Mar 14:61-65 | TNotes

14:62 ^a I Am: Cp. study note on 6:49-50. The reader has known from the beginning that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God (1:1 ^b). This was acknowledged by demons (1:24 ^c; 3:11 ^d; 5:7 ^e), by God (1:11 ^f; 9:7 ^g), and by the disciples (8:29-30 ^h), but this is the first time that Jesus openly and publicly acknowledged that he was the Messiah.

• The second part of Jesus’ reply was that he would sit in the place of power at God’s right hand, which foretold his resurrection and ascension (Luke 24:50-51 ⁱ; Acts 1:9-11 ^j; see Phil 2:9 ^k; Heb 1:3 ^l) and his triumphal coming on the clouds of heaven to judge the world. At Jesus’ return, roles will be reversed, and those judging the Son of Man will be judged by him.
Summary for Mark 14:63-64: 14:63-64 ^m The high priest tore his clothing at Jesus’ response. This was a judicial act that indicated a guilty verdict and signified that there was no need to find other witnesses. The rest of the Sanhedrin agreed that Jesus was guilty and deserved to die.

• Exactly what was blasphemous in Jesus’ reply is unclear. Perhaps it was his reply “I Am,” which was the way God referred to himself in Exod 3:14 ⁿ (see John 8:58 ^o). However, Mark is not necessarily repeating the actual words Jesus said at his trial (cp. Matt 26:64 ^p; Luke 22:70 ^q), so these words could simply be indicating Jesus’ affirmative response to the high priest’s question. He was the Messiah, the Son of God. During the second Jewish revolt against Rome, Bar Kokhba (AD 132–135) claimed to be the Messiah, and it was not considered blasphemous. Jesus’ identification of himself as the Son of Man cannot have been considered blasphemous, for we have over fifty instances before Jesus’ trial in which he used this title, and the charge of blasphemy was never raised. Yet it was too much for the high priest and the Sanhedrin when Jesus clearly claimed to be the Son of Man of Dan 7:13 ^r coming in God’s name to judge the world. This declaration was also added to the fact that, during his ministry, Jesus forgave sins (Mark 2:5-7 ^s; Luke 7:48-50 ^t), claimed to be the Son of God (Mark 12:6 ^u), pronounced judgment upon the Temple (14:58 ^v), and claimed to be Lord of the Sabbath (2:28 ^w). Already convinced that Jesus should be put to death, the religious leaders now pronounced the predetermined guilty verdict (14:55 ^x).
14:65 ^y spit: See 10:34 ^z.

• Prophesy: See 6:4 ^aa, 15 ^ab; 8:28 ^ac; 14:58 ^ad.

• Similar abuse would follow his trial before Pontius Pilate (15:16-20 ^ae).