Friday, September 10, 2021

Are You the Christ? - Mark 14:61

Mark wrote how those who captured Jesus led Him, “away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. 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. And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, 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. But neither so did their witness agree together. And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answer you nothing? what is it which these witness against you?”, and in chapter fourteen and verse sixty-one of his book, Mark shared how the high priest asked Jesus, “are you the Christ?, where we read:

But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him,

and said unto him, Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

The verse reads, “But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, ...”. Mark began with the words, “but he held his peace” which means “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover Jesus remained silent”, “and answered nothing” or “and did not respond or say a word”. “Again the high priest” which means “yet another time the chief priest” “asked him” or “questioned, inquired of and accosted Jesus with a request and demand”. Mark shared how Jesus “remained silent” without speaking a word, so the “high priest” questioned Him another time.

The verse continues, “... and said unto him, Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? Mark added the words, “and said unto him” which means “and uttered, declared, proclaimed and asked Jesus”, “are you the Christ” or “are you, Jesus, the anointed One and Messiah”, “the Son of the Blessed” which refers to “the offspring and progeny or God who is to be praised and adored”? Mark shared how the “high priest” asked Jesus whether He was the “Messiah” and “the Son of God”.

When we think through Mark's words in this verse, we notice how the “high priest” became irritated at Jesus not responding to His accusers, so He went directly to what he and the religious leaders wanted to use as an inditement against Him. If Jesus answered that He was the “Messiah” and “God's Son”, the “high priest” and religious leaders would have a cause to accuse Him, and they could put Him to death. What they did not realize is that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah and the Son of God, and they were attempting to put Him to death. Jesus went through this process even though He was the “Creator” of every one of these accusers because He desired to “save” people from their “blind and sinful” ways. Anyone who yields their life to Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord” shall be forgiven of their “sins” and inherit “everlasting life” from God. Those who do not shall find themselves questioning and condemning the only One who is able to give them “eternal salvation”.

Next time Mark shares how “Jesus said, I am”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites,
http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".








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