Mark 15:1, New Living Translation

“Very early in the morning the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law—the entire high council—met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.”

The Word of God is active and alive and can meet our present need always. (Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 46:1) Uncountable times has God spoken through His Word when I sought Him, His will for the work of His Kingdom, His heart for someone who I was engaging with, and His truth in a situation I was facing. Every time I seek Him, He leads faithfully. His Word is precious to me, more than gold or silver, and it is more valuable than any treasure. So, I put my head down, pick up my pickaxe like the seven dwarfs and dig, dig, dig, dig deeper and deeper into the Word, seeking the diamond that is in the rock in the mine.

Therefore, I ask whenever I open the Bible:

“Lord, what do you want me to know this time through the Word I read today? Holy Spirit, would you teach me and reveal the truth that I need to understand today?”

Early this year, the Lord led me back to the four gospels for another round of digging. O how rich and wide and deep is the Word! Inspiration and revelation never end! One morning, I came to Mark 15:1 (NLT) which says, “Very early in the morning the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law—the entire high council—met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.”

It seems to simply state the fact: Some time in the morning, some of the religious people were meeting and discussing the matter of Jesus, and they decided something. However, this verse carries several messages, and we should not neglect their meaning!

First, is says “very early morning”, some translations say, “as soon as it was morning”, or “immediately, in the morning”. If we pay attention, we should recognize they had Jesus arrested in the late night (His disciples fell asleep several times before it happened), and they interrogated and beat Him overnight (Peter denied Him three times before the rooter crowed). He should be exhausted, both physically and mentally, grieving for their sin, and was fully aware of what was waiting ahead of Him (the crucifixion). Yet, Jesus did not turn from His mission.

Second, it says that they did not find any fault in Him. Wicked are those, who position and proclaim themselves to sit in a high seat in the temple of God. They are like a servant who places themselves higher than their Master. Their pride leads them to believe that they have authority to condemn the One who is the Judge.

Last, it says that they were all religious leaders in the law. They should know and keep the law and know that the law of God is different than the law of the world. Sinful are the ones who handed Jesus over to the world – Roman governor (No wonder Paul wrote about it in the letter to Corinthians). (1 Corinthians 5:12)

My dear brothers and sisters, should we consider the cost being a disciple of Jesus? (Luke 14:25-35) Do not take this path lightly, do not fall into the same mistake the Word already warns us about. Dig deeper into His Word, seek understanding, and then follow Jesus with all our heart!