was completely innocent. Those who are innocent do not have to defensive. There is nothing to defend because they are innocent.
Christ speaks of this in his Sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 7:21–27 (CSB) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’
The guilty and the damned are desperate to defend themselves before the great and mighty God. His holiness is too much to bear. His righteousness exposes their unrighteousness. They know they are damn and their words quicken their faith that much faster.
See how the innocent, the Christ-covered adopted children of God stand before him:
Romans 8:14–17 (CSB) For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Christ stood in our place for our sin. Christ already was tried and found guilty--not because he was guilty but we, as his people, were guilty as sin.
He took the shame and the guilt and the condemnation. He, in himself alone, should not experienced any of that. But because we are his people and because He saved us, he must take it on--because he loves us so much.
Every step that Christ took towards the cross was in complete joy and satisfaction because every step he took was one step closer to completely, satisfactorily, perfectly, definitely, absolutely, forever "save his people from their sins."