“Follow Me”...Because I Live For You

Many will recognize the name Joni Eareckson Tada, affectionately known as Joni. When Joni was 17, she dove into Chesapeake Bay and became paralyzed having broken her back because the water was too shallow. This accident caused her all sorts of physical and emotional pain, as one might imagine. It also brought her to question her faith.

However, by the grace of God, Joni did not abandon her faith. Rather, she has inspired millions over the past fifty years because she learned to overcome her physical limitations to the best of her ability. She played herself in a film about her accident and recorded music albums. However, she might be better known for learning to paint and to write with a brush between her teeth. Yet, despite these aspects of her life, she is likely best known for her organization Joni and Friends. This organization helps those who are disabled throughout the world. Thousands of lives each year are touched by this ministry. For all of her determination and perseverance, Joni and Friends will almost certainly be her legacy.

Why is this important? Because what Joni cannot do has not stopped her from what she can do. I am sure Joni still has days when she is envious of those who can walk to the refrigerator to get a drink. Or to open a cabinet to get a snack. All of us have abilities and all of us have limitations, but for Joni the fact she cannot walk or feed herself or do most anything else has not prevented her from helping others. Why? Because she knows this life is not all there is, but she knows that we are to make the most of what we can in this life. Why? Because she knows the Savior who has given us life.

In fact, Joni has said one of the things she wants to do is to kneel. She has been to countless conferences and churches where everyone is asked to kneel and she can’t. But she knows one day, she will be given a new body and she will be able to kneel before Jesus. And not only will she kneel, but she can dance and walk and move around in all the ways that she has been unable to do for the past fifty years. And she can do so knowing that although this life has been difficult, she has lived as best she could on this earth because of what, and more importantly Who, awaits her in eternity.

As we move into the meat of the message today, we may know that Jesus is risen, but the question for us today is what will we do with that message? Do we believe and leave it at that, or like Joni, do we let it transform who we are?

Jesus lives for us that we may serve Him. (Mark 16.1-3)

The women were on their way to anoint Jesus with spices. They did not have time to do this before the Sabbath, and in the heat in that region, a body would stink shortly after it was buried. So these women were set to perform a sacred duty. Their devotion did not lead to good decision-making, however, because they were prepared to anoint Jesus body but had not considered how they would get into the tomb (v. 3).

What we must consider here is that they were prepared to serve Jesus. They did not think through all that was necessary, and they actually didn’t get to serve Him in the way they expected, but they bought what was necessary, brought what they had, and then got what was needed (the rock over the tomb had been removed).

I am a planner and do not like to leave much to chance. But even with the best plans, all of us often overlook something. This happened to me last Wednesday night at a Seder Meal. I forgot the salt water. It was a simple something, but it was an important part of the service. But despite my oversight, a quick adaptation allowed us to proceed with minimal delay.

Likewise, the women set out with good intentions, but realized at some point that they would not be able to move the stone. But their intentions were more than merely intentions, they were ready to act. They were prepared to serve and thus God honored them – in a very unexpected way. What they soon learned was that Jesus was alive. They would still be able to serve Him...not in His death, but through His resurrection.

PRINCIPLE: When we are prepared to serve God with our hearts, we will find Him working on our behalf.

QUESTION: What good intentions do you need to turn into action for the risen Lord today?

Jesus lives for us that we may know Him. (vv. 4-6)

We must not overlook that God wants to be known. But to know Him requires knowing about Him. And that is what is truly amazing about the resurrection. Imagine if Jesus was like any other person who has ever lived and already died. Here is a conversation that could have taken place in Jerusalem in the week after His crucifixion.

Person 1: “Did you hear about Jesus?”
Person 2: “Yes, I thought maybe, just maybe, He might be messiah. But if the Romans could kill him, some good that does us. Another false hope.”
Person 1: “I know what you mean. Another false hope.”

But then Person 3 shows up.

Person 3: “Hey, I heard Jesus rose from the dead.”
Person 1: “Yeah, right. I am not going to be fooled by that hoax.”
Person 2: “I remember he did say something about that. We have to walk that direction. Let’s go check.”
They walk to the tomb.
Person 2: “Well that confirms it. The rock is still there. Nothing happened.”
Person 1: “See. I told you. Well, at least we are closer to our destination.”

OK, this is a very simple story. And please remember, I prefaced this story with the words “If Jesus was like any other person.” That is, if He had not raised from the dead. The focus for us is on the resurrection of Jesus, but consider the importance of the rock (stone) being removed for the women that day and for the men who would soon follow.

Notice in these three verses, they “saw” the stone removed, they “entered” the tomb, they “saw” a young man dressed in white, and they “heard” that Jesus was risen. It wasn’t just that they saw or heard, it was that they also went in. They investigated and God gave them an answer – even if it was unexpected. Jesus lives for those who seek Him, and wish to know Him (better). But none of this would have been possible if the rock had not been removed. That one important piece allowed them to know and understand so much more.

PRINCIPLE: Jesus did not need the rock moved to be resurrected. We needed the rock moved to prove the tomb was empty!

QUESTION: Is something preventing you from having or deepening your faith in God? If so, ask Him to provide the evidence you need.

Jesus lives for us that we may tell others of Him. (v. 7)

The women were told to tell others what they saw and what they heard. As we will see in a second, they did not start out so well in following this command. But we must note that three times in just eight verses, Mark lists the names of these women. Why? I believe it is because Mark wants His readers to believe this message. It almost certainly means these women are still alive because basically Mark is saying, “If you don’t believe what I am writing, go ask these women. Here are their names. Go ask them yourselves.”

We have all heard a joke similar to if a tree falls in the woods and nobody is there to witness it, did it make a sound? Well, consider this un-joke. If Jesus rose from the dead and nobody ever told anybody else, would it have mattered? In one sense, “Yes” because it proves He was who He said He was. On the other hand, “No” because after the first witnesses, no one else would know – including us!

