COMMENTARY ON MARK
LESSON NUMBER 160
Mark 14:61b “ . . . Again the high priest asked Him, and said unto Him, Art Thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 62And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 63Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? 64Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned Him to be guilty of death. 65And 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.”
(Mark 14:61b-65; Matt 26:63b-68; Lk 22:63-65)
THEY CONDEMN JESUS FOR BLASPHEMY
INTRODUCTION
In this text the contempt that the Jewish leaders had for Jesus becomes very apparent. They address Him as though He was a transgressor – something they did not dare to do in public, “for they feared the people” (Lk 20:19; 22:5). In their opposition and abuse of Jesus, they were unwittingly fulfilling the words of the prophets; “He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not” (Isa 53:3). Their actions also commenced the fulfillment of John’s word, “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not” (John 1:11), for they would turn the minds of the people against Him (Mk 15:11). We are provided the sordid details of this night to confirm the fallenness of humanity. Remember, this rejection took place among a nation that had been cultured to receive the Lord’s Christ. God had dealt exclusively with them, preferring them above all other people, giving them a righteous law, and sending His holy prophets to them. Yet, with all of that, their hearts were hardened, their consciences dead, and their minds corrupt – and these were the leaders, who would also corrupt the people. This once and for all exposes the fallacy of the notion that some good remains in the natural man. If Divine goodness, revelation, provision, direction, and deliverance cannot cause goodness to surface in those upon whom it is focused, how can it be established that such mythical goodness exists? The actions of these people confirm the fall of humanity, the dominance of the wicked one, and the need for a Savior. Therefore in the death of Christ, both the depravity of man and the grace of God were revealed.
ART THOU THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE BLESSED?
“ Mark 14:61b . . . Again the high priest asked Him, and said unto Him, Art Thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
The high priest, Caiaphas, had not been able to get Jesus to respond to the charges leveled against Him – particularly the one in which He was represented as saying He Himself would tear the Temple down, then built it again in three days. Now, nonplused by the silence of the Savior, He tries another tactic. This time, Jesus will respond.
ART THOU THE CHRIST? Notice that Caiaphas does have some understanding: he knows that the Christ was to be “the Son of the Blessed.” Matthew says that the high priest said, “I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God” (Matt 26:63). To “adjure” means to put under an oath to God: i.e. “I put You under oath by the living God.” NKJV The prophets had made Christ’s Son ship quite clear. David wrote of the Messiah, “I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee” (Psa 2:7). Isaiah said the Son of a virgin would be called “Emmanuel” – God with us (Isa 7:14; Matt 1:23). He also said a “Son” would be given to the people whose name was “the Mighty God” (Isa 9:6).
The Messiah would, therefore, be a Man, who was properly called “the Son of God.” Caiaphas knew that an angel would not be sent to be the Messiah, but a Man – and that He would be “the Son of the Blessed One,” NASB or “the Son of God.” In addition to the Prophets, Jesus was “approved of God among” the people “by miracles, and signs, and wonders” (Acts 2:22). However, the words of Jesus proved to be too difficult for the Jewish leaders, for in them He exposed their falsity and hypocrisy. Speaking of the Jewish world, and particularly its leaders, Jesus told His disciples, “The world cannot hate you; but Me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil” (John 7:7). These leaders knew when Jesus had spoken “against them” (Mk 12:12). Therefore Jesus said of them, “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin” (John 15:22).
The question Caiaphas asks is not an honest one, and he is not seeking an answer. However, now he has inquired about the Person of Christ, not merely what He taught. Therefore the Lord will answer, further exposing the corruption of those before whom He stands.
I AM! Christ’s answer is clear and concise: “I AM!” Matthew records, “Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said” (Matt 26:64). Other versions read, “It is as you said,” NKJV “You have said it yourself,” NASB and “Yes, it is as you say.” NIV The idea here is that God was behind the words that Caiaphas said, just as he was when he told the council it was best that Jesus die for the nation, rather than the whole nation perish (John 11:50-51). What the high priest had said did not come from his heart, but it was true. That is, the truth had been close enough to him for him to embrace it. Instead, he had rejected it, and actually opposed the Christ.
YOU WILL SEE! Now, Jesus states that who He really is will eventually be confirmed, and that Caiaphas will see it, together with “every eye” (Rev 1:7). In this trial, it appears as though the high priest and the council are the Divinely sanctioned authorities. However, God is going to show who the real authority is when He unveils the Son in all of His glory (1 Tim 6:15). He will be revealed as “sitting on the right hand of power.” The NIV reads, “at the right hand of the Mighty One.” Here, the word “power” does not refer to ability, but to the One who dispenses it – the God of heaven. Confirming that the expression “the power of God” can refer to Deity Itself, Paul refers to Jesus Himself as “the power of God” (1 Cor 1:24).
