The King's Humiliation

Oh, the irony. Puny men are trying to pass judgment on the God who
judges the world. Men are flocking to bear false witness against
the God who commanded not to bear false witness. The chief priest
is accusing the God in whose Temple he serves of blasphemy. This is
a picture of how blind we can become. Do we get so caught up in
religiosity that we can't see God standing right in front of us? It
seems to be getting darker and darker as we read these verses. If
it weren't for Jesus' predictions about his own death, these events
would come as a complete shock. Mark has spent the majority of the
book persuading us of Jesus' identity. Mark has shown us Jesus'
kingship, Lordship, and leadership. But now the King must die in
order to give his life as a ransom for many. Jesus' humiliation
gets worse and worse.