The Judge of the Earth on Trial | Mark 14:53-65 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Series)

Indeed, we have come to hear from the word of the living God, and we will hear from him in the fourteenth chapter of the gospel of Mark beginning in verse 53. Please meet me there as we consider a glorious passage of scripture this Lord's day. There are about a dozen verses that we will look at. Let's read it in its entirety so that we can capture the scene in our minds before we unpack it verse by verse. Mark 14 beginning in verse 53.

And they led Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed him at a distance right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priest and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree.

And some stood up and bore false witness against him saying, 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. Yet even about this, their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you? But he remained silent and made no answer.

Again, the high priest asked him, are you the Christ, the son of the blessed? And Jesus said, I am. And you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven. And the high priest tore his garments and said, what further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy.

What is your decision? And they all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him saying to him, prophesy. And the guards received him with blows. Lord, we need your help to understand this passage.

By your spirit, guide us step by step. Where we might be weak, Lord, you promised power. Give us that power in our minds, in our hearts, even in the delivery of this message. May your wisdom, your love, your glory be the thing that captivates us today. We trust that you will do that, and we give you thanks for it.

In Jesus' name, amen. What an unsettling scene this is. And you too might be overcome by an unpleasant feeling when contemplating it. Because what we have before us is not only the trial of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, We have the hearing of the eternal sinless son of God. This is not just a court case against a local miracle working rabbi.

You have here a lawsuit against the righteous king of the universe, the one appointed by God to judge both the living and the dead. How is it possible then? How is it possible that the ruler of all things is subjected to investigation and cross examination? How is it that you have the very one who held Sodom and Gomorrah, Pharaoh in Egypt, Assyria and Babylon to account now standing here before corrupt men and is interrogated. It's it's so strange when you actually think about it.

But at the same time, so sublime. Because what we are beholding here together is the Lord Jesus Christ now fulfilling his mandate as the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Even the language that Mark uses here is meant to allude to the ancient prophecies that predicted the dawning of redemption as we see it here. Let me give you an example. Look again here at verse 53.

And they led Jesus to the high priest. Let me remind you something that there are hundreds of references to the Old Testament in the New Testament, and there are thousands of allusions to the Old Testament. There are phrases and sentences and collection of words that are meant to bring you to certain places in the Old Testament that are not directly quoted. And so the more you familiarize yourself with the Old Testament, the more you're gonna see the connection and the harmony of the Bible as you read throughout the New. And I see something even here, they led Jesus to the high priest.

Doesn't that echo what Isaiah prophesied concerning the Messiah? In Isaiah fifty three seven, we're told there about the Christ that he was oppressed and afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth like a lamb that is led to the slaughter. Indeed, it is a connection. Here's Christ being led to the high priest. And this is just one thread among many that weaves into a profound tapestry.

And there are many other threads that I wanna consider with you today. So what are we going to do? Let's meditate on a few things. Join me in thinking about, in this passage, the sinking faith of Peter. And after that, let's consider the suffering of slander.

Beyond that, let's look into the silence of the lamb of God. And fascinatingly, let us conclude with this glorious thought, the shift of a priesthood. So now we come to verse fifty three and fifty four. They led Jesus of the high priest and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together, and Peter had followed him at a distance right into the courtyard of the high priest. Mark is being very detailed in mentioning how Peter followed Jesus.

So remember, we learned that they all scattered from Christ upon his arrest, but seems like Peter was able to muster up a little bit of courage to be able to follow Jesus, but we're told specifically that he followed the Lord at a distance. The Holy Spirit doesn't waste any words. In fact, this seems to be an emphasis that he wants to make because we find the same detail in Matthew and in Luke. That Peter followed the Lord at a distance. Why?

Remember how we learned about the young man, the anonymous young man who follow the Lord in verse 51. Look at it with me again. And a young man followed him with nothing but a linen cloth about his body and they seized him. So this young man who pursued the Lord after his arrest evidently was close enough for these guards to turn around and grab him, and snatch his clothing off him for it, run away naked. And we talked about the significance of that, if you remember.

So we know that if you follow too close to the Lord at this point, it was dangerous for you and Peter understood that. So in order to be safe, you follow at a distance. It was safer for Peter. Can I tell you today that there are people who are following Jesus like Peter did here as I speak? They're convinced that they're following the Lord, but they're following him in a way in which onlookers might wonder about their association with him.

