Drew Boswell

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“Are You Ready to Feel the Earth Move?” Mark 16:1-8

Are You Ready to Feel the Earth Move?

Mark 16:1-8

Introduction

This morning we will look at three stages of Christian life.  One is doing things because we feel like we are supposed to.  Then there is living in guilt and not knowing what to do next.  The third, there is following a God given calling upon our lives.  We have to make a choice where they will stay, of those three choices the one we stay at is either safe and secure or it will scare us to death. It is this decision and commitment to follow Christ wherever he leads to gives excitement and purpose to life.

Prayer

Jesus I pray for the people within this room.  They are at different stages of life, from different parts of the world, from all different walks of life – but there is a common bond between us, and that is you.  You go before us, this morning give us boldness to follow You as we never have before.

 The Resurrection Causes Us To Expect the Unexpected (vv. 1)

“When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.”

In order to buy spices to prepare Jesus’ body for proper burial, the women would have had to have waited until sunset on Friday when the shops reopened after the Passover Feast.  It was too late by then to prepare Jesus’ body.

Knowing that the shops were closed, Luke tells us that they chose to follow those who took Jesus’ body to the tomb to see where he was to be buried.  John 19:39-40 tells us that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had already anointed the body, or placed over 75 pounds of spices around his body, and wrapped Jesus’ body in a cloth.

Apparently, Nicodemus’ and Joseph’s burial preparation was not adequate to the women’s standard so that night they prepared the spices, they had purchased.  The next day they rested during the day of Sabbath in observance of the law.

It was a hot climate and after two and a half days, a body would have been well on its way toward decomposition.  This willingness to deal with the decay shows the women’s devotion to Christ. Their willingness to purchase the expensive spices also shows their love for Him.

So the men (in John 19) and the women coming to him here early in the morning  did not expect a resurrection of Jesus.  If they had expected Jesus to come back to life, then they all would have been there waiting outside the tomb. Not to mention the male disciples are in no way even interested in going to the tomb until after they heard he had risen.

If the men and the women had expected Jesus to be raised again, why waste the money on spices, and why shed all the tears?  No one really expected to see Jesus Christos again.  Later on the angel says, “just as He had said (v. 7),” – but they didn’t believe Him.  They expected to see the decaying corpse Jesus that they had laid in the tomb.  But they did not expect to really see the Jesus who said, “I am the resurrection and the Life (John 11:25).”

What Jesus do you expect to be in your life?  The disciples loved Jesus, the women loved Jesus but they did not believe in the resurrected Jesus (that would come later).

 There are all kinds of different Jesus’ – There is little baby Jesus.  We get him out once a year, set him some where in our homes, he may even bought him at Wal-Mart, he’s life size and plastic.  But you know what, little baby Jesus is safe.  He’s easy to take out and put away when it’s convenient or the season is over.  Little baby Jesus doesn’t ask very much of us, only that we say, “awww how cute.”

 There is also Sunday School Jesus – He’s there for me at the building and I can leave him there.  He doesn’t follow me around, he is made of felt and I can pick Him up, stick Him on a flannel board, and next week when I come back, He’ll be right there.  He had some interesting things to say but it’s not like I am going to take him with me anywhere.

 There is also the dead Jesus – This Jesus makes me feel horrible.  He went through all the agony of the crucifixion and bore my sins, and then he died.  They buried Him, the disciples were sad, his mother was sad.  Those close to him went away without hope.  Tears were shed.  This Jesus makes me feel guilty because of all the bad things I have done.

Is there another Jesus? And if there is another Jesus what do we really expect Him to be like, and how does this other Jesus affect us?  Let’s have a look.

The Resurrection Causes Us To Live A Faith in Life (vv. 2-8)

“And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”

The women did not expect to be able to get into the grave to prepare his body, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” A better way to read this sentence is, “and they kept on asking who will roll the stone away?” From the time they left their home, to the time they arrived they were asking this question.

“Salome, how are going to move that stone?” “Mary, I don’t know how, but we must go and do this.”  They were driven in a respect for the dead, to anoint his body in a fitting way, they were fixated, they had to do this, even though they didn’t know how they would accomplish it.

These women were fixed on taking steps of faith in death.  How they were going to do it, they didn’t know – but they took step after step that took them to the tomb.  All along the way, they were looking down.  They were carrying the weight of the spices, they were carrying the weight of the reality that their beloved teacher and friend has been brutally crucified.

And when they arrived and looked up, “And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large.”

These women were about to be challenged to go deeper in their faith.  Now was a time to take steps of faith in life.  In their minds they could see themselves preparing a body for burial (as hard as that was) but they couldn’t see themselves doing what the Resurrected Jesus was telling them to do!  When we encounter the Resurrected Jesus, it changes everything.

They discover that there is an angel there who tells them that “He has risen; he is not here.”  And look at their response – (v. 8) “And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”

They had the strength to do what they were supposed to do.  Women were supposed to take care of this kind of stuff.  Are you ok, with doing what you feel a good mom or dad is supposed to do? Are you ok with doing what a good spouse is supposed to do? Go to church, be a nice person, don’t cuss, help out somewhere.

They had the faith to make their way to the tomb – they didn’t know how they would move the stone, but they went anyway.  But when the angel told them to be missionaries, when the angel told them to proclaim, “He is Risen.”  They are over come with fear and trembling.

In bewilderment they fled.  They said nothing – they were afraid.  These women who had the strength to prepare the decayed body of their good friend – were blown away with what to do with a resurrected Jesus.

They did not expect to see an angel, to receive instructions, or to be sent as God’s representatives or messengers.  They simply did not expect their lives to be any different than they were right then.

They want their friend, healer, teacher, that Jesus back.  They want the Jesus they can hug, and have smile at them.  They don’t know what to do with the Resurrected Jesus who sends them to be on mission.  They don’t want things to change, but God has a bigger plan.

Get this, being a Christian is more than doing what you are supposed to do.  You don’t need the Resurrected Jesus to do what the world expects for a good person to do.  When we encounter the Resurrected Christ He sends us and calls us to do things that are beyond what our tiny minds can fathom.  We must have Him, if we are to accomplish the size of tasks He calls us to.

The women “8Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.”  When was the last time you encountered Christ and upon understanding the scope of what he desires to do through your life that it left you trembling?

“Lord I can’t do that” bewildered “Lord, how is that even possible?” When was the last time as you stood in His presence that you could say nothing, under the weight of the calling upon your life – “Lord you will do this through my life?”

