The Silence, Then Declaration of Christ (Mark 14:60-65)

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The Silence, then Declaration of Christ

The unjust trials of Christ,

from the gospel of Mark 14:60 to 65—part 2

Orenthal James Simpson, better known as OJ, was born July 9, 1947, nicknamed “The Juice”–he was the first NFL football player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, a mark he set in 1973. After he retired from football, he became a broadcaster, actor, and finally a convicted felon, currently incarcerated in Nevada. He is now most infamous for the trial of the century.

On June 12, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson, the ex-wife of OJ, and her friend Ronald Goldman were found dead outside Brown’s condominium. Simpson was charged with their murders. On June 17, after failing to turn himself in, he became the object of a low-speed pursuit in a white Ford Bronco SUV that was so captivating, the actual chase interrupted coverage of the 1994 NBA Finals. The pursuit, arrest, and trial were among the most widely publicized events in American history. An estimated 100 million people nationwide stopped what they were doing to watch or listen to the verdict announcement.

Regardless of where you stand on the not guilty verdict, everyone poled felt that the entire justice system of our country took a negative hit through the Simpson trial. And many believe the entire OJ trial actually reflected the condition of our national heart–that as a nation we are thoroughly and fully messed up with sin, and that true justice may no longer exist for anyone.

And my friends, there is nothing new under the sun. To be frank, the trial of Jesus Christ makes the OJ trial look perfect in comparison. Nothing could have warped justice more than the religious leaders’ treatment of Christ. And nothing could have warped justice more than the Lord’s trial. Not only was Christ’s trial completely illegal, it actually mocked justice. Read silently as I read aloud Mark 14:60 to 65.

The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, ‘Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?’ 61 But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, ‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ 62 And Jesus said, ‘I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ 63 Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, ‘What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?’ And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. 65 Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, ‘Prophesy!’ And the officers received Him with slaps in the face.”

As you have been faithfully with us over the last weeks, as we study Mark verse by verse, you know what is happening here. It is now Friday very early morning of the Passion Week. It is the feast of Passover, and in the Upper Room with the twelve Jesus announces that one of the twelve will betray Him. Judas leaves to make arrangements for Christ’s arrest, and while the Lord teaches His men the truths found in John 13 to 16, sometime during the evening Jesus humbly washes all their feet, yet they continue to proudly argue over who is the greatest.

As they leave the Upper Room in Jerusalem proper, they travel to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. On the way, Jesus reveals that His eleven will desert Him, and Peter will deny Him three times before 3 AM on Friday morning, before the rooster crows twice. Then upon the arrival at the Garden, eight men are left to rest by the gate, while Christ takes three with Him as He agonizes in prayer.

Faced with the incredible upcoming stress of being separated from the Father He has been one with for all eternity, and the prospect of the pure Holy one having to become sin, and the God who is wrath bearing an eternity of wraths–Christ sweats blood. Yet Christ displays one of the greatest acts of love and holiness during His agony in prayer–Christ graciously wakes up the three so they’ll be prepared to face their upcoming temptation.

They fail to obey, but Christ does resolve His wrestling with His Father and announces, “It is enough–I am ready to face the cross.” Christ is resolved to do His Father’s will. And it is just that moment Christ is arrested by a huge crowd of religious leaders, Temple police and Roman soldiers, all led by Judas.

With divine confidence and courage, Christ walks right up to them and asks who they seek? They say, “Jesus of Nazareth,” and when Jesus answers, “I AM,” all two hundred are thrown to the ground in a mini-display of who is in control. Ears are lopped off and replaced, but in spite of two amazing displays of Christ’s omnipotence, the Sanhedrin hauls Christ off to figure out how they’ll justify Christ’s death. They don’t want to try Him–they want to kill Him. They want to find a way to kill Christ before everyone wakes up on Friday morning.

