JESUS WAS TRIED IN OUR PLACE

Mark 14:53-15:15
Key Verses: 14:61,62

     "But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the
     high priest asked him, 'Are you the Christ, the Son of the
     Blessed One?' 'I am,' said Jesus. 'And you will see the Son of
     Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on
     the clouds of heaven.'"

     Last Sunday we studied about Jesus' prayer in the Garden of
Gethsemane in order to obey God's will for world salvation. For this,
Jesus had to drink the cup of sufferings and die on a cross as the Lamb
of God (Jn 1:29). Why did Jesus have to drink the cup of sufferings? It
was because God intended to save the whole world through his Son's
death on the cross and resurrection. Jesus was ready to drink the
cup of sufferings.  Still, Jesus was overwhelmed with sorrow in his
humanness. For Jesus, there was only one way to overcome himself and
fulfill God's mission assigned to him: It was prayer. In order to solve
his agony of soul, he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prayed
all night, saying, "Abba, Father...Take this cup from me. Yet not what I
will, but what you will" (36). Luke the physician vividly described how he
prayed. Luke 22:44 says, "And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly,
and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." As we have
thought about Jesus' prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane, so we must learn
how to pray, going to the Garden of Gethsemane to commit ourselves to
God's mission. Otherwise, we cannot be a committed Christian for his
world salvation work. Many Christians shop around to find a church that
does not demand commitment to God. But one who has no commitment to
God very personally has no commitment to his wife, even if he has lived
with her a lifelong time. There is no true joy in a family of those who
just live without any commitment to each other. The commitment problem
is a deep problem to modern young people. They even think that one who
commits to God abandons his inalienable human right. The other day I
received a letter. One of our missionaries said, "I cannot commit 100%
to UBF because Mr. D's family is broken and never restored." He said
this because he has no commitment to God, so he has no commitment to UBF.
It is not because of Mr. D's divorced human condition. It is not easy to
make a commitment in our day where post modernism is prevailing. They
think commitment is a sin. But we must learn from Jesus that we must
pray as Jesus prayed, coming to the Garden of Gethsemane earnestly and
sincerely, until we can commit our lives to God.

     The title of today's passage is, "Jesus was tried in our place." When
we study this passage we see that Jesus was tried by many. But in the
midst of trial Jesus identified himself as the king of the Jews, the
Messiah who was promised to come. He never swayed; he said what he was
given by God as his mission. In order to say the truth, he was ready to
give up his life for the true testimony.

First, Jesus was tried before the Sanhedrin (14:53-65). The religious
leaders, the agents of the devil, arrested Jesus and took him to the
high priest.  They were members of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the
ruling council of the Jewish nation. Originally, they were chosen people
and a priestly nation (Ex 19:6). They were called to teach the  Bible
to the peoples of all nations so that the world might overflow with the
knowledge of God. But they abandoned God and became politicians under
the Roman rule.

     When God's chosen people turned out to be politicians, abandoning
God's mission to be Bible teachers, they became the devil. They should
have served Jesus. They should have been servants of God. But they
became judges and brought Jesus to the Sanhedrin. They made Jesus kneel
down on the ground like a criminal and seventy of them were sitting
as judges. They were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they
could put him to death. Many testified falsely against Jesus, but their
statements did not agree. Someone said in verse 58, "We heard him say,
'I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another,
not made by man.'" This testimony is written in John 2:19-22. It says,
"Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again
in three days.' The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to
build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?' But
the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the
dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the
Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken." Briefly speaking, Jesus
was talking about his death on the cross and rising from the dead on the
third day. Jesus was teaching them his death and resurrection. Jesus was
teaching them the key point of the Bible. But at that time, this kind of
statement was considered blasphemy. Blasphemy was the worst guilt. The
high priest asked Jesus, "Do you want to defend yourself for what you
told us about?"  Verse 61a says, "But Jesus remained silent and gave no
answer." In his humanness, Jesus could have defended himself because that
false testimony could take his life away. But Jesus remained silent. Jesus
did not defend himself to avoid false accusations. This one phrase, "Jesus
remained silent," tells us that Jesus is the holy God: Jesus transcended
mundane people's political intrigue. Jesus decided to obey the will of God
for world salvation through his death and resurrection. Jesus knew that
he would die as the Lamb of God as a ransom sacrifice for the sin of the
world. Jesus knew that he would be condemned by their false accusation.
So Jesus did not open his mouth. This reminds us of Isaiah 53:7, "He
was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led
like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is
silent, so he did not open his mouth." These days when someone faces
a problem, he first hires an attorney for himself and wants to defend
himself. Once I went to the court to see about one of our church members'
court decision. The opponents' attorney was teaching his client how to
lie with confidence and made him rehearse more than 25 times. So our
church member, who did not rehearse his statement, lost–even though he
was right. All human beings are like the one who hired an attorney for
his case.  But Jesus is different. He looks almighty and he says what
is given from God. He never hires an attorney.

