What makes Jesus so different? 4

   Continuing with our topic that Jesus claimed deity, let's look at Jesus' trial in Mark's Gospel. (Mk 14:60-64) Josh wrote that this trial was "one of the clearest references to Jesus' claims of deity. The passage reads, "And the high priest arose and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, 'Do You make no answer to what these men are testifying against You?' But He kept silent, and made no answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, 'Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One.' 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!' And tearing his clothes, the high priest said, 'What further need do we have for witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?' And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death."
   According to Matt 26:63 the high priest "adjure(d)" Jesus to answer. It means "to charge as if under oath". Josh continued, "An analysis of Christ's testimony shows that He claimed to be (1) the Son of the Blessed One(God); (2) The One Who would sit at the right hand of Power, and (3) The Son of Man Who would come on the clouds of heaven. Each of the affirmations is distinctively Messianic. The cumulative effect of all three is significant." The leadership understood each point and considered it blasphemy which was worthy of the death penalty.
   Josh quoted Robert Anderson who wrote, "No confirmatory evidence is more convincing than that of hostile witnesses, and the fact that the Lord laid claim to Deity is incontestably established by the action of His enemies. We must remember that the Jews were not a tribe of ignorant savages, but a highly cultured and intensely religious people; and it was upon this very charge that, without a dissenting voice, His death was decreed by the Sanhedrin--their great national Council, composed of the most eminent of their religious leaders, including men of the type of Gamaliel and his great pupil, Saul of Tarsus."
   Josh continued, "It is clear, then, that this is the testimony Jesus wanted to bear about Himself. We also see that the Jews understood his reply as a claim to his being God." So, then, they had 2 choices: (1) Recognize that He was correct and worship Him! or (2) Call it blasphemy and condemn Him to death as an imposter. Of course, they did the second to their eternal detriment. Josh quotes a lawyer, Irwin Linton, as saying, in essence, Christ's trial was quite different because He was not condemned for an act, but for His identity!
   Josh concluded the chapter this way, "The trial of Jesus ought to be sufficient to demonstrate convincingly that He confessed His divinity. His judges witness to that. But also, on the day of His crucifixion, his enemies acknowledged that He claimed to be God come in the flesh. "In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him, and saying, 'He saved others; He cannot save Himself. If He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we shall believe in Him. He trusts in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He takes pleasure in Him; for He said, "I am the Son of God."'" (Matt. 27: 41-43)
   It is very certain that Jesus' enemies believed that He claimed to be God!

Sincerely,
Rick