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JESUS ARRESTED AND TRIED BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN

Mark 14:43-65

Key Verse 46

The men seized Jesus and arrested him.

Introduction

Through the previous passage, we learned that Jesus decided to obey the will of God through his prayer of intense spiritual struggle at the Garden of Gethsemane. It requires self-denial and life-giving struggle. If we want to live as a natural person, we don’t have to pray like Jesus. However, if we really want to live as a person of God’s mission, we must come to our own Gethsemane and pray like Jesus and make a firm and personal decision to commit our precious life to God. Today, we are going to study about how Jesus was arrested and how Jesus was tried. May God bless us to follow Jesus’ clear stand as the Promised Messiah before the wicked religious leaders of the time.

Read verses 43-49. Describe how Jesus was arrested. (43-46) What happened to one of Jesus’ disciples? (47, Jn 18:10) What can we learn from Jesus’ remarks? (48, 49)

1-1, Read verses 43-49.

43 Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.

44 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” 45 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 The men seized Jesus and arrested him. 47 Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

48 “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

1-2, Describe how Jesus was arrested. (43-46)

43 Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.

Judas Iscariot, the treasurer of Jesus’ company stood out here as the betrayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, accompanied by a crowd armed with swords.
They had been sent from the religious leaders. A kiss is a symbol of love. But Judas misused it as a symbol of betrayal.
Judas started out as a disciple, but when he followed Jesus without committing his heart to God, Judas became a betrayer and a man of tragedy.

1-3, What happened to one of Jesus’ disciples? (47, Jn 18:10)

47 Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

John 18:10 tells us that this was Peter. He drew his sword to fight. It was an expression of his loyalty to Jesus.
Here we see Peter’s readiness to do anything for Jesus. But his impulsive action was not at all helpful to Jesus.

1-4, What can we learn from Jesus’ remarks? (48, 49)

Jesus must have had a hard time by Judas’ betrayal. It was nothing but heartbreak, yet he was quiet and consistent. Jesus controlled the situation.
When He prayed, God must have helped Him to overcome the power of death. After prayer, Jesus was ready to be arrested like a criminal.
If only he could obey the will of God, nothing mattered to him. Jesus was calm because of his Gethsemane prayer.
Jesus pointed out that the Scriptures must be fulfilled. It is based on what the Scriptures said. Jesus is the Word of God. He is obedient to God’s Words.
Jesus was not hot tempered nor self authoritative. Rather he relied on the truth of God.

Read verses 50-54. What do the actions of Jesus’ disciples and a young man reveal about them? (50-52) To whom was Jesus taken? (53) What did Peter do? (54)

2-1, Read verses 50-54.

50 Then everyone deserted him and fled.

51 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, 52 he fled naked, leaving his garment behind. 53 They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together. 54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.

2-2, What do the actions of Jesus’ disciples and a young man reveal about them? (50-52)

50 Then everyone deserted him and fled.

51 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, 52 he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

Everyone deserted Jesus and fled. Most likely, they were primarily Jesus’ disciples and other followers. They were helpless in this situation.
It is said that perhaps this young man was Mark, the author of this gospel. He was a man with a willing spirit but a weak body.
Here we see Mark run away and abandon Jesus. But yet the same Mark, later became the writer of this very gospel.
How? Here we learn that God can change weak people into strong workers and make them useful.

2 Corinthians 12:9 reads,

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

2-3, To whom was Jesus taken? (53)

53 They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together.

Jesus was arrested and led to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest. At that time Jerusalem was crowded with pilgrims who came to celebrate the Passover.
They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together.
Reference about the difference between the High Priest and all the Chief Priests https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-qa/qa-archives/question/what-is-the-difference-between-chief-priests-and-high-priests/
This body of religious leaders is called the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin had 70 members.

2-4, What did Peter do? (54)

54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.

We can see how Peter was afraid. He followed Jesus at a distance and did not identify himself to the others.
Probably he was not ready to suffer with Jesus because of his lack of prayer.

Peter tried to expose his own weakness like his pen man, John Mark.

