Falsely Accused and Condemned

Introduction

There’s an old story of a man who had been falsely accused by a prominent merchant. The accused man went to the house of the merchant to try to explain and resolve the situation. A servant went upstairs to the office to tell the merchant that the man was there. The merchant called out loudly to the servant to tell the man that the merchant wasn’t at home. Calmly and with an even tone, the man looked up the stairs and said, “God put you in a better mind, friend.” This calm reply kept echoing in the merchant’s mind. Finally, he was so disturbed by it that went to the man and made things right. Then he asked him the secret of remaining in control of himself in the face of such abuse. In Mark 14:53-65, Jesus shows amazing strength and self-control in the face of false accusations at an illegal mock trial. Study the passage to see and learn from Jesus’ example.

Observation

Pray

Before you study this passage, ask the Author - God - to help you understand it so you can learn more about who He is and how you should respond to Him.

Read Focus Verses

Read Mark 14:53-65 and notice the contrast between how Jesus acts in this passage and how the religious rulers - priests, elders, and scribes - act.

Where?

Where did they take Jesus after they arrested Him?

Who?

Who was there according to verse 53?

Following

Who followed Jesus and how in verse 54?

Intent

What was the intention of the council according to verse 55?

Witnesses

What do verses 56-59 say about the witnesses they brought in?

Questions

What questions did the high priest ask Jesus?

First Reply

How did Jesus respond to the first question in verse 61?

Second Reply

According to verse 62, how did Jesus answer the second question?

Fire Storm

What was the response to Jesus' reply according to verses 63-64?

Mistreatment

What does verse 65 say about how they treated Jesus?

Keyword - Jesus

Jesus is the main Character of these verses. Marking each reference to Him will help you see Him throughout the passage.

Jesus Christ

Mark each time Jesus is named or referenced in Mark 14:53-65.

Keywords - Religious Leaders

Marking the "bad guys" in the story can help you see the contrast between them and Jesus.

Religious Leaders

Mark the references to the religious leaders - priests, elders, and scribes - in Mark 14:53-65.

Interpretation

Sanhedrin

This short video explains a bit about the Council that was running the trial of Jesus.

On the Council

The Gospel of Mark has previously introduced us to the kinds of people who were on the Sanhedrin. Consider their reaction to Jesus all the way back in Mark 3:1-6.

Predetermined

Mark 14:1-2 reveals that they had pre-determined the outcome of the mock trial.

The Religious Leaders

What did these religious leaders think of Jesus?

Intention

What was their intention for this trial?

Illegal

The Sanhedrin broke many of their own laws in this trial of Jesus. Here are a few of them from an article by GotQuestions: "The trials before Jewish authorities, the religious trials, showed the degree to which the Jewish leaders hated Him because they carelessly disregarded many of their own laws. There were several illegalities involved in these trials from the perspective of Jewish law: (1) No trial was to be held during feast time. (2) Each member of the court was to vote individually to convict or acquit, but Jesus was convicted by acclamation. ... (5) No trial was to be held at night, but this trial was held before dawn. (6) The accused was to be given counsel or representation, but Jesus had none. ..."

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In Your Words

In your own words, how would you describe this trial of Jesus?

Harder or Easier

Do you think the foul play on the part of His captors made it harder or easier for Jesus to respond in a way that pleased the Father?

No Witnesses

1 John 3:5 explains why they weren't able to find witness against Jesus.

Never Sinned

Why couldn't they find witness against Jesus?

Innocent

How do you tend to respond when people accuse you of something but you know you did nothing wrong?

Contrast

How did Jesus respond when people were accusing Him of things when He had done nothing wrong?

Strength of Character

If you've ever been falsely accused, you know how strong the desire to defend yourself is. What does it reveal about Jesus Christ and His character that He chose to remain silent?

Prophesy

Consider the prophesy in Isaiah 53:7-8 about this unjust trial and Christ's silence.

As a Lamb

How did Jesus's trial and response fulfill these prophecies?

Fulfilled

Did Jesus fulfill these prophecies?

Leaving an Example

Consider what 1 Peter 2:21-25 says about how we should respond to this.

Christians

According to these verses, how is Jesus' response during His trial an example that Christians should follow?

Blasphemy

To understand what happened next, look at what Leviticus 24:16 says about blasphemy.

Penalty

What was the penalty for blasphemy according to the Old Testament Law?

Highest Form

Can you think of a worse kind of blasphemy than claiming to be God if you aren't?

Trick Question

The religious leaders of Jesus' day knew that He claimed to be God. With what you just saw about the consequences of blasphemy, why do you think the high priest asked the question He did in today's passage?

Jesus' Answer

Look again at Jesus' very clear answer in Mark 14:64.

The Christ

The high priest asked if Jesus was the Christ or Messiah - the Promised Savior. What did Jesus say?

The Son of God

The high priest also asked if Jesus was the Son of God. What did Jesus say?

On the Right Hand

Jesus didn't just stop by saying, "I am." He went further and said that He was the fulfillment of two glorious prophecies of the Messiah. Read the first one in Psalm 110:1.

Coming in Clouds

Now read Daniel 7:13-14 which is the second passage Jesus is referencing.

Very Clear

Why do you think Jesus referenced these passages to clarify who He was claiming to be?

God's Right Hand

The second to last verse of Mark - 16:19 - shows when Jesus fulfilled the first of the Scriptures Jesus quoted in His answer to the high priest.

Coming with Clouds

Revelation 1:5-7 talks about when He will fulfill the second of these Scriptures.

After the Resurrection and Ascension

When did Jesus fulfill the first part of what He said in today's passage?

Rapture

When will Jesus fulfill the second part of His statement?

Yes!

If Jesus was not God, would His statement have been blasphemy?

The Answer

The Gospel of Mark opens with a statement about who Jesus really is. Read Mark 1:1 and see what it says about whether or not Jesus' claims were true.

Blasphemy or Truth?

According to Mark 1:1, was Jesus' statement blasphemy or truth?

Mistreated for Me

The last verse of today's passage describes some of the ways they mistreated and mocked Jesus. Consider what Isaiah 53:3-6 prophesied about this.

For Me

For whom was Jesus mistreated?

Once More

Read Mark 14:53-65 once more and consider what it reveals about Jesus Christ.

About Jesus

What do we learn about Jesus and what He's like in these verses?

Great Contrast

What do we learn from the contrast between the religious rulers (who claimed to worship and represent God but broke laws and customs in their hatred and anger) and Jesus Christ (who was willing to go through all this to fulfill the Scripture and please God)?

Application

Following His Example

In these verses, Jesus leaves us a compelling example of how to respond to those who unjustly harm or accuse us. How does the way you think about and respond to false accusations need to change so that you can follow His example?

How Do You Respond?

You've seen today that Jesus clearly claimed to be Lord and God. How will you respond to Him? Will you with unbelief respond like the religious leaders or in faith that is evidenced in obedience?

How Close Are You?

Peter features much more prominently in the next passage, but in this passage you see Him following Jesus at what he thought would be a safe distance. How closely are you following Jesus today?

Wrapup

Closing

We hope this study plan has helped you better understand Jesus' first trial in Mark and has challenged you to follow His example and show that you believe in Him through obedience.

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