Mark lesson 32
Read Mark 14:53-72 – https://www.bible.com/bible/59/mrk.14.esv
Mark 14:53-65
Though it was very late at night, Jesus was brought before the Jewish
supreme court and tried. They bribed false witnesses who told
contradictory stories about Him. For a time, it appeared that the court
would be unable to find consistent testimony by which to convict Jesus.
Finally, the high priest asked Him if He were the Christ. When Jesus
said, "Yes," they used this statement as evidence of blasphemy and
convicted Him. Then they spat on Him, mocked Him and beat Him.
1. Why was the Jewish court unable to convict Jesus on the basis of
the testimony of the false witnesses? a) their testimony was
inconsistent, b) the witnesses refused to testify, c) they could not
allow false witnesses to testify in their court, d) Jesus refuted what
they said. Answer: _____
2. What was finally used to convict Jesus in the Jewish trial? Answer:
He admitted that He was the _____, the Son of the Blessed One.
Mark 14:66-72
Peter had slipped into the courtyard to watch the trial. Various people
began to recognize him. A servant girl asked him if she hadn't seen him
with Jesus. Peter claimed not to understand what she was talking about.
Then she began to tell others that he was a disciple and he flatly
denied it. Finally, others noticed his Galilean accent and accused him
of following Jesus. With this, Peter panicked, vehemently denying Jesus,
even asking God to curse him if He knew the man. Then the cock crowed,
and Peter remembered Jesus' warning. He came to himself with a sickening
awareness of the horrible deed he had done. He rushed out and began
weeping in despair.
Note -‐-‐ Failure of the disciples: The disciples failed Jesus miserably in His hour of greatest need. They fled. Peter denied Him. Why? They had been such loyal supporters. Think back upon contributing factors in their failure. 1) They hadn't listened when Jesus had frequently warned them of His impending suffering. They had been too eager to argue about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. 2) They were overconfident. Earlier that evening, Jesus warned them that they would flee, but they didn't believe it. 3) They didn't watch and pray in the garden as He instructed. Thus, they were not mentally prepared to face the challenge. We could fail in the hour of temptation for these same reasons.
3. How many times did Peter deny Jesus during the Jewish trial? Answer: _____.
4. How did he react when he realized that he had denied Jesus? a) killed
himself, b) apologized to Jesus, c) gave up being an apostle, d) fled
away and began to cry. Answer: _____