Sermon Mark 14:53-65 Testimony

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon Mark 14:53-65 Testimony
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
March 22, 2009

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We are now at the fourth week of Lent. The Gospel of Mark has taken us on quite a journey: an anointing in Bethany, a Passover meal in Jerusalem, prayers in the garden of Gethsemane and the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. Jesus’ freedom has been curtailed. He can no longer travel freely about Jerusalem and has been taken to the palace of the High Priest for trial. Jesus’ end is near and it is time for us to pray.

Father in heaven, we have been following your son, Jesus, on his way to the cross. Keep us as faithful witnesses in this journey. Help us to see clearly who Jesus is and what he is doing. Help us to tell others what we have seen and heard. Bless our hearing of your word this day. And may the words that I speak truly be your words for this congregation. Amen.

Mark 14:53-65 53 They took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled. 54 Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire. 55 Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none. 56 For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree. 57 Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, 58 "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.'" 59 But even on this point their testimony did not agree. 60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?" 61 But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" 62 Jesus said, "I am; and 'you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,' and 'coming with the clouds of heaven.'" 63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "Why do we still need witnesses? 64 You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?" All of them condemned him as deserving death. 65 Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, "Prophesy!" The guards also took him over and beat him.

I have been a witness in a trial. Years ago a woman fell in our ice cream store and sued us. The insurance company handled everything, but I was needed as a witness because I was the store manager and knew our procedures for keeping the floor clean. I remember sitting in the hallway until I was needed. I also remember that the courtroom temperature was very cold, to keep everyone awake. I testified truthfully, but one of the lawyers tried to twist around something I had said. The whole experience was over in a few minutes.

Today I am called to give testimony of a different sort. I am called as a
witness of Jesus Christ to testify as to his identity. I have been trained in seminary, read books, and studied the Bible to learn exactly who Jesus is so that I cam proclaim his identity to you. I know how people identified Jesus throughout church history. But how should I testify about Jesus today?

Who do we say Jesus is? This is an important question. As followers of Jesus we are expected to know who Jesus is. Everyone has an opinion about Jesus’ identity. And it is Jesus’ identity that is on trial before the Sanhedrin, the council of chief priests, elders and scribes. So lets look at the trial.

At this trial some said that Jesus was a terrorist who was planning to destroy the temple. Jesus had prophesied that the temple would be destroyed, but was not planning to destroy it himself. In fact those who testified against Jesus could not agree on their testimony thus violating a principle of Hebrew law that two witnesses in agreement were necessary. Also it was clear that these witnesses were lying thus violating the ninth commandment. Therefore the charges against Jesus that he was some kind of terrorist were meaningless and the High Priest dropped this line of questioning. And Jesus did not comment on it.

What was of most interest to the High Priest were not the actions of Jesus, what he might have done, but the identity of Jesus which was the subject of rumor throughout Jerusalem. These rumors had caused great anxiety among the Jewish leaders. Some people were saying that Jesus was the anointed one, the messiah, the Christ that Jewish people had been waiting for, a descendant of David who would remove the yoke of Roman occupation and restore the theocratic nation that David had formed and ruled. Others were saying that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus had avoided acknowledging both of these identities knowing that either one would cause trouble for him with the Jewish authorities. But when asked by the High Priest if he was the Messiah and the Son of God, Jesus replied truthfully that he was.

But Jesus was not content simply to testify to this. Jesus wanted the High Priest and us to understand exactly who he though he was. Jesus believed that he was the Son of Man. This title, Son of Man, came from a vision of heaven by the prophet Daniel. Daniel saw God sitting on the throne in heaven. There Daniel saw a human being whom God was giving dominion, glory and kingship over all the people and nations on earth, forever. Jesus’ testimony was enough for the Sanhedrin. They knew that in Daniel’s vision the Son of Man would ultimately prevail, but must first suffer at the hand of one of the kingdoms of the earth. They feared that this Son of Man would incite the Romans to use force and possibly destroy the temple and the city. So they decided to sentence Jesus to death rather than risk a conflict between the Son of Man and Rome.

As Christians we are called to tell people who Jesus is. Of course people today are not longing for the coming of a messiah. And most people will not even recognize the title Son of Man. So what testimony do we give about who Jesus is?

For me Jesus is someone who has guided me. When I have been troubled, Jesus was there to comfort me. When I needed direction, Jesus led the way. Jesus was with me when I decided to go to seminary. Jesus was there calling me to this church. Jesus is the person I pray to and who I know is listening. Jesus understands my suffering because he too suffered. And Jesus intervenes on my behalf when I need forgiveness.

Another way of identifying Jesus comes from the Korean poet, Chi Ha Kim, wrote a play called The Gold-Crowned Jesus. This play takes place in a courtyard in front of a church. In this courtyard there was a statue of Jesus made from cement with a gold crown on his head. One cold day in the middle of winter a beggar was lying on the bench beneath the statue. The beggar wondered what good was a cement Jesus for someone like him. How could a cement Jesus understand what it is like to be cold? How could a cement Jesus understand what it is like to be hungry? How could a cement Jesus understand what it is like to be homeless? Just then the beggar felt a drop of water on his forehead. He looked up and saw the cement Jesus weeping and noticed the gold crown on his head. He decided that a cement Jesus might be of some value after all. So he reached up to take the crown when he heard Jesus’ voice. Jesus said, “Take it, please! For too long a time have I been imprisoned in this cement. Eventually you came and made me open my mouth. You have saved me. (Velli-Matti Karkkainen, Christology, A Global Introduction 2003)276

For too long Jesus has been imprisoned by the words of scripture and the interpretations of the church. It is time to liberate Jesus from these bonds by remembering that Jesus lived with the poor, the sick, and the women, healing them, casting out demons, feeding them, and protecting them from injustice. Jesus himself was transformed by talking with the marginalized people of his day and working to serve them and satisfy their needs. This is good news for all of us because it means that Jesus listens to our cries too and responds with God’s love.

For any of us who are poor, or homeless, or hungry, or alone, people whom Koreans call minjung, we must remember that Jesus was arrested, beaten and eventually killed. He already knows what suffering is all about. But Jesus defeated death. And now he can no longer be mutilated or crucified because he already has. Therefore Jesus can unite with those of us who are poor, mentally ill, or disabled, because Jesus is not a stature in front of a church. Rather he is one with us, shares our pain, and cares for us.

So Jesus admitted in his trail that he was the anointed one, the Christ, the messiah, and that he was God’s son. But Jesus knew in his heart that he was really the Son of Man whom God had sent to earth to suffer for the sake of his people. So we understand that Jesus is one with us in our suffering just as he is one with God in his incarnation. Jesus loves us and cares for us.

Now it is time for you to go out into the world and tell others who Jesus is and how you have experienced him. Think about all that Jesus has done for you, how Jesus has blessed you so richly. And spread the word around that Jesus was with you in your time of suffering and need and in your time or joy and celebration. You are the witnesses of Jesus Christ to the world we live in. The world desperately needs to hear your testimony.

Lord Jesus, we praise you and thank you for all you have done for us. We know that in your suffering you know about our suffering. We know that in your experience of joy you know about our joy. So when we pray you know what we need and are asking for, and you can express this to the Father. Help us to liberate you from the church as we help the poor and disadvantaged in our community. And we pray this in your glorious name. Amen