The Jesus who had been with them, is now the resurrected Christ who would go before them.  The angel said, “’He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”  He is not here – where is here?  He is not where you are at this moment.  Right now you are standing in the tomb, under the weight of spices to anoint a body.

Drew, you don’t know how bad of a person I am.  If you could see my heart then you would know that there is no way that Jesus could forgive me.  He is not here – He has Risen! He has moved on.  It is time for you to move on as well.  Jesus goes before us, He call us to do great things on His behalf, “just as he tells us.”

The Jesus on the cross does leave us feeling guilty, he died for our sins – but the Resurrected Jesus tells his angels to give a message to the disciples.  Remember all the disciples had left Him, and denied Him, and felt absolutely hopeless.

1 Corinthians 15:17, 19 “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.  19If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”  The resurrection changes things.

The angel says, “tell his disciples and Peter” – why does Jesus specifically send a message to Peter?  Matthew 26:69-75 “Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. 70But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. 71Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” 73After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.” 74Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. 75Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.”

Peter swears that he would never leave Jesus, even if it cost him his life – but only a short time later, sure enough he denies Jesus on three different occasions.  Peter felt horrible because of his sin, but Jesus was going before this disciple who had fallen and failed.

Because Jesus completed our restoration back to God, and finished what was required for salvation – we who have failed and fallen in Christ can keep on going.  We can start over.  He still goes before us; He still calls us to follow Him.

He goes before us into eternity, John 14:1-3 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

When the disciples get to Galilee Jesus sends them on a mission;  Matthew 28:16-20 “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Just as Jesus sent the women, and the disciples, Jesus also sends us.  What if I fail “Jesus is not in the tomb, He is Risen.’  “How will I know what to do?” Jesus goes before us, He will lead the way.  What if I die, “Jesus has prepared a place for us.”

We are in three areas of faith, one is doing what you are supposed to do, walking in death.  One is to do what we have been sent to do, walking in life.  But don’t get stuck in the tomb – Jesus is not there, He has gone on before you.  What step of faith do you need to take this morning?

Closing

The first step might just be asking Jesus for forgiveness of your sin, and thanking Him for dying on the cross.  He did this for us as a gift that each person can receive or deny.  Another step might be moving beyond the guilt of your send and asking God to show what He desires to do through your life.

 Someone here may already know the answer to that question, but has been holding back and not fully surrendering to what God has told you or called you to do – whatever the commitment is, do it today.

 

“The Orphan’d Cry” Mark 15:33-47

Christ’s Power Over Every Need

The Gospel of Mark Sermon Series

“The Orphan’d Cry”

Mark 15:33-47

 Introduction

At the heart of the city of London is Charing Cross. All distances across the city are measured from its central point. Locals refer to it simply as “the cross.” One day a child became lost in the bustling metropolis.  A city police officer (A “bobby,” as they are referred to in London) came to the child’s aid to try and help him return to his family.

The bobby asked the child a variety of questions in an attempt to discover where the boy lived, to no avail. Finally, with tears streaming down the boy’s face, he said, “If you will take me to the cross I think I can find my way from there.” What an apt description of the Christian life. The cross is both the starting place of our new life in Christ, but also the place we must return to, time and again, to keep our bearings in life.[1]

 Prayer

The Hour Has Come (vv. 33-39)

And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

(v. 33) “when the sixth hour had come,”[2] – 12pm.

At this moment, the Father considered him sin, 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” And for that reason, the Father forsakes the Son, and Jesus feels the total wrath of God, the worst of which is separation and abandonment from God the Father.

Jesus is being cut off from God, Isaiah 59:2 “but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

A. Darkness Over the Whole Land

(v. 33) “there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,” – “In the plague of darkness which preceded the first Passover, darkness over the land was the token that the curse of God rested upon it (Exodus 10:21).”[3] For the hours while Jesus was on the cross, – darkness as a sign of God’s curse was over the land. There was no natural cause for the sudden darkness, it lasted for three hours, and then was gone.

B. Jesus’ Cry of Dereliction

Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” – Jesus knows why He has been forsaken by the Father; He is not surprised by the Father’s separation from him. Jesus is quoting the opening verse of Psalm 22. The psalm “portrays the desolation of the suffering of the righteous (vv. 1-21) and the eventual triumphant vindication of this one by God (vv. 22-31).”[4]

John Calvin put it this way, “If Christ had died only a bodily death, it would have been ineffectual . . . Unless his soul shared in the punishment, he would have been the Redeemer of bodies alone.’ In consequence, ‘he paid a greater and more excellent price in suffering in his soul the terrible torments of a condemned and forsaken man.’”[5] This psalm is an expression of a dreadful separation between the Father and Son, Jesus was God-forsakenness and cursed by God.

Bystanders misunderstand Jesus when He says, Eloi, and think He said Elijah, “Behold, he is calling Elijah,” People even today, still misinterpret what Jesus said.

 B. The Temple Curtain Was Torn

(v. 38) “And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” – When Adam and Eve sinned by taking of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden they had to leave the Garden. When Cain killed his brother Abel, he had to leave the family – when humans sin against God they are separated from Him. The curtain in the temple is a symbol of this separation.

The Holy of Holies was where the ark of the covenant resided – which represented the presence of God, the curtain is between everyone and God. Once a year, a priest would enter the Holy of Holies and spread blood of a perfect lamb over the mercy seat. “This curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was 60 feet high and 30 feet wide.”[6]

When Jesus “breathed his last,” then the temple curtain was torn. Jesus completed his mission; He died as a sinless substitute for humanity. He took the complete wrath of God for our sin, and because of that, what separates man from God has been done away with. Once Jesus completed His mission, “his once-for-all sacrificial death has made animal sacrifices in the temple obsolete.”[7] All the feasts, festivals, instantly became obsolete – even the Passover meal was replaced with “The Lord’s Supper.”

Our sin has caused a distance between us and God. So, God chose one race of people amongst all the people of the earth to give His Word to and to have a relationship with (the Hebrews, Israelites, the Jews). God gave them the law so that mankind and God could in some sense have a relationship. In the law we see God requiring the slaughter of animals so that man’s sin could be atoned Atonement means “to cover.” The sin of mankind is still there, it has only been covered so that God’s wrath is held back. But you have to keep going back to the temple, keep offering bulls and goats to atone for your continuing sin. You have to keep covering the sin.