Take a few seconds to consider what your life would be like if you didn’t know Jesus.

Let me suggest just a couple of thoughts.

• You might have an entirely different set of friends. This church is far from perfect, but the people here love God and are caring. You could have friends who are much, much worse.
• You would have far less hope. What gets you through the toughest of days? Friends, yes. But, really, isn’t it God?

I could add more, but instead let me say that billions of people living at this very moment do not know Jesus because no one has ever told them about Him. Worldwide, over 100 people die every second! The most generous statistics of Christianity say that 70 of those are destined for hell. And in the time it took you to read that last sentence 350 more people just died without Christ.

PRINCIPLE: When we are excited about some piece of news we tell others what is on our minds.

QUESTION: Do you believe Jesus is risen? Do you know someone who doesn’t know this good news? Will you tell them?

Jesus lives for us that we may live for Him. (v. 8, 9-20)

Most of your bibles have a break after v. 8. A great deal of debate exists about how Mark’s writing ends. Did he end after verse 8? Did he include verses 9-20 later? Did someone else add it on later? Etc. The truth is that no one knows, and good arguments can be made for the book ending at verse 8 or verse 20. What is almost certainly true is that the verses we have as 9-20 were not written at the time the rest of this gospel was written.

But what is also true is that everything, except one small statement about drinking poison, is found either in Matthew (Chapter 28) or Luke (Chapter 24) or has an example in the book of Acts. Furthermore, the addendum is largely the Great Commission. So, whatever the truth is regarding verses 9-20, it fits the essence of the Bible because of the content.

That primary content is a charge by Jesus for us to go and tell. Verse 8 tells us that the women responded to the empty tomb and command by keeping quiet – because of fear. Let’s face it, we would probably respond the same way. But as I mentioned in the last point, their job was to tell, and eventually they did or we would not be here. Telling is a part of the process, but truly Jesus wants us to serve Him – to live for Him because He lives for us. If we do that, then whatever verses were lost or added or whatever happened to the original ending of Mark, it doesn’t matter because we will be proving our love for God over just the words, but in deeds as well.

PRINCIPLE: We must be doers of the Word, not just hearers only. Otherwise, we are deceiving ourselves (James 1.22)

QUESTION: What greater works can you begin doing as you live for Jesus (see John 14.12)?

Jesus lives for us that we may live with Him. (John 14.1)

This is a great truth. We need to be active in our life here because of what Jesus had done for us. But the reality is that we may leave a small legacy, but most of us will be forgotten within just a few years or maybe decades.

Tim Keller shares a story of an old preacher telling younger preachers that they would die. The preacher said “They will put you in a box, and put the box in the ground, throw dirt on your face, and then go back to the church and eat potato salad.”

That may seem a bit harsh, but it has some truth to it. But whatever people may forget, the Lord will not. Whatever people may not appreciate, work done in faith to the Lord will be rewarded. And whomever people forget, those who are God’s children will never be forgotten. Because they will be with Him forever.

PRINCIPLE: Living our lives for Jesus is training for our serving Him in eternity.

QUESTION: Jesus left a legacy for us, what will you do to pass on His message to others?

CONCLUSION

This post has focused less on the resurrection story itself, and more on what it means. What are the implications for me if it is true? We must each determine what the resurrection means to us as we dive deeper into understanding what the resurrection truly means. What it means is Jesus is alive. What it means to each of us is revealed in our response to the truth that He is living.

Jesus was made to pay for a crime even though He did not commit it. His sentence was death and then to be imprisoned in a tomb – presumably forever. However, when the prisoner has met the demands of the sentence as declared by the judge, the prisoner is set free. In the case of Pilate, the judge, Jesus was able to be freed from the cross when He died. In the case of God, the Judge, Jesus rose again, proving that He fulfilled all the demands and that all sins were truly paid.

If Jesus was freed after taking our sins upon Him, then we are free as well. Jesus rose as the firstfruits of the dead, which means that by placing our trust in Him we can not only follow Him in this life, but will follow Him out of death to be with Him eternally. This truth is possible because of our Savior’s blood, through His death, and proven by His resurrection.

JOURNEY: That is why our JOURNEY letter is once again: Y – You.

Jesus did His part. But His command today is the same as it was a year ago, when we started this series, which was the same command that He first gave to Andrew and Peter as He walked along the shores of Galilee. The command: “Follow Me.” What is your choice?

OPPORTUNITY: Follow Jesus – wherever He may lead you and in whatever He may ask.

REMEMBRANCE:  Jesus bled for you. Jesus died for you. But now Jesus lives for you.

NEXT STEP(S): Live:  Live for Jesus because He lives for you.

“Follow Me”...Because I Died for You

This week, the passage before us covers what many consider the most important aspect of the Christian faith. Without a doubt, the death of Jesus is crucial to our faith, but I would put forth that without the resurrection, we would not know that His claim to be God was real. So, while we must not overlook the cross, we also must not ignore the empty tomb.

We must also remember that it is the blood sacrifice which saves us, not the cross itself. Thus, we must not worship the cross, but the One who died upon it. However, the cross is an accepted symbol for the blood that Jesus spilled on our behalf. The story is well-known. The facts are what they are. But I want to focus on the people in this story, like I did last week. Last week we saw that Jesus bled for each of four types of people – those who falsely charge Him, those that show a false concern, those that are falsely compared to Him, and those that falsely celebrate Him. In one way or another, I think that fits most of us at some point in our lives.

Today, I want to focus on the people for whom Jesus died. He died for those who do His will unknowingly, who mock Him, who misunderstand Him, who follow in secret, who follow from a distance, and most importantly who are responsible for His death. And concluding each group, I want to give a principle for us to remember and a question to consider.