     Again the high priest asked Jesus, "Are you the Christ, the Son
of the Blessed One?" (61) The high priest asked this question so as to
charge Jesus with blasphemy. The priest asked Jesus if he was the Messiah
promised to come. If the priest believed in God's word, he should have
welcomed Jesus. But he arrested Jesus and was trying Jesus with the word
he was waiting for. Here, "the Son of the Blessed One" is the Messiah who
was promised to come. What did Jesus answer? Look at verse 62. "'I am,'
said Jesus. 'And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of
the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'" In this verse Jesus
testified that he is the Messiah. As the Messiah, Jesus had to undergo
trial, suffering and the pain of crucifixion for the sin of the world
as the Lamb of God. But Jesus warned them that after his resurrection
the Son of Man would sit at the right hand of the Mighty One. Jesus also
warned them that he would come again on the clouds of heaven to judge the
living and the dead. This warning was the good news of great joy. But
they did not understand what Jesus was saying to them. It was because
they were blinded by their small authority as Sanhedrin members. At
that time Sanhedrin members were like the Congressmen of Sudan. They
did not listen to the Son of the Almighty. They tried him to find a
false charge.  It is really ironical. It is the most sad and comical
irony. Those who are living in this world know how to exercise their
freedom of speech. But they do not know how to honor God as God. They do
not know how to please God, who is God Almighty. What is more, the fact
that these chosen servants of God were trying Jesus should not have been
done. But they did so because the chosen servants of God became the devil
when they did not try to follow God's mission. As human beings, there are
many tragedies. But the most humiliating tragedy is to be tried falsely.

     How did the high priest respond to Jesus' words? He tore his
pompous high priestly garment as if he were a man of holy righteousness
and condemned Jesus for speaking blasphemy when he talked about the
temple. Even a little child can know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son
of the Blessed One, through Jesus' divine words and deeds. But the high
priest cheated his conscience and condemned Jesus as a man of blasphemy
who deserved the death penalty. The high priest not only deceived his
conscience, but also he gave the vilest influence to his people. At the
high priest's words, people became as evil as the high priest. They all
condemned Jesus as worthy of death. By the high priest's bad influence,
people became the entertainers of sadistic joy. Then some began to spit
at Jesus; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said,
"Prophesy!" And the guards took him and beat him (65). Here we learn
that one person's bad influence can ruin a community and a whole nation
and at last the whole world. Jesus was tried by the Sanhedrin members.
In fact, Jesus was tried in such a way by his chosen people. But in light
of God's point of view, Jesus was tried and tortured in our place. Each
of us must be tried and tortured because of our own sins. But Jesus took
over such a terrible trial in our place. Jesus took up all our iniquities
and transgressions and was tried in such a way (Isa 53:4-6). Praise
Jesus! Jesus is our true friend. Jesus is our high priest. Jesus was
tried in our place.

Second, Peter disowns Jesus (66-72). How can we imagine that Jesus'
top disciple would deny Jesus? It is totally unbelievable. Anyway
Peter denied Jesus three times. It was because he was paralyzed by
fear. When Jesus was being dragged to the Sanhedrin to be tried, Peter
followed Jesus, keeping a distance. He went into the courtyard of the
high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the
fire. Obviously, at that time Peter covered his nose with his head
covering so as not to be noticed by anyone. But a servant girl saw
him there warming himself. She looked closely at him. Then she said,
"You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus."  But Peter denied it. Again
the girl saw him there. She said again to those who were standing around,
"This fellow is one of them." Again Peter denied it (70). After a little
while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surely you are one of them,
for you are a Galilean" (you don't speak Jerusalem English). Peter loved
Jesus so much that he was ready to lay down his life for Jesus (31). Now
Jesus was on trial. There was a danger that he was to be arrested as
one of Jesus' disciples. Yet Peter loved Jesus; he was so loyal to Jesus
that he was ready to die for him. But his loyalty was no more than human
loyalty. Peter didn't mean to do so. But as soon as that servant girl
told him three times that he was one of Jesus' company, he felt as if
he got a penicillin shock. In his helplessness, he called down curses
on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking
about" (71). As soon as Peter denied Jesus, immediately a rooster crowed
the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him,
"...before the rooster crows twice, you will disown me three times." And
he broke down and wept (72). Peter was broken. But he was not broken in
despair. When he broke down, he was not broken; his huge sin of a rocky
mount was broken. When he wept, he did not weep out of regret, but he
wept with joy that he would see the Risen Christ face to face again.