Romans 3:23-26 “For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Propitiation – is a turning away of wrath. Jesus’ blood being shed turns away God’s wrath. “Jesus paid the price for my sin, but I still should be ashamed of my behavior, right?” 1 John 2:1-2 “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” Not only does Jesus’ blood turn away God’s wrath from all of our previous sin, He also has covered all future sins as well. “ . . . the implication of verse 2 is not only that our sins are purged, but also that his displeasure is removed – God’s wrath is propitiated.”[8] He remembers your sin no more. Neither should you.

Notice the detail, “from top to bottom.” Mankind did not rip the curtain from the bottom up. God ripped the curtain from top to bottom. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16. Through Jesus’ separation from God, we are able to no longer be separated from God.

 Why is it that mankind perishes if they don’t believe in Jesus? Because they are separated from God because of their sin (like Adam and Eve, Like Cain, etc.) So God provided one way for us to be brought close to Him once more – Jesus. God poured out on His Son all the wrath of every sin you have ever done, or will do in the future – you are clean. What about the sin you haven’t done yet, it’s already been taken care of.

Isaiah 1:18 “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;”

Hebrews 10:19-20 “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, . . .”

C. The Centurion Takes Notice

(v. 39) “And when the centurion[9], who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” – This man was convinced that this man was a religious fanatic when Jesus was presented for morning comedy relief for the battalion. He probably started the day with the assumption that a man convicted of the crime was deserving of death. He watched as Jesus was led to Calvary, nailed to a cross and lifted up – The centurion took in all the evidence, all the days occurrences and this battle hardened leader of men, he had an open mind, and he changes his mind about Jesus.[10]

The Women Remain (vv. 40-41)

40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

Mark mentions that there were several women and even names them by name. “The significance of the presence of these women to Mark is that they were eyewitnesses to the primary events proclaimed in the gospel, the death (vv. 40-41), burial (v. 47), and resurrection (16:1) of Jesus. The details of what took place could be substantiated by their testimony.”[11]

These women are long-term followers of Jesus, from the Galilean period (v. 41). We also get a glimpse that “they followed him and ministered to him,” – Jesus’ lifestyle and the disciples as well had a support network that supplied material needs, contributions, and those that followed Jesus from place to place were not just the 12 disciples, but a whole group of women as well.

When the disciples flee, we see what is left behind. The women of Jesus’ ministry are faithful to the end, and it will be women who first experience what is to happen in chapter 16, and it is to these women that they will give an account of what happens next, because the men are all gone. Remember this is Mark’s account given in a time when women had no legal status or could give testimony in court.[12] But even with Jesus’ death, they are still devoted to Him. “Women had always been a significant part of Christ’s life and ministry. It is not surprising to see them as a significant part of his death.”[13]

A New Disciple Takes Courage (vv. 42-47)

42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council[14], who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46 And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock.[15] And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

(v. 43) “Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, — Mark tells us where he is from, his occupation, and that he was “looking for the kingdom of God.” We can discern that Joseph was well liked and respected by others. He had done very well with his occupation and therefore was quite wealthy. But you can easily put in your name, where you are from, your occupation, and then add on and was “looking for the kingdom of God.”

Mark 1:14-15 “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” “The kingdom means the reign and rule of the promised Messiah in power and grace.”[16] There was something different about Joseph and Nicodemus who asked “how can a man be born again?” (both religious leaders) who were able to see something none of the others religious leaders saw. They were looking for God.

What are you looking for?

It was out of that looking for the kingdom that Joseph “took courage . . .” Joseph steps out of the darkness, and with courage and boldness asks Pilate for Jesus’ body. Time was of the essence now, and clock was ticking – Jesus’ body had to be taken down, and buried before the setting of the sun, in order to keep the law.

“since it was the day of Preparation” all the preparations that needed to get done had to be done a day ahead of the sabbath since no work could be done on that day. He had two to three hours to do the work of burying Jesus before the sabbath begins. Joseph purchases a burial shroud, wraps Jesus up, and lays him in the tomb.

The Sanhedrin have worked so hard to get Jesus killed, they would not have been pleased with Joseph’s desire to give Jesus an honorable burial.[17] Notice it is not the religious leaders who are interested in Jesus’ burial, Duet. 21:22-23 even says, “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.”

The gospel of John tells us that Nicodemus and Joseph together prepared his body. The two men, “wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb.” (v. 46) “cut out of the rock.” – most people were buried in the ground, but the wealthy would prepare a body, and place it in a carved out tomb (which was very labor intense and therefore expensive) then once the body was decayed they would place the bones in stone box called an ossuary.

The last thing Joseph does is “he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.”

The last thing in the Passion narrative from Mark is that, “Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.” The woman followed the body in silent pain and mourning to the tomb, where they watched Joseph and Nicodemus take Jesus into the tomb. “They were there not just to watch, however, but to know where to return to after the sabbath.”[18]

As we consider Jesus on the cross, there are three things to take away:

Our sin must be extremely horrible[19]. Stott says, “what sent Christ there was neither the greed of Judas, nor the envy of the priests, nor the vacillating cowardice of Pilate, but our own greed, envy, cowardice and other sins, and Christ’s resolve in love and mercy to bear their judgement and so put them away.”[20]

God’s love must be wonderful beyond comprehension. God had every right to leave us in our sin. He could have abandoned us to our fate of being lost, but in His grace (love toward the undeserving) we were pursued by a loving God who sought us out, and did what was required to save us from ourselves.

Christ’s salvation must be a free gift. Jesus purchased our salvation at the cost of His own life. So what is there left for us to pay? Jesus even says from the cross, “it is finished.” There is nothing that we can contribute. So stop trying to earn your way into heaven – you don’t have to be anything. But who can look at the cross of Christ, take in all that He did to save us – and then run to sin even more? The cross is the most powerful incentive to live a holy life.

_____________________

[1] https://thepastorsworkshop.com/sermon-illustrations-on-the-cross/

[2] Amos 8:9-10

[3] William L. Lane, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, The Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids; Michigan, 1974) 572.

[4] William F. Cook, Jesus’ Final Week, From Triumphal Entry to Empty Tomb (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman and Holman Publishing, 2022) 133.

[5] John R. W. Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downers Grove; Illinois; Intervarsity Press, 1986) 81.

[6] Andreas Köstenberger, The Final Days of Jesus (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Publishing, 2014) 162.

[7] Köstenberger, 162.

[8] Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey, Andrew Sach, Pierced For Our Transgressions, Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Books, 2007) 84.

