Mark 14:43-72 - Three Trials

Please turn with me to Mark, chapter 14.

If you are here this morning, and you are feeling unworthy of God’s love… you feel that if a loving God does exist, how could he possibly love you? You feel that you’re too messed up. Too broken. Too big of a failure. Today’s passage has good news for you: you are exactly who Jesus came for.

If you are here this morning and you feel worthy of God’s love, I think today’s passage might invite you to a reality check. To take a closer look at the true state of your heart, mind, and soul.

In both cases, our passage has good news for you, that in spite of your failure to live up to God’s holy standard, in spite your unworthiness, God extends his love and mercy to you, and makes a way for you to be right with him.

Today’s passage shows us two of the most infamous betrayals in Scripture: Judas’s and Peter’s. And surrounding those betrayals are three very important trials. One is obvious. One is subtle. And the third we’ll have to zoom out a bit.

Let down, betrayed, abandoned, accused, condemned, denied

In last week’s passage, we saw Jesus let down by his inner circle, who could not even stay awake to pray with Jesus. Our passage today starts with we see Jesus being betrayed by Judas.

Mark 14:43–49 (CSB)
43 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived. With him was a mob, with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. 44 His betrayer had given them a signal. “The one I kiss,” he said, “he’s the one; arrest him and take him away under guard.” 45 So when he came, immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 They took hold of him and arrested him. 47 One of those who stood by drew his sword, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear. 48 Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal, to capture me? 49 Every day I was among you, teaching in the temple, and you didn’t arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

Next, we see Jesus abandoned by his followers.

Mark 14:50–52 (CSB)
50 Then they all deserted him and ran away. 51 Now a certain young man, wearing nothing but a linen cloth, was following him. They caught hold of him, 52 but he left the linen cloth behind and ran away naked.

And now we come to Jesus’s trial before the Sanhedrin, the ruling religious elite. And we see Jesus falsely accused, and unjustly condemned in an illegal trial.

Mark 14:53–65 (CSB)
53 They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes assembled. 54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the high priest’s courtyard. He was sitting with the servants, warming himself by the fire. 55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they could not find any. 56 For many were giving false testimony against him, and the testimonies did not agree. 57 Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, stating, 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another not made by hands.’ ” 59 Yet their testimony did not agree even on this. 60 Then the high priest stood up before them all and questioned Jesus, “Don’t you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you?” 61 But he kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest questioned him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 “I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy. What is your decision?” They all condemned him as deserving death. 65 Then some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to beat him, saying, “Prophesy!” The temple servants also took him and slapped him.

And finally in our passage, we see Jesus denied, three times, by the leader of the disciples, Peter.

Mark 14:66–72 (CSB)
66 While Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the high priest’s maidservants came. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.” 68 But he denied it: “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about.” Then he went out to the entryway, and a rooster crowed. 69 When the maidservant saw him again, she began to tell those standing nearby, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. After a little while those standing there said to Peter again, “You certainly are one of them, since you’re also a Galilean.” 71 Then he started to curse and swear, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” 72 Immediately a rooster crowed a second time, and Peter remembered when Jesus had spoken the word to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Two Trials

Let’s pause and take a step back. What just happened? In this short but intense passage, we witness three trials—only one of which takes place in an official courtroom.

Jesus’s Trial

Jesus’s trial before the Sanhedrin was illegal. The witnesses were lined up and their stories didn’t match. The accusation was insurrection, a terrorist threat against the temple. But it wasn’t true. Jesus never said he’d destroy the temple. He said, “destroy this temple, and I will raise it in 3 days” (John 2:19), but that was an allusion to his death and resurrection.

The high priest accused Jesus directly in verse 61: “Are you the Messiah?” The Sanhedrin thought the Messiah would be a triumphant military leader, so Jesus couldn’t be him. Jesus answered that he was the Messiah, but even greater then they could imagine! He is the “Son of man, seated at the right hand of God and coming with the Clouds of heaven” prophesied in Daniel 7. He said he was more than a political savior; he was the judge of the whole earth and the ruler of the universe.

