Encounter Jesus – Mark Week 13

Jesus the Prisoner

Mark 14: 53 – 15: 5

HANDOUT

Mark Week 13 – The Prisoner Handout

AUDIO

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Lesson Notes

It’s now most likely early Friday morning. Jesus was just arrested in Gethsemane and His disciples have fled.

Jesus Before the Council (Mark 14: 53-65)

  • Verse 53 – The usual suspects gather – chief priests , elders, and scribes
  • Verse 54 – Peter is following – at a distance. Warming himself in the courtyard.
    • Helps us understand that as Jesus is bravely standing before those who will kill Him, Peter is denying any knowledge of Him.
    • The strength of God and the weakness of man.
  • Verses 55-60 – A secret meaning at night – an illegal trial in the high priest’s home
    • They are soliciting perjury, trying to get any two people to agree about something Jesus did so they can execute Him
    • They can’t find two men who can tell the same story, so they can’t convict!
    • Bearing false witness in a capital trial was punishable by death, so note the hypocrisy in this trial
    • They want to prove a charge that Jesus profaned the temple – that was the one cast where Jews could execute a prisoner without going to the Roman governor
  • Verse 61 – He made no answer – Isaiah 53: 7-8 (note we’re camping in Isaiah 53 for Passion Week)
  • Now they come to THE question – “Are you the Christ, the Son of the blessed?”
  • Verse 62 – EGO EIMI – I AM (the name of God)
    • And you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven
    • Daniel 7: 13-14 – the eternal reigning king
    • Psalm 110: 1
  • Verses 63-64 – They are blown away – immediate condemnation for blasphemy – IF IT ISN’T TRUE!!!
  • Verse 65 – Spitting and beating Jesus – against Jewish law!
    • Isaiah 53: 3- Despised and rejected by men
    • As they challenge Jesus to prophesy, Peter is about to fulfill Jesus’ earlier prophecy

Peter’s Denial (Mark 14: 66-72)

  • It’s an intercalation – an oreo. A story between the greater story of Jesus’ trial.
    • How are they related? Peter’s lack of faithfulness highlights the extraordinary faithfulness of Jesus in the face of violence, threat, and the expectation of death
  • Verses 66-68 – A girl accuses Peter of being with Jesus – He denies it
    • I neither know nor understand what you mean – an emphatic Greek double negative
    • Then the rooster crows the first time
  • Verse 69 – Once again – she accuses, Peter denies
  • Verse 70 – The crowd picks up on the accusation – it’s getting really dangerous now
  • Verse 71 – Peter swears it, calls down curses on himself, because he is so scared
    • “I don’t know this man of whom you speak” – OUCH!
  • Verse 72 – And the rooster crowed and Peter remembered the words of Jesus and his own false bravado and just started bawling. His betrayal was so awful – a Judas in his own right.
  • If Peter can deny Jesus in the face of threat, we must guard ourselves!

Jesus Before Pilate (Mark 15: 1-5)

  • Verse 1 – Once gain, the chief priests, scribes, and elders gather – to formalize the outcome of their illegal night-time trial.
  • They are most responsible for what happens – that’s Mark’s point over and over again. But it was also God’s plan – Acts 2: 23.
  • Verses 2-5 – Pilate questions, and again, Jesus is silent.

(Note: no study next week. In two weeks: Mark 15: 6-47 – Crucifixion and Burial)