[9] Tradition has called him Longinus.

[10] George Arthur Buttrick, General Editor, The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume VII (Nashville, Tennessee; Abingdon Press, 1953) 908.

[11] Lane, 577.

[12] R. T. France, The New International Greek Commentary, The Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2002) 665.

[13] Max Anders, General Editor, Holman New Testament Commentary, Mark (Nashville, Tennessee; B&H Publishing Group, 2000) 261.

[14] Luke 23:51 tells us that he did not consent to the council’s actions to have Jesus killed.

[15] Fulfilled Isa. 53:9 “and he made his grave . . . with the rich in his death.”

[16] R.C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Mark’s Gospel (Minneapolis; Minnesota; Augsburg Publishing House, 1964) 730.

[17] Cook, 138.

[18] France, 669.

[19] Stott, 83.

[20] Stott. 83.

“Found Guilty” Mark 15:1-32

Christ’s Power Over Every Need

The Gospel of Mark Sermon Series

“Found Guilty”

Mark 15:1-32

“We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,” 1 Cor. 1:23

 Introduction

On January 23, 1968, the USS Pueblo, a US Navy intelligence ship was hijacked by North Korean patrol boats in international waters off the coast of North Korea. The incident provoked a tense diplomatic and military standoff for eleven months. The eighty-two surviving crew members were taken into captivity. In one particular instance, thirteen of the men were required to sit in a rigid manner around a table for hours. After several hours, the door was flung open, and a North Korean guard brutally beat the man in the first chair with the butt of his rifle. The next day, as each man sat in his assigned place, again the door was thrown open, and the man in the first chair was brutally beaten. On the third day, it happened again to the same man.

Knowing the man could not survive, the next day, another young sailor took his place. When the door flung open, the guard automatically beat the new victim senseless. For weeks, a new man stepped forward each day to sit in that horrible chair, knowing full well what would happen. The guards eventually gave up in exasperation. They were unable to overcome that kind of sacrificial love.

Jesus knows what is coming, but does it anyway – out of love for His creation. Though sinless, he took our place before the judgment of God against our sin.[1]

Prayer

Jesus is Falsely Accused (vv. 1-5)

And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer[2], so that Pilate was amazed.

(v. 1) “the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council.” – consultation; “to prepare a concerted plan of action (Gould).”[3] The plan they came up with was to arrest him early in the morning, when no one else was around, then present him to the Roman authorities with charges that he was claiming to be a king, and threatening to tear down the temple in three days.

First off, their proceedings were not legal, and they are choosing to follow some of the law, while ignoring other parts – which is typical who want to justify their own sin. But Duet. 17:6 says, “On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.”

So, the religious council tries to round up witnesses in the middle of the night. In their haste to gather a crowd, they don’t have time to coordinate the testimonies so there were contradictions, and obvious false statements.[4] The stories don’t match up, they are obviously coursed and false. But eventually, they have their little trial, and they consult together to have Jesus killed.

But with all the hatred toward Jesus, these various groups “did not have the power to execute a capital sentence.”[5] The Romans did not allow those they subjugated to execute because it kept those who collaborated with the Romans from being killed[6] (like the disciple Matthew). So, they have to take Jesus to Pilate. Pilate listens to the religious leaders accusing him of many things, that seem to pass him by. The religious leaders know that a Roman prefect would not care about their claims of his ‘blasphemy’ so their accusations have to be more political.

So, Pilate is eventually hooked when he focuses on their accusation that Jesus is claiming to be a king, and he asks him (v. 2) “Are you the King of the Jews?” This is the only question that Jesus responds to, “And he answered him, “You have said so.” These would be Jesus’ last recorded words before the cross. “Jesus has said all there is to say, and now lets events take their predictable course.”[7]

There were several attempted riots, and attacks against the Roman occupation of Jerusalem, so the Sanhedrin are trying to lump Jesus in with these Zealots and nationalist leaders (going back to their question about paying taxes to Caesar in Mark 12:13ff.)

Jesus is Falsely Condemned (vv. 6-15)

6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

As Jesus and the disciples were finishing up the feeding of the five thousand, there was a zealot political group, that after they saw Jesus perform this miracle, they wanted Jesus to lead a revolution, John 6:15 “Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” Jesus was relentless about controlling the narrative and the direction that He was going as the Messiah – he was not going to be forced to be a political revolutionary. But now, he is standing next to Barabbas, a murderous insurrectionist, as though they are the same.

(v. 10) “For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.” – he was perceiving, it was gradually occurring to Pilate, what was really going on here. Through all the lies, the false accusations, and even the twisted accounts – Pilate sees this gathering for what it was.

The “the chief priests, elders and scribes and the whole council” were envious of Jesus and his popularity among the people, his influence, his ability to teach the Word of God, His ability to get out of their little traps, everything about Jesus pointed to their darkened and evil hearts. Pilate saw all this for what it really was – envy. Pilate sees Jesus as a harmless religious fanatic not deserving of death by crucifixion. He even declares Jesus to be innocent on three separate occasions.[8]

(v. 10) “But the chief priests stirred up the crowd,” – “That was the plan of Judas to get the thing over before those Galilean sympathizers waked up.”[9] Go to the Garden of Gethsemane early in the morning, present him to the Roman officials early in the day. This crowd, was not the same crowd that waved the palm branches, laid down, their coats in the street, and yelled out Hosanna! This crowd has been gathered by the religious leaders, and they have “stirred them up.” (seismos), shook up like an earthquake.

Pilate was normally a resident in Caesarea, but at Passover time, when Jerusalem was crowded with pilgrims, he took up residence in his ‘praetorium’ (official residence) in Jerusalem. Pilate is there to keep things calm, to calm down the stirred up crowds, to maintain the peace. Also, the man who helped Pilate get this appointment had been executed for treason against Caesar – so he was under additional pressure to appear loyal to Caesar which the leaders used against him.[10]

(v. 15) “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.” – The crowd was growing more and more unruly, Pilate was charged by Caesar to keep the peace, so out of fear of the crowd, fear of being reported to Caesar, he delivered Jesus over to be crucified.

“The final stage of Jesus’ Roman trial concludes with a scourging. Roman scourging was so brutal and violent that prisoners would occasionally die before crucifixion. Even though Jesus survives this form of torture, the beating ensures he will die before sundown. During the scourging, he is tied to a post and beaten with a whip interwoven with bone and metal until his skin and tissue are shredded . . .

