Thursday Thought -- February 7, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any.  Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.  Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him:  ‘We heard him say, “I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.”’  Yet even then their testimony did not agree.  Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, ‘Are you not going to answer?  What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?’  But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.  Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’  ‘I am,’ said Jesus.  ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’  The high priest tore his clothes.  ‘Why do we need any more witnesses?’ he asked.  ‘You have heard the blasphemy.  What do you think?’  They all condemned him as worthy of death.” (Mark 14:55-64)

There was false testimony against Jesus.  The Sanhedrin (the Jewish Council) was looking for any evidence that could be used to accuse Jesus of doing something worthy of death.  But they could not find the evidence that they needed.  Not even the false testimony was sufficient to condemn Jesus to death.  It wasn’t because of the false testimony that Jesus was crucified.  Jesus was crucified because of His own testimony.  Jesus was crucified for telling the truth!

The truth that Jesus told the Sanhedrin was amazing.

Jesus said He was the Christ – God’s chosen One.

Jesus said He was the “Son of Man” – the biblical title given by God to His Messiah.

Jesus said He would sit at the right hand of the God Himself – the place of power.

Jesus said that He would come again from heaven.

All of those are true statements and all of those are amazing statements of Jesus’ identity and authority.  For those Jesus was crucified.  He was crucified because He told the truth and the Jewish authorities weren’t ready to hear it – weren’t willing to hear it.

Why should it surprise us that when we speak the truth – even amazing truth – sometimes people don’t believe it?  It’s always been that way.

His, by Grace,

Steve