Jesus died for those who do His will unknowingly. (Mark 15.21-22)

Our passage today begins with a man called Simon who is from Cyrene which was in northern Africa. Here is a man who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time (or so it seemed). The Romans had a rule that they could force any person or animal to carry a burden. Usually this meant soldiers who were travelling along a road, but here Simon was pressed into service because Jesus was unable to carry the beam. Remember, He had been badly beaten and likely had very little strength or energy.

What is interesting is that Mark does not use a lot of names in his writing. But here, he not only mentioned Simon, but also his sons – Rufus and Alexander. We know nothing more about Alexander, but the Rufus mentioned here is likely the Rufus in Romans 16.13, so this son became a Christian and was known to the early church – especially in Rome.

PRINCIPLE:  When we serve God, even unknowingly, we shape the future, not just for ourselves but our families.

We do not know if Simon chose to follow Jesus. But the early church did recognize the significance of Simon’s action and the words of Jesus to “take up your cross and follow Me” (Matthew 16.24). But we must firmly consider that the impact of watching their father pressed into service. For Rufus, at least, that impact led Him to follow Jesus – and to be able to give an eyewitness account of what happened – something the Twelve could not do.

QUESTION:  What are you doing for Jesus that will impact the next generation of believers?


Jesus died for those who mock and misunderstand Him. (Mark 15.23-36)

This part of the passage contains several groups – Roman soldiers, an implicit reference to Pilate (regarding the signage), two robbers, bystanders and passersby, chief priests and scribes. They all have one thing in common – they treat Jesus with contempt.

The soldiers have a job to do, but once the crosses are in place, they play games while waiting for these three to die. The two hanging were known criminals and we know from other accounts that one of them harassed Jesus while he hung on his own cross. By the way, a likely reason for Jesus being in the middle is because His “crime” was the most offensive of the three. I should also point out that the Greek word used for robber or thief was one used for insurrectionist.

Some of the religious leaders were there taunting Jesus. Many who passed by wagged their heads at Him – similar to our shaking our head and finger at someone. Then after Jesus cries out loudly to the Father, the people are eager to see if Elijah responds. Let me expand on this briefly.

1. The people may have misunderstood the phrase Eloi to mean Elijah. While Jesus did muster the energy to cry out loudly here, a dry mouth might have distorted the words enough to allow some confusion from those nearby.
2. Because Elijah did not die (remember he was taken to heaven in a chariot – 2 Kings 2.11), many believed he came to help those who were suffering in a time of need. Thus, it makes sense for people to think he could be calling for Elijah to come. The problem was that Elijah had already come – in the person of John the Baptizer as Jesus made plain in Matthew 11.14).
3. A person ran to get a sponge filled with sour wine to give it to Jesus. The hope was that if Jesus took it, it would prolong his life which would give Elijah time to get there. This gesture was not to aid Jesus, it was for the people there to be able to witness Elijah firsthand.

PRINCIPLE:  God’s ways are not our ways.

The people near the cross mocked Jesus because He did not meet their expectations. Jesus did what He came to do which was everything the Father asked Him to do (John 17.4). But the people misunderstood His ultimate purpose was to die and thus their mocking that He couldn’t save Himself was actually true if, indeed, His purpose was to save them. And it was!

Likewise, the misunderstanding included those who waited to see Elijah. The Son of God was in their midst. But they wanted a prophet. Elijah was a great prophet, but He was not God. Yet, the people wanted to see the lesser and, therefore, ignored the greater.

QUESTION:  What misunderstandings cause you to seek God after you fulfill your own wishes?


Jesus died for those who follow Him from a distance or in secret. (Mark 15.40-47)

In Luke’s account of the Gospel women play a fairly prominent role. Mark does not provide much of anything about women until just a few verses before his version of the story ends. But when he does mention women, we discover quite a bit.

• Women followed Jesus since His time in Galilee (early in His ministry).
• These women ministered to Jesus throughout His ministry. This word ministered is the same word used in Mark 1 when the angels ministered to Jesus after His forty days in the wildnerness, and is also the same word used of Jesus in Mark 10.45. Thus, we can surmise that they women did not just care for Jesus, but provided greatly for Jesus and His ministry.
• Many women were a part of His following. These women did not start following Him when He got to Jersusalem, they followed Him on the way to Jerusalem.

But verse 40 gives us important information. Although these women followed Jesus, they were observing what happened on Golgotha from a distance. It was risky to be associated with Jesus, and Rome was known to crucify women as well, so they kept a bit of distance. But, unlike most of the others who followed Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem, these women were with Him in His final hours.

Also, nearby was a man named Joseph from Arimathea. He was a member of the Sanhedrin – and verse 43 says he was a respected member. Matthew tells us he was wealthy as we can deduce from the fact he had a grave dug into the rocky hillside just beyond the walls of Jerusalem. But the most important detail we know about this Joseph is that he was “looking for the Kingdom of God” (Mark 15.43). This detail tells us that although he was a member of the Sanhedrin, he considered Jesus to be something special (as did Nicodemus, whom John says helped Joseph bury Jesus). Knowing Joseph and Nicodemus considered Jesus more than a rebel-rouser is important because of Mark 14.64 which says that “all” of the Sanhedrin voted to condemn Jesus to death. This means these two (and perhaps others):

• were not present for the vote (quite probable).
• were present but did not vote (possible).
• changed their minds after the vote (not likely).

Whatever was true of their thought about Jesus before, their thoughts were largely kept to themselves. But now Joseph musters the courage to go to Pilate to ask for the body. This does not mean that he necessarily believes in Jesus (a possibility which must wait for another time), but it likely indicates that he is prepared to forgo his position within the religious elite to be a part of God’s elect.

PRINCIPLE:  Our faith may begin in private and be hidden for a while, but true faith must be expressed openly – at least at times – because faith requires community.

