Corona Chronicles - Crown of Thorns

Welcome back to Corona Chronicles. Jesus has just been arrested so Judas has appeared with this mob and they've arrested him. And now he's being brought before the Sanhedrin on trial. And it's an illegal trial because normally if you were arrested in the evening, you'd have to wait till the morning sort of for everyone to get their, I guess, bits of paper together, get the right people involved, but they've rushed Jesus straight into a trial here. So that's that's dodgy and then we'll see what else is dodgy as we read this.

So with verse 53 of chapter 14 Mark's Gospel. They took Jesus to the high priest and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together. Peter followed him at a distance right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warned himself at the fire. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedron 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 temple made with human hands and in 3 days I will build another. Not made with hands.

Yet even their testimony did not agree. Then the high priests 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 Messiah, the son of the blessed 1? I am. Said Jesus. And you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the mighty 1 and coming on the clouds of heaven. The high priest tore his clothes Why do we need any more witnesses he asked?

You've heard this blast from any. What do you think? They all condemned him as worthy of death. Then some began to spit at him, they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists and said, prophesy and the guards took him and beat him. Heating up, isn't it?

Yeah. The the the Sanhedron, the chief priests, and the rulers, and the elders, they they they've got Jesus right where they want him. They've been, you know, from early in March they've been trying to get And it's amazing. Given how quickly they've rushed this trial, all of them are there, aren't they? Yeah.

Yeah. That's right. And and all the chief presi elders in the teacher -- Yeah. -- together. And and they, you know, they've done their best in lining up witnesses -- Mhmm.

Yep. -- useless. They're absolutely useless. Yeah. They should stick to, you know, religion, really.

They're not not going to, you know -- Yeah. -- don't don't become lawyers. Don't become lawyers. I mean, but but again, it's because it's a mockery of a trial. It's, you know, it's when when evidence is clear and and it's it's convincing, it's not it's not hard.

Yes. The reason why it's hard here is because really haven't got a leg to stand on. No. But they but even so, they they they're determined to destroy this man to, you know, to to to put him to death. Yep.

So they they they basically chuck in whoever they can find. And that's when we find out many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. Yeah. I mean, the the the best they can do is use his own words against him -- Yes. -- and Even that they get wrong.

That's right. Yeah. They don't really remember -- I mean, they basically have to they Jesus is I mean, you said this earlier. Jesus is sitting and going, my days. They, you know, they could they couldn't punch their way.

I might actually get out of this. If they don't get their act together -- Yeah. -- which is not what he wants. Jesus is in full control here. Yeah.

As we've seen before leading up to this event, he's every step towards the cross, Jesus has made himself no one's pushed him down it. And so this is another step this this mock trial. Yeah. And he has to be seen as guilty. But as you say, yeah, they're doing a quarrel He's like holding up his hand.

Yeah. Put the cuffs on me here, but they're doing a terrible job, you know. And I guess it's because he lives a perfect life, didn't he? Exactly. They're they're trying to I mean, he lived their laws perfectly -- Yeah.

-- better than But but he also broke their laws as well. Yes. They they they made up what traditions -- Yeah. -- it added on 600 odd -- Yeah. -- laws to to the law of Moses -- Yeah.

-- and and he broke completely at them. But absolutely right. You should have broken them. Yeah. But they obviously They're just man made.

May maybe maybe they do bring them up here. Maybe these are some of the false testament. Yes. But there's obviously not Maybe because Jesus has dealt with their hypocrisy before, they don't dare to because it says earlier, you know, no 1 dared ask you any more questions. You shouldn't trap him.

So yeah, they know they can't trap him. So now this is desperate sort of -- Yeah. -- it's a last ditch. How can we get him? How can we get him?

Yeah. I mean, and and again, like, they they're they're sort of trying to get him they're trying to sort of goad him and get him to sort of declare his innocence, but he won't play ball. He He, you know and and the chief priest in the end has to say, what what have you got to say for yourself? Yep. And and even then, he like, he's Jesus is showing that he's in con he's in total control -- Yes.

-- because he he's not he's like no. I'm not gonna play ball. You want me to answer, I'm gonna be silent here. Yeah. You know, and and like those kinds of words -- Mhmm.

-- he remained silent kind of point us back to old testament prophecies as well. Right. Where, you know, I think Isaiah 53 where as a lamb is silent before Hishear I mean, silent. And it's a judgment on them, isn't it? Because in all of his ministry, Jesus has been correcting, rebuking, trying to teach the the these pharisees and these chief priests and trying to hold a mirror up and show them their hypocrisy, but now he stopped that -- Yeah.

-- which is quite frightening really. Yeah. Because now the the the word of the Lord has been shut to you. Yeah. And he's not gonna speak to you anymore.

And so so in in the end, they go for the big 1. Is, you know, are you the Messiah? Yeah. Are you the the son of the blessed 1? And Jesus says, I am.

Yep. And, you know, maybe that is a reference to the fact that he's claiming to be yahweh. Mhmm. You know, but if if if there's any doubt around that, his very next words are, I mean, you know, talk about getting the petrol cannon tipping it all over your head and you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the mighty 1 and coming on the clouds of heaven. You know, he's claiming to be -- Yeah.

-- the son of man in Daniel 7. There's no doubt about it, is it? I mean, the high priests tears his clothes. Yeah. High priests will know more than any others, his scripture.

Yeah. And he'll know exactly what Jesus is saying. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.

Which is funny because that, you know, I suppose something that a lot of Muslims are taught is that Jesus never claims to be God. Yeah. And a lot of people think Jesus is just a good teacher. Yeah. How many of those people have seen this verse where they say, are you the Messiah, the son of the blessed 1?

And Jesus saying, I am. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's not meek and mild walking to the cross nice sort of Jesus.

Is it? That's this is this is Jesus claiming to be Yahweh, the the almighty ruler of heaven and earth. And and the only thing they can get him on is a blasphemy charge. You know, that's right. And but they they we come to find out they need more.

Yes. Because that's not gonna wash with with the Roman authorities. Yeah. That's just that's your -- Yeah. -- little -- That's your squabble.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They need something you know, if they could if they could get him on his threatening violence and riot -- Yeah. -- then we could actually pin something on him.

Yes. But, you know, all they get him on is is trumped up blasphemy charge. Mhmm. And, you know, and they but they all but they but they go with it that's all they can do, and so that's what they that's what they they that's what sticks for them. And so that's why they all condemned him as worthy of death We see again at the end, right at the end.

Another another sort of proof that Jesus is walking towards the cross here, even though they've arrested him and they've condemned him to death is him who's walking because -- Yeah. -- they they blindfold him and they say prophesy. And they're saying this to the 1 who's been prophesying his whole ministry and has spoken to the to the raging sea and and the, you know, the storm and says quiet. So with 1 word, he could blow them all away. And yet he remained silent because it's it's his will -- Yeah.

-- that he walks towards across. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, in, you know, we we we go from here. Again, the the last the very last line and the guards took him and beat him and again I just think although this is a story, this is a it is a picture of his last days and there's no there's no commands here that we can sort of go, well, you know, this is how it applies Yep.

But but remember Isaiah 53 -- Yeah. -- by his stripes, we are healed. Mhmm. You know? So there is stuff here that we we can apply to our current situation in our lives.

Yep. The stuff here we can praise God for, isn't it? You know? Great. We're saved by this Messiah.

Yeah. By his he took the beating for us. Yeah. Which is amazing, isn't it? Oh, let's leave it there.