◄ What Does Mark 14:62 Mean? ►

Jesus was arrested in the dead of night and quickly hustled into a tribunal, that was not simply illegal but broke the Mosaic Law multiple times. Those who had seized Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together unlawfully. Many false witnesses were also there who testified against Him, twisting the truth and misinterpreting His words.  But the Lord Jesus said nothing. He refused to answer any of these false accusations. Like a lamb before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.

Caiaphas grew increasingly irritated and baffled by Christ's lack of response to the many false witnesses and their compromised testimonies. Eventually, he stood up and came forward to question Jesus himself, saying, "Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?" But Jesus remained silent and would not answer. Finally, in utter frustration, the high priest asked a direct question, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

Matthew adds that Caiaphas said, "I commanded you by the living God to tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God!" Mark used the term "Son of the Blessed", which referred to the human Messiah, that Israel had been expecting for so long. When Caiaphas commanded an answer from Jesus, he was not asking if He was Deity... but he did ask if He was the expected Messiah of Israel - of the royal house of David.

The response that Jesus gave to Caiaphas was an answer this puffed-up, little man was not expecting. Not only did Jesus identify Himself as the long-awaited, prophesied Messiah of Israel, but also that He was the eternal God. Jesus identified Himself as God, by using the title given to Moses from the burning bush - "I AM that I AM."

Jesus had kept His identity hidden from many during His earthly ministry, but as He stood before Caiaphas, He boldly identified Himself with a title that could only be used by the almighty, everlasting God. "And Jesus said, 'I AM. And you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.'" Oh yes, Jesus gave him an answer he certainly did not expect to hear.

Jesus told the high priest, the Sanhedrin, and all Israel the truth about Himself as well as some important information about His Second Coming. They had missed hundreds of prophecies relating to His first advent and refused to believe the signs and miracles that authenticated His Messianic claims. Earlier Jesus had wept over the blindness of His people knowing that they had missed His visitation, and that the kingdom He came to set up had been taken from this generation of Jews and would be given to a future generation of Israelites - those who would believe on Him during the Time of Jacob's Trouble, who would also witness His Second Coming.

Hundreds of prophecies have been written about His Second Advent, when His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, at the end of the Great Tribulation. Caiaphas and his generation, had to be set aside through unbelief, but at His illegal trial, Jesus prophesied of His return to earth, at the end of the Great Tribulation. He answered the high priest's question with a prophecy. "I AM - and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."

Jesus was condemned as a blasphemer at his unjust trial. "His blood be on us and on our children", was the cruel cry from the crowds - but how prophetic that cry has become, for the Messiah of Israel shed His blood for the sin of the whole world, including Caiaphas, the leaders of Israel, and the multitudes who cried out hysterically - "Crucify Him! Crucify Him! - His blood be on us...."

The eternal Son of GOD became the sinless Son of MAN so that He could redeem His fallen race through the shedding of His blood on Calvary. TODAY there is a MAN, Who is sitting at the right hand of the Majesty of high, waiting for the appointed time of His return to earth to place all enemies under His feet and rule the world in righteousness and peace.

Jesus told Israel that they would not see Him again until they cried out for Salvation!! - "Hosanna", they will cry. "Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord."  Yes, when they repent of their sin and call out to God for salvation they will see JESUS, coming with the clouds of glory, and every eye will see Him... including Caiaphas and those who condemned Him to death on the Cross.

A day is coming when another generation of Israelites will not cry out for Christ to be nailed to the Cross. They will call out to Him for salvation. They will call on His name for His cleansing blood to heal them of their sin - their individual sins and their national sin.  They will look on Him whom the chief priests, elders, scribes, and people of an earlier generation crucified, and like us, they will also realise that He was wounded for THEIR transgressions and bruised for THEIR iniquity - and that by the stripes He received 2000 years ago - they too, are healed. 

Heavenly Father, it is most wonderful to know that You sent God the Son to become the Son of Man, and to realise that Jesus is not only fully God but became fully man, so He could shed His human life-blood for the salvation of sinful humanity and redeem a lost world. It grieves my heart to think of Christ suffering at the hands of Caiaphas and the Jews, but it also rejoices my soul that He died so that I might live eternally with Him, and is seated at Your right hand. As I wait for the imminent Rapture of the Church, before the 7 year Tribulation period begins, I rejoice to know that Jesus is coming again in the clouds of heaven, at the end of the Great Tribulation, to complete His work through a new generation of Israel, and will reign on earth as King of kings and God of all. How I praise Your name, for You alone are worthy. This I pray in Jesus’ name, AMEN.