With that self-admission, Jesus was condemned by those who thought they knew better of blasphemy, worthy of the death penalty. But remember, they were under Roman rule. The Romans outlawed capital punishment for anyone under their rule. So the Sanhedrin had to figure out a way to trigger a Roman death penalty. Stay tuned next week for how they attempted that.

Jesus was accused of false things, told the truth, and was unjustly condemned. Peter was accused of true things, lied, and was unjustly let go.

Peter’s Trial

Just a mere few hours after Jesus warned Peter that he would deny him three times before the rooster crowed twice, Peter does it, and the third time is not just a denial, he curses Jesus. (The way the greek wording works here, the curses are aimed at Jesus. “I don’t know that god-forsaken imposter!”) You would think after the rooster crowed once after the first denial, Peter would snap out of it. But he did not. His denial was willful. And “it broke him.”Peter failed this trial.

Remember that Mark was written several decades after the events it describes. It was written to the early church who was under threat from both the Roman empire and from the dwindling Jewish leadership. Both were putting pressure on the fledging church, God’s chosen people, to abandon their confession of Jesus. To do precisely what Peter does in our passage today. That church would have been immediately able to relate to the passage. And I think so can we. That Peter’s trial comes not in the courtroom but in the courtyard shows us that for a majority of us, it will be in every day life, confronted by every day people that we will be asked to speak up about what we believe. How will we respond?

The Third Trial

There’s a third trial, not in the temple or courtyard, but in heaven’s throne room—and it’s the most important one of all.

Where do we see it Well, its not in our text explicitly. It is evident from the fact that this text exists.

Why is this scene here?

Is Mark trying to throw Peter under the bus? “Look what Peter did!” For that matter, every gospel account, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all have this story! Is Peter like, “Aw, come on guys, do you have to talk about that??”

We have good evidence that Mark’s gospel account is based on Peter’s eye-witness report. There is nothing that happens in the book where Peter isn’t present.

The third trial becomes obvious when we remember that in John’s Gospel account, in chapter 21, Jesus restores Peter. And when we look at the book of Acts, we see that he becomes the most prominent of all disciples.

This story of Peter’s utter failure being included in Christianity’s source text would have been extremely unusual in 1st century religion! It was a heavily shame-based culture that would never have platformed a complete failure as their chief leader!No gospel-writer would have included included this story of Peter’s failure unless Peter himself included it in his own testimony that he preached for decades to come!

Why is this scene here? Peter wants us to know about this moment of his greatest failure! What must Peter have believed about himself, about Jesus, and about his relationship with God, to be able to share his worst failure with the whole world, for the rest of history?!

Peter knew something about Jesus that changed everything—even after this denial. That’s why he didn’t hide his failure. He brought it out into the open. He wanted the church to see not just how badly he failed, but how fully Jesus restored him.

Peter knew the results of the third trial. Peter’s restoration wasn’t based on a mere second chance…

There’s a detail that Mark doesn’t record that Luke does, when Jesus warns Peter that he will deny him three times before the rooster crows twice, Jesus adds:

Luke 22:31–32 (CSB)
31 “Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Peter remembers that Jesus has prayed for him. He knows that his denial is forgiven. He knows that in the third trial, the one in heaven about his spiritual status, Jesus has declared him not guilty!

He knows that His failure is an opportunity for God to get glory! What a merciful God we serve! What a loving, forgiving God we have!

And I want to pause here for a moment—because some of you might be in Peter’s shoes. Maybe not in detail, but in depth. You’ve failed. You’ve blown it. And now you’re asking: What does repentance look like from here?

First, remember that Jesus is praying for us as well, for all those who trust him:

Romans 8:34 (CSB)
34 Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.

Jesus is interceding for us in the trial in heaven about our status. The apostle John put it this way:

1 John 1:8–9 (ESV)
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Martin Lloyd-Jones, a well-known preacher from a previous generation observed that God’s forgiveness is not merely an act of mercy, but of justice. Because Christ has already paid the penalty for our sins, it would be unjust for God not to forgive the repentant believer. Forgiveness is guaranteed by the finished work of Christ. Therefore, God is being faithful to His promise and just in applying the atonement.