First there will be a religious trial, then there’ll be a secular trial. The religious Jewish trial will have three phases. The secular Roman trial will also have three phrases within the period of about six hours. Christ will stand before six judges, ending just after dawn on Friday morning, leaving time for mocking, scourging and torture before Christ is crucified at 9 AM Friday morning. God’s judgment then falls on Christ from noon to 3 PM when Christ surrenders His life in death for sin.

The first phase of Christ’s religious trial was for Christ to stand before Annas, the godfather, the previous High Priest and father-in-law to Caiaphas, the current High Priest. Annas is trying to arraign Christ, to discover a crime they can kill Christ for. But Annas is also a delaying tactic, to provide time for the Sanhedrin members who’re sleeping and scattered throughout Jerusalem to be awakened in order to gather at Caiaphas’ house.

So now sometime between midnight and 3 AM on Friday Jesus experiences phase two of His religious trial at Caiaphas’ house, where they put Christ through a totally illegal trial. They try to find witnesses against Christ, but that doesn’t work. So they try bribing witnesses, but that doesn’t work any better. They can’t get their stories straight, and the accusations they make against Christ are not worthy of a death sentence. Plus it is really difficult to bring an accusation against someone who is sinless, perfect, holy, righteous, loving, just and gracious–that’s tough.

They want accusations that stick in order to be able to justify their desired death penalty of Christ, which is the nature of all false accusations, to justify one’s self–to make themselves look righteous and others guilty. Be careful if you hear accusation and slander–you’re often hearing a proud self-defense, and not the actual truth.

This is why mature Christians do not pass on, or listen to, slander. Do you share slander with others? Do you listen to slander? Or are you mature enough to stop slander? Mature Christians police talk. Do you say, “Wait, stop–is that necessary? True? Building? Give grace? Have you spoken to that person? Please do not share that with me, or anyone–put slander away.

Ephesians 4:29 and 31 say, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”

The religious leaders have to be able to give Pilate and the general public a reason for their actions against Christ, and they have to somehow find a way to make this travesty of law seem legal. Christ could have exposed their false accusations, but Christ knows this trial is not meant to determine truth, but to find a way to murder. This isn’t about right, it’s about justifying wrong. This isn’t about loving justice, but it’s about justifying hate. So Christ remains silent.

Christ’s silence irritates Caiaphas, who is the High Priest and presiding officer over this parody prosecution. Caiaphas is now using this session of the Sanhedrin as a tool to destroy Jesus. Joseph Caiaphas was an unusually powerful High Priest who would serve for nineteen years, far beyond the average term of four years. His surname, Caiaphas, means “inquisitor”, and it fit him well, as he was now presiding over the most infamous inquisition in history. Visibly agitated, Caiaphas rises from his seat and begins his own . . .

#1  The illegal INTERROGATION  Verses 60 to 62

The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, ‘Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?’” (verse 60). Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin can see their bribe inspired attacks against Christ are not getting anywhere. The witnesses don’t agree–verse 59 says they’re inconsistent. No witness and no accusation against Christ had any validity, again affirming the sinless perfection of the God man.

Plus there’re over twenty-five ways the Sanhedrin broke their laws in how they tried Christ–trying Him at night, during a feast, too quickly, offering no defense, and more. They turned an overnight trial into the most unjust, illegal hearing that has ever occurred in human history. It was predicted in advance, but it was a farce to fairness.

Look at verse 60, “The high priest stood up”–why? Because it’s getting frustrating for the sadistic Sanhedrin. Their first effort of bringing in these bribed witnesses collapses. So verse 60, “The high priest stood up, came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, ‘Do You not answer?’” Jesus isn’t answering–this is getting us nowhere.

So Caiaphas pushes–it’s as if He says, “Jesus, this is a serious charge. It certainly requires an answer.” Verse 60, “What is it that these men are testifying against You?” Caiaphas is not going to give up. He’s going to interrogate our Lord Jesus. It is now Friday morning and the religious hypocrites need to get this done quickly–Sabbath is approaching. So Caiaphas will goad Jesus to say something that’ll incriminate Him. He says, “Do You not answer? They’re testifying against You?”