They're following the Lord in a way that is less risky, less inviting of trouble. They're following the Lord in a way that incurs no cost and that really satisfies the flesh. It's possible to follow the Lord, but at a distance. You know, the psalmist in Psalm seventy three twenty eight says something profound. He said, but for me it is good to be near God.

It's good to be near God. Peter could not make that statement. He could not amen that psalmist at this point in his life. He was not near God. He was following at a distance.

But that wasn't always the case for Peter. For many years, Peter was by Christ's side, not just in times of roaring success, but even in moments of great danger. And yet, at this point, we see him distancing himself from Christ, showing you and I that it's even possible for the most devout to succumb to this kind of level of devotion that is not praiseworthy or the will of God. And I wanna remind you today that following Jesus at a distance is not something that happens overnight. It happens gradually.

So you went from reading your Bible every day to reading it only some days. You went from bringing your petitions, your problems, your thanksgivings to God regularly in prayer to only in emergencies. You went from the house of God being a priority for you in your week to your attendance to the house of God being spontaneous. And you don't even realize that you're following Jesus at a distance. Yes, he's before you.

You can still see him out there in the horizon, but you're not near him where you should be. Why was Peter following Jesus at a distance a problem? It was a problem because he promised Jesus, I will be devoted to you even if it means my death. And he's not fulfilling that promise. But as I mentioned earlier, the devotion of the believer crystallizing in this way, becoming colder and colder is not something that just visits you suddenly.

You don't just wake up one day thinking to yourself, I think I'm gonna pull back a little bit. It is a progression. One that we often do not even recognize as it is happening. But there isn't there is a clue in this passage that shows us at least one way you know that you're following Jesus at a distance. Look again at verse 54.

And Peter followed him at a distance right into the courtyard of the high priest, and he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. Why was he sitting with the guards? Because he wanted to know what would happen to Christ. We're told in another gospel that he did wanna see the end of the matter, but but he also didn't wanna be identified with Christ and so he sought to blend in. That's exactly what he's doing here.

He's trying to camouflage himself. And if you wanna know one evidence piece of evidence that you are following the Lord at a distance, it is this. You find yourself comfortably fellowshipping with those who oppose Christ. I'm sure you've seen it. I've seen it.

Those who have once held their bible so tightly and had great delight being in the house of God with the people of God gradually disappearing. And then you go on social media and you find them holding what? Sitting with who? Unashamedly posting that they're there? And there are many reasons why this heartbreaking change happens, but it usually occurs at the same pace, little by little.

Do you wanna see how amazingly accurate the Bible is, how specific it is? Do you wanna be encouraged further of why we need to read our Bible slowly and comparatively? Go to John eighteen eighteen. And here's John's account of Peter at the exact same time of what we are studying in Mark. How often do Christians find themselves in places they shouldn't be relating to people they shouldn't collaborate with and engage in things unbefitting of followers of Jesus, but it doesn't happen right away.

John eighteen eighteen tells us, now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire. Can I remind you what kind of fire did Jesus create in John 21 when he restored Peter? When you go to it in your own reading, you realize that he he made a charcoal fire. And the only other connection to a charcoal fire in John is this one. So you know what that means?

When Jesus restored Peter, ultimately, he brought him to a charcoal fire because he wanted Peter to address this and not sweep it underneath the rug. Let's talk about where things went wrong. And he did so so gently and so compassionately. But besides the point, the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire because it was cold and they were standing and warming themselves, Peter also with them standing and warming himself. John tells us that when Peter was with the guards trying to blend in, being with a crowd that he was not supposed to be with, he was doing what?

Standing. Standing. The people were standing and warming themselves, so Peter joined them and was standing and warming himself. Go back to Mark fourteen fifty four. What do we read Peter doing?

And Peter had followed him at a distance right into the courtyard of the high priest and he was doing what? Was he standing? He was sitting. Contradiction? No.

No. No. No. No. Progression.

He went from following Jesus at a distance to standing with the people that he should not stand with, getting comfortable enough than to sit with them. Is sitting more stationary than standing? Yeah. If you're on your feet you can pick yourself up and walk off. But when you're sitting, you got cozy.

