Mark 14:64 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?" And they all condemned him as deserving death.

NIV: "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" They all condemned him as worthy of death.

NASB: You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?' And they all condemned Him as deserving of death.

CSB: You have heard the blasphemy. What is your decision?" They all condemned him as deserving death.

NLT: You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?' 'Guilty!' they all cried. 'He deserves to die!'

KJV: Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.

NKJV: You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

Jesus is at His first corrupt "trial" before the crucifixion. He is facing the Sanhedrin, the Jewish court that determines if someone has broken the Mosaic law. The Sanhedrin is comprised of several overlapping groups. The chief priests are descendants of Moses' brother Aaron and are responsible for the sacrifices and other facets of the ceremonial law. The Sadducees are a religious sect that claims to honor Jewish Scriptures, yet gets along very well with the pagan Romans. The elders are prominent businessmen in Jerusalem. The Pharisees are extremely legalistic, to the point they revere the oral law, which adds burdensome regulations to the Mosaic law. The scribes, whether they be Sadducees, Pharisees, or other, are lawyers who understand the Mosaic law better than anyone else.

Despite all the expertise and experience in the room, no one realizes—or publicly admits (John 12:42; 19:38; Luke 23:50–51)— that Jesus actually is the Messiah, the "Son of Man" upon whom the Ancient of Days will bestow an eternal kingdom (Daniel 7:13–14). These experts are blinded by their greed for money, power, and position. They have made their judgment first and are seeking to support it after the fact. They are also bound by fear that if the Jews choose to live in the grace Jesus teaches, they will break the Law and God will punish them.

Jesus is claiming that He will sit at the right hand of God and come in the clouds, like God does (Mark 14:62). They claim He is breaking the third commandment, taking God's name in vain by assuming God's character and majesty. But Jesus can't be guilty of blasphemy if He truly is God.

Regardless, the council feels they have justified their opinion that Jesus must die. This gives them a spiritualized excuse for seeking His death.

The work of the council isn't finished. The Sanhedrin has convicted Jesus of a capital crime according to Jewish law. However, the Jews have no official authority to execute someone (John 18:31). Under ordinary circumstances, this wouldn't be an issue; Jews have tried to kill Jesus several times before (Luke 4:29–30; John 8:58–59; 10:30–31) and they will stone Stephen (Acts 7).

But Jerusalem is in the midst of an eight-day celebration, filled with tens of thousands of pilgrims, many of whom believe Jesus is the Messiah. This group has publicly clashed with Jesus in the past. If the Sanhedrin kills Jesus, His followers may revolt and bring down the wrath of the Roman Empire (John 11:47–48). Or, news of a secret killing will leak out and these men will be in legal trouble with the Romans. So, Jesus' enemies have to find a charge that will convince the Romans to kill Jesus. Even as Pilate condemns Jesus to die, he knows there is no such charge (John 18:31, 38; Mark 15:10).

Mark 14:53–65 happens immediately after Jesus' arrest in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus will face four separated trials, in multiple segments. The first is with the Sanhedrin, the council that judges if Jews have broken the Mosaic law. The second trial is with Pilate, the Roman governor (Mark 15:1–5). Pilate sends Jesus to Herod Antipas, who rules over Jesus' home district of Galilee and happens to be in town (Luke 23:6–16). Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate who, at the Sanhedrin's insistence, sentences Jesus to death (Mark 15:6–15). Jesus' interview with the Sanhedrin is also found in Matthew 26:57–68, Luke 22:63–71, and John 18:12–14, 19–24.

Jesus is anointed in a symbolic anticipation of His death. Judas decides to secretly cooperate with local religious leaders to arrest Jesus in secret. During the Passover meal, Jesus predicts His betrayal by Judas, and Peter's denial. He also institutes the Lord's Supper, also known as communion. After praying on the Mount of Olives, Jesus is captured when Judas identifies Him to a hostile mob sent by Jewish authorities. He endures a corrupt, prejudiced trial, ending in a conviction for blasphemy. Peter, fearing for his life, lies about knowing Jesus, before remembering Jesus' prediction and breaking down in sobs.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.