The High Priest Tears His Clothes - Mark 14:63

Mark wrote how men captured Jesus and led Him to be tried before the religious leaders. After many false witnesses came before them to testify, Mark shared how, “the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answer you nothing? what is it which these witness against you? 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? And Jesus said, I am: and you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven”, and in chapter fourteen and verse sixty-three of his book, Mark shared how “the high priest rent his clothes” where we read:

Then the high priest rent his clothes, and said, What need we any further witnesses?

The verse reads, “Then the high priest rent his clothes, and said, ...”. Mark began with the words, “Then the high priest” which means “therefore, wherefore and moreover the chief priest” “rent” or “tore as an expression of extreme indignation and deep grief” “his clothes” which means “the high priest's tunic, shirt or outer garments”, “and said” or “and uttered, declared and proclaimed”. Mark shared how the “high priest” tore his clothing in grief after he heard Jesus declare Himself to be the Messiah and God's Son.

The verse continues, “... What need we any further witnesses?” Mark added the words, “what need we” which means “what necessity, business or duty do the high priest and religious leaders have for” “any further witnesses” or “any more testifiers or record givers”? Mark shared how the “high priest” rhetorically questioned why he and the other religious leaders needed to have any other “witnesses” to come before them.

When we meditate upon Mark's words in this verse, we see how the “high priest” was convinced he had enough evidence against Jesus to convict Him because Jesus declared Himself to be the “Messiah” and “Son of God”. We shall see how the “high priest” considered Jesus' statement as “blasphemy”, but Jesus spoke the truth. He is the “Christ”, God's “Messiah” and Son, and He came to the world to save people from their sins. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (See John 3:16). God's desire is for everyone to live with Him throughout eternity, and this was made possible by Jesus coming to the earth to suffer and die for the “sins” which separated people from God. Those who are wise will believe and trust Jesus' words, and those who are unwise will be as this “high priest” who believe Jesus was lying and committed “blasphemy” for saying He is the “Christ and God's Son”.

Next time Mark shares how the high priest says, “you have heard the blasphemy”, 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".