You got cozy. And that's exactly what happened to Peter. And that's what happens to some Christians. They follow Jesus at a distance and they curiously explore other things. And so they're still standing but it doesn't take much time for that conviction, that sensitive conscience to be tranquilized.

And they go from standing to sitting. Do you know what happens after you sit? What happened to Peter? He went from standing to sitting with the wrong crowd to behaving like them. This is the exact location where Peter would deny the Lord Jesus Christ.

And that's what happens to Christians who follow Jesus at a distance. They not only join themselves to people that they shouldn't join themselves with, but over time they imitate them. And even whether verbally or behaviorally deny their Lord. Do you remember what Psalm one one says? Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.

There's a progression to backsliding. Are you following Jesus at a distance this day? Close enough for you to feel good in your in your conscience, but far enough so that if anybody looks at you, they can't really make out if you're following the Lord or not. Close enough where you can say I'm religious far enough that it doesn't cost you anything because you don't really stand for anything being associated with Christ. Don't fool yourself.

You're not really following the Lord and give it a little bit more time. You'll be standing with the wrong people then sitting with them, and then you're gonna start imitating them. And that's where things get really messy. I beckon you with the authority of this book. Turn to the Lord.

Run to Him. The will of God is for you to be near Him. So I encourage you with all my heart, run a little faster and grab the hem of his garment. And like this the song says, bind my wandering heart to thee, and he'll do it. He'll keep you.

He He won't just keep you till you get to heaven, he'll keep you in fellowship with him if you desire it. But don't be settled or satisfied with following the Lord at a distance. This is the sinking faith of Peter, but now we come to the suffering of slander in verse 55. Now the chief priest and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. Now, when we consider the sufferings of Christ, rarely are the malicious lashes of the tongue against his sinless reputation is brought up.

Which is strange because some of us in here can testify of the pain of being lied about or deliberately misrepresented. This is indeed a part of his suffering. Now if you've ever been lied about, if anybody's ever slanted your name, the pain is real. Even though you are aware that you're fully capable of doing wrong and making mistakes. Right?

Then how much more how much more ugly is it for defamation to be brought against the one who is perfect? That is what we have before us and yet we read here verse 56. Many many many bore false witness against them. But their testimony did not agree. I love that.

They're fumbling and they're stumbling, trying to come up with some good evidence that Christ is in error in some point, and they couldn't. And after stumbling in each other's attempts, finally finally, a group came up with something. And it's recorded for us out of all the false accusations and allegations, this one is recorded for us because it's probably the most convincing. It was probably the best lie that they can conjure up. And what was it?

Look here again in verse 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. Jesus said something about destroying a temple. Mark doesn't record that incident, John does. And when you look at where John records Jesus saying this, it's early in his ministry.

So this is a statement that they are referring to from three years ago. Talk about desperate reach. Three years ago, but then when you look at John chapter two and actually see what Jesus said, you're gonna realize even more just how twisted these people are in trying to condemn the Lord Jesus Christ. Compare this with what Christ actually said in John two verse 19. Jesus answered them, destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.

The Jews then said, it has taken forty six years to build this temple and will you raise it up in three days? But he was speaking about the temple of his body. What did these false accusers say? They added a lot, didn't they not? Saying about how he's gonna destroy this temple that is built or made with hands and that he's gonna raise up another one not made with hands, so they're adding to him.

And the problem is though, the worst kind of lies are the ones that contain a degree of truth. Again, Jesus did speak about destroying a temple, but he was speaking about the temple of his body. And instead, they they sought to take his words and make it about the physical temple, the temple of Herod, and that was an unthinkable act. That would have been like an act of terrorism. And they're accusing the Lord of entertaining and planning such a thing.

And it's possible that they chose this allegation because the Lord already, on two occasions, went into the temple. And what did he do? He cleaned up the place, flipped a few tables. So maybe this lie was more convincing because of those events. But here's the thing that we have to understand, the tongue is a powerful weapon.

And it has not only been used against the savior, but his servants throughout history. So if you're gonna serve the Lord and you wanna glorify him, don't be surprised if you become the targets of scorn and slander while serving him. You know, earlier this week, I I had been reading the book of Jeremiah and I stumbled upon something just in my reading and this is the beauty of never substituting your personal reading with sermon prep. I know some people who do that and, I mean, if that's their conviction, that's fine. But to me, reading the bible yourself besides preparing for a sermon not only blesses your soul, feeds your soul, but it supplements your sermons in surprising ways.