The irony in each Gospel account is palpable: Jesus, a man declared not guilty by the Roman governor, is nonetheless given over for execution – an outrageous and transparent miscarriage of justice.”[11] Barabbas, a murderer and insurrectionist, goes free. Crucifixion was designed for people like Barabbas, as a warning – “murderers and insurrectionists will die a horrible excruciating death, so don’t do that.”

We are already beginning to get a picture of substitutionary atonement or penal substitution. John 3:35-36 says “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” Why did God the Father send Jesus to the cross? Justice demands that His wrath against sin had to go somewhere – either on us, or a substitute provided by God for us.

Isaiah 53:5-6 “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Jesus is Falsely Honored (vv. 16-20)

16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.

The Praetorium was the governor’s headquarters, and was where the 600 soldiers of the battalion were housed. Roman soldiers were known to play cruel games with condemned prisoners, so what they do to Jesus is not out of character for them. At this point he would have been covered in blood, his back flesh cut open, and would have struggled to stand.

They strip him of his clothes, and place a purple cloak around him (the color of royalty), make him a crown, but of thorns and push it down on his head, and mock him, and “salute him, yelling out “Hail, King of the Jews!” They then strike his head with a stick, further driving the crown of thorns into his scalp and they spit on him.

Once the men grew tired of mocking, beating, and playing their game, they put his clothes back on him, and lead Jesus away to be crucified.

Jesus is Fiercely Crucified (vv. 21-32)

21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull)[12]. 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.

After being scrouged, and beaten by the soldiers, Jesus carries the 30-40 pound cross beam of the cross (patibulum) until he can’t carry it any further, so “they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross” More than likely this was a pilgrim who had come into Jerusalem for the Passover celebrations and later became a Christian, and was known by Mark.

(v. 24) “And they crucified him,” – None of the Gospel writers provide any details concerning the actual crucifixion. If you were reading the Gospels in the first century you more than likely had some idea of what was involved in the process. “Victims either died from physical trauma, loss of blood, or shock, or succumbed to suffocation when they no longer had the strength to lift themselves up to breathe. There were numerous crucifixion techniques, but the use of nails and a crossbar was common.”[13]

(v. 25) “And it was the third hour when they crucified him,” – 9 am.

Scourging was not enough for the religious leaders, they follow Jesus all the way to the cross. The crowds mock Jesus, the religious leaders stand around in their in their victory – they are finally done with Jesus, their plan had worked, and the fact that God had not stepped in to stop them only reinforces their idea that they are righteous in their actions against Jesus.

If this truly was the Son of God, then the Father would not allow this to happen to His Son, “Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” They ask for one more miracle. Why would God allow His Son to be tortured and mocked this way; why does God the Father not step in and end this? Even those crucified with Jesus mock him.

The chief priests and the scribes say, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross” What they don’t understand is that yes Jesus could come down from the cross, but He chose to stay on the cross, so that others may be saved.

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” In order for Jesus to complete his mission of being sent into the world by the Father, He has to stay on the cross.

(v. 26) “And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” – This was supposed to be a deterrent to anyone who saw it; that is what happens to people who oppose Caesar as king. This man claimed to be king (of the Jews) and so he was executed for it. The other gospels tell us that it was written in Aramaic (the common language in Palestine), Latin (the official Roman language), and Greek (the international language of the empire) in order to ensure the widest readership among the thousands of people traveling to Jerusalem.

Everyone who saw the sign was told Jesus said he was the King of the Jews. As we stand at the foot of the cross and look at Jesus, we are faced with the same question, “Was Jesus’ claim to be the Savior of the world true? Was he the true king?

Jesus never married, or had any children. He never owned a home, property, and when find Jesus at the cross, his only earthly possessions are what he wore to his own crucifixion. (v. 24) tells us that the soldiers, “divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take[14](fulfilling yet another prophecy)” One of the benefits of being on crucifixion duty, as a soldier, was that you get to keep the person’s possessions.[15] He literally leaves this world with nothing to His name, except His mission.

Was Jesus successful?

 The way we look at history and the course of this world is based on Jesus – there was a time before Jesus (BC) and the time after Jesus (AD) Anno Domini, Latin for “in the year of the Lord.” It’s 2023, Two thousand and twenty-three years since Jesus came to the earth. Jesus changed everything – He alone provided the way for mankind to be saved from their sins, and have a relationship with God.

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[1] Rodney L. Cooper, Holman New Testament Commentary, Mark (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman and Holman, 2000) 253.

[2] Isa. 53:7

[3] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 1 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1932) 391.

[4] Andreas J. Köstenberger, The Final Days of Jesus (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway, 2014) 109.

[5] R.T. France, The Gospel of Mark, A Commentary on the Greek Text (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2002) 624.

[6] William F. Cook, Jesus’ Final Week, From Triumphal Entry to Empty Tomb (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman & Holman Publishing, 2022) 111.

[7] France, 625.

[8] Cook, 111.

[9] Robertson, 393.

[10] Köstenberger,127.

[11] Köstenberger,141.

[12] “The Latin Vulgate translates “skull” as calvarie, from which we get the word Calvary” (Cook, 122).

[13] Köstenberger,152.

[14] Psalm 22:18 “they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”

[15] Cook, 124.

“A Gathering in a Garden” Mark 14:32-52

A Gathering in a Garden

Mark 14:32-52

 Introduction

The part of Jesus’ life that we will look at this morning if difficult to teach on and explain because it is really beyond any illustration or example that a teacher of God’s Word could point to today.  Nothing like what will transpire in the Garden of Gethsemane has ever happened or will ever happen again.

There is no humorous story I can tell, or story from my childhood, or modern day parallel of what Jesus went through that night.  We stand back and listen to His Words and see His despair, but are completely unable to understand any of it fully.

There is nothing that has happened in any of our lives that comes anywhere close to what Jesus endures here.  So before we look at it, and ask Lord what are we to learn from this let’s pray.

Prayer – Jesus, in Gethsemane we see you ask, if there is any other way for man to be saved other than you having to endure the Father’s wrath upon you, and you ask is there any other way – but there was no other way.  You experienced great anguish and terror.  Your body was so stressed that you sweat drops of blood.  Jesus, we don’t understand what you endured that night, but we thank you.  We love you, and show us how to apply your Word to our lives this morning.  Amen.

The Cup Bearer (vv. 32-35)

32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.”

