And They All Condemned Him

Mark 14:55-65 ESV

“Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. 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.”’ Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst 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. 

“Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’ And Jesus said, ‘I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ And the high priest tore his garments and said, ‘What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?’ And they all condemned him as deserving death. 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.”

So, what was it about Jesus Christ that the Jewish people, or in particular their leaders, did not like about him? Was he a bad person? No! Did he do evil to anyone? No! What did he do? He healed the sick and the afflicted, and he raised the dead, and he cast demons out of people, and he performed many miracles, and he fed the hungry, and he comforted the sorrowful, and he showed the people love and compassion, and he cared about them and their needs. And the religious leaders mostly hated him for it, too.

What else did he do? He preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins, but this repentance involved a change of mind and heart that resulted in a change of attitude and behaviors. For he opened the eyes of the spiritually blind, turning them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ. And this is what he called the Apostle Paul to do, too (see Acts 26:16-18). But is that all?

The gospel message that Jesus taught did not bode well with most of his listeners, for he didn’t teach the gospel in the way that it is largely being taught here in America today. He taught that if we are going to come after him that we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for his sake we deny self, die daily to sin and to self, and we walk in obedience to his commands (New Covenant), then we have eternal life in him (see Luke 9:23-26).

He also taught that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven. For many will stand before him on the day of judgment claiming him as Lord and all the things they believed they did in his name, and he is going to say to them, “I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of lawlessness,” because they would not obey the Lord, for many are believing that they don’t have to obey him (see Matthew 7:21-23).

And Jesus Christ died on that cross that we might die to sin and live to his righteousness, and that we might live for him and no longer for ourselves, and that we might be crucified and buried with him in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life.

[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23]

Jesus told his brothers that the world cannot hate them but that the world hates him because he tells them that what they do is evil (see John 7:1-7). And that is one of the big reasons why Jesus was hated, because he called sin what it is, and he confronted sin in sinful human beings, particularly in those who made professions of faith in God but who were still living evil lives. And he called them to genuine repentance and to changed hearts and lives and to obedience to him and to his commands.

But the thing that really put Jesus on the cross is that he claimed to be God, and he is God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And he was their Messiah God, but they, for the most part, refused to accept him as the Christ who was to come and was then among them. So they killed him for telling them the truth that could save their lives from hell and which would lead them to eternal life with God. And if we are telling people the same truth that Jesus spoke, we will be hated, too.

For we have an abundance of liars and deceivers in our day and time who are lying to the people, who are telling them what their itching ears want to hear, but not the truth that they need to hear. And the masses appear to be following them and rejecting the truth that Jesus taught. And so, if you are a follower of Christ who is telling the people the truth that Jesus taught, you should be prepared to be treated like he was treated, too, which may lead to being put to death, too, for your beliefs and for your walk of faith and for your testimonies for Christ and for his gospel.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

For Our Nation  

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

https://vimeo.com/379406352