Mark 15:1-5

Find a way to separate yourself from whatever’s going on around you so you can fully enter into today’s passage. if you haven’t read the introduction to Mark’s Gospel, read it here.

Read Mark 15:1-5 as if you were an observer in the scene.

Jesus, the only human who has never rebelled against God’s good and perfect shalom ways, stands silent while false accusations are hurled at him. The only time he speaks is in answer to a question about who he is: “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Just a few hours earlier, the same scene played out inside the high priest’s home (Mark 14:53-62), and then as now, the only time Jesus speaks is when he is asked directly about his identity.

Why do you think Jesus refused to answer the “charges” brought against him on both of these occasions?

Why do you think Jesus chose to answer the question about his identity both times?

Read Mark 15:1-5 again with these questions in mind.

Our identity is the core of who we are, and if we are secure in our identity we are not easily rattled by criticism or verbal attacks. The problem is that all of us have at some point rebelled against God’s good and perfect rule and way, and one of the results of our rebellion is confusion about who God created us to be. Without clear knowledge of our true self, it is impossible to remain calm and confident when people criticize us or speak falsely about us.

The only one who can reveal our true identity to us is Jesus. He is the only human who never became confused about who he was, and he alone can lead us to our true selves. If we trust and follow him, he lives in us by his Spirit, and over time he peels back the layers of our false selves and reveals who we were meant to be.

When you think about your true identity, what comes to mind? Talk with Jesus about this for a moment or two.

Would you consider yourself more confident or insecure as a person?

How have you allowed Jesus to reveal your identity? If you haven’t already, ask him to begin revealing your true self to you.

If you sense Jesus nudging you toward a specific action today, make a note of it and plan to take a step in that direction.

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