Mark 14:55-60 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.’” Yet even then their testimony did not agree. Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?”
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin in the above excerpt were fulfilling Jesus' words about them: If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:42-44) The religious elite on that night were exemplifying their father the devil by using lies to convict Jesus of leading an insurrection. They chose to use Jesus' words about destroying the temple to validate these lies: I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man. They intended to display Jesus as a danger to society to get rid of him. They wanted him dead; therefore, they used lies to discredit him and his teachings. Jesus of course knew what they were doing. He would not respond to their falsehoods when they asked him to do so. Are you not going to answer? they provoked him. The men in control that night knew the stories about Jesus were mere fabrications. Nevertheless, they pretended they were true because they feared Jesus was becoming a threat to their powerful, hierarchal positions in the Jewish culture. Every one of these religious leaders knew God's written Word said: Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. (Psalms 34:12-13) Yet they wanted Jesus put to death even if it took lies to accomplish this evil deed.
What is truth? What axiom is foundational to all truth, to all existence, to the meaning of life? When Thomas wanted to know the way, Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life." (John 14:6) When Pilate questions Jesus, He tells him He was brought into the world to testify to the truth. Pilate asks him, What is truth? (See John 18:37-38) Because of their sinful lifestyle, these religious leaders chose falsehoods over the truth, accepting lies instead of recognizing the truth of Jesus' divinity. They stopped their ears to Jesus' teaching. They blocked the reality of Jesus' words from their hearts and minds and wanted to see Jesus as just an ordinary man. Their blind eyes failed to accept his miraculous deeds, even though they knew no man from the beginning of time performed such miracles. They thought they could deal with Jesus as a mere mortal. By doing this, they lost sight of Jesus' divinity. Instead, they grasped hold of THE LIE their father told them from the beginning: to disrespect the authority and will of God Almighty who reigns from heaven above. “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5) God had validated Jesus as his Son by sending the dove and speaking over him at his baptism, by blessing his prayers, by giving him wisdom, by allowing him to have authority other the natural elements of this world and sin and sickness. But the religious elite thought they could place their authority and power over the will of God. As one, they agreed to lie about Jesus and his teachings. Therefore, their behavior and words expressed accurately the will of their father, the devil, who is the author of all lies. He was a murderer from the beginning; consequently, they became murderers, mimicking their father's nature. However, they were under the false impression, just as their father the devil, that they could get rid of Jesus permanently. They were completely wrong, for they did not fully understand Jesus' power and authority as God's Son. Jesus would conquer death and the grave. He would rise again and bring resurrection power to all who place their faith in him.
Those who heard the false witness brought against Jesus should have rejected the lies people told. But they did not examine honestly the spirits to see if they were of God, for they wanted to believe the lies. The Bible tells us: Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (1 John 4:1-3) Often, we have wondered why God is so harsh on liars, for He makes it clear in his Word that lying is a serious offense to him. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars — their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. (Revelation 21:8) How many of us haven't lied? Surely there are few if any people on the face of this Earth who have never lied. But the real liar who deserves death and not resurrection to eternal life is the man or woman who lies about who Jesus Christ really is. And it is here we find our foundational axiom. We cannot reject Jesus, for He is the foundation of all things in creation. He is the beginning and ending of all that is--the express image of God. If we claim to believe in anything else, we are a liar to the TRUTH. FOR WHAT IS TRUTH? Truth is that Jesus Christ came in the flesh to give eternal life to all those who believe in him. We must be born again, and this new birth comes through Jesus the Christ, the Creator of all things. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4) The truth is that nothing was ever made without his voice, without his involvement, his touch. We who are here on this earth in temporal form were made by him. Every child of God is a new creature by faith in Christ's grace and creative power. REJOICE TODAY, FOR THE CREATOR HAS COME TO MAKE YOU WHOLE AND COMPLETE FOR ETERNITY. Amen! Love, Dad and Mom
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