Falsely Charging the Temple Builder
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
3/13/2016 PM
|
Text:
|
Mark 14:55-61
|
Psalters: |
166, 128, 368, 398 |
- The trial.
- The Sanhedrin sat in judgment of civil and criminal cases according to Jewish law.
- They had jurisdiction only over cases which did not involve capital punishment (which required Rome’s action).
- The Jews had not intended to conduct a trial, but wanted simply to have Jesus killed secretly.
- The “trial.”
- The trial was illegal.
- The trial really demonstrated Jesus’ innocence and condemned the Jewish nation as crooked and perverse.
- The charge brought against Jesus concerned Him in relationship to the temple.
- The temple was the house of God amongst His people in a covenant relationship of loving fellowship.
- The original earthly temple was in the garden of Eden where God and man dwelt, walked and talked together.
- God exercised grace and maintained His covenant in Immanuel.
- During this trial Jesus stood as the temple and as the temple builder.
- False witnesses (56), who are bribed to accuse Jesus, accuse Him of saying He would destroy the temple.
- Second, they accuse Him of saying He would rebuild another.
- While we would want to have shouted condemnation on them, Jesus “held His peace” (61a).
- Jesus was silent because He knew they were lying, and He knew God knew they were lying.
- Especially He was silent because He knew He was standing before the Jewish council in the stead of His people.
- He completes this task by working in our hearts the covenant life with God and in the eternal tabernacle of God in glory.