Imagine for a moment if the women mentioned here and Joseph did not move beyond the shadows and secrecy in this moment. What would have happened? Jesus would have been left on the cross. Mike will share the horrors of the cross in a few moments, but many bodies were left to be eaten by wild animals. If the Romans took Jesus off the cross, they would have thrown His bones in the valley where many other skeletal remains rotted. If that had happened, the tomb would not be empty, because He would never have been in one – so how would we know He rose from the dead?

Jesus tells us to be innocent as doves and wise as serpents. So, times may exist when we keep our faith quiet. But that is not the norm for we are commanded to make disciples which means we must not only share our faith with others, but live our faith before others so they might learn to do so as well.

QUESTION:  Does anything prevent you from making your faith in Jesus known to others?


Jesus died for those who caused Him to die. (Mark 15.39)

Briefly, let me just say this is for all of us. You and I are why Jesus was crucified. Your parents, your children, your family are all part of the reason. The greatest person you might know, the worst person you wish you didn’t know. From the guards who beat Jesus to Paul who proclaimed Him widely, we are all responsible.

PRINCIPLE:  All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3.23).

Many people say that they are not worthy of God. Anyone who says this is correct – because none of us are. But consider this centurion in Mark 15.39. This was a man’s man in the Roman army. This man was as hardened as one could be. He was a centurion which means he was in command of 100 people. But not just any people. He was in charge of the group of soldiers who crucified people. You did not attain this position by being good at paperwork. This man knew how to kill, killed a lot, and led others who did the same.

But in one moment, this hardened man saw another man die with dignity. Jesus died with dignity amidst all the ridicule and torture He endured. And this centurion was changed – in a heartbeat and did something no human had done before – truly understood that Jesus was the Son of God. Peter had said the words, but this man believed it. As hard as He was, this man, a Roman soldier – a Gentile – saw what no Jew could see. Jesus was God’s own Son.

QUESTION:  How do you respond to what Jesus did for you?

As you consider the answer to that question, I would encourage you to take a few moments and review what a crucifixion entailed. Like last week, the post is not to sensationalize the process, but to help us understand so that we might better respond in faith. You can find the details here.

CONCLUSION

(NOTE: The closing of our service included the Lord’s Supper. Therefore, the ending of this post may seem abbreviated compared to most.)

JOURNEY: Our JOURNEY letter this week is the full word:  JOURNEY.

Today is about Jesus dying and about our believing. We must include the J and we must include the Y and the connect between the two is the blood He spilled which is why we must Observe, Unite, Revere, Nurture, and Engage with Him and with each other. We can never fully appreciate all Jesus did for us, but that is why I say we are on a JOURNEY.

OPPORTUNITY: Trust the story because of the witnesses. Trust the Lord because of His sacrifice. Share the message so that others may know.

REMEMBRANCE: Jesus bled for you. Jesus died for you.

NEXT STEP(S): Live:  When we truly understand what Christ did for us, we cannot keep our faith to ourselves. We must live our faith out for the benefit of others and the glory of God.

“Follow Me”...Because I Bled for You

Over this past week, how many times have you thought or said, “I am so busy.” Or “How can I get all of this done.” Or “There just isn’t enough time.” Or any other phrase that has a similar connotation. Well, today’s message is not going to help you manage your time, but it may help your attitude towards how you use it.

See one of the reasons we find ourselves too busy is that we think we are in control. We have a good idea or someone asks us to help and we say, “Yes” before we consider the implications. Now, I am not saying that we should not help others. But I am saying that before we jump at helping others, we should pause a few seconds or even minutes to ensure we not only understand the request, but what the impact is for us. Most of us continually add things to our schedule without removing anything. Eventually, that will lead to disaster. And the disaster comes because we haven’t stopped to consider the bigger picture. Why? Because we think we are in control.

But the truth is that we are not in control. In fact, we have little control other than that which God has given to us. In a parallel text to the passage we are reviewing today, Jesus said as much, when He told Pilate the only authority Pilate had was because God had given it to him. Pilate’s issue may not have been related to time, but it was related to the control he perceived he had. The same was true for the Sanhedrin, and the crowd, and the soldiers. But through it all, one man stood silent. One man stood poised. But this same man was beaten. And mocked. And humiliated. And yet, through it all, this man, Jesus, knew He was in the Father’s will, so He endured all that was happening to Him – because of His love for you and me. And it was Jesus who was in control. It was Jesus who bled for those whose actions were false because they falsely thought they were in control. Let’s take a look at four different falsehoods that are evident in this passage realizing the blood of Jesus covered them all.


Jesus bled for those who bring false charges against Him. (Mark 15.1-5)

The text for this week begins at dawn. The Sanhedrin have had their trial and have cast their verdict. But they are powerless to have Jesus killed because the Romans have taken that right from them. Thus, they deliver Jesus over to Pilate to be put on trial for treason at daybreak. The Roman officials conducted their business in the morning. Typically, they would seek to be done by noon in order to have the rest of the day free for recreation and leisure.

We see the charge has already been presented because Pilate mentions it in chapter 15. Pilate opens the dialogue by asking Jesus if He is the King of the Jews? Thus, he has already been informed of why Jesus has been brought to him. But this is not the only charge. Verse 3 says the Sanhedrin accused Jesus of many things. These “things” likely included disrupting the activities in the temple, teaching falsely to gather a crowd, and perhaps a fabrication that Jesus said not to pay taxes (although Mark 12.17 shows Jesus did not say that). But the key charge was the one which could get Jesus killed was one which would threaten the reign of Caesar.

Pilate again asks Jesus to respond to the charges. His only response in this entire pericope is “You have said so.” The words here are a difficult translation. Some translations say, “Yes, it is as you say.” Other, like the ESV here, say, “You have said so.” The challenge is that either translation could be correct. One is in the affirmative, while the other just acknowledges what has been said. The difference is not inconsequential. Did Jesus not tell Pilate who He was? If not, why not?

