The Mock Court - The Ultimate One!!

The Mock Court - The Ultimate One!!


“And they smote Him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon Him, and bowing their knees worshipped Him. And when they had mocked Him, and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.” Mark 15: 9-10;

The cost for each one of us and the world to be a new creation was far beyond anything, and no one can fathom! There is nothing pretty about being in a mock court which is ultimate, but it was necessary to overcome the grave in God’s ultimate plan.

The original word for envy, ‘Phthonos’ in Mk 15:10, means: “envy, jealousy, pain felt and malignity conceived at the sight of excellence and happiness.” Generally compromising people can not stand the sight of excellence in others; and very miserable people can not afford to see happiness in others. Envy is deadly and it can kill anything from contentment to killing people.

Jesus was before the council of elders and according to Luk 22: 66-67a; “And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the Chief priests and the Scribes came together, and led Him into the council saying, ‘Art Thou the Christ’” shows that He was subjected to all illegal proceedings all through the night. Self-righteousness looked ill-fitted for the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and they had a hard time hiding their flint foreheads behind their phylacteries.

Treason, murder and felony are the three crimes that are usually punished by the sword during Roman times, and only Barabbas was guilty of the above. The irony of the whole thing is that the only reason Christ was standing before Pilate and other leaders because He was exactly who they “tried” Him for being. The accusers could not see the truth for themselves, Christ was found guilty of being the Son of God. “Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And He said unto them, Ye say that I am.” Luk 22: 70.

Pilate has discerned personally the malignancy of religious leaders and the first reason to exercise caution was recorded in Matt 27: 19; “When he was set down on the judgement seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.”

“Jesus answered, Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin” in Jn 19: 11; which shocked Pilate and from then on he sought to release Jesus. I believe Pilate’s inside told him that Jesus was exactly who He said He was. Pilate we see as the ultimate consummate unprincipled politician had the authority he needed but lacked the courage to change. Pilate offered several times to simply punish Jesus with severe beating, but the religious leaders want Him dead because their hatred was pretty serious. We are seeing the inhuman side of humanity, and we can agree that given over to our natural urges and instincts we are more violent than the beasts of the field.

Herod the King had no intention of believing Christ whatsoever, and he absolutely epitomizes human arrogance. The unfolding events in the ‘mock court’ recorded in Luke 23: 8-12 and in the midst of the frenzy, friendship developed between Pilate and Herod. Neither Pilate nor Herod could find any basis for the charges against Christ; Luk 23: 14-15, and Herod mocked and belittled the Son of God.

“As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man and his form more than the sons of men.” Isaiah 52:14; described Christ’s appearance when they all had done their share. They have stripped, mocked, flogged, spat, struck again and again the fullness of the Godhead bodily. The crowd want Jesus to be crucified, and they were together and had their share of mocking and want Barabbas to be released in His place.

Does any one there knew that whom they pierced is the bright and morning star, the alpha and Omega, the anointed of the Lord, the beloved Son of God, the radiance of His Father’s glory, the light of the world, the Lily of the Valley, the Prince of peace, the seed of David, the Son of righteousness, the blessed and only potentate, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords, Immanuel and is the salvation of the whole world? The mocking humanity never realized how ever they belittled Christ; He can not be, because He is King of Kings and the coming King.

Let us think for a minute; David, the Son of righteousness could have explained His way out of this ‘mock trial’; but He did not. He looked down on the very humanity who were persecuting Him, gave himself to His Father’s will to deliver them from the power of darkness; Col 1:13-14. Can we think for a minute about God’s ‘dying love’ for the ‘perishing world’?

References:
1. The Matthew Henry Study Bible, ‘The best of Matthew Henry’s notes in a handy one volume’ Reference Bible, King James Version (Iowa Falls: World Bible Publishers, Inc.1996)
2. Thomas Nelson, ‘The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments’ (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982)
3. J. Vernon McGee, ‘Psalms’ (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991)
4. Jesus the One and Only, ‘Beth Moore’; (Life Way Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 2007).
5. The New King James Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982.
6. Prayers to Move Your Mountains, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 2000.