Gethsemane, means “olive press” and is a garden found in an olive Grove where a press may have been located.  It was a place where Jesus went to often to pray, rest, and fellowship with the disciples.  It was situated on the Mt. of Olives and sat next to the Temple in the Kidron Valley.

Since Jesus knows that “the hour” is soon approaching, why does he leave a bulk of the disciples behind and only take three? He needed His closet earthly friends, those that “had his back” to support Him, and be with Him during this horrific night.

Jesus came as man’s mediator between man and God.  He is fully God and fully man.  1 Timothy 3:16 “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”

1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—.”

In the Garden, we see his full humanity.  V. 33 says that Jesus “began to be greatly distressed and troubled” John 14:23 “Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’”  The only way for The Father to make his home among mankind, is for the Son to lay down His life for them.

Jesus is greatly distressed because He is contemplating the Father’s wrath and the “hour” has now come to be poured out onto Him.  Jesus at no other point is distressed, never does He experience terror, no where is he afraid – except here.

For Jesus, as He prays in the Garden, he begins to experience the wrath of God, each moment that goes by from this point onward, the cup is poured out upon Him faster and faster, heavier and heavier upon His head.

We see first that as He begins to approach the hour of the cross, he will do it alone; Everyone will abandon Him.  He tells the disciples, v. 27 “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.”  29Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” But by the time the rooster had crowed three times, Peter had denied Him, and ran away.  Here “the disciples fell asleep.”

Even when He looks them straight in the eye and says, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” they sleep.  And v. 50 as the soldiers take Him off, as He appears before Pilate and the Sanhedrin, “Then everyone deserted him and fled.”

Jesus would have to endure God’s wrath upon Him all alone.  There would be no friends, no disciples, no angels – He would stand and be crushed all alone.   Jesus cries out, “36“Abba [Daddy], Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Matthew 3:16-17 “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  

 Every time Jesus has even prayed and talked to the Father, he was encouraged, was told what was to happen next, told what to do, ministered to, they had a perfect relationship – but now there is no answer, only silence.  The Father has begun to look away from His Son, the wrath is beginning to fall in the Garden – and he is all alone.

We also see that for Jesus, there is great distress of His soul.  “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” This time was not a surprise, He had warned the disciples.  Jesus knew that He would lay down His death for mankind.  From Jesus’ perspective He is beginning to endure this “cup” of God’s wrath, all alone.

In Mark 10:32 Jesus is leading the way to Jerusalem, to His death.  Jesus leads the way in His own death march. During the Last Supper Jesus leads them in hymns and songs as they exit the room to go to the garden.  Even afterwards, it is Jesus who leads the way toward Judas, (v. 42) “Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand!”

But only here there is there deep sorrow, and being washed over by horror.  Why? Jesus is getting a foretaste of what it means to be the world’s sin bearer.  The cup has begun to be poured out upon Him.  My sin caused Jesus to be filled with horror and anguish when He glimpsed into the pit of God’s wrath.

This is what my sin required – Jesus’ suffering was required in order for me to be forgiven.  Are you moved by His love for you this morning?

Jesus said, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” As He takes in all that He was about to endure from the Father and for us, He stumbles.  He does not stumble into sin, but under the weight and pain He was about to endure.  He knows there is no way, but He asks – is there any other way?  But there is no answer, there is no other way.

So, He resolved to drink the cup of wrath dry, so that you may drink the cup of salvation.  He said, I will do whatever is required for them to be saved.  I will endure this for them.  It is the only way – if there had been some other way, at that moment the Father would have said something.   There was no other way.

The Sleeper (vv. 36-42)

And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. 41 And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Every time we see the disciples in this passage, they are asleep.  Jesus returns to them on three different occasions, and finds them asleep.  Why is this detail given?  Because it shows us from whose perspective we are to receive this passage.  Jesus is at the hardest time in His life here in this earth – and He is all alone.

His “soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” and no one is there to help Him.  He tells them, but they are so consumed with their physical condition, that now they are only focused on themselves.  They had just eaten a large dinner, they had been ministering with Christ all day, and now they were sleepy.

Jesus begs them to pray, but they sleep.  Jesus is experiencing the wrath of God upon His life, His sorrow is overwhelming, but he stops praying on three different occasions to minister to the disciples.  Those that He knew would abandon Him, and would not even pray when He asked them to, He goes back, and goes back, and goes back again to minister to them.

Peter, James, John – wake up, you need to pray – something very important is about to happen.  I am about to die, and you need to be ready!  Would they have been so fearful afterwards had they prayed that night?  Would they have scattered so quickly, if they had prayed?  Would they have lacked hope, had they prayed that night?

We must recognize His love for us in His darkest hour.  Jesus endured this horrific time in His life because of His love for you and for me.  Receive His care for you in your darkest hour.  Jesus knows suffering and is more than able to minister to you.

Hebrews 4:14-16 “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

After this initial tremor of the crucifixion that was to come, an angel went and ministered to Jesus.  But you know what, when we enter our darkest hour – we have someone infinitely better than an angel – we have Jesus Himself, who is not sleeping but 1 John 2:1 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

Jesus speaks to the Father on our behalf.  When the accuser, Satan flails and points out our sin to the Father, Jesus leans over, “He’s one that you gave me, I took care of that sin.”  The Righteous One, speaks on our behalf.

Once He has wakened the disciples on three occasions, he says, “Enough! The hour has come.” Jesus had begged them to pray during this time, but the time for prayer was over – now there was a series of events that were about to unfold that the disciples would have to endure with no prayer.

The Betrayer (43-52)

“And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” 45 And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 46 And they laid hands on him and seized him. 47 But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48 And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” 50 And they all left him and fled. 51 And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, 52 but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.”

Judas goes at once to Jesus and kisses his cheek and calls Him Rabbi.  Rabbi was a common expression to your teacher.  Jesus had taught Judas as a teacher for three and half years.  Judas was there as Jesus explained the meaning of life, what His parables meant – he was on the inside, a part of the inner circle of Christ’s teaching ministry.

Jesus would be poured out as an offering for mankind, but Jesus had poured Himself into Judas – only 1 of 12 in all the world had this kind of access to Jesus.  Jesus was Judas’ teacher.

A kiss was a common way for a disciple to greet his teacher, is intimate between two people.  The Greek indicates that this was not a peck, but a prolonged kiss on Christ’s cheek.

Judas draws from his knowledge of Jesus and His patterns of life.  In order to betray Jesus he wanted a place where he knew that he would be (Jesus would go there to pray) and where there would few people (Jesus went there often with His disciples.

