Falsely Charging the Temple Builder

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