(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see why)
Focus Question:
What should you remember about clothes-tearing?
Intro:
It’s a holiday week here in the U.S., and as we do here, on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas we do what a I call a “reflection” rather than our typical reading format. So not all of you may celebrate the American Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow, but may I encourage you to not miss tomorrow’s reflection?
Today, however, is normal, and you’ll hear about the high priest tearing his robes. And that’s today’s focus question — What about that should you remember? There is significance in terms of what it means biblically, but I think it also touches down in how we’re ready to serve others. So now to our NT segment.
NEW TESTAMENT SEGMENT:
If yesterday’s NT segment was about the betrayal of Jesus, today’s is about His trial (before a kangaroo court, mind you). And it’s good to remember what we just read yesterday in Daniel 7, so much so that I’m going to re-read verses 13 &14 of that vision:
and suddenly one like a son of man
was coming with the clouds of heaven.
He approached the Ancient of Days
and was escorted before him.
He was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
so that those of every people,
nation, and language
should serve him. Da 7:13–14, CSB
Now, to our story. Jesus just got arrested, and…
Passage: Mark 14:53-15:20
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 40
Words: ~846
OLD TESTAMENT SEGMENT:
In our OT segment today you’re going here one of the very two times when a good angel is named by name, Gabriel. And here’s a pop-quiz for you: the other time Gabriel is named, when is that? Well, two times, actually, both recounted in Luke, once when telling Zechariah his wife Elizabeth is going to conceive a son, and a few verses later to none other than Mary with a similar bit of news.
Passage: Daniel 8
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 27
Words: ~849
Wisdom SEGMENT:
Passage: Psalm 98
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 9
Words: ~148
The bottom line:
So, what should you remember about the clothes-tearing event we read about? The reason is because it’s one of the many examples that you can point to if someone objects, “But Jesus never called himself God.”
Here’s a little background to connect the dots for you like you can for them.
In the Ancient Near East,
Tearing one’s clothing was an ancient expression of deep sorrow (see Genesis 44:13). The law forbade a priest from tearing his garments over personal grief (Leviticus 10:6; 21:10)…(1)
But it was also
a sign of profound consternation (2 Sam 1:11; 2 Kgs 18:37). The response of Jesus is seized by the high priest as a self-evident blasphemy, the punishment for which was death by stoning.(2)
So…when Jesus was asked if he was the Messiah, he said, “I am,” and then went on to quote Daniel. But here’s the thing…calling yourself the Messiah wasn’t blasphemy, though that’s the easy thing to conclude given how we read the text. There were a lot of dudes who called themselves Messiah, and then, like we would now, they were probably just thought of as a loony.
No, it’s the context of what came after that.
Jesus’ statement is considered blasphemy in that he claims divine Sonship and an exclusively exalted position at the right hand of God. Following the high priest’s lead, they all condemned him as deserving death.(3)
In other words, they knew Jesus was making a claim of divinity because they knew their Bibles, including the book of Daniel.
This isn’t the only place or manner in which Jesus presented Himself as the Son of God, and we won’t get into all of them today. The thing to remember, however, is that not seeing that Jesus made such a claim is the domain of someone who has either failed to dig into their Bible or is simply repeating such a claim made by a fellow simpleton.
It’s not hard, however, to look at a story like the high priest tearing his clothes and asking, “Why’d he do that?” Oh, Jesus just said something utterly forbidden…unless, quite ironically, He was telling the truth.
I love you. Amen? Amen.
ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
Sources and resources:
(1) Bruce Barton et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001), 220.
(2) James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Mark, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2002), 448.
(3) Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1929–1930.