Jesus Submits

Mark 14:63-66 (Caiaphas) the high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. 64 “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65 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.
 
JESUS has declared he is the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One. Caiaphas’ response is not to bow down and worship the LORD of Hosts. Instead, he tears his clothes to demonstrate he separates himself from Jesus and his words. God has called his people to come to him. Instead the Jews’ highest official in the temple has followed the path of his rebellious ancestors. God’s house had no one to lead the people to God. Instead, Caiaphas’ condemnation, “Blasphemy!”  turns the officials to brutally assault the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  
   It is difficult to imagine such a violent reaction against Jesus. He had not threatened their lives. They had no fear of death or injury at the hands of this one man. He had told Peter to put down his sword. And Matthew tells us Jesus promised his submission to the authorities when he told the arresting guards, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53)
   As molten lava beneath a straining volcano, violence against the Holy God is an eruption of the sinful heart.
   The Bible is very clear that violence is a murderous sin. The first sin caused God to kill animals to provide clothing for Adam and Eve in their shame. Then Cain killed Abel, and death became the fruit of this blasphemy against God’s laws.
   Jesus’ abuse at the Jews’ hands is a picture of his church battling the world. Our Lord prepared his disciples for persecution: Luke 12:11 “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” The Spirit would give them the words to say to their accusers. Those words would not always protect them from suffering and death. But their words would honor and worship the Christ, the Son of the Living God. The persecutions and accusations have raged against God and his servants from that day in the high priest’s courtyard. The opposition will continue to the Day Jesus returns in glory.
   Paul writes a profound warning to Timothy regarding the spiritual war that rages against Jesus’ church: 2 Timothy 3:2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to the form of religion but denying its power. Avoid these people!
   Let’s examine our lives to know what guides our relationship with Jesus. May we have a loving heart for our Lord that honors him with our words and way of life.
 
Remember: By his grace, God sent his Son into the violence to end the violence in your life.