Today’s passage: Mark 14:53-72
Helpful thoughts:
- They were seeking testimony against Jesus, “but they found none.” Jesus is without sin.
- As long as the questioning from the Sanhedrin was based on the false witnesses, Jesus did not speak. When he was asked a question directly concerning himself, he answered.
- Jesus’ official “crime” was this: Jesus called himself the Christ, the Son of God.
- By judging Jesus as guilty and worthy of death, the Sanhedrin’s official position of Jesus’ claim was that he was NOT the Son of God. They officially rejected Jesus as the Messiah!
- Jesus went to the cross (From man’s perspective) because Israel rejected Him.
Questions to consider:
- How important is the accusation and the verdict in this unlawful trial? How fitting is it that Jesus was found guilty of revealing who He really is and that what was required for our Savior to go to the cross was for Israel to reject Him?
- While the Jewish officials were busy denying Jesus, what was Peter doing? What other sins did Peter commit in order to try to convince others of his denial?
- In what way did Peter show sorrow for his sin initially? What might he have felt sorrow over? How did he later evidence that his sorrow was a godly sorrow?