     Before he was arrested, Jesus warned Peter by quoting Zechariah 13:7,
"I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered." But Peter
did not listen to Jesus because he was very upset that his loyalty
was not recognized by Jesus 100% at the moment. Mark 14:31 says,
"But Peter insisted emphatically, 'Even if I have to die with you, I
will never disown you.'" We remember that despite their childish faith,
Jesus gave his disciples a glorious and hopeful promise of meeting again
face to face after his resurrection. Mark 14:28 says, "But after I have
risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." This promise was indeed a
glorious promise.  This promise suggests Jesus' rising from the dead on
the third day. This promise suggests that Jesus wins the final victory
over sin and death.  This promise suggests that Jesus, the Messiah,
would give us eternal life and the kingdom of God through his death
and resurrection. One young man was exemplary in his life of faith. He
studied the Bible. He also taught the Bible to other students. But he
had no specific promise of God in his heart, especially about Jesus'
death and resurrection. One day suddenly his family members persecuted
him for spending too much time at the church and not being mindful at
all of his family members. Then the devil came into his heart. He began
to drink little by little. Later, he became a drunkard. Later, he became
a man of frustration. Therefore, we must have a specific promise of God
in our hearts which is the only clout for our life of faith.

Third,  Jesus was tried before Pilate (15:1-15). Since the Jews had no
right to execute criminals, they handed Jesus over to Pilate. Pilate was a
Roman governor of Judea. In reality, Pilate had nothing to do with Jesus
because it was a matter of Jewish religion. If he had declared that he
had nothing to do with Jewish religion, he might have saved himself. But
he attempted a political compromise with the Jews, and he invited eternal
disaster upon himself. Pilate on the throne heard the Jewish verdict that
Jesus claimed to be the Christ, which meant King of kings. It implied
a rebellion against the Roman Emperor. As soon as Pilate saw Jesus, he
asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" (2) "Yes, it is as you say,"
Jesus replied. Pilate, however, knew that it was the jealousy problem
of the Jewish religious leaders. So he wanted to rescue Jesus from
the hand of the Jews. Pilate hoped that Jesus would defend himself. So
he asked him, "Your people accused you of many things. So it is right
for you to answer my question." Verse 5 says, "But Jesus still made no
reply, and Pilate was amazed." Jesus did not reply to Pilate because the
Sanhedrin had already decided to destroy him. Pilate the governor was in
deep trouble because Jesus did not answer his question. Pilate felt that
terrible disaster had pounced upon him. He trembled because his wife had
a nightmare about Jesus and told him, "Don't bother Jesus of Nazareth"
(Mt 27:19). But Jesus was peaceful.

     Here, the miserable person was not Jesus on trial, but Pilate the
governor on the throne. Pilate was a smart person. He knew the tradition
and the mentality of the Jews. Now it was the day of custom to release a
prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison
with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The
crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did
(7-8). Wishing that an innocent person like Jesus would be released,
Pilate asked, "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?"

     What was the response? The chief priests stirred up the crowd to have
Pilate release Barabbas instead. Pilate exclaimed, "What shall I do, then,
with the one you call the king of the Jews?" At the moment people shouted,
"Crucify him!" Pilate's heart sank. In verse 14 Pilate asked, "Why? What
crime has he committed?" Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent. Pilate
felt that Jesus was more than a man. But they shouted all the louder,
"Crucify him!" Here we see clearly how the devil works. First, they
plant doubt in the hearts of people. Next, they mislead people with small
benefit. Then they become irrational. They become communist party members
in history. And they shout what they do not know. They shout what they
do not know. They are the most miserable and petty people who can be
servants of the devil.

     Pilate looked at the audience. He put his fingers in his ears so as
not to hear the crowds' shouting. At the moment, he felt that his heart
was failing. Finally, he succumbed to the Jews' intimidation and in order
to please the Jewish leaders he had Jesus flogged, and handed over to be
crucified. Why did Pilate the Roman Governor of Judea do this cowardly
act? It was because he did not know the truth. If he knew the word of
God's promise, for example, "I am the way, the truth and the life,"
(Jn 14:6) he could have overcome the Sanhedrin members' pressure. But
he had no truth, that is, the word of God, in his heart. He succumbed
to their pressure.