If this kangaroo court wasn’t so evil, it’d almost be funny. Jesus has no legal duty to respond to liars. A false witness in a capital punishment case under Jewish law is to be executed themselves. Jesus has no legal obligation to respond to bribed false witnesses, whose testimonies are pure fabrication. Plus their lies are so poorly constructed, they’re confused and inconsistent. All these contorted concoctions require no reply from Christ. There is nothing to the accusations–therefore no reply necessary. Which is what Jesus says–nothing.

First  The majestic SILENCE of Christ  Verse 61a

But He kept silent and did not answer.” This is the silence of innocence. Our Lord didn’t need to defend Himself–He had committed no crime. Christ doesn’t answer folly. Did you notice in verse 61 Mark makes a double statement? 1) “He kept silent”, and 2) “did not answer”. That serves to highlight the full force of Jesus’ continued silence. In silence Jesus refused to dignify the self-refuting testimony by any explanation of His own.

Christ has no legal obligation to do so. Under law, He is free from any form of self-incrimination. Christ had no duty to help them make sense out of their lies. And it was impossible to frame a crime against Christ when He’s silent. And most importantly, God predicted His silence. Isaiah 53:7 states, “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.”

Christ’s silence was driving them crazy. He wasn’t afraid! He wasn’t intimidated! He didn’t defend Himself! He didn’t clarify. He didn’t correct them. He merely said nothing! This was a majestic silence, and it was deafening. It was a deafening silence. Later in His trial, when Christ stands before Herod He will be silent, and again before Pilate Christ is silent.

And in the deafening silence of this moment before Caiaphas, all they could hear in the room were the reverberations of the lies of the false witnesses, which could not stick to Christ. All they could smell was the stinky yellow guilt of their hypocrisy. All they could taste was the bile of their own unfounded hatred rising in their throats. The Lord’s silence unmasked their lying hearts, and left them fully exposed. And they don’t know it, but God is using them for His purposes, in spite of themselves.

Christ is majestic in His silence. Christ the truth is being attacked by the father of lies. And just when it seems this charade of a trial will be a failure, Caiaphas leaps to the rescue by asking the main question.

Second  The frustrated OATH of Caiaphas  Verse 61b

Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, ‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’” This is the clincher–this is the decisive question. Notice the first word, “again”, exposing a new strategy by the High Priest. Caiaphas is now abandoning all further attempts to use witnesses against Jesus, and directs his main question at Christ.

Matthew 26:63 shows us Caiaphas said, “’I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.’” That’s the heaviest oath possible–that is the strongest way to make someone answer. “I place an oath on you.” The implications here are scary for these men.  Think about it. They’re lying–they’re paying others to lie about Christ. But now they’re demanding Christ to speak the truth to them.

So Caiaphas says to Jesus, “I place an oath on You, I adjure You by the living God, who hates liars, who punishes liars, You tell the truth.” That’s a common Jewish way of laying down the serious responsibility to speak the truth. And that’s a frightening paradox. They demand truth from Christ while perpetrating lies against Him. They call for truth in the midst of massive deception.

And they are not asking Christ what did You do, but who are You? “Are You the Christ, the Son of the blessed One?” This is a legitimate question. It doesn’t call for self-incrimination, but merely a truthful response. And Jesus is fully aware of the intent of their question. He knows exactly what they are trying to do. They’re throwing down the trump card–trying to get Jesus (in their mind) to blaspheme. And Caiaphas demands a straightforward reply to his question, verse 61b, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”

In the question, the Christ recalls His claim to be the promised Messiah, while the Son of the Blessed points to His claim of deity. Blessed One means “happy one”–I love that description of God. Do you see your God as a happy God–one who is happy with you? Caiaphas is being very pointed with Christ. “Do you really claim to be the long-expected Savior?” And do you claim to be God?

