“And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together … seeking testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but they found none. … 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 they all condemned Him as deserving death.” (Mark 14:53, 55b, 61b-62, 64b ESV)
Jesus didn’t say much when He was on trial before the priests and elders. The court was supposed to get their testimony from eyewitnesses. But in Jesus’ case, that didn’t work. If Jesus Himself did not speak, they weren’t going to get a conviction.
But Jesus did speak. He answered the high priest’s question: “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” He would not deny His Father, even by staying silent. There was only one answer He could give, loving God the Father as He did—and that answer was Yes.
But He did even more than that. He confessed: “You will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power.” The title “Son of Man” has a lot of meaning packed into it, but the most basic meaning is clear: Jesus is human, one with the people He came to save. He will not deny us either. He confessed His love for the Father and for us in the same sentence. And then He enacted that love at the cross—obeying the Father, and rescuing us from the power of evil.
THE PRAYER: Thank You, Jesus, for loving me even though it meant Your death. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* If someone wanted to make you talk, what would they have to do?
* How do you confess or show your love for people in your life?
* How has Jesus gone on showing you love, even after His death and resurrection?
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reprinted from Lutheran Hour Ministries
(To view the entire “Lenten Devotions” mini-series, please click here.)