Jesus Rejected and Crucified

MEMORY VERSE: “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” —I Peter 2:24

MARK 14:55-65; 15:24-27

JESUS was taken from Gethsemane to the palace of the high priest. Assembled there were all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. (ch. 14:53) “The chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.” (vs. 55) Arrangements had been made for various false witnesses to testify against Jesus, but these disagreed in their testimony, so it was still a situation in which nothing was established against the Master which made him worthy of death.

Finally the high priest turned to Jesus and asked, “Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Forthrightly Jesus replied, “I am,” and to this he added a prophecy concerning the time of his second presence on the earth—“Ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” (vs. 62) “Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.”—vss. 63,64

It is the belief of many that Jesus was found guilty by virtue of the false witnesses who testified against him. But actually this is not true. As this account indicates, the false witnesses did not agree among themselves. It was Jesus’ own testimony, or more correctly, his confession that he was the Son of God, that brought condemnation upon him.

The same situation occurred in connection with Jesus’ appearance before Pilate, the civil ruler of Palestine. The Jews did not have the authority as vassals of Rome, to put anyone to death, much as they would have liked to have done so in the case of Jesus. So they took him before Pilate, where they charged that Jesus claimed to be a king. When Pilate asked Jesus about this, again the Master “confessed,” saying, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world.” (John 18:37) Jesus knew that it was his Father’s will for him to die as the world’s Redeemer, so he did nothing to escape the death penalty.

MARK 15:24-27

After Pilate agreed to his death, Jesus was beaten, a crown of thorns was placed upon his head, and he was clothed in purple, which was in mockery of his claim to be a king. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself.” (Heb. 12:3) Here was a part of that “contradiction.” Jesus was destined to be the greatest king of all time. But this truth was contradicted by the scorn which was heaped upon him.

Pilate instructed that the inscription over Jesus’ cross which denoted the “crime” for which he was being crucified should read: “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” We are happy that the time is coming when these prejudiced religious rulers of Israel will recognize the truth concerning Jesus, and will say, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”—Matt. 23:39

The fact that Jesus was the Son of God was also contradicted while he hung on the cross. They cried to him, “If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matt. 27:40) They also taunted the Master by saying, “Save thyself, and come down from the cross.” (Mark 15:30) How little did Jesus’ enemies realize that by his refusal to save himself he was providing salvation for them and for all mankind!

Jesus’ death was voluntary. This fact is emphasized throughout the accounts covering the events which led up to and included the crucifixion. He did not permit Peter to prevent his arrest. He confessed to both charges brought against him—that he was the Son of God and a king. He ignored the demands of his enemies to come down from the cross and thus prove that the God of Israel really was his Father, and had appointed him to be a king. He is truly a great and wonderful Savior!

QUESTIONS

Relate Jesus’ experience before the high priest.

Was Jesus convicted by false witnesses or by his own confession?

Explain how Jesus was contradicted by sinners.

Why was it necessary for Jesus’ death to be voluntary?

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