Mark 14:53-6453And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. 54And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. 55And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. 56For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. 57And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, 58We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. 59But neither so did their witness agree together. 60And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 61But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 62And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 63Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? 64Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. (Mark 14:53‑64)
“AND THEY led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.”
The darkness of the night was not as great as the darkness of the hearts of those to whom Jesus now submits Himself. Strange hour indeed for Annas the high priest, together with the others to be assembled! How aptly had the Lord previously expressed: “Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3:1919And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19).
Two days earlier these same men had met to organize this evil conspiracy and now they forsake the comfort of their beds and homes, since Judas had, through his betrayal of Jesus, brought them the opportunity they so eagerly sought. The natural wretched heart of man—careless enough about the morals and behavior of all around it—can readily enough assert itself even at this cold hour of the night, when there is occasion to indulge its hatred against the one whose holiness had disclosed their own evil ways.
Jesus is first taken to Annas (the elderly high priest)—who binds Him and sends Him to Caiaphas, his son-in-law and also a high priest. The council, even at this unusual hour, has already arranged for false witnesses to bring their testimony into the record (for the law required that at least two must agree before judgment could be pronounced). But with all their scheming, the witnesses do not agree. Caiaphas, frustrated by the failure of this mock trial, turns to Jesus Himself and receives from His lips the testimony used to condemn the One before him. “The high priest asked Him,... Art Thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes and saith, What need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned Him to be guilty of death.” vv. 61-64.
Jesus would, of course, speak only truth. But these enemies are not willing to accept it as such and on the basis of this confession, pass judgment on Him. The One who in love and compassion had come to the Jews as their Messiah and whose very deeds and miracles had displayed the authority of His Person, is completely rejected in this dark hour. From all the religious crowd not one voice was raised in His behalf!
But they will in a future day recall both His words and their own when they see Him coming in the clouds of heaven just as He had spoken here. It will not then be in grace, but in power and judgment. As it is written: “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.” Revelation 1:77Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7).
ML-04/26/1964