Day 37
A Vision at Night
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Daniel 7:13-14
These power brokers they broke themselves against Him. He who stands silent in their midst. Deafeningly silent. The silence of a thousand stars splitting the dark with light.
“The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.” Matthew 26:59-60
“Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.” Mark 14:56
What is truly happening is not what those in power assumed was happening. Underneath all the corrupt human action always lies what is truly going on, the true storyline underneath all blind human activity, the story of God quietly, firmly revealing who He is and enacting what He is doing. The story of God declaring war on the dark. On the lies. On the corruption that binds all humanity in the night.
Underneath all the noise of human circumstance there has always existed this one storyline thread. A thread that began before human existence. A thread that ends long after this world’s time is done. All the weavings of this world come and go, knotting, tearing, unravelling. But this thread remains: ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’14, ‘and in the end He shall stand upon the earth’15 as its redeemer. Having bought it back. From the dark.
God said, God created, God breathed, God lamented, God called, God partnered, God spoke.
God Came.
As a baby. Defenceless.
As a King. Armour-less.
For us.
This night, dark and thick with lies, is the night He will reveal Himself fully. Like a star exploding against the inky black of the Universe, the emptiness of deep space will fill with blinding light. Just as it did in the beginning.
This is who these priests and pharisees stand before. They think they are putting Him on trial, but they are ones being sifted as they stand before their true King and their Judge. Blind. Shackled by their own lies. Jesus wears the chains, but it is is they who are truly bound.
“Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: ‘We heard him say, “I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.”’ Yet even then their testimony did not agree.” Mark 14:57-59
This night. It was not really about the law. It was not really about the legality of anything. This was not a trial, but a travesty of justice, a twisting of the truth around the ends they sought. Trials were always held in the light of day, but this trial is thick in the dark of night. Trials were held in the meeting hall, but this trial is held in the home of the High Priest. Trials where witnesses contradicted each other were to be thrown out16. Yet this trial continued. In the night.
They broke their own laws17 just to find a way to break Him, but all their flustered efforts broke like thin-wisp webs.
“Finally two came forward and declared, ‘This fellow said, “I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.”’
Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, ‘Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?’ But Jesus remained silent” Matthew 26:60-63
They weave their web of lies around Him, forging deceptions, bribing reality to bend to their will for it.
They had one goal: Jesus death.
Jesus had one goal: His death. For them.
And in all their scrambling to bind Him in lies He remains silent like a lamb before its shearers18. He says nothing.
‘But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.’ Mark 14:61a
He remained silent. Deafeningly silent. The silence of a thousand stars pulsing in the night. He will not argue with darkness. Because He is the light19. His very existence is God’s answer to the dark.