I found Jeremiah saying something in in lament and brokenness. As I'm studying for this separately, and I wanna read it to you from John eighteen eighteen. Excuse me. Jeremiah eighteen eighteen. Jeremiah says, come, about the people who are persecuting.

Then they said, come, let us make plots against Jeremiah for the law shall not perish from the priest nor counsel from the wise nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us strike him with the tongue. Let us strike him with the tongue. Not with a sword, not with a club, not with an arrow. The tongue.

Yeah. That thing tucked between your lips. There are some people who've never committed murder, but in reality they have. They have slandered people and destroyed reputations throughout their lives. One preacher said this, nobody has tried to take my life, but they're doing everything they can to on the Internet to take away my reputation, to silence me because they're convinced that I am like so many others just another spiritual fraud.

It's one of Satan's favorite weapons. To possess the tongues of people and to target those who serve him. And Jeremiah is saying, it happened to Jeremiah, if it happened to Jesus, my friend, do you know what you signed up for? Be prepared. Serve the Lord faithfully long enough effectively.

It's coming your way. So, crucify your need and your urge to defend your reputation. Give it to the Lord. Let him defend you. Let him defend you.

But that's not the only thing that moved me about Jeremiah. You read on about how he responds to the onslaughts of the tongue. Look at what he says in verse 19 down. It's lengthy, but it's worth it. He says, hear me, oh Lord, and listen to the voice of my adversaries.

Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for my life. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them? So far, this is wonderful. Saying, Lord, remember I did good for these very people that are hurting me with their words.

Remember what I did for them. Remember what I did on their behalf. But he doesn't end there. Look at this very important word, therefore. How do you think Jeremiah is gonna continue in his prayer?

Put a seatbelt on. Therefore, deliver up their children to famine. Give them over to the power of the sword. Let their wives become childless and widowed. May their men meet death by pestilence, their youths be struck down by the sword in battle.

May a cry be heard from their houses when you bring the plunder suddenly upon them, for they have dug a pit to take me and laid snares for my feet. Talk about a reading for your devotion time in the morning. It's not where it ends though. Verse 23, yet you, oh lord, know all their plotting to kill me. Forgive not their iniquity, nor blot out their sin from your sight.

Let them be overthrown before you. Deal with them in time, in the time of your anger. It hurts. It hurts when people malign and damage your name. It hurts, especially when you serve people.

But here's the thought that I had. There I am looking at these words and knowing what I'm studying for this Sunday sermon and I could not help but compare Jeremiah's response to the slander to the Lord Jesus, who in the apex of his suffering as he hung there on the cross, he did not say, forgive not their iniquity, but what? Forgive them. Forgive them. We have an amazing savior.

Amazing. Can I tell you something? You you might be a serial killer in terms of slander. You you might I I know some who have even damaged and destroyed the reputation of ministers and even churches altogether. You might have that kind of a resume, but can I tell you something?

As mind blowing as it is, Jesus is willing to forgive you. You might be the notorious gossiper of the town, of the nation, slander, a false witness even, I wanna tell you something. The grace of God is so immense, so strong that he's willing to even forgive you, restore you, receive you. And more than that, he'll take that troublesome tongue of yours and replace it with a tongue of grace and love. And the power that you use that tongue for to destroy can now be used to heal, to forgive, and to reflect the character of Jesus Christ.

What a savior we have. He endured even this kind of suffering. And though Christ would eventually respond to the pain by those that he came to save with inconceivable grace, his immediate reaction was something quite different. When the high priest look here at verse 60. The high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, have you no answer to make?

What is it that these men testify against you? So he's now pressing the Lord. He's now taking advantage of this accusation being brought up and and is now confronting the Lord with a direct question. And notice how he reacts. Verse 61, but he remained silent and made no answer.

This is this is majestic. The stillness, it's so elegant. The calmness is convicting. And can you imagine standing there surrounded by people who at their word, if they are believed, you're dead. Okay.

How many of us would squirm? How many of us would speak up defending our cause, defending our reputation, defending our character? And yet the Lord stays quiet. He doesn't offer a peep. Do you know why?