In researching this, one commentary suggested that Jesus primary mission was to the Jews. We saw this in Mark 7 where the mother came to have her daughter healed. So, the thinking goes that Jesus did answer Caiaphas in Mark 14.62 because Caiaphas was a Jew whereas the mission of the disciples was to go to the Gentile nations, including Rome, so Jesus did not respond here. This is a possibility, but I think it is the nature of the question. Caiaphas’ question was more specific – “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” The answer to that is Yes. On the other hand, Jesus did not claim to be the King of the Jews (although that is an implication of Messiah). Rather, as we know, Jesus came for all people.

We can be certain that Jesus silence was not because of His guilt, but because anything He said would be twisted against Him by those who thought they were in control. But despite their apparent power, Jesus presence always caused others to be amazed and Pilate now had his turn to be dumbfounded by Jesus. We must realize that we can be amazed at what Jesus does, but not have faith in who Jesus is. Pilate was in awe that Jesus would allow others to make malicious charges against Him without speaking up for Himself. But Jesus’ purpose was greater. And despite the hatred they had for Him, Jesus shed His blood for them as well.


Jesus bled for those who show false concern for Him. (Mark 15.6-15)

We now turn to Pilate. You may have heard a good deal about Pilate’s character. In the Bible, he is seen as kind of wishy-washy. He looks like he might care for Jesus a bit. Or perhaps, he is concerned with the dream his wife had (Matthew 27.19). But there is more to this story. Pilate despised the Jews and they despised him as well.

Pilate usually lived in Caesarea Maritima, but for Jewish festivals (especially Passover) he traveled to Jerusalem to help keep the peace. The soldiers he took with him were not of the official Roman guard, but were citizens of the surrounding lands (including Samaria, for instance) which had been trained by Rome. Thus, these soldiers were despised by Israel as well. Pilate intentionally did a few things which caused him a great deal of trouble with Israel. One was that he built aqueducts to bring water into Jerusalem (a good act), but used money from the temple treasury, and in the ensuing protests many Jews were killed. At another time, he ordered soldiers to set up an area within Jerusalem with the bust of the emperor on it. Jews marched to Pilate’s home seventy miles away to stage a non-violent protest. A third instance is actually recorded in Luke 13. Pilate had ordered the killing of some in Galilee and their blood had been brought to Jerusalem and mixed with the blood of the sacrifices. Again, the Jews hated Pilate. And Pilate hated the Jews. So what does this mean for Jesus?

Well, Pilate did want to release Jesus, but primarily because if he did so, he would be showing his authority over the Jews. It would be a slap in the face of the Jews (and particularly the religious leaders) if Pilate could let Jesus go. Moreover, he realized that their entire purpose for this trial was due to envy (v. 10). Pilate didn’t find any reason to condemn Jesus, but this was as much out of his spite for Israel than anything. So, due to an apparent custom, he offers to release Jesus. But the people say no. He offers again, but the people say no.

The people didn’t want the king of the Jews. They wanted Barabbas. Pilate didn’t want Jesus, but was about to be stuck with Him. But no matter Pilate’s attitude or intent, Jesus bled for Pilate and for all people no matter the truth or the level of concern for Him.


Jesus bled for those who are falsely compared to Him. (Mark 15.6-15)

I now want to move the spotlight of verses 6-15 towards Barabbas.

The certainty of the situation with Barnabas is that Pilate thought he could get out of the mess he was in by offering to release a prisoner. Technically, Jesus was not yet a prisoner, but his fate was in Pilate’s hands. So, Pilate offers to release either Barabbas or the “King of the Jews.” In this moment a comparison was made between a hostile leader looking to overthrow Rome and a loving leader looking to inaugurate God’s Kingdom.

Pilate thought the people would choose “the king of the Jews” but he was very wrong.

The offer to release a prisoner may have been a custom, but the fact that “the king of the Jews” is offered is because Pilate believes Jesus is not a threat. If Jesus had been a threat, He would have been punished and crucified for claiming superiority to Caesar. Although Jesus is crucified, Pilate never gives a verdict. Instead the gospels repeatedly say that Pilate did not find guilt in Jesus. Yet, Luke tells us that Pilate agreed with the crowd and decided to have Jesus crucified.

What Pilate is doing is taking the punishment of the leader of an insurrection (Barabbas) and giving Jesus in exchange for that punishment. Don’t overlook this. Jesus literally paid the penalty that was due Barabbas. And Jesus literally paid the penalty for each and every sin we commit as well. Today, we have many people who think they can be the savior of something or someone. Perhaps, some people can help for a while, but only one person ever qualified to be the Savior of the world. And that Savior bled for every pretender and would be savior (people like Barabbas) who has ever lived.

Now, before we move to the final point, let me share two facts you might not realize about Barabbas.

1) His name was Jesus Barabbas. Matthew 27.16-17 will have this fact in some footnotes. Many bibles do not include this, but the Greek New Testament does include the name Jesus. Now, your first thought might be, “If this is true, why do the gospel writers not use this name?” Let me tell you. Imagine that both names were simply Jesus. Imagine Pilate’s words for instance: “Do you want me to release Jesus or Jesus?” Of course the crowd that was there would have seen Pilate pointing, but no one reading this story would have a clue which Jesus was being mentioned. The crowd cried out for Jesus. Ok, which one? So, the gospels use Jesus for Jesus, the Christ, and Barabbas for Jesus Barabbas.