The blessed one is a different term for God, since they think His name is too holy to be spoken. They all know Jesus has repeatedly made both those claims throughout His entire ministry. They know it. So this is how they get Christ in trouble. They now play the blasphemy card, because that’s the only path they have left to murder Christ. They need to get Christ to incriminate Himself.

Mark uses an emphatic “you”, giving this question a contemptuous tone. “Jesus, under oath–are YOU the SAVIOR? Are YOU GOD?” Caiaphas intends to drive Christ into a corner. But he was, in the providence of God, giving Christ the opportunity He was looking for. For now the moment has arrived to make a very clear statement to the highest religious authorities of the Jewish nation, as to Who is standing before them.

Third  The glorious DECLARATION of Christ  Verse 62

And Jesus said, ‘I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’” Caiaphas asks, “Are You?” Jesus responds and says, “I AM.” This is the first time in Mark’s gospel that He openly declared to be the Son of God—Messiah. Verse 62 begins with, “And Jesus said.” The Lord answers because this question is legitimate. The Lord’s answer with ego eimi, the tetragrammaton, Yahweh, the name of God, I AM—the name the Lord gave Moses in Exodus–I AM.

This is the name Jesus gave in the Garden and they were all thrown down. Matthew adds, “You have said it, I AM.” The apostle John loves that answer–I AM. Twenty-three times in the gospel of John Jesus says, “I AM.” Jesus tells them He is God. Jesus knows His answer means death–His death. He knows He’s signing His own death warrant. But that’s where Sovereign providence is headed–this is His chosen path.

Until this question of the High Priest, Jesus had silenced almost all proclamations of His divine Sonship. Why withhold this important fact until now? Do you know? The missing element has been the necessity of His suffering. Only in the light of His death for sin can Jesus openly divulge His identity as God’s Son. This is why God came. At this mock trial, on this final day, the veil is finally removed. The time for concealment is over–the secret Jesus has protected since the beginning of His ministry is now disclosed.

At this point, mouths must have dropped wide open in shock when our Lord says in verse 62b, “And you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Jesus is looking down history’s lane. He sees the miracles of Calvary, the resurrection, the ascension, the coronation at the Father’s right hand (the right hand of the Power, the right hand of the Almighty). He sees Pentecost, the glorious return on the clouds of Heaven, the Judgment Day are all rolled into one manifesting Christ’s overwhelming glory.

On the final Day of Judgment, Christ will be the judge. And these very men, Caiaphas and his Sanhedrin cronies will have to answer Christ for the crime they’re now committing. Christ’s prophecy is a declaration and a warning. Jesus says, “You are judging Me, but you need to understand, I AM the judge you’ll answer to, to determine your eternity.”

With an economy of words, Jesus enhances His answer. Jesus says, “I AM,” then escalates the reality of it. “Yes, I AM the Messiah. Yes, I AM the Son of God. And you will see Me sitting at the right hand of power, that is at the right hand of God, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” I am certain you see what Jesus is doing. Christ reveals His identity in three dramatic ways.

ONE  His MESSIANIC Title

You will see the Son of Man. This title comes from two texts these men knew–Psalms 110:1 and Daniel 7:13. Jesus identifies Himself as the Son of Man, describing His future exaltation and coming rule as judge. Daniel 7:13 to 14, “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him.” This confession confirms His Divine Sonship, and recognizes Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy regarding the Messiah.

TWO  His MAGNIFICIENT Authority

Sitting at the right hand of power”–this is the place of highest honor and authority. This refers to the exaltation of Christ in His resurrection. The Lord is affirming He is in charge now and forever. You remember in Psalm 110:1 it pictures the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God. “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’”

And when Jesus says in verse 62, “sitting at the right hand of power,” power refers to God. God is the power. God extends His power to the exalted One, the Lord, at His right hand. Jesus is saying, “Yes, I am equal to God, I sit at His right hand.” Jesus Christ is the powerful expression of God.