The fact that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Blessed,” will be publically confirmed, and Caiaphas himself will see it, together with the puppet-council over which he was presiding. Jesus did not speak of a secret appearing (which is an oxymoron), but of an open one, which even His enemies will behold. Earlier, Jesus had said to His disciples, “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26). Before His transfiguration He had said to all of the people, “For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He shall come in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26). Now He refers to this showing again, doing so before His enemies.
COMING IN THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN. During His ministry, Jesus had also said He would come “in the clouds” (Matt 24:30; Mk 13:26). Paul wrote that when we are gathered to the Lord, it will be “in the clouds” (1 Thess 4:17). Jesus told John that He would return “with the clouds” (Rev 1:7). In His ascension, the clouds escorted Jesus back to heaven (Dan 7:13; Acts 1:9). They will also escort Him when He returns to gather His own, bringing His reward with Him, and punishing the ungodly as well (2 Thess 1:7-10). It is as though before nature is folded up as a vesture, the clouds will perform their last ministry. This time they will not conceal, but will reveal the Son of God in all of His majesty and power.
THEY CONDEMNED HIM TO BE GUILTY OF DEATH
“ 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.”
How will these men respond to the confession of the Son of God? Are their hearts hardened, or can they be drawn by the truth? In this case, it will be confirmed that those who repeatedly reject the truth become more and more firm in their erroneous persuasion. It also confirms what happens when God pours out the spirit of deep sleep on those who consistently reject His truth, closing their eyes, and reducing to spiritual stupidity their prophets, rulers, and seers. As Isaiah prophesied, “For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered” (Isa 29:10). John said that this judgment took place during Jesus’ ministry. “Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them” (John 12:39-40). The response of the high priest and the council will confirm that this had, in fact, taken place.
THE HIGH PRIEST RENT HIS CLOTHES. Under the Law of Moses, the high priest was forbidden to tear his clothes: “And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes” (Lev 21:10). While this rule no doubt pertained primarily to when he was executing his office, Caiaphas was acting officially in this trial, and ought to have honored the law. But he did not, choosing to conduct himself as one who was not a high priest. The rending of clothes was often a sign of great grief (Gen 37:29; 2 Sam 13:31; Josh 7:6; 2 Kgs 19:1; Ezra 9:3). Sometimes it also was the expression of indignation and anger, mingled with sorrow (Isa 37:1; Acts 14:14). In this case, the high priest tore his clothes in indignation that, as he surmised, God had been blasphemed.
NO FURTHER WITNESSES REQUIRED. Now, after spending a considerable amount of time trying to find witnesses, Caiaphas says they have no need of “further witnesses,” as though they had been able to find any at all. In all of their quest, they had not managed to find two witnesses that agreed – even when they were not telling the truth. Caiaphas now affirms there is no further need for inquisition – no additional witnesses are required.
YE HAVE HEARD THE BLASPHEMY. The point here is that no witnesses were required because the whole council had heard what Jesus said – something Caiaphas interpreted as blasphemy. Of course, that could only be true if Jesus had not been telling the truth. However, the Lord gave them a sign that what He declared was the truth. He would be seen sitting at the right hand of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven. That would be confirmation enough. However, the high priest does not believe Jesus, declaring that He has done nothing more than blaspheme, saying something that demeaned the God of heaven.
THEY ALL CONDEMNED HIM. Upon being asked what they thought about the matter, the entire council “condemned Him to be guilty of death.” Matthew writes, “They answered and said, He is guilty of death” (Mat 26:66). That is, “He is deserving of death.” NKJV This judgment was supposedly based on the stipulation of the Law of Moses. These words were spoken by God Himself to Moses. “And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death” (Lev 24:15-16). This came under the general commandment, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain” (Ex 20:7).
The word “blasphemy” means slander, or speech that is injurious to someone – reproachful speech. THAYER And what is it that Jesus had said? “And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
To His enemies, that was speaking reproachfully against God – taking His name in vain, and claiming an identity that was fictitious. Of course, Jesus had spoken the truth, and God Himself will confirm it by showing Him opening in the capacity of the “blessed and only Potentate” (1 Tim 6:15). Jesus affirmed that this is something the council would also see.
I have often pondered how heaven reacts to those who say they are related to God, when actually they are not – to those who say they are followers of Jesus, when that is not at all what they are. What of those who present an appearance as being believers – “going to church occasionally,” wearing the name of Christian, and insisting that they believe every word of the Bible. All the while, they live for themselves, fail to crucify the flesh, and do not forsake all to follow Jesus. Is it possible that such people are actually guilty of blasphemy? – of taking the name of the Lord in vain? In my judgement, this is the case.