Jesus Barabbas – Matthew 27.16-17

2) Secondly, using a name such as Barabbas has been used by Mark before. We saw this at the end of chapter 10, when Mark recorded the story of Bartimaeus. Some of you will recognize “bar” as the word son. Remember what Jesus says to Peter after the Great Confession in Matthew 16.16. The next verse begins with Jesus saying, “Simon Bar Jonah” or Simon, son of Jonah. So, Bartimaeus means Son of Timaeus (Mark 10.46), and therefore Barabbas means “son of the father.”

Simon Bar Jonah – Matthew 16.16
Bar Timaeus – Mark 10.46
Jesus Bar Abbas – Mark 15.7

Jesus, Bar Abbas – Jesus, son of the father OR Jesus, the Son of the Father

Don’t miss this. Remember, Jesus’ prayer in the Garden was to Abba (Father). So what you have in this moment before Pilate is that a murderous criminal named Jesus “son of the Father” will be set free so that the Savior of the world, who is Jesus, the Son of the Father, can be crucified for us. As one commentary mentioned, the comparison is between one leader who tried to solve Israel’s problems through violence and revolt and the other who called for a nation and its leaders to repent. (Kernaghan, R. J. (2007). Mark (pp. 325). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.) Only one could be the true Son of the true Father.

But although, the comparison was false, Jesus bled for Barabbas and all like him as well.


Jesus bled for those who falsely celebrate Him. (Mark 15.16-20)

Verse 15 ends with the scourging of Jesus. I am going to have Mike come in a minute and share about the physical nature of what Christ endured. First, let me just comment generally on the symbolism of what happens here.

First, Jesus is taken inside the governor’s headquarters. The traditional site is the Antonio Fortress, a fortress  named after Marc Antony. The name was given, ironically, as tribute to Antony by Herod the Great because Antony had bestowed the title of “King of the Jews” to Herod.

The place where Jesus may have stood before Pilate

The King' Game - Played by the Romans when
torturing the prisoners - here, at the Antonio Fortress

The actual place is in question now as archaeologists now believe that Herod’s palace on the western side of the city is more likely the place Pilate would have stayed. If true, then consider what happened to Jesus here – in the palace.

• He is robed in royalty.
• He is given a crown (of thorns).
• They salute Him as king.
• They give Him a sceptor (a reed, with which they would then strike Him).
• They knelt before Him.
• The only thing missing was His throne – which was to be the cross.

This was a mock coronation, but they did indeed celebrate Jesus as King. In fact, it serves as a bit of a reminder of Philippians 2 when Paul says that one day, every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is King. These soldiers may have done it in a mocking manner then, but they will do it begging for mercy later, unless they repented and truly hailed Jesus as King (see v. 39).

While we need to be careful not to sensationalize what happened to Jesus, the fact is most do not really know how badly He was beaten. The Gospel writers do not include this information because their audience understood what scourging and crucifixion meant for the victim. Over 2000 years, we have lost the understanding. A couple of years ago, my friend Mike research this on his own, and he shares the information here.


CONCLUSION
I began this message talking about feeling as if we are in control. In this story, the Sanhedrin thought they were, then Pilate, then the crowd, then the soldiers, and perhaps even Barabbas did as well after he was released. But the truth is that all of them needed one thing – the blood of Jesus. It was Jesus who was in control, even when he was battered, beaten, and bloodied. God had established a system long before that required a blood sacrifice to cover sin. The process was formalized in the Mosaic Law, but the system began when God removed Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden covering them with skin (presumably of an animal), so they could be covered and not be ashamed (Genesis 3.21). It is because of that initial sin that Jesus had to shed His blood.

• The blood of Jesus – shed for you, shed for me. Shed for everyone whether they acknowledge Him or not.
• Jesus bled for all those who come to Him. And for those who don’t as well.
• Jesus bled for all those who call to Him. And for those who don’t as well.
• Jesus bled for God’s wrath to be satisfied.
• Jesus bled so we might spend eternity with Him.
• Jesus bled so we would have the choice to spend eternity with Him. The question is, “What do you choose?”

JOURNEY:  Our JOURNEY letter this week is: Y – You.

The letter could be J – Jesus once again because the reality is He bled for each one of us. But we have a choice and the question is what do we choose? Like Pilate, it is not enough for us to be amazed at all Jesus did (or even didn’t do). We must choose Jesus and we must give Him control of our lives. That is what true faith is – trusting in Him, and living for Him. Will you choose to follow Jesus today?

OPPORTUNITY:  When life gets chaotic and everything seems against you, take the time to stop, be still (and silent) and know that God is God.

REMEMBRANCE:  Jesus bled for you.

NEXT STEP(S):  Learn:  The New Testament did not go into a great deal of detail about the agony Jesus suffered. The writers did not need to elaborate – their audience knew the horrors of scourgings and crucifixions. But because the writers did not include the details, we are largely unaware. Take some time to do what Mike did and research how Jesus suffered physically that you might appreciate His sacrifice for you even more.

“Follow Me”...The Unwavering Truth of God

When I was a young child, I found several ways to get in trouble. Now, I wasn’t always looking to get in trouble, but it happened. Of course, when I realized I would likely be in trouble, I did what seemed natural – I lied. My dad was not unreasonable in most things, but he did not tolerate me lying at all. I can remember lying when I made a mess of the basement with some tar (it was an accident, but my friend was with me and wasn’t supposed to be), and when I went a different route home from school to play in an abandoned house for awhile (I never figured out how he found out), and a few other times that lying seemed to be the best approach to relieve myself of punishment in the situation. But, in most every situation, when he found out the truth, I was not set free, I was punished. And after a few lashes with the belt, I swore I would never lie again…until, of course, I need to do so to avoid punishment.

My story is not uncommon. The incidents will change, but the principle is the same. When pressure mounts, we give in. Maybe the giving in is through lying like I did as a young boy. Maybe it is setting aside our principles and values to some other standard because of the situation around us. Or maybe, we are prejudiced in some way and give in to bending truths to suit our needs.

