False testimony - Mark 14:58
This false testimony was either an intentional distortion or an accidental misunderstanding of Jesus' words in John 2:19.
Jesus was silent. - Mark 14:60-61
The high priest was so frustrated by the contradictory false testimony that he took over the interrogation himself. Jesus was
silent in fulfillment of Isa. 53:7.
Are you the Christ? - Mark 14:61-62
The high priest asked a two part question. First he asked,
Are you the Christ? Mark began his gospel with this title (1:1) and Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ (the Messiah) at the climax of the first half of the gospel (8:29). Throughout the gospel Jesus avoided calling himself the Christ and told others not to do it either because such an announcement would stir up expectations that would limit his opportunities to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom. Now the hour of his crucifixion was fast approaching and that was no longer an issue. Jesus said
I am. In the second part of his question the high priest asked if he was
The Son of the Blessed. The Blessed One was a title that was frequently used by the rabbis as a substitute for the name of God.
Son of the Blessed would mean
Son of God. Interpreters debate whether the high priest intended
Son of the Blessed to refer to a divine Son of God, or was only using it as a synonym for
Christ. In either case Jesus quickly quoted Dan. 7:13 and Ps. 110:2 applying the title
Son of Man to himself and claiming that in the future they would see him ruling the universe at God's right hand.
Blasphemy - Mark 14:63-64
The high priest and the rest of the Sanhedrin understood Jesus' words as
blasphemy and condemned him for it. According to Lev.24:13-16 blasphemy was to be punished by execution. The high priest
tore his clothes as a sign of his grief at Jesus' words. (See 2 Kgs 19:1.)
Peter denies Christ. - Mark 14:66-71
While Jesus was being tried, condemned, and beaten inside the high priest's residence, Peter was being tried in a different way outside in the
courtyard. How Peter gained access to the court of the high priest is debated. According to John 18:15-18 an unnamed disciple knew the high priest and won access for himself and for Peter. Most likely John was that disciple. John gained access because of his personal relationship with the high priest. (Clearly this destroys the myth that all of Jesus' followers were lower class citizens with no connections to the Jewish aristocracy.) Peter failed under the questioning of a
servant girl. He
denied that he knew Jesus and
put himself under curses. His accent identified him as a
Galilean. (See Matt. 26:69.) See
WCF 5.5;
WLC 78.
Peter remembered. - Mark 14:72
When the
rooster crowed, Peter
remembered that a few hours earlier Jesus had predicted his denial and he had foolishly boasted of his faithfulness (14:30, 31). (See Luke 22:61 which notes that Jesus caught Peter's eye at that critical moment. Perhaps Jesus glanced out through an open doorway or window into the courtyard at just that moment and their eyes met.) The flow of thought in this chapter makes it likely that Mark wanted his readers to see a connection between the failure of Peter and the other disciples to watch and pray (14:37-41) and their failure to remain faithful. The failures of Peter, Judas, and the rest of the disciples were reminders to the Roman Christians that no one was immune to grievous sin.
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