     We are the ones who should be flogged to death and crucified because
of our sins. But our friend and heavenly Father Jesus was flogged and
handed over to be crucified. Out of helplessness, Pilate handed him
over to them to be crucified. But history testifies that Pilate did not
condemn Jesus to death--Pilate condemned himself, and put himself into
eternal condemnation.

     When we study Mark's gospel, we see that people, even the Gentile
people, liked Jesus. After defeating Satan's temptation in the wilderness
through fasting prayer for 40 days, Jesus launched the earthly messianic
ministry. When Jesus began his ministry, he wanted to win men over to
God so that they may be saved. So he said in Mark 1:15, "The kingdom of
God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" Even if Jesus delivered
the message of repentance, people were happy and many repented and
followed Jesus. Those who accepted Jesus rejoiced, believing that they
have eternal life and the kingdom of God in Jesus. Those who followed
Jesus experienced heavenly joy.

     Jesus chose twelve disciples from among low-class people. Peter was
born to be a fisherman. It was very hard for him to turn his back on the
sea and follow Jesus who was telling the same old, old story again and
again. But a miracle happened. God changed his desire of being a man of
the sea into a desire to learn of Jesus and grow up to be a disciple of
Jesus. Peter was not formally educated. But people of the world say that
he is the best teacher who ever lived because he learned of Jesus and
because he had the word of life in his heart. It is because he was ready
to be tried in order to proclaim the gospel of Jesus at any time. As
legend says, during the time he was witnessing to the word of Jesus,
he was arrested and tried and crucified upside down.

     When Jesus saw 5,000 people, Jesus had great compassion on them
(Mk 6:34). Jesus taught them the word of life all day long without
eating. During the time of his earthly messianic ministry, Jesus opened
the eyes of the blind. Jesus healed the men with leprosy. Jesus wept for
sorrowful people. Jesus became a father to the Samaritan woman. Jesus
became a friend to a lonely tax collector. But those who were loved by
Jesus so dearly forgot the grace of Jesus. Now they were under the bad
influence of the religious leaders. Now they became spiritually blind.
They sided with the Pharisees, the devil. They shouted, "Crucify
him! Crucify him!" Human beings are good and evil. They were like sheep
to a good shepherd. But now they were cub tigers fighting for the prey.

     Today we studied how Jesus was tried, humiliated and beaten up.
Jesus, who is the Judge of all, was tried and tortured in our place. We
are the ones to be tried and condemned because of our iniquities and
transgressions. But Jesus was tried and condemned in our place. So Romans
8:1 says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are
in Christ Jesus." By his trial he freed us from eternal condemnation.
Therefore, those who are suffering from a guilty conscience, or from
a sense of condemnation: Come to Jesus and receive true freedom and
salvation. Jesus also taught that he is the Son of God and he will come
again. Praise Jesus that in the midst of trial he declared he is the
Son of God and he comes again to judge the living and the dead. Praise
Jesus who was tried in our places. Let's prepare ourselves to be tried
for his name's sake.


STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Read verses 53, 55-59. Where was Jesus taken? What was the Sanhedrin?
   What kind of evidence were they looking for? What does this show about
   this meeting? Why was their testimony so obviously false? (Jn 2:19-22)

2. Read 14:60-61a. How did Jesus answer the false charges?  (Isa 53:7)
   Read 14:61b-62. What question did the high priest ask Jesus? What
   was Jesus' clear answer?  What did he teach them and us about
   himself? About his faith?

3. Read verses 63-65. How did the high priest and Sanhedrin react to
   the truth?  What did they do to Jesus? What does this show about them?

4. Read 14:54, 66-72. Meanwhile, what was Peter doing? Why was he
   spiritually unprepared? How does he reveal this? What happened to
   him? Why did he break down and weep?

5. Read 15:1 What decision did the Sanhedrin make and where did they
   take Jesus? Read 15:2-5. What did Pilate ask Jesus? What did this
   question imply?  How did Jesus answer? What amazed Pilate?

6. Read 15:6–13. What did Pilate know about the Sanhedrin and about Jesus?
   What did Pilate suggest?  Why? Why was this a compromise solution? In
   what sense was Pilate on trial? How did the people respond?  Why?

7. Read 15:13-15. What second compromise did Pilate propose? What was
   his decision? Why did he hand Jesus over to be crucified? In what
   sense was Jesus tried in our place? (Isa 53:4-6; Ro 8:1)