Because he's fulfilling prophecy. And I alluded to it in the beginning of this message, but let me read it to you in its entirety from Isaiah 53 verse seven. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth like a land that has led to the slaughter. And and like a sheep that is before its shearer is silent, so he open not his mouth. So the prophet is again portraying this messiah who would come and die.

And before his death, we see him gloriously quiet, tranquil, still. Do you know why it's important to see Jesus Christ still and silent in this way? Do you know why that's such an important feature of who the Messiah is as the sin bearer of the world? I'll tell you why. His stillness speaks volumes, and it communicates that he was not resisting the fate that he was going to experience.

Even with his words, he did not protest. He did not seek to delay. He didn't seek to he didn't seek to do anything. Even with his words, out of the abundance of his heart, what he is showing here as he stands there majestically mute is to showcase to the world that he did not shrink from wanting to go to the cross so that he can purchase your soul from hell and from sin. So this snippet of the savior is supposed to move you my friend.

It's supposed to stir your heart. That he willingly accepted without defending a moment himself from it. He accepted it. He received it. And it's seen throughout the trial, come down at verse 65 just to get an idea, and some began to spit on him and to cover his face and strike him, saying to him, prophesy.

And the guards received him with blows. I don't know how much of this was intentional in terms of it being mocking of prophecy because there's a prophecy in Isaiah 11 verse three that the Messiah would not judge with his eyes. That he would not need to look for evidence. He would not need to see anything. But in his perfect omniscience, he'd be able to dictate innocence and guilt.

So again, I'm not sure how much of this is connected to that, but imagine if it was, imagine if these religious leaders knew that much of prophecy where they had Jesus's eyes blindfolded and one by one, they would strike him on the face and say, which one did it? You're the Messiah? Judge without your eyes. This is this is horrific and it's meant to be horrific because he stood in our place. We marvel at this and you should marvel at this, but there was somebody who was not impressed by it and it was the high priest.

So there stands the the silent lamb of God and we read here in verse 61. Again the high priest asked them, are you the Christ, the son of the blessed? And surprisingly at this specific juncture Jesus speaks up. Why at this point? You could say because he's pressing him and he's pressured.

Matthew adds a detail that helps us make sense of why Jesus chose to speak at this point. You don't have to turn there but listen, there's an added phrase in Matthew twenty six sixty three, but Jesus remained silent and the high priest said to him, I adjure you by the living God. Tell us if you are the Christ, the son of God. So do you know what the high priest is doing? He's placing Jesus under oath.

He's placing Jesus under oath. And there is a law in the Old Testament that shows us how Jesus, though fulfilling his role as the silent lamb led to the slaughter, also perfectly obeyed the law. This is why you can't skip books like Leviticus. You can't. Listen to what the law says in Leviticus five one.

If anyone sins in that he hears a public adoration to testify. And though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity. Do you see what the law says? If you are a witness to something, an event or a truth to an occasion, and you refuse to speak up to either confirm or deny it, you're guilty of sin. That says a lot about us even in terms of principle, that if we know something and refuse to share it for whatever selfish reason, that's wrong in the eyes of God.

You understand? But here's a legal code. If you know something and you do not speak up and confirm it, this is iniquity. So the high priest places Jesus under oath. He invokes the name of God and he asks him, are you are you the Christ, the son of the blessed?

And Christ understanding his duty at this time, again, fulfilling our righteousness. Not one law that he overlook. He chooses to bear witness to this and confirm it. And how does he confirm it? By quoting both Psalm one ten verse one and Daniel seven thirteen.

I am and you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven. Wow. So this is about Jesus dying. And you know what he's saying? He's saying many things.

One of the things that he's saying is, one, I'm God. I'm seated at the right hand of God and I share the prerogatives that God alone carries. I'm God. Two, to be seated at the right hand of God means, listen, no matter what you do to me, I'm gonna be ascended. And not only that, he's letting them know these earthly judges that, yes, I will sit at the right hand, but I'm also coming with the clouds of heaven.

In other words, you're gonna judge me now, but understand that there's one day where I'm gonna judge you. So boldly, he references these truths and does not deny his deity. He does not deny that he is the anointed one. He does not deny that he is the Christ coming to rule and reign, but first save and redeem. How do you think the high priest took it?

Look at verse 63. And the high priest tore his garments and said, what further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision? And they all condemned him as deserving death.

