NOTES for Mar 14:53-72
53 And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. |
54 And 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. |
55 And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. |
56 For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. |
57 And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, |
58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. |
59 But neither so did their witness agree together. |
60 And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? |
61 But 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? |
62 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. |
63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? |
64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. |
65 And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands. |
66 And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: |
67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. |
68 But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. |
69 And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. |
70 And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto. |
71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak. |
72 And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept. |
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After seizing Jesus, they brought Him to the house of Caiaphas. To put Him to death, they needed the agreeing testimony of at least two people, but this was not easy. At last some were found who distorted Christ's words and said, "We heard Him say, I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands" (compare John 2:19).
But even this was not enough. The defendant answered nothing, just as Isaiah had prophesied (Isa. 53:7). The high priest was perplexed: "Do You answer nothing?" (v. 60). Silence in reply. "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" What would He say? This time the answer rang out firmly and confidently: "I am; and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven."
This was more than enough. By acknowledging Himself as the Messiah, Jesus condemned Himself to death. Blasphemy was a crime worthy of death under Jewish law. The high priest, tearing his garments, as Jews did as a sign of bitter grief or when witnessing sacrilege, said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?" Jesus was judged worthy of death.
Peter was in the courtyard all this time, and one of the servant girls recognized him: "You also were with Jesus of Nazareth," she said. Peter loved the Teacher with all his soul. Moved by this love, he had followed the Teacher to the high priest's house. Peter had even been ready to die for Him (Mark 14:31). But now the one who would become the first of the apostles gave way to fear. Everything was different from what Peter had expected. "I do not know or understand what you are saying," he answered the servant girl. Twice more that day he denied the Teacher. The rooster crowed twice, and he, remembering Christ's prophecy, went out and wept bitterly.
How often we too give way to fear and are ready to deny the Lord, largely because His actions do not fit our ideas about Him.
Readings for 30 May 2025
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