Mark 14:53-72 | The Faithful Witness and Son of God

Sermon in a Sentence: The New Covenant (v22-25) is based on the faithfulness of Jesus (v53-54), so: see His innocence (14:55-60), trust His witness (v61-65), weep when you fail (v31, 37, 53-54, 66-72), and obey the word of Christ testified by His followers (16:6-7).

The New Covenant (v22-25) is based on the faithfulness of Jesus (v53-54), 

Mark 14:53–54

And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.

Birds-eye view of Mark:

(In Galilee & Judaea)

•Ch. 1-9:29 Jesus's Authority & Identity

•Ch. 8-10 Jesus's Mission & Call

(In & Near Jerusalem)

•Ch. 11-13 Jesus's Presence & Prophesy

•Ch. 14-16 Jesus's Covenant & Kingdom 

Immediate context of Mark 14:

•v1-11 Jesus is worshipped and anointed for His burial by a disciple while also being betrayed by both imposters and apostates.

•v12-26 Jesus institutes the supper of the New Covenant that will soon be inaugurated in His death and resurrection.

•v27-52 Jesus watches and prays in preparation for the cross, but His disciples sleep and run in shame.

•v53-72 Jesus gives witness before the Sanhedrin in trial while Peter sits with their servants, comforting himself around their fire and denying to know Jesus. 

so: see His innocence (14:55-59), 

Mark 14:55–59

55 And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. 56 For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. 57 And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, 58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. 59 But neither so did their witness agree together.

Q: Have you given much thought to the innocence of Jesus? For Jesus to justly satisfy the wrath of God for our sins in His death and resurrection, He could have no sin of His own.

trust His witness (v60-65), 

Mark 14:60–61

60 And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. …

Mark 14:61–64

61 … Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 

Some of the scriptures that are part of the messianic “mosaic” accepted in Jesus’s day were: Genesis 49:10; 2 Samuel 7:12-14; Psalm 1-2; 45; 110; Daniel 7:9-14; 9:25-26; Micah 5:2; Isaiah 11:1-4; 61:1-3.

Though Mark has not shared much of Jesus’s “Sonship” statements that you will read in the other Gospel accounts, he has recorded sufficient statements to know that Jesus spoke of Himself as the Son of God.

Notice: Mark 8:38; 13:32; 14:36.

In addition to the record of Jesus’s historical claims of identity, Mark has been arguing all along that Jesus is the “Son of God” through the title in the first verse, the words of the Father at Jesus’s baptism and transfiguration, the confession of the demons that Jesus is “the Son of God,” all the unprecedented divine miracles Jesus did, the teaching and authority of Jesus in connection with the Scriptures, and the centurion’s declaration of Jesus as “the Son of God” in chapter 15. There is no doubt that this (likely earliest) Gospel account is filled with claims that are arranged together to give an over-arching argument that Jesus is “the Son of God.”

Mark 14:61–64

62 And Jesus said, I am [possibly an echo to Exodus 3:14]: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power [an allusion to the “Priest-King” in Psalm 110], and coming in the clouds of heaven [an allusion to the divinely ruling “Son of man” in Daniel 7:9-14 and His own prophesy in ch. 13]. 63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? 64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.

To identify Himself as “the Son of God” on the throne of God was to identify Himself as equal with Yahweh.

Jesus not only claimed to be their Messiah, but also, He claimed to be their God.

Jesus's message of His name was so clear that they condemned Him on the spot for blasphemy according to their use of Leviticus 24:16. Jesus did in fact claim to be the eternally divine Son of God who would rule the kingdom of God in heaven and earth.

Mark 14:65

And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.

This mockery was directly connected to the messianic expectations we talked about earlier. This even shows an immediate connection between their mockery of Jesus’s claim to be Messiah and Isaiah 11.

Q: How does our world mock the claims of Jesus today? Are we found comforting ourselves with them while they do?

weep when you fail (v31, 37, 53-54, 66-72),

Mark 14:66–72

66 And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: 67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. 68 But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

69 And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. 70 And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto. 71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.

72 And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.

Q: How are you helped by God giving us the testimony of Peter’s denial? Convicted? Encouraged? Warned?

and obey the word of Christ testified by His followers (16:6-7).

Mark 16:6–7

7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

Consider: Acts 4:8-13; 18-20

Q: In whom is your trust? Whose testimony are you following?