Daily Lesson for November 6, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Mark chapter 14 verses 53 through 64:

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Mark chapter 14 verses 53 through 64:

53 They took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled. 54 Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire. 55 Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none. 56 For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree. 57 Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” 59 But even on this point their testimony did not agree. 60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” 61 But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 Jesus said, “I am; and

‘you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,’ and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven.’”

63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 64 You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?” All of them condemned him as deserving death.

For too long it was the mistake among Christians that it was the Jewish people who killed Jesus. But look at the evidence and you see what happened to him had to be done under the cover of darkness for there not to have been an all-out revolt to save him. Day after day in that last week of his life Jesus was teaching and prophesying openly, the masses of people protecting him from the powers at be in Jerusalem. And it was the powers -- a noxious combination of Roman command-and-control and Jewish politico-religious alliance that conspired to kill him. But the people, they were all in their homes when Jesus was arrested, and still asleep by the time he was sentenced to death. By 9am in the morning he was already on the cross, with the last words heard from the high priest asking why there was any need to call any witnesses.

This is a warning to the faithful to stay vigilant, to pay attention to what is happening under the cloak of night, and to know just how imperative it is to demand witnesses with actual evidence, before we allow a miscarriage of justice to take place.

Democracy is on trial. But it is the will of the people to protect and stand up for it. It is the will of the people that things not be done in darkness and without sufficient reason.

So let us remain awake and alert; for the night is long, but truth is revealed in the daylight.

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Over the weekend we will read Luke chapter 22; John chapters 13 through 17, and Matthew 27 and Mark 15.