Denial Oct. 1
Mark 14:66 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. 67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”
68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.
Peter is still in the courtyard near where Jesus is being tried. The night has moved into the predawn hours. As he warms himself with others around a fire, a servant girl of the high priest comes near. Thinking she recognizes Peter as a disciple of Jesus, she states, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”
Fear strikes like a dagger at his heart. Without thought, he speaks in self-defense and denies her charge. He is clear in his denial.
The sound of his voice has just died as the first call of the morning emanates from the Temple crier. It is the call to the young priests, the men who prepare and butcher the sacrifices, to come to their posts.
The servant girl continues her errand. The dark sky is yielding to the coming of the light, but the walls of the courtyard are holding the darkness near. The cold of the night lingers and Peter turns his thoughts to the fire.
What can he do? Peter rationalizes. Force is not an option, for there are many armed guards. And his testimony of Jesus would only confirm the charges against Him.
Peter lingers in the warmth of the fire.
More Denials Oct. 2
Mark 14:69 And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” 70 But he denied it again.
And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.”
71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”
A while later, the servant girl speaks within Peter’s hearing to some men. She gestures toward Peter saying that he was one of those with the accused man.
Hearing her accusation, Peter is quick to inject himself into the conversation and deny her charge, deny his association with the accused.
The sky is becoming lighter. Torches still burn in the courtyard, but their light is being overtaken by the coming dawn. The cold remains, however.
One of the men nearby to whom the girl has spoken calls out to Peter that he must be one of Jesus’ followers, for Peter’s speech betrays him as a Galilean.
The group of men is not that large, but there are many in the courtyard and Peter has no easy route of escape.
Peter stands tall, raising himself to his full height. His mouth speaks before his brain engages. He curses and denies knowing Jesus in the strongest terms.
The men turn away, unconvinced of anything except that the Galilean is probably harmless.
He Wept Oct. 3
Mark 14:72 A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.
The momentary silence following his outburst is filled with the second cry of the morning from the Temple crier: the summons of all Levites to their posts to prepare for the opening of the Temple to the public.
Peter engages his mind. He remembers Jesus’ prediction and his protestations of loyalty. He grows cold, but the fire no longer offers warmth.
His moment to stand by his Teacher has passed. Before his eyes, Jesus was condemned. As if that had not been enough, His judges had ridiculed and spit upon Him. Then their underlings had mocked and beaten Jesus. Peter knew that he has been tested and failed.
Thinking upon these things, he wept.
Those last two words bring back the image of Christ as He predicted the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. He wept.
Peter - the staunch defender of Jesus and the one who most strongly affirmed he would never deny Him – had just denied His Lord and was now helpless, impotent.
He thought of his failure, of the loss of His Lord, and of all the possibilities that would now never happen.
Peter wept.
To Pilate Oct. 4
Mark 15:1 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.
The Judean scribes, elders, and priests have succeeded in convicting Jesus of claiming to be God, clearly a capital punishment crime in their eyes. But the Romans do not allow them to execute prisoners.
Immediately, they take Jesus to Pilate, the Roman with the authority to carry out a death sentence. The crime must be against Rome, not the Jewish religion, so a different charge is alleged.
Pontius Pilate was prefect (governor) of Judea 26-36 A.D. He ruled from Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean in Judea’s northwest corner, but he came to Jerusalem for major feasts to assure order was maintained.
Pilate’s position required a firm hand, but not so firm as to incite insurrection. He walked this tightrope for ten years before falling from it. Avoidance of controversy was the first rule of self-preservation. In other words, he must test which way the wind was blowing and flow with it if it led away from confrontation.
The appearance so early in the morning of important Jews with a man held captive did not bode well for the day.
I AM Oct. 5
Mark 15:2 Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”
3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.
4 Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things [a]they testify against You!” 5 But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.
The two trials of Jesus on that fateful morning follow a very similar pattern.
In Mark’s account of the second trial, the prefect goes straight to the issue at hand. Pilate asks, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
As with the council’s question as to whether He is the Son of God, Jesus answers in the affirmative. He makes Pilate’s task easier by saying, “It is as you say.”
Jesus has asserted that He is the Son of God to the religious authorities and the King of the Jews to the secular authorities. Other charges are irrelevant, even if they are true. The die has been cast, and has come up six, the number of man rather than the number of God. From this point, the sentence and its execution are inevitable.
Jesus’ response, “It is as you say,” is not a fatigued admission when no more defense is possible. Jesus is saying the governor’s words are not a question but a statement.
