Prophesy! (Mark 14:65)

Short teachings from Hillcrest Church exploring the background, context, meaning, and significance of the account of Jesus of Nazareth in the book of Mark.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey, hope you're doing well. Tim here, and we are diving deep into the book of Mark for Lent. So we're continuing, coming to the end of Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin. And there's there's a there's a little um there's a little thing that Mark describes here that I think shows what a master storyteller Mark is, how he illuminates who Jesus truly is and and really casts light even on his opponents. Uh and it's something that I just I learned for the first time as in my study uh this uh yeah, this springtime. So um let me point it out, uh let me share it with you. So uh Jesus, he's being tried before the Sanhedrin, and it seems, and you know, in the message on Sunday, I talked about that there they were the ones who ran the temple, their power and the temple were linked, and Jesus, by challenging them and challenging the temple establishment um and being so popular, he was a threat to their power. And this is really why they're so upset with him, why they think he needs to be eliminated. They uh they probably also had other, I guess you would say, charges in mind, things that they would have said out loud when they were trying him. And one of them seems to be something like the idea that he was a false prophet leading the people astray. He's this, he's he's not a true uh prophet sent by God, that he's that he's a false prophet leading the people astray. And Deuteronomy actually talks about this. Deuteronomy describes this possibility. Um, the beginning of chapter 13, uh Deuteronomy talks about it in the first few verses, and then again in Deuteronomy 18, um, Deuteronomy says some more. Let me just flip there and I will uh share some of this. So, like Deuteronomy 18 talks about God will send a true prophet to lead the people, and then it goes on to talk about uh these false prophets. Uh Deuteronomy 18, 20, but a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods is to be put to death. You may say to yourselves, how can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord? If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed. And so it's this idea that there can be these false prophets that lead the people away from walking in worship and obedience of the living God. So, and this is probably part of what uh the Santeedron has in mind, that he's that Jesus is leading the people astray. This is what they would they would say. Um now, one way we, you know, you I think you you get the hint of that of him um, you know, essentially the the charge of blasphemy. Another way this kind of pops up is at the end, when you know, at the Deuteronomy, or not Deuteronomy, excuse me, Mark 14, after he's condemned, um in verse 65 it says, Then they began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and struck him with their fists and said, Prophesy. And the guards took him and beat him. And so clearly, this is their they're viciously mocking Jesus. But even in their mocking, there seems to be some grain of what their accusation prophesy. And it seems to be like if you're really a prophet, prophesy, tell us who's hitting you. You're blind, prophesy, you prophet. You're a false prophet. You you're not a true prophet, you're leading the people astray. Um, this is part of their accusation of Jesus. Now, uh this is the irony that Mark illuminates for us as he tells us the story of Jesus. So um in Jesus', he's having this trial before the Sanhedrin, and he's part of what they're saying is you are a false prophet, lead the people astray. Then of course they they bind him, they blindfold, they say prophesy. They're mocking him for his inability to prophesy. What does Mark tell us happens right after they are saying prophesy to Jesus? If you have your Bible open, you see it right there. Um earlier, before Jesus was arrested, what did Jesus had an interaction with Peter? And what did Jesus say to Peter? Jesus said, uh in verse 30 of chapter 14, truly I tell you, tonight, yes, tonight, before the rooster crows twice, you yourself would disown me three times. Jesus is arrested, he's taken the Sanhedrin trial, they bind him, they blindfold him, they say, Prophesy, and then what happens right after that? And we're told that while Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. She said, You were also with that Nazarene Jesus, but he denied it. I don't know or understand what you were talking about. Um then again uh the servant girl saw them, and she said again to those standing around, This fellow is one of them. Again, he denied it. And a little while later, those standing near Peter said, Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean. He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, I don't know this man you are talking about. Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. The irony that I think Mark is drawing our attention to is in this very moment when the Sanhedrin is accusing and convicting and mocking and belittling Jesus for being a false prophet, for striking him and saying, Prophesy, you don't have the ability to prophesy. In this very moment, Jesus' actual words of prophecy about Peter are coming to pass. And in by telling, by showing us the events this way, Mark is making clear that Jesus is the true prophet who speaks on behalf of God. And it's actually the chief priests who are on the wrong side of this prophet. So I think the the brilliance of Mark laying before us the story of Jesus, laying before us um the misguidedness of the Sanhedrin and the trustworthiness of Jesus who speaks on behalf of God. Praise and peace.