Judas was one of the few who had this intimate relationship with Jesus.  Not just everyone would know where they could find Jesus, and not just anyone could go up to a Rabbi and kiss their cheek – only one their disciples.  What makes this such a bitter betrayal is that Judas used His knowledge and intimacy with Christ in order to betray Him.

Not only would Jesus have to endure isolation, agony of His soul, the wrath of the Father, but He would be betrayed by one who He opened His heart and life to (He only did this with 12 people).  These 12 knew Jesus better than anyone else on the planet and one of them would betray Him, One would deny Him three times, all would leave Him.

This is why when we sin, it so horrific.  We who Jesus endured all these things for, we who Jesus draws us close for a close relationship and friendship.  We who know him like the world does not, when we sin we betray Him.  We call Him teacher, Savior, and kiss His cheek – only to hand Him over be crucified.

Hebrews 6:4-6 “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”

Conclusion

What do we do with Christ asking us to pray? What do we do with Christ’s agony and anguish in the Garden, and the fact that it was all because of us?  What do we do with the knowledge that we ridicule and betray Christ every time we sin?

Seek His face today.  Seek the face of one who willingly gave His life for you, because He loves the Father and followed in obedience and loves you.  Ask for His forgiveness, not in a way of saying “teacher,” that you really don’t mean it, but with a “broken and contrite heart.” Ask for His forgiveness and thank Him for His precious gift that He gave us.

Romans 3:22-23 “. . . the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for fall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. . .”

“Extravagant Love and Expected Betrayal” Mark 14:1-21

Christ’s Power Over Every Need

The Gospel of Mark Sermon Series

“Extravagant Love and Expected Betrayal”

Mark 14:1-21

1) Devious Leaders Plot to Kill Jesus (vv. 1-2)

It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, 2 for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”

Scholars believe that numbers of pilgrims would have been between 150,000 to 250,000 people crowding into the Temple complex. So, the religious leaders decided that they would not arrest Jesus during the Passover week of celebrations. Their fear was that a riot would start, because of his popularity amongst the people, and then the Romans would get involved, which would be very, very bad, especially for the religious leadership.[1]

Remember on Sunday of this same week (Mark 11), the people had praised Jesus, yelling “Hosanna,” waived palm branches, and laid their clothes down in the street before Him as he entered, as a king, into Jerusalem.

The religious leaders have held meetings, and plotted and schemed to come up with a way to trap Jesus, and all their plans have failed, until Judas, one of Jesus’ own disciples, is going to present them with a new plan, a new way to get Jesus, and it will cause them to reconsider.

2) Devoted Follower Seeks to Honor Jesus (v. 3-9)

3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

The presence of an unnamed woman (John tells us that it is Mary, Lazarus’ sister) was most unusual; “Jewish women did not ordinarily attend banquets with men except in the capacity of servants. Jesus has also told the disciples, not necessarily in private that there was a crisis coming.

He told them that he would die, but they weren’t comprehending it. Mary probably didn’t comprehend it either, but she knew something bad was coming, so she took an unusual step. Luke 10:39 also says that Mary listened to Jesus’ teaching, “And she (Martha) had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.” “Mary is mentioned three times in the Gospels; each time she is at the feet of Jesus (Luke 10:38-42; John 11:31-32; 12:1-8). Mary loved Jesus.”[2]

Jesus responds by saying, “she took beforehand to anoint my body for the burial.” She anticipated the event. Matthew 26:12 says of this same event, “In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial.”[3]

The “alabaster jar” was a flask with a long neck and no handles, and it was sealed to preserve the ointment.” Nard was an aromatic oil extracted from a root found primarily in India – thus its costliness.”[4] When she broke the flask the smell spread throughout the entire house.

(v. 4) “There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that?” – Just like the nard smell spread, “Judas uncorks the vial of his poison, and the vile odor begins to spread.”[5] Mark tells us that there were more than one of the disciples felt that she had wasted money in this way, but the gospel of John specifically points to Judas and gives us insight into his heart.

John 12:4-6 discussing this same event, “But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.”

Mark’s account seems to emphasize that the disciple’s objection was not the act but the extravagance of the act. Also, the chief person criticizing Mary “And they scolded her” had already made plans to betray Jesus. How delusional and self-righteous is that? The others jumped on his bandwagon – so just be careful, when someone seems to be righteous and is criticizing another for their extravagant love for God. Also, Jesus allowed Mary to do this, so they are criticizing Jesus too – they are standing up for the poor! Judas is implying that Jesus is robbing from the poor.[6]

(v. 7) Jesus is referring to Deuteronomy 15:11 “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’”

(v. 8) “she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.” – the word used for anointed speaks of anointing a corpse according to the Jewish custom. The verb is related to the noun for myrrh and points to anointing with perfume. It is also, the women who go to prepare Jesus’ body after the crucifixion. So, it was culturally a woman’s task to anoint the body of loved ones at death. So, Mary’s presence at the banquet would have been unusual, but not once it was explained that she was preparing Jesus’ body for burial.

You may remember at Jesus’ birth narrative, in Matthew 2:10 that wise men “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold (because he was a king) and frankincense (because he was a priest) and myrrh (because he would die for the world).”

Remember that Mark is not overly concerned about a correct timeline, but to help us understand who Jesus is: so, Mark contrasts Mary’s anointing of Jesus with this expensive perfume, with Judas’ betrayal. She is thankful for Jesus raising her brother from the dead, and believes him to be the Messiah, she has listened to His words of his coming death – Judas also believes Jesus to be the Messiah, but he feels that Jesus owes him something, so when he doesn’t get it; he betrays him.

(v. 8) Jesus also says that “She has done what she could” – she sat at Jesus’ feet, she understood that something was coming, she thought to herself, “what can I do” to honor Jesus? Was the alabaster jar left from Lazarus’ burial, she never got to use it on her brother, because Jesus brought him back from the dead? Who knows where she got the perfume – but that’s what she could do. She had the perfume with her.

The phrase “what she could do,” is “not referring to a general action, but when an opportunity arrived, she not only was ready, saw and embraced it, but went to the limit of her ability, and in fact, would have done more if it had been possible.”[7]

Have you done what you can do to honor Jesus?