Jesus’ simple confession is so disarming that His accusers become worried. The chief priests do not realize that their case against Jesus already is won. They accuse Jesus of many things.
As in His first trial, Jesus is silent beyond his admission to the most serious charge. In each case, the court needs nothing more than Jesus’ own statement in answer to the charge.
Remaining silent, Jesus is not drawn into arguments on issues of little consequence. Asked if He is God and then asked if He is king, He stands firm on His answer: “I AM.”
An Offer Oct. 6
Mark 15:6 Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. 8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.
Pilate must have suspected ulterior motives for the Jewish leaders to hand over to him one of their own for prosecution and execution. He could see no danger to Rome in the man. The danger that he did see was in refusing to prosecute the poor wretched Jew before him.
Rather than risk confrontation with Jewish leaders, Pilate saw another way to save this Jesus. A custom during the feast of the Passover was to release one prisoner back to his people, and an assembled crowd already was calling for the traditional release on this early morning.
Pilate assumed the crowd would choose Jesus, a harmless man, over the Zealot, Barabbas. Rebellion being a bad profession as far as income was concerned, the Zealots often were thieves, kidnappers, and extortionists.
The governor’s tactic was a passive-aggressive means of thwarting the Jewish leaders while not having to accept personal responsibility for freeing Jesus.
No doubt Pilate smiled to himself at his cleverness….
Crucify Him! Oct. 7
Mark 15:11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. 12 Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
13 So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”
14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”
15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.
The chief priests were not to be outflanked by Pilate. They attacked from a new direction, stirring the crowd for the release of Barabbas against Jesus
(An interesting side note is that the name Barabbas means “son of the father,” identical to Jesus’ claim to be “Son of the Father.”)
Pilate offers the crowd either the rebel or the one they call “King of the Jews.” He must have been spoken that title in a mocking tone.
Pilate is surprised at the crowd’s demand that Barabbas be released and asks what he should do with Jesus. The crowd, responding to the urging of the priests, yells, “Crucify Him!”
The governor has allowed the mob to judge and to sentence Jesus. He has offered them the choice of which of two Jewish men to set free, and then he has allowed the mob to choose the punishment for the innocent Man. The people of Jerusalem can have no complaint against Rome concerning the handling of this case. The conclusion has been a success from the Roman perspective.
He scourges Jesus and sends the condemned Man to His death.
Next day
Mark 14:66 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. 67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”
68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.
Peter is still in the courtyard near where Jesus is being tried. The night has moved into the predawn hours. As he warms himself with others around a fire, a servant girl of the high priest comes near. Thinking she recognizes Peter as a disciple of Jesus, she states, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”
Fear strikes like a dagger at his heart. Without thought, he speaks in self-defense and denies her charge. He is clear in his denial.
The sound of his voice has just died as the first call of the morning emanates from the Temple crier. It is the call to the young priests, the men who prepare and butcher the sacrifices, to come to their posts.
The servant girl continues her errand. The dark sky is yielding to the coming of the light, but the walls of the courtyard are holding the darkness near. The cold of the night lingers and Peter turns his thoughts to the fire.
What can he do? Peter rationalizes. Force is not an option, for there are many armed guards. And his testimony of Jesus would only confirm the charges against Him.
Peter lingers in the warmth of the fire.
More Denials Oct. 2
Mark 14:69 And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” 70 But he denied it again.
And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.”
71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”
A while later, the servant girl speaks within Peter’s hearing to some men. She gestures toward Peter saying that he was one of those with the accused man.
Hearing her accusation, Peter is quick to inject himself into the conversation and deny her charge, deny his association with the accused.
The sky is becoming lighter. Torches still burn in the courtyard, but their light is being overtaken by the coming dawn. The cold remains, however.
One of the men nearby to whom the girl has spoken calls out to Peter that he must be one of Jesus’ followers, for Peter’s speech betrays him as a Galilean.
The group of men is not that large, but there are many in the courtyard and Peter has no easy route of escape.
Peter stands tall, raising himself to his full height. His mouth speaks before his brain engages. He curses and denies knowing Jesus in the strongest terms.
The men turn away, unconvinced of anything except that the Galilean is probably harmless.
He Wept Oct. 3
Mark 14:72 A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.
The momentary silence following his outburst is filled with the second cry of the morning from the Temple crier: the summons of all Levites to their posts to prepare for the opening of the Temple to the public.
Peter engages his mind. He remembers Jesus’ prediction and his protestations of loyalty. He grows cold, but the fire no longer offers warmth.
