I Was Tried before the Jewish Leaders

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

February 19, 2020

I Was Tried before the Jewish Leaders

Page 287-288

Matthew 26:57-68; Mark 14:53-65;

Luke 22:54-55, 63-65; John 18:12-16, 16-24

Jesus was taken to the home of the High Priest. Peter followed. Jesus stood alone before the High Priest; one of his disciples has already betrayed him, nine others had run for cover, and Peter soon denied even knowing Jesus. What Jesus had to do, only he could do, and he had to do it alone. Only the Messiah, by the sacrifice of his own life, can open heaven’s gate for the rest of us.

In Jesus’ last teaching sessions with his disciples, he stressed that leadership in the Kingdom of God is altogether different than the ways of the world. That contrast is on display when Jesus is held by the Temple authorities. Perhaps the keenest insight into the character of the powerful is in how they treat the powerless. The cruel pettiness and brutality of the Temple guards, the dishonest accusations of the leading priests all reveal the lack of character and integrity of the powerful. As Jesus stood silent before the powerful, the Suffering Servant-King, Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 53:7 is brought forward:

“He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.”

By the way, remember there are no meaningless details in Scripture. While Jesus was taken before the Temple leaders, Peter warmed himself by a charcoal fire. (John 18:18) Peter will meet the resurrected Jesus by another charcoal fire in John 21:9.

My Takeaway: Still today, accusations and insults are hurled at the followers of Jesus. Still today, Jesus’ way is our way: “And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.”

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Copyright © 2020 by Alex M. Knight

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

• Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

• The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.