Christ Jesus was mocked, beaten and interrogated.

“The men who were holding Jesus started mocking and beating Him. After blindfolding Him, they kept asking, ‘Prophesy! Who hit You?’ And they were saying many other blasphemous things against Him.

When daylight came, the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the scribes, convened and brought Him before their Sanhedrin.  They said, ‘If You are the Messiah, tell us.’

But He said to them, ‘If I do tell you, you will not believe. And if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the Power of God.’

They all asked, ‘Are You, then, the Son of God?’

And He said to them, ‘You say that I am.’

‘Why do we need any more testimony,’ they said, ‘since we’ve heard it ourselves from His mouth (Luke 22:63-71 HCSB).”

Jesus IS the Messiah; He IS the Son of God.

Elders were rejecting not only Jesus but God the Father as well.

The Father had audibly affirmed Jesus’ identity.

“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. But John tried to stop Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?’

Jesus answered him, ‘Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him to be baptized.

After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for Him,and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him.  And there came a voice from heaven:

This is My beloved Son.
I take delight in Him (Matthew 3:13-17 HCSB)!”

Published articles in Mature Living Magazine, Devotions for the Deaf, The Secret Place, Coosa Journal, Mary Hollingsworth's The One Year Devotional of Joy and Laughter, Jo Krueger's Every Day in God's Word. http://www.pamforddavis.com
 http://www.faithwriters.com/member-profile.php?