His moment to stand by his Teacher has passed. Before his eyes, Jesus was condemned. As if that had not been enough, His judges had ridiculed and spit upon Him. Then their underlings had mocked and beaten Jesus. Peter knew that he has been tested and failed.
Thinking upon these things, he wept.
Those last two words bring back the image of Christ as He predicted the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. He wept.
Peter - the staunch defender of Jesus and the one who most strongly affirmed he would never deny Him – had just denied His Lord and was now helpless, impotent.
He thought of his failure, of the loss of His Lord, and of all the possibilities that would now never happen.
Peter wept.
To Pilate Oct. 4
Mark 15:1 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.
The Judean scribes, elders, and priests have succeeded in convicting Jesus of claiming to be God, clearly a capital punishment crime in their eyes. But the Romans do not allow them to execute prisoners.
Immediately, they take Jesus to Pilate, the Roman with the authority to carry out a death sentence. The crime must be against Rome, not the Jewish religion, so a different charge is alleged.
Pontius Pilate was prefect (governor) of Judea 26-36 A.D. He ruled from Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean in Judea’s northwest corner, but he came to Jerusalem for major feasts to assure order was maintained.
Pilate’s position required a firm hand, but not so firm as to incite insurrection. He walked this tightrope for ten years before falling from it. Avoidance of controversy was the first rule of self-preservation. In other words, he must test which way the wind was blowing and flow with it if it led away from confrontation.
The appearance so early in the morning of important Jews with a man held captive did not bode well for the day.
I AM Oct. 5
Mark 15:2 Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”
3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.
4 Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things [a]they testify against You!” 5 But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.
The two trials of Jesus on that fateful morning follow a very similar pattern.
In Mark’s account of the second trial, the prefect goes straight to the issue at hand. Pilate asks, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
As with the council’s question as to whether He is the Son of God, Jesus answers in the affirmative. He makes Pilate’s task easier by saying, “It is as you say.”
Jesus has asserted that He is the Son of God to the religious authorities and the King of the Jews to the secular authorities. Other charges are irrelevant, even if they are true. The die has been cast, and has come up six, the number of man rather than the number of God. From this point, the sentence and its execution are inevitable.
Jesus’ response, “It is as you say,” is not a fatigued admission when no more defense is possible. Jesus is saying the governor’s words are not a question but a statement.
Jesus’ simple confession is so disarming that His accusers become worried. The chief priests do not realize that their case against Jesus already is won. They accuse Jesus of many things.
As in His first trial, Jesus is silent beyond his admission to the most serious charge. In each case, the court needs nothing more than Jesus’ own statement in answer to the charge.
Remaining silent, Jesus is not drawn into arguments on issues of little consequence. Asked if He is God and then asked if He is king, He stands firm on His answer: “I AM.”
An Offer Oct. 6
Mark 15:6 Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. 8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.
Pilate must have suspected ulterior motives for the Jewish leaders to hand over to him one of their own for prosecution and execution. He could see no danger to Rome in the man. The danger that he did see was in refusing to prosecute the poor wretched Jew before him.
Rather than risk confrontation with Jewish leaders, Pilate saw another way to save this Jesus. A custom during the feast of the Passover was to release one prisoner back to his people, and an assembled crowd already was calling for the traditional release on this early morning.
Pilate assumed the crowd would choose Jesus, a harmless man, over the Zealot, Barabbas. Rebellion being a bad profession as far as income was concerned, the Zealots often were thieves, kidnappers, and extortionists.
The governor’s tactic was a passive-aggressive means of thwarting the Jewish leaders while not having to accept personal responsibility for freeing Jesus.
No doubt Pilate smiled to himself at his cleverness….
Crucify Him! Oct. 7
Mark 15:11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. 12 Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
13 So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”
14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”
15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.
The chief priests were not to be outflanked by Pilate. They attacked from a new direction, stirring the crowd for the release of Barabbas against Jesus
(An interesting side note is that the name Barabbas means “son of the father,” identical to Jesus’ claim to be “Son of the Father.”)
Pilate offers the crowd either the rebel or the one they call “King of the Jews.” He must have been spoken that title in a mocking tone.
Pilate is surprised at the crowd’s demand that Barabbas be released and asks what he should do with Jesus. The crowd, responding to the urging of the priests, yells, “Crucify Him!”
The governor has allowed the mob to judge and to sentence Jesus. He has offered them the choice of which of two Jewish men to set free, and then he has allowed the mob to choose the punishment for the innocent Man. The people of Jerusalem can have no complaint against Rome concerning the handling of this case. The conclusion has been a success from the Roman perspective.
He scourges Jesus and sends the condemned Man to His death.
Next day
