We’ve spent this year walking through the Gospel of Mark and his mission of demonstrating that Jesus is the Son of God. Today, we reach the penultimate evidence of that fact. Jesus had been betrayed with a kiss, taken into custody, and brought before various leaders for interrogation. Mark records some of the trial before the Jewish ruling body, the Sanhedrin.
“They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes assembled. Peter followed him at a distance, right into the high priest’s courtyard. He was sitting with the servants, warming himself by the fire. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they could not find any. For many were giving false testimony against him, and the testimonies did not agree. Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, stating, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another not made by hands.’ ” Yet their testimony did not agree even on this. Then the high priest stood up before them all and questioned Jesus, “Don’t you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you?” But he kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest questioned him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy. What is your decision?” They all condemned him as deserving death. Then some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to beat him, saying, “Prophesy!” The temple servants also took him and slapped him.” (Mark 14:53–65, CSB)
The trial wasn’t going well. The witnesses couldn’t agree on basic statements. A legal fact could not be established in Jewish law unless the witness testimony was in agreement. So the High Priest, the highest leader, questioned Jesus with a straightforward question – “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Ciaphas wasn’t meaning Mary, he was meaning YHWH God. Are you the Messiah, the Son of God? Jesus answered, “I am.”
Those two words are powerful and layered. On the surface, it is a direct acknowledgement by Jesus that He is the Son of God. But it also goes back to when God revealed His name to Moses at the burning bush. “I am that I am.” YHWH Yahweh Jehovah.
Jesus added, “and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Paul reminds us, “For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11, CSB) The High Priest in that trial will see Jesus seated at the right hand of God. So will you.
We said that this is the penultimate, a fancy way of saying next to the final. The final and ultimate proof is the resurrection of Christ. How did the Sanhedrin react to the evidence? With condemnation, the death penalty, mockery, and violence.
Mark has nearly completed laying out his evidence of Jesus, the Son of God. Is there any doubt that Jesus is the I am?
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