He tore his garments. Right? As a demonstration of grief, of sorrow, of he just recoils. He's disgusted by this and he wants to show the Sanhedrin. Did you hear it?

And again, we look at that and we say, yeah, he seems pretty outraged by it. No. No. No. No.

No. No. No. No. Again, this this is where we miss out on things when we don't know the old testament as we should.

So again, guess where I'm gonna ask you to go? Leviticus. Go to Leviticus 21 verse 10. I was sharing with some people in California who were asking how to read their bibles and I said, don't you dare skip the old testament. You will never know the glories of the new if you don't build a foundation on the old.

Leviticus twenty one ten. Look at another law concerning the priest who is chief among his brothers. Leviticus twenty one ten. The priest who is chief among his brothers on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments. Pause.

He's talking about the high priest here who wore special unique garments. We're told here, the one who wear the garments shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor do what? Tear his clothes. That was sin. That was illegitimate.

That was wrong. You're saying why? Because those garments, every detail of those articles were instructed and designed by God himself. It was incredibly consecrated, incredibly holy, incredibly significant, and symbolic. Ultimately, those garments points to the priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And what the law says is that under no circumstance can those garments be torn. And if you want further proof of that, go to Leviticus 10 verse six. After two priests, Nadab and Abihu, were slain for giving strange fire to God. And we're told here in Leviticus 10 verse six, and Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, do not let the hair of your heads hang loose and do not tear your clothes. Do not tear your clothes, lest you die and wrath come upon all the congregation.

But let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning that the Lord has kindled again. You have no right under any circumstance even if you're brokenhearted, even if you're appalled, even if you're grief to tear those garments. Despite these laws, the high priest desired to dramatically demonstrate his displeasure before the court and he rent his garments. A sign of outrage? Sure.

But more importantly, he was invalidating himself from being high priest. You understand this? And unknowingly, this is so glorious. Caiaphas symbolically marked the end of the Levitical priesthood as he stood before the one who would soon take the role of the great high priest. The high priest of a better covenant.

And speaking of robes, the the symbolism of Caiaphas' defiled robe becomes even more profound when you compare it to another robe, the robe of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is being prepared to leave this world at this time so that he can assume his function as high priest through the offering of his own blood. That's what the whole book of Hebrews is about. How Christ is the better priest, the better mediator, the better one with the better sacrifice. And here's Caiaphas who wrenched his garment, and you think that's profound. It gets even more profound when you consider John 19 in verse 23.

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts. One part for each soldier, also his tunic. A tunic was a was a long garb that went to the knees. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said to one another, let us not tear it.

Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who it shall be. This was to fulfill scripture. The scripture which says they divided my garments among them and for my clothing, they cast lots so the soldiers did these things. If Caiaphas' robe signifies the end of the old priesthood, may I suggest to you that the unblemished robe of the Lord Jesus Christ represents a permanent and accepted priesthood that will last forever. And that is why Hebrews tells us in chapter seven verse 24, but he holds his priesthood permanently because he continues forever.

Indeed, he does. Let's pray. Thank you, Lord, for the wonders of your word. And we ask, oh, God, as we come in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our great high priest, that you would stir our hearts again to realize that we are indeed in a better covenant and that of Moses, that we are under a priesthood far greater than that of Aaron. In that, we have a priest who lives forever and who does not have to offer repeated sacrifice.

But the priest who bears our names on his heart also presents himself as a sacrifice. What a thought. What wisdom is this that whenever we do stumble and fall, we can petition that sacrifice. We do not have to find a fresh lamb or a healthy bowl. We go to what happened on Calvary two thousand years ago, and that blood still has power to forgive.

Lord, we're overwhelmed and we're not ashamed of the blood. And we rejoice for that blood. And we pray that even now as we sing your praises that those who have not been washed in that blood would seek for that cleansing and realize that it is applied by faith and that they can know real transformation through it. Lord, we give you thanks that because you stood on trial, we stand innocent forever. That we do not have to fear judgment.

We don't have to fear hell. We don't have to fear you changing your mind. So great was that sacrifice that it pleases you forever. Therefore, we enjoy your pleasure forever. And for this, oh lord, despite all the things that we are losing in this life, we have the greatest treasure in the universe and we will give you appropriate praise because of it.

In these things and for these things, do we say thanks. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen and amen. Let's stand and worship the great high priest. He lives and he hears us today.