THEY BEGAN TO ABUSE THE SON OF GOD
“ 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.”
Their evaluation of Jesus now determined what they did. Further, in their minds, it justified what they did. Prior to this, one of the officers had struck Jesus “with the palm of his hand,” challenging Him by saying, “Answerest Thou the high priest thus?” (John 18:22). That was the first time anyone had struck Jesus. Now, however, emboldened by the assessment of the high priest, and the consent of the counsel, others take it upon themselves to also defame Him and strike Him, carrying the actions of the people to unparalleled depths.
It ought to be noted that those who sin publically cause other sinners to become more bold in their disobedience and insolence. They move the name of the Lord to be further blasphemed. Paul wrote to insolent Jewish Christians, “For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written” (Rom 2:24). The children of God are to “adorn the doctrine” (Tit 2:10), giving “none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully” (1Tim 5:14).
SOME BEGAN TO SPIT ON HIM. Matthew reads, “Then did they spit in His face” (Matt 26:67). Later, in Pilate’s hall, men will also “spit upon Him” (Mk 15:19). Under the Law, spitting in the face was a sign of deserved contempt. If, for example, the brother of a widow’s husband refused to raise up seed to her who was childless, the woman was to come to him in the presence of the elders. Among other things, she was to “spit in his face” (Deut 25:9). Job said that those who abhorred him spit in his face (Job 30:10). Moses also spoke of a woman being “ashamed seven days” by her father sitting in her face (Num 12:14).
The prophet Isaiah prophesied that one of the reproaches that would be borne by Jesus was that of spitting. He said of the Messiah, “I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting” (Isa 50:6). That night, the Divine restraint that was present in the palace of the high priest was most remarkable. Knowing how sin provokes God, and how His wrath is upon those who continue in it, who is able to measure the power that it required for Jesus to make Himself available to those who desired to spit upon Him? No one ever dared to do such a thing before. Now, however, they were only able to do it because Jesus did not hide His face from their contempt. Who is able to conceive of the terror that will strike through the hearts of those who spit on Him when they see the Son of God coming with power and great glory!
THEY COVERED HIS FACE AND BUFFETED HIM. Mark says some covered his face and began to “buffet Him,” or “beat Him.” NKJV Luke says the men who held Jesus “blindfolded Him,” and “struck Him on the face” (Lk 22:63). The word “buffet” means to “ 1) to strike with the fist, give one a blow with the fist 2) to maltreat, treat with violence and contumely,” (abuse or insult) THAYER “treat roughly,” FRIBERG and “to strike or beat with the fist, either once or repeatedly.” LOUW-NIDA This is a violent word, underscoring the utter contempt of these men for the Lord Jesus. They were making sport of Him, like the Philistines did of Samson (Judges 16:27). These are things they did not dare to do before the people. However, as the wicked do, they drew strength from one another’s foolishness, and became more bold in their attacks. Keep in mind that Jesus has given His face to them for this abuse, else they would have been the ones who were smitten. It was necessary for Jesus to endure this kind of insolence in order to appear weak and helpless before His foes. If they would have had the faintest glimmer of who this was, they would have cried out to be spared, like the demons in the wild man from Gadara (Lk 8:32).
THEY ASKED HIM TO PROPHESY. Having covered His face, and continuing to pummel Him with their fists, they taunted Jesus by saying, “Prophesy!” Both Matthew and Luke provide us with their full statement: “Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?” (Mat 26:68; Lk 22:64). Jesus will identify those men at the day of judgment!
Now, gathering boldness from the abuse being heaped upon Jesus, “the servants did strike Him with the palms of their hands” – being less bold than the others. I do not doubt that some of the disfigurement of which the prophet spoke took place at this time. Isaiah prophesied, “His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and His form marred beyond human likeness” NIV (Isa 52:14). Also, the word of the Psalmist was being fulfilled: “But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people” (Psa 22:6).
Luke adds a word that confirms this was a long and arduous ordeal. “And many other things blasphemously spake they against Him” (Luke 22:65). Thus, in the palace of the high priest, in the name of the Lord, and before the highest Jewish court, Jesus is blasphemed, lied against, slapped, and struck with clinched fists. He is challenged to prophesy for the entertainment the people, and even the servants step forward to smite him with the palms of their hands while He was blindfolded. None of them remembered what had happened in the Garden when they arrested Jesus. Their seeming triumph over the Lord had caused them to forget every impressive thing they knew of Jesus, and all of the mighty works He had done.