Page 283 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

TN_03_MacArthur_Bible_March.qxd 8/8/03 14:44 Page 264

MARCH 18
blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to began to say to those who stood by, “This is
Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers struck Him one of them.” But he denied it again.
70
with the palms of their hands. And a little later those who stood by said to
66 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for
one of the servant girls of the high priest you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.”
67
came. And when she saw Peter warming 71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do
himself, she looked at him and said, “You also not know this Man of whom you speak!”
were with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 A second time the rooster crowed. Then
68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had
nor understand what you are saying.” And he said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice,
went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed. you will deny Me three times.” And when he
69 And the servant girl saw him again, and thought about it, he wept.

DAY 17: Did Jesus claim to be God during His trial?
In Mark 14:61,when Caiaphas,the high priest,asked Jesus if He was the “Christ,”the term refers
to Jesus’claim to be the promised Messiah.The “Son of the Blessed”clearly refers to Jesus’claim to
Deity.This is the only New Testament use of the expression,and it is an example of Jewish wording
that avoided using God’s name.Jesus’acceptance of messiahship and Deity (see Luke 4:18–21;John
4:25,26; 5:17,18; 8:58) had always brought vigorous opposition from the Jewish leaders (John
5:19–47; 8:16–19; 10:29–39). Clearly, the high priest was asking this question in hopes that Jesus
would affirm it and open Himself to the formal charge of blasphemy.
Jesus‘ response that “I am”(v.62) was an explicit, unambiguous declaration that He was and is
both the Messiah and “the Son of Man”—Jesus used this commonly acknowledged messianic title
of Himself more than 80 times in the Gospels, here in a reference to Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13
(see Rev. 1:13; 14:14). He added that His glorified position is next to the throne of God,“the right
hand of the Power.”Jesus’“Power”is another reference to God.
That Jesus’declaration was understood is seen when the high priest “tore his clothes”(v.63), a
ceremonial, and in this case contrived, display of grief and indignation over the presumed dishon-
oring of God’s name by Jesus (see Gen. 37:29; Lev. 10:6; Job 1:20; Acts 14:13,19). Strictly speaking,
Jesus’words were not “blasphemy”(v.64) or defiant irreverence of God (Lev.24:10–23),but Caiaphas
regarded them as such because Jesus claimed for Himself equal power and prerogative with God.

which is on the edge of the wilderness. They
7
MARCH 18 moved from Etham and turned back to Pi
Hahiroth, which is east of Baal Zephon; and
they camped near Migdol. They departed
8
from before Hahiroth and passed through the
Numbers 33:1–34:29
midst of the sea into the wilderness, went three
These are the journeys of the children days’ journey in the Wilderness of Etham, and
33 of Israel, who went out of the land of camped at Marah. They moved from Marah
9
Egypt by their armies under the hand of and came to Elim. At Elim were twelve springs
Moses and Aaron. Now Moses wrote down of water and seventy palm trees; so they
2
the starting points of their journeys at the camped there.
command of the LORD. And these are their 10 They moved from Elim and camped by the
journeys according to their starting points: Red Sea. They moved from the Red Sea and
11
They departed from Rameses in the first camped in the Wilderness of Sin. They jour-
3 12
month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; neyed from the Wilderness of Sin and camped
on the day after the Passover the children of at Dophkah. They departed from Dophkah
13
Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all and camped at Alush. They moved from
14
4
the Egyptians. For the Egyptians were bury- Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there
ing all their firstborn, whom the LORD had was no water for the people to drink.
killed among them. Also on their gods the 15 They departed from Rephidim and
LORD had executed judgments. camped in the Wilderness of Sinai. They
16
5
Then the children of Israel moved from moved from the Wilderness of Sinai and
17
6
Rameses and camped at Succoth. They camped at Kibroth Hattaavah. They departed
departed from Succoth and camped at Etham, from Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at
264