The story before us today is one where several people changed the rules to fit their needs, falsified their testimony in an attempt to convict an innocent man, mocked truth because they did not understand, or blatantly lied in order to avoid likely punishment. Only one man stood true to who He was – and that man, was Jesus. Why did He do so? Because Jesus truly knew God and understood what faith truly is!

When we left off last week, Jesus had been arrested, His followers had deserted Him. We pick up the story this week with Jesus being led to the house of the high priest. Mark does not name this person, but in other accounts, we have the names of Annas and Caiaphas. Annas had been high priest for years, and Caiaphas (his son-in-law) was the new one. But, once a high priest, always a high priest, so it is thought that Jesus would have been taken to Annas first, out of respect for the office, and then Jesus was sent to Caiaphas where a more formal, though rigged, trial began.

In Jesus day defendants had the right not to incriminate themselves. (See Rick’s post about Due Process and the Fifth Amendment here.) As we will see, Jesus remained silent for much of this trial. Only when the question of His full identity was presented did Jesus respond. As we turn to the outline, each point relates to a person or persons and their witness to the truth!

Forgoing the Truth (v. 55-65)

It is well documented that the Jewish trial of Jesus was not authentic considering the customs of the day. What is up for debate is just how much was changed from the time of Jesus until the Mishnah (the written rules of the rabbis) was completed around 200 AD. Some of the guidelines were certainly in place, but we currently do not know when all of them were originally in effect. If they were by the time of Jesus, then certainly, we have a great problem. But what if they were not? Then the problem becomes lessened.

What we do know is that common sense tells us some issues seem out of place. This trial is taking place early in the morning – perhaps at 2 or 3 am. This time is certainly an attempt to be inconspicuous. Jewish custom does tell us that a trial could not happen at the time of a feast or Sabbath, so perhaps they are trying to rush this process through. Again, almost certainly they were, but the problem is that a capital offense had to be tried over two days, and obviously, if this is taking place on in the wee hours of Friday morning, it is impossible to see another day added. Thus, the possibility of a Thursday trial enters, and some have provided evidence for this, but most who do then show that the crucifixion takes place on Thursday which does not solve the timing issues of the trial.

It has also been suggested that the scene before us is not a trial, but an interrogation. This idea could solve many issues, except for the outside witnesses and the fact that a vote of condemnation was given at the end (Mark 14.64).

Regardless of how many of the Jewish customs were in place by this time, of this much we can be certain – rules were bent to facilitate Jesus trial. Such trials were normally held at a place called the Chamber of Hewn Stone, not the home of the high priest. While I am sure a quorum was present (23 people), at the time of night, it is unlikely that the full Sanhedrin were there (71), which skews the word “all” who condemned Jesus (v 64). For instance, it is unlikely that Nicodemus (and possibly Joseph of Arimethea) would have condemned Jesus. So, what we see is that when those in power have a plan (to put Jesus to death, v. 55), they will forgo certain truths (i.e. bend the rules) for their benefit – making sure someone is guilty until proven innocent.

Falsifying the Truth (56-60)

The second group was those who falsified the truth. We have heard of records being falsified, which simply means false information has been planted in place of the truth. For these witnesses, the records that were changed were verbal records. They twisted Jesus words. For instance, in Mark 13.2, Jesus said the temple would be destroyed, but Jesus did not say that He would be the one to do it which was the claim being made (v. 58).

The problem for the Council was that several were apparently willing to speak against Jesus, but none of their stories matched. Deuteronomy 19.15-21 says the testimony of two or more witnesses must be in agreement. However, notice what verses 17-19 says – if someone comes and bears false witness, then the judge shall be diligent to find the truth, and if the false witness is proven false, they must bear the intended punishment. In the case of the trial before Jesus, the false witnesses should have all been crucified, not Jesus.

In fact, what is most fascinating to me about this truth is to review the Ten Commandments. Many of us quote the 9th Commandment as “You shall not lie.” But that is not what the commandment says. While lying is condemned throughout the Bible, the actual command given to Moses is more specific. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Ex. 20.16). Again, that means “do not lie” in general, but in specific, do not lie to or about your neighbor – which is precisely what these witnesses are doing against Jesus. They are breaking one of the very commandments of the Mosaic Covenant – the covenant the religious rulers have vowed to protect. Moreover, these religious leaders are not only allowing it, they are encouraging it – if only, two witnesses would agree on their lie! Again, in trying to be true to God and stop this man Jesus, they are endorsing evil and breaking the covenant they are to uphold.

It is during these testimonies that Jesus is asked by the high priest if he wishes to rebut? Verse 60 says, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” Jesus remained quiet. And why not? After all, everything that was being said was false. Why should He speak up?

This is critical for us to hear. Many times people will say a lot of stuff about you or me. Much of it is unfounded and even garbage. You know what? It hurts. But if it isn’t true, why do we worry about it? We worry about it because it hurts our reputation, and more deeply our ego. But if people are out to get you and twisting your words, if you do speak up, it will often make things worse. I am not suggesting we should not speak up for truth. And I am not suggesting we avoid any conflict. But Jesus said, when in the midst of wolves we are to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10.16). Sometimes, that means remaining quiet and just slipping away remembering that the truth will always come out at the end. And in this trial, it did.

Confessing the Truth (61-62)

Next we move to the truth. Amidst all of the lies and rule-bending, the high priest finally asks the question that needs to be asked. Again, up to this point, Jesus had no reason to defend himself. No charge had been truthful – yet! But now Jesus is asked point blank, “Are you the Christ? Are you the Son of the Blessed One?”