(v. 9) “And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” – if they had taken the alabaster jar of pure nard and sold it for a year’s wages, they would have fed many poor people. But “Mary did infinitely more for the poor by the act of that day than she could have done” by giving them the jar. “That would have relieved only a few of them, and only for a little while, and it would soon have been forgotten. But her act of sacrificial love has inspired ten thousand deeds of unselfishness.”[8]

“We learn from her that it is not always necessary to defend ourselves – our good actions speak for themselves, and the only thing essential is that Jesus approves them.”[9]

3) Disgruntled Disciple Seeks to Betray Jesus (v. 10-11)

10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.

(v. 11) “they promised to give him money” – Matthew 26:15 tells us that it was for thirty pieces of silver. Judas had already made up his mind to betray Jesus before money or the amount was agreed upon. Judas getting money was a side effect. Yes, he was greedy, and a thief – but the most he would ever get was 30 pieces of silver – if he wanted to be rich, that didn’t help get him there. After all that Judas had seen and experienced with Jesus, as one of the twelve, why did he betray Jesus?

Judas didn’t get from Jesus something he wanted, after all he went on the ride, stayed on the ride, and only now wants to jump off. It is at this point of the journey Judas knew he would never get what he wanted from Jesus, so he tries to get something from the three years he feels he has wasted (which turns out to be thirty pieces of silver).

What did Judas want, that he knew Jesus would never give him?

Judas had experienced Jesus casting out demons, raising the dead, healing countless sick people, controlling the weather, feeding thousands, and he had even sent them out where “So they [the disciples] went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them” (Mark 6:12-13). Judas had experienced what it was like to be in the presence of God, the Son of God chose him to be one of only 12 men to be His disciple, to see Him do mighty deeds, and to be trusted by God to speak and have authority in His name – yet there is still something else, something more, Judas wants. What more could Jesus possibly give him?

There was even the promise from Jesus of even greater things, than what they had experienced, John 14:12-14 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” Judas was destined for one of the twelve apostolic thrones in heaven (Matt. 19:28).

Luke 22:3-4 “Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them.” John 13:2, 27 “During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, . . . Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” So, the devil made him do it? No, In both of these verses, Satan entered Judas after he had this realization that Jesus would not give him what he wanted. But Judas is being used as an instrument of Satan because he has opened himself up to it.

What is the root of betrayal?

We are supposed to compare Mary’s act of anointing Jesus with perfume with Judas’ betrayal. Jesus is the focus of Mary’s extravagance – Judas wanted the money for himself. Judas believes that Jesus exists for him, Mary believes that she exists to worship Jesus. Those are two radically different mindsets.

In a marriage if the other person exists to make you happy, then eventually you will grow frustrated and look for others who will satisfy you. However, if you believe that you exist to love another completely, and for you to pour out your love with extravagance, then betrayal is far from your mind. You are trying to find ways to lift up your partner, not how to use them to get something you want.

I think this is the root of Judas’ betrayal – Jesus existed to give Judas what he wanted, so when he was not the Messiah Judas thought He should be, and when Jesus didn’t follow the plan Judas thought he should follow, and when Jesus didn’t make him wealthy, etc. whatever the itch was – the world exists for Judas and is supposed to revolve around Judas, and when he didn’t get that, he betrayed the Son of God.

How do you respond when you don’t get what you want from God?

4) Disguised Comments of Grace Given (vv. 12-21)

12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve.

 18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me[10].” 19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

(v. 12) The Passover meal, according to the Jewish law, had to be eaten within the Jerusalem walls of the city; so the disciples ask Jesus where they should celebrate the meal.[11] “The food consisted of roasted lamb, unleavened bread, and the dish of bitter herbs (Ex. 12:8-20). The lamb reminded the Jews of the blood that was applied to the doorposts of their homes to keep the angel of death from slaying their firstborn. The bread was unleavened to remind them of the haste in which they left Egypt (Ex. 12:39). The bitter herbs spoke of their suffering as Pharoah’s slaves.”[12]

(v. 18) Jesus begins the meal by declaring, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” This is important for later because Jesus wants them to know that He is aware of the betrayal but He is not going to do anything to stop it. He has been telling them that the “Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago.”

But even here, Jesus has let Judas know that He knows of his betrayal, but it’s still not too late, Judas can still repent, fall at Jesus’ feet and be pardoned. Even when Judas leaves the meal, the disciples think Jesus has asked him to run an errand, or do something for the poor.

(v. 19) “They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” – Each disciple, one after, another asked “is it me?” Imagine Judas’ thoughts as each disciple askes, one after the other – then the question circle gets to him. Matthew 26:25 tells us that Judas even asked Jesus, “Is it I?”

(v. 20) Then Jesus speaks, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.”[13] – The meal would have a common bowl of bitter herbs that they would dip their bread into as part of the meal. “To betray a friend after eating a meal with him was, and still is, regarded as the worst kind of treachery in the Middle East.”

(v. 21) “For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him,” – All of this has been planned out by God ahead of time, and His divine purpose is being carried out. “What happens to the Son of Man does not just happen.”

Isaiah 53:12 “. . . yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” Another translation is “And he bore the sins of many and was delivered up because of their iniquities.” Being “delivered up” is the path that the Son of Man has to travel – but “woe to that man” who actually is the one who delivers the Son of Man up.

Judas’ betrayal of Jesus shows us that simply being around Jesus, and knowing a lot about Jesus, even doing things in His name, does not save a person. There must be a response of faith and love.

 

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[1] Darrell L. Bock, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, The Gospel of Mark (Carol Stream, Illinois; 2005) 525.

[2] Max Anders, Holman New Testament Commentary, Mark (Nashville, Tennessee; B&H Publishing Group) 234.

[3] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 1 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1930, 380.

[4] James A. Brooks, The New American Commentary, Mark (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1991) 222.

[5] R. C. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Mark’s Gospel (Minneapolis, Minnesota; Augsburg Publishing House, 1964) 601.

[6] Lenski, 602.

[7] Lenski, 604.

[8] W. N. Clarke, An American Commentary on the New Testament, Commentary on the Gospel of Mark (Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; Judson Press, 1950) 204.

[9] Lenski, 603.

[10] Psalm 41:9 “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.”

[11] Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1984) 758.

[12] Anders, 236.

[13] “The point in so emphasizing the fact that the traitor was one of the twelve, who thus ate from the same bowl as Jesus, is the resemblance of Judas to Ahitophel, the man who ate at David’s table and then turned traitor to David. He is the prototype of Judas; Judas was the second Ahitophel” (Linski, 616).

"For by grace you have been saved through faith." Ephesians 2:8

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