Jesus is not standing in the courtroom in heaven saying: “Father I know that Matt messed up again. Please let him go, just one more time? Just for me?” Like a lawyer with no case, who is left to emotional manipulation to try and sway the jury. No! Jesus is saying “Father I know that Matt messed up again, but I have already paid for that sin, and it would be unjust for you to ask for another payment.”Justice has already been done.

The Gospel Wins The Trial

And justice needs to be done. Because some of us are like Jesus’s followers who abandon him when things get rough. Some of us are like the inner circle, asleep when he tells us to be alert for the schemes of the enemy. Some of us may be like the false accusers or the Sanhedrin, convinced that none of this Jesus stuff is real, and so looking for every excuse for denying him, and finding no evidence, merely calling him a liar. Some of us are like Peter! What are all the things we say we will never do? “I promise I will never!…” and then we fail. Maybe following from a safe distance so we never get asked about our faith. Denying Jesus’s importance when we do get asked.

The good news of the gospel is that the verdict of the trial has been reached by the great judge. You can be forgiven on the basis of the case Jesus makes: “I have paid for that sin. The penalty has already been paid, it would be unjust to require any other payment.” The Great Judge has issued His verdict. Get yourself out of the judgement seat. Don’t try and take his place.

The gospel answers not only our guilt, but also gives us strength in our suffering. He suffered not only for us, but also with us! Have you ever been let down or abandoned by those who were supposed to be your friends? Jesus has been there. Have you experienced betrayal from someone close to you? Jesus has been there. Have you experienced false accusation or unjust condemnation? So did Jesus.

And this is all good news because if Jesus thinks this way about you, and still extends his hand in forgiveness and restoration, what does it matter what anyone else thinks?

This does a wonderful thing for us. We can walk differently now. Not to earn God’s love, but because you already have it. Peter didn’t live in his failure. He stood up on the day of Pentecost and proclaimed Christ with boldness. Not because he was perfect, but because Jesus had restored him.

That’s why this story is in the Bible. Not to shame Peter—but to free you. To show you that even the deepest failures can become the stage where Jesus displays His grace the loudest.

Because the third trial—the heavenly one—is the only one that truly matters. And if you are in Christ, the verdict is in: “Not guilty.” And now… “Follow me.”

One preacher I heard put it this way: it allows us to have a great sense of humor about ourselves. When we are not longer concerned with other people’s opinions, it is very freeing!

We will no longer have a religious superiority complex: “I’ve made it!” or “Thank God I’m not like those sinners!” - This is the attitude of the Pharisees. If someone challenges our faith, and we have a superiority mindset, our response will be “how dare you question my great faith and knowledge!”

We will also no longer have an inferiority complex, shrinking back and never letting people know you are a follower - “Are you a follower of Jesus?” — “Oh, barely, i’m trying, i’m so imperfect, I’m not worthy…”the funny thing is there is some truth to that, you can’t have too low a view of yourself, your sin really is that bad. But you are having too low of an opinion of Jesus. “He can’t possibly save me…” This is also pharisaism.

When we come to trust the unbelievable promise that the verdict of our heavenly trial is “Not guilty on the basis of Jesus’s sacrifice” — we are freed from pharisaism, with either too high a view of ourselves, or too low a view of Jesus — Freed to have a sense of humor.

“Are you a follower of Jesus?” — Imagine Peter in his failure “Yes! Me! Isn’t that hilarious? God loves ME! The three-times denier! I’m actually the leading Christian! How crazy is that! The Apostle Paul, too, thirty years into his ministry, in 1st Timothy said something very much the same. And do you want to know the key to your freedom in Christ, the key to overcoming sin in your life? It is to recognize just how of a failure you would be without him. And yet also embrace the fact that he loves you anyway, forgives you anyway, and calls you to stand up and follow him anyway.

Jesus Christ stood silently before his accusers, and took the blame for things he did not do or say, but we did. He stood in our place, and through he did not deserve it, was condemned, so that we might be spared from the condemnation we do deserve, and freed to live the life he has designed for us.

The verdict has been rendered: ‘Not Guilty.’ Trust it! Even now, He is praying for you. Even now, with each new failure, He is holding you fast. So repent. Trust Him. Follow Him. Because the verdict is in—and your future is secure.

Pray with me.