THREE  His MENACING Judgment

Coming with the clouds of heaven.” This is a clear expression in Scripture of His glorious Second Coming in judgment at the end of history. Jesus already said in Mark 8:38, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” And 13:26, “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”

This is not only a wonderful confession–it’s a dreadful warning. With the crucifixion just hours away now, Jesus says, “There is coming a day I will return in power, and I will judge you as your Messiah and as your God. Yes, I AM Messiah and your God, and My death is not the end. I will be exalted to the throne of God. I will return in glory to judge and reign over the earth.”

This is a glorious moment for our Lord. The question serves Him well, since while He faces the horrors of the coming cross, it allows Christ to rehearse what’s coming after the cross. With these words, the Lord is able to see past the cross, the burial, and resurrection, all the way to His coronation and exaltation. They’ll judge Him unjustly, but Christ will one day judge them justly.

He knows His words will bring about His death. He is ready. He’s been through agony in prayer in the Garden–He’s resolute. Christ will do the Father’s will all the way to the cross. Whatever confusion there was within the council, it’s clarified by the confession of our Lord Himself. And upon that crystal clear confession, Caiaphas goes berserk, leading to this tribunal to make . . .

#2  The illegal VERDICT  Verses 63 to 65

Now in verses 63 to 65, you hear the religious leaders justify their hatred, validate their illegal trial, rationalize a murder, and excuse their cruel and evil abuse. Look at . . .

First  The hypocritical SHOW of Caiaphas  Verse 63

This is the unjust sentence. Verse 63, “Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, ‘What further need do we have of witnesses?’” Tearing clothes is a ceremonial display, and in this case, a contrived indignation. Tearing clothes was usually a sign of grief. You find it in five Old Testament books and the book of Acts. Jews would tear their garments as an expression of immense grief.

It was not allowed, however, for a High Priest to do that. But according to Leviticus 21, the High Priest can tear his clothes if God is blasphemed. Caiaphas knows this, so he begins his hypocritical show by ripping his clothes. Blasphemy was serious enough to allow everyday Jews to tear their clothes at blasphemy. How serious is it? What’s the punishment for blasphemy? Leviticus 24:16, “The one who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death.”

So what does Mr. Theater, the showman Caiaphas say? Verse 63, “’What further need do we have of witnesses?’” At this moment, Caiaphas calls an end to this travesty trial, with an illegal verdict. We don’t need witnesses. Again, when being railroaded in a kangaroo court, the accusations fit the accuser, and not the accused. And in this illegal proceeding, it does. What do I mean?

Second  The reversed BLASPHEMY of the religious leaders  Verse 64

You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Caiaphas condemns Jesus’ blasphemy when he and the Sanhedrin are the actual blasphemers–right? Jesus is the Messiah–He is God, He is the one who sits at the right hand of the throne of God, and He is the coming King, Judge and Ruler of the world. It’s Christ.

They are blasphemers who are diminishing God and His majesty. These men are blaspheming God in their treatment of Christ. They are the blasphemers, but they render Christ the blasphemer. To blaspheme is to undervalue God. It means to dishonor God and diminish His majesty–to deprive God of honor. Blasphemy comes from words describing arrogant speech and actions against God, His people, His temple.

But the blasphemers accuse Christ of blasphemy. Verse 64, “’You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?’” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Immediately Caiaphas says, “Let’s take a vote.” No hesitation–they are instantly responsive. They all condemned Christ to be deserving of death. It’s unanimous.

If they weren’t driven by a lust for murder when they did follow their laws–when voting, there’d be a scribe who tabulated the votes one at a time, and each person had to give his vote at the end of the court case, so everyone took responsibility for it. The junior members of the Sanhedrin, the younger ones, voted first so they’d not be tempted to follow the vote of their mentors.

But in this case, the junior members are not voting first. Nobody is voting first. They are all a mob, and they all together, collectively, want Jesus Christ dead. Every step has been illegal. Understand in a few hours they’d gather again, just after dawn, to make their trial look legal. Then they’ll change their verdict. They will say to Pilate that Jesus was forbidding Jews from paying their taxes–leading a tax revolution and calling Himself King. They lie again–in order to murder Christ.

