November 24
Four reactions, part 2
They led Jesus away to the high priest… Mark 14:53 (NKJV)
We’re continuing our look at Mark’s description of the mock trial Jesus was subjected to by the religious establishment of His day. There are four different and distinct reactions to Jesus represented in this trial. Already, we’ve seen how people can misrepresent and question Jesus. And when people question Jesus, it often leads to the next reaction highlighted for us:
They all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Mark 14:64 (NKJV)
Those present at this trial judged Jesus worthy of death. All of them heard how He identified Himself as God’s Son (Mark 14:62) and concluded He wasn’t. Consequently, they judged there was just one thing left to do. They sentenced Him to death.
Today, people still pass judgment on Jesus. Something happens that leads these folks to conclude God was unfair or unloving. They determine He should have acted differently, and they condemn Him. “I could never trust or believe in Jesus because He….” But what they fail to understand is that He is the only worthy Judge, not them.
Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” Mark 14:65 (NKJV)
The fourth reaction we see is mockery. In its most graphic form, we see people mocking and ridiculing Jesus. To those who were present at this mock trial, He was regarded as nothing more than an object for their amusement and abuse. He was spit on, hit, and toyed with.
In a lot of ways, we see the same thing today. To some, Jesus is just a punch line, an object of amusement and abuse by those who don’t know and don’t care who He is.
We can misrepresent, question, judge, and even mock Jesus. Others have. Others do. But in doing so, they only end up hurting themselves, not Jesus. It’s far better and wiser to react to Him as He deserves…with adoration and obedience.
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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