The high priest uses the term Blessed One to avoid blasphemy. A devout Jew would not say the name of God. To do so was the only true sense of blasphemy. What is interesting is that Jesus’ response includes “right hand of Power” which was known to mean God, but by not saying God’s name, He did not commit blasphemy either. What He did say was that He was God’s Son by alluding to 2 Sam 7 and Psalm 110 in His response. In doing so, what Jesus says is that: “I may stand before you now to be judged, but one day I will be your Judge when you stand before me.”

Jesus response is considered blasphemous by the high priest, even if Jesus didn’t technically cross the line of saying God’s name. The high priest tore his clothes, asked for a verdict, and a sentence was given – as indicated by the guards receiving Jesus. What we cannot overlook in this moment is the boldness of Jesus in the midst of this trial. Again, he is all alone. He is certainly tired. And He has put up with the nonsense of false testimonies for some matter of time. Yet He never loses composure, and when the moment to proclaim the truth arises, Jesus is a faithful witness. As I continue to remind us, three times Jesus told the disciples what would happen after they arrived in Jerusalem. He was not unaware of His fate. But despite the torture He would face, Jesus confessed the truth because of His faith in God – to whose will He had yielded.

The dungeon below Caiaphas house where Jesus was likely
held and beaten after the trial before the Sanhedrin.

Straps on the wall to hold prisoners in place.

Denying the Truth (66-72)

Meanwhile, a second trial was taking place simultaneously. We are given a hint of this in verse 54 where we are told that Peter is following – though at a distance. Let’s be honest. Peter had some guts to be anywhere near Jesus at this point. But we are not called to follow Jesus at a distance. We are to be near to Jesus as Jesus wishes to be near to us.

For Peter, the physical distance was not far. But Peter was outside while Jesus was inside. And on a cold Spring night in Jerusalem, Peter sought to keep warm by a fire, but the light exposed him. (That is a sermon for another time.) One of the servants of the high priest sees Peter and questions him. His answer starts off simple enough. My paraphrase is, “I do know what you are talking about. What do you mean?”

So as not to compromise himself, Peter steps away from the fire and now moves further from Jesus – both physically and in spirit. She confronts him again, and this time does so by involving others. Peter again denies it, but the choice of verb is important. Our text says, Peter denied it. But the verb tense in the Greek is known as imperfect. That means the action is incomplete which implies a continuation of something. So, it is not that Peter denied Jesus again. It is that he kept denying Him, saying something like, “I don’t know Him. Just leave me alone. I said I don’t know Him. I really don’t know Him.” And on and on. This makes perfect sense when we read verse 70 where they charge Peter with being a Galilean. His continued speech had betrayed his accent. And his only chance to get out of the situation was to call down curses upon himself. This does not mean profanity. Rather, Peter would have been saying something like, “If I am lying then may God strike me dead” or something like that.

Statue of Peter at the location where he denied Jesus.

The walkway on which Jesus walked after the trial. He
was likely on this path when He looked at Peter as
the rooster crowed the second time (Luke 22.60-61).

Peter’s inability to keep quiet compromised his effort to remain anonymous. On the other hand, Jesus did not answer the false claims made about Him which allowed the truth to be revealed.

The trial of Jesus consisted of the crowd speaking falsely, but the accused speaking the truth. Peter’s trial had the crowd speaking truth, while he, as the accused, spoke lies and called down curses upon himself.

As we move to the conclusion, let us consider how similar trials have occurred in our time period. Specifically, I want to consider this from the perspective of the masses, instead of the individual.

CONCLUSION

During World War 2, over 100,000 Japanese people (approximately 60% of whom were American citizens) were put into internment camps. Laws were suspended because of a person’s ancestry, heritage, and physical location. I add location because most of the interned lived in the western part of the US – which is obviously closer to Japan. We see this as an atrocity today because these men, women, and children had no part of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but in that day, the fear was real, and thus laws were suspended or overlooked so as to deny rights to a group of people based upon their nationality.

A decade later it was political beliefs and McCarthyism. Now, another sixty years have passed and the issue is religion. Any terrorist attack is presumed to be a religious (usually Muslim) extremist. Americans are once again ready to suspend the rights of our citizens because of the acts of a few.

This is no different than what the Sanhedrin did in forgoing the truth and bending the laws to be able to arrest one man.

Many will provide false testimony against a neighbor due to the hoopla surrounding a particular issue.

Many will deny the truth to protect themselves even if it means hurting another.

But those who follow Jesus must endure to the end, stand up for the truth, and realize that God will vindicate those who remain faithful to Him.

As I mentioned earlier, those who falsely testified should have been put to death according to Deuteronomy 19. But the reality is that you and I deserve the death Jesus died. We should have been crucified – not Jesus. But thanks to the mercy of God, we have been spared, if we will believe.

But belief can be tough for some. We think we believe, but like Peter, our faith is not strong, and may not even be real. Remember, it was Peter who first confessed Jesus as the Messiah (Mark 8.29). And it was Peter who walked on water (Matthew 14.29). Yet, Peter’s proximity to Jesus did not become true faith in Jesus until after the resurrection and was made possible, in part, by Peter coming to grips with who he really was – a sinner incapable of doing anything for himself (Mark 14.72).

Do you know you are saved? Why? Because of something you have done or because of who Jesus is? If your answer is of your doing, then like Peter, you need to come to grips that you are not worthy. It is Jesus who is worthy He proved it by dying for you, for me, and for all who have, who are, or who will live.

JOURNEY: That is why our JOURNEY letter is once again: J – Jesus.

I considered the letter being Y for You. But you and I fail too often and this message is about the truth of God and His message. That truth was embodied in Jesus and He provided the template for us to follow. That’s why I had to use the J.

OPPORTUNITY:  Confess the truth of God because of your faith in Him.

REMEMBRANCE:  Jesus said He would deny those in heaven who deny Him on earth. (Matthew 10.33)

NEXT STEP(S): Lead:  Leading involves telling. With whom will you share the truth of Jesus?