Throughout his arrest and trial Jesus does not defend himself. He had come to absorb the full force of evil and now the time had come for him to let people do their worst to him. The events from hereon are a disturbing demonstration of the natural animosity of human beings towards God. We protect our autonomy at all costs, even against the truth. When Jesus is accused before the Sanhedrin he does not try to vindicate himself and prove otherwise. There would have been no point. These people wanted to discredit and indict Jesus; they were committed to this before they started. They would therefore not allow themselves to see the truth. They were looking for any excuse to reject Jesus. To this end they focused on minor statements which they twist and take out of context. This is a universal human tendency. We create a reality that we feel comfortable with; one that makes us sovereign and one that reduces reality to something we can understand. In other words, we love lies. It is human nature. Before you shake your head at Jesus’ accusers, and before you decry the state of humanity in general, remember that you are not without sin yourself (1 John 1:8). This means that you are holding onto lies in some form. God is gracious and he wants to set you free from those lies so that you can be more fully devoted to him. Jesus came for this purpose, and he still comes to us to bring to light all that is false and set us free. Are you willing to see the truth?
Ask God to show you any lies that you are holding onto.
Read Matthew 26:47-68