But here in verse 64, a sentence is handed down by the Sanhedrin. In Leviticus 24, the penalty for blasphemy was death by stoning, but they lacked the political permission under Roman occupation. So Christ will have to be crucified. He’d be handed over to the Roman Procurator, with a fabricated charge which would secure an execution.

Be clear on this–Jesus is sentenced to death, not because His claims are misunderstood, but because they are understood and rejected. So these so-called godly leaders condemn Christ to death. Caiaphas is filled with fiendish glee. If you doubt that, look at . . .

Third  The hateful ABUSE of the Sanhedrin  Verse 65

The Sanhedrin shows you what’s in their heart. Twenty-four chief priests, twenty-four elders, twenty-four scribes and a High Priest–the best of Israel. Luke tells us the behavior of verse 65 started with the Sanhedrin, “Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, ‘Prophesy!’ And the officers received Him with slaps in the face.”

Matthew adds in 26:66, “They began screaming, ‘He deserves death.’” This is a Supreme Court! These are so-called godly leaders? This begins in the early hours of Friday, but will continue non-stop for the next six hours leading up to the cross. They’re making a joke out of Christ. It is hateful mockery. They blindfold Christ to belittle His character of omniscience, then they beat Him with their fists.

Matthew adds, others hit Him with the palms of their hand. Matthew 26:67 describes slap after slap after slap, “Saying, ‘Who hit You? Who hit You? Prophesy Jesus…Predict this Jesus.’” It’s a horrendous scene, filled with revolting ridicule. But don’t forget, Jesus already predicted they would do this. Back in Mark 10:34, “They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.” Omniscient Christ knew. “They will arrest Me. They will spit on Me. They will mock Me. They will kill Me. Then I will rise again.”

The end of verse 65 says, “And the officers received Him with slaps in the face. The Sanhedrin turns Christ over to the Temple police and the Roman guards, and they follow the example of their noble leaders and slap Christ in the face as well. Why? To suffer for you, then to die for you. It’s what you deserved for your sin, but Christ took your place. My family, you know . . .

1  The world HATES Christ and you Christians will be HATED

First John 3:13, “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.” To follow Christ means you will be hated. Why? Because . . .

. . . men hate to fully admit that they’re vile, defiant sinners

. . . your friends love their sin more than Christ

. . . people hate submission to God’s authority

. . . men and women don’t want to depend on Christ to be saved

John 15:18 and 19, “’If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.’” Make sure you’re hated, and make certain it’s only because of Christ.

2  The world is drowning in LIES–only Christ is the TRUTH

To live on earth is to be drowning in lies, injustice, error, slander, and impurity–your only lifeline/hope is Christ. He is truth. But to survive, you desperately need the lifeline of God’s Word. You are saved by His Word. You are saved by His Word.

Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” You grow by His Word.”

John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” You and I desperately need God’s food to survive.

Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Read God’s Word–start again, start over, get accountable, get serious. Start with a paragraph, but get into the Word. Don’t know what to do? Reread Mark 14, restudy your outline and apply.

3  Be SILENT when attacked, but be BOLD about the Gospel

Christ didn’t defend Himself–He didn’t need to. But when it came to the truth about Himself, He boldly proclaimed He was God in the flesh, the judge they will answer to, and the soon-to-come ruler of Earth they all must submit to.

Don’t be silent about sin. Don’t be indifferent about lost people forever tormented in Hell. Boldly tell them the truth. You cannot save yourself. You can do nothing to save yourself. Cry out to God to be merciful to you. Ask God to give you a heart of faith to depend on Christ, and repentance to turn from sin and follow Christ. Do that today.

And for you believers, commit to boldly speak the truth to those you know–tell grandpa, auntie, uncle, brother, sister, Dad again of the only way to Heaven, forgiveness and abundant life. Let’s pray.

About Chris Mueller

Chris is the teaching pastor at Faith Bible Church - Murrieta.

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