Read verses 55-65. Describe Jesus' trial. Why was He silent? (55-61a, Isa 53:7) How did Jesus testify about His identity? (61b, 62) What else did people do to Jesus? (63-65)

3-1, Read verses 55-65.

55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. 56 Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.

57 Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’” 59 Yet even then their testimony did not agree.

60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

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.”

63 The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. 64 “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.

3-2, Describe Jesus' trial. Why was He silent? (55-61a, Isa 53:7)

These false witnesses must have been paid to accuse Jesus just as Judas was paid to betray Jesus.
They must have probably repeated the accusations that Jesus himself had answered before.
They must have accused that Jesus cured the sick and drove out the demons by the power of Beelzebub.
They must have accused that Jesus broke the Sabbath by healing on the Sabbath.
They must have distorted and misinterpreted what Jesus did and said in their evil ways, but their statements did not agree.
“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.'”
This accusation was based on Jn 2:19. John tells us that he was talking about Jesus’ own body, and this was an early reference to his resurrection.
“Yet even then their testimony did not agree.” So their case was falling apart, and the priests were feeling frustrated at this point, because it looked like they could not find a legal ground to put Jesus to death.
Then the high priest stood up and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? But Jesus was silent.
So far, Jesus gave no answer. Nothing is more difficult than remaining silent when we are accused unfairly.
The silence of Jesus, in the midst of such inhumane treatment, tells us that Jesus was majestic and divine.
Through the Gethsemane prayer, Jesus had already decided to obey God’s will for world salvation.
Through the Gethsemane prayer, Jesus had prepared himself to drink the cup of suffering.
In other words, his silence came from his firm resolution to obey the will of God. In this way, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in 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 was silent, so he did not open his mouth.”

We are the ones who should be brutally accused because of our innumerable sins. But Jesus, the Sinless Son of God, was accused falsely in our places.

3-3, How did Jesus testify about His identity? (61b, 62)

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” 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.”

To the high priest’s great frustration, everything was falling apart and the Sanhedrin members were getting impatient.
The high priest had carefully planned this occasion and would not let it slip through his fingers.
He attempted to force Jesus to admit his guilt. The high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
As the last option, he used this question to charge Jesus with blasphemy. Blasphemy is defined as profane, insulting, or untrue speech about God.
All noise stopped and every ear fastened to what Jesus had to say. Jesus said, “I am.” Jesus clearly identified himself as the Christ, the Promised Messiah.
So far this claim was made by his own disciples. But before the murderous accusers Jesus clearly said that he was the Messiah and the Son of God.
As was prophesied concerning the Messiah, Jesus had to undergo trial, suffering and the pain of crucifixion for the sin of the world.
Jesus then would rise again, ascend to the heavens and sit at the right hand of God. He would come again in his glory to judge the living and the dead.
Jesus who was tried before the Sanhedrin will sit high as the Judge and the high priest and all Sanhedrin members who tried to condemn Jesus will be judged by Jesus accordingly.

3-4, What else did people do to Jesus? (63-65)

63 The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. 64 “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.

No sooner had Jesus confessed that He is the Messiah than they condemned Him to death. This was nothing but a kangaroo court, driven by a mob mentality.
There was no justice. There was no truth. Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists and said, “Prophesy!” and the guards took him and beat him.
We wonder why Jesus was tried and condemned in this unfair way. But Jesus was tried and tortured in our place in obedience to God’s will.
We are the ones who must be tried, beaten, spit on, tortured and condemned to death because of our sins.
But Jesus suffered all these things in our places. Jesus came and died for those who were not worthy to save. He died for us and our sins, in our places.

Isaiah 53:4-5 says,

“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Conclusion

Through today’s passage, we learned that Jesus could have defended himself. But he did not defend himself. Instead Jesus used his trial to clearly reveal his true identity as the Promised Messiah, by saying, “I am.” These days people have a very severe identity problem. But through Jesus, we learn that we should help people to find their identity through our Bible studies. May the Lord help us to share Jesus so that people may find their mission and identity. Amen.

One word: I AM!