Mark 14:53-65; 15:1-5, Jesus’ Effective Prayer (3)

Again, what was availed through Jesus’ fervent prayer.

·       14:53-65: The Apostle Paul called it “the good confession” (1 Tim. 6:11-16).  The “good” confession is the one where we declare who we are and our lives match with our words.  Paul said that to do this requires that we “pursue” the life we profess, that we “fight the good fight of faith,” “until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing”.  Don’t misunderstand this.  The life we pursue is the life that Jesus lives in us (Gal. 2:20).  The good fight is a fight of faith, not our good works but God’s work as we trust Him.  In Gethsemane, Peter tried to fight with the sword of man.  Jesus fought with the “sword of the Spirit,” the word of God.  The result was that Jesus “witnessed the good confession.”  He glorified His Father by His obedience to death, even death on the cross.  This had been His prayer, as the Apostle John tells us: Father, the hour has come.  Glorify Your Son that Your Son also may glorify You (Jn. 17:1).  What did this good confession look like?

§  14:53-54: The setting for this confession began at the house of Annas, the previous high priest, and then to his son Caiaphas, the current high priest.  As the dawn approached the Sanhedrin gathered there as their meetings were required by law to be during daylight hours.  Eventually Jesus would be handed over to Pilate, perhaps at the Fortress Antonia that overlooked the temple area.

§  14:55-62: The “good profession” was one of a blameless life.  It was blameless in that the Jews could not find any witnesses to declare anything that Jesus had done wrong.  In the end they made up things, such as the misinterpretation of His words about destroying and rebuilding the temple.  Certainly Caiaphas knew they had no offense that would stick against Jesus, which was why he would eventually compel Jesus to indite Himself by His words, the words of His good confession (14:61-62).  Pilate, more than once, declared he could find nothing worthy of death in Jesus.  As Peter tells us (1 Pt. 2:19-22), Jesus set an example for us in that He did not suffer for wrong-doing but suffered for doing good, and He took it patiently. 

§  14:63-65; 15:1-5: Jesus also confessed the good confession in that He was blameless in the courtroom itself.  For the most part He was silent, even as false charges were filed against Him.  Again, to quote Peter, who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed (2:23-24).  He did this for our salvation, but at the same time, set an example for us.  The key was, He did not do this in the flesh but in the strength He received from His Father when, in fervent prayer, He committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.  Ah yes!  This Righteous Man availed much through fervent prayer!