Emory Baptist Church

The Beginning of the End...

Most people love to know the future.  We want to know the future of our family and our health and our money.

 

Some folks even go to the extent of reading horoscopes, consulting psychics, and looking at tarot cards.  Well, today is your day.  Today, we are going to look at the beginning of the end…the book of Revelation.

 

Think with me about 19 years ago.  Do you remember where you were on September 11, 2001?  I had just dropped Christy off at school in Forney, Texas and went to my office at FBC Forney. 

 

When I got inside, the secretaries and staff were gathered around a 13 inch, black and white, television with rabbit hears.  They were trying to make out the events of the morning in New York City and Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania.

 

What if you knew on September 10^th what was going to happen on September 11^th?  What would you do?  Would you warn anyone?  Would make some phone calls?

 

In our study of Revelation, were going to find out the end.  Therefore, you’re going to know the end in advance.  However, what are you going to do about it?  Are you going to warn anyone?  Are you going to make some phone calls, send some text messages, have some hard conversations? 

 

As we look this morning at the first eight verses of this book, I’m going to ask and answer some introductory questions that will get us started in the right direction for our study. 

 

 

1. What is Revelation about?

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ…

 

Look at verse 1.  This book is about Jesus and from Jesus.  Revelation means to unveil.  Therefore, Jesus is going to unveil or draw back the curtain so that we can see Him clearly. 

 

Verse 5 tells us more.  In verses 5, 6, and 8, there are no less than seven truths about who Jesus is.  First, He is the faithful witness so you can trust Him.  Second, He is the firstborn of the dead.  There will be more who will be resurrected, but He was the first.  Third, He is the ruler over the kings of the earth.  That truth speaks to His coming earthly kingdom. Fourth, He loved us.  We know that because we saw Him die on the cross for us in Mark.  Fifth, He washed us with His own blood.  His washing assumes we were stained, and we were with our sins. 

 

In verse 8, He is the Alpha and Omega.  Those are first and last letters in the Greek alphabet.  He is all encompassing.  Seventh, He is the Lord Almighty.  No one is more powerful than Him.

 

 

2. Who is Revelation’s author?

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.

 

If we’re talking about the human author, that was John.  He was the son of Zebedee and the brother of James and a fisherman.  Revelation is the last of five NT books that he wrote including John, 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John.

 

However, notice this authorial chain beginning in verse 1.  This revelation was from God and given to Jesus who gave it to His angel and then to John. 

 

More than likely, this is the latest NT book, written approximately 95 AD.  John wrote it after he was exiled to island of Patmos when he was pastoring the church at Ephesus because he had gotten cross with the Roman Emperor Domitian. 

 

 

3. What is Revelation’s award?

3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

 

That question may surprise you.  Perhaps a better word would be reward instead of award.  For those that read and hear and keep or obey, there is a blessing.  There is reward or an award. 

 

Also, from this third verse, we found out what type of book this is, and it will go a long way in helping us understand.  Revelation is a prophetic, circular letter that uses apocalyptic language.

 

John said it is prophecy.  That is the prediction of future events.  Therefore, in our understanding, we are going to operate from a futurist stand point.  John even says things which must shortly take place in verse 1.

 

This was a letter written to the seven churches in Asia.  Those are named and addressed specifically in chapters 2 and 3.  However, it was circular letter that was to be read aloud in the worship service.  Notice that one reads and those hear and keep.

 

Finally, because Revelation is apocalyptic, John uses highly symbolic language.  However, we still interpret this book literally even with symbolic language. 

 

For example, Jesus said if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  We take literally the idea of dealing severely with our sin.  However, how no one has plucked out their eye because we know that is symbolic language. 

 

4. Who was Revelation’s audience?

4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ.

 

As I mentioned a moment ago, John’s primary audience was the churches addressed in chapters 2 and 3: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

 

However, don’t miss the secondary audience.  Look at verse 1.  God gave this revelation to Jesus to show His servants.  That is us.  We are His servants or bondservants.  Therefore, make sure your eyes and ears are ready each and every week as we open this book together. 

 

John’s salutation reminds us that the book of Revelation is for believers…those who have received the grace of God and who are peace with God through Holy Trinity.  God the Father is who is and was and is to come.  The seven Spirits is the Holy Spirit. 

 

Why seven?  Seven is the number of perfection or completion in the Bible.  He could also be making the correlation between the Holy Spirit being present in each of the seven churches.  However, he may simply be referring to the seven-fold ministry of the Holy Spirit referenced in Isaiah 11:2.

 

Isaiah 11:2, The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

 

 

5. What is Revelation’s announcement?

7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. 

 

Are you ready for this? Jesus is coming again.  That’s the announcement, and everyone will know it.  The unbelieving Jews will know it.  The unbelieving Gentiles will know it, and if you haven’t received Him as Lord and Savior, it will be too late.  That is why you will mourn and weep and grieve for eternity. 

 

 

Conclusion/Invitation

So will you receive Him today as Lord and Savior?

 

If you already have, this is your September 10^th.  You know what is going to happen on September 11^th.  What are you going to do about it?  Are you go to warn someone?  Are you going to call someone?  Are you to text someone?  Are you going to have some hard conversations because you love family and friends and you know?  

 

Our Reason for Living...

Last Sunday, we looked closely at the crucifixion of the Lord, and today, we consider His resurrection.  I would suggest that the fact of Jesus’ resurrection is our reason for living today and our hope for living eternally. 

 

If you have your Bibles this morning, please take them and find Mark 15:42.  If you are able, please stand for the reading of God’s word.

 

When we ended last Sunday, Jesus was on the cross.  However, according to the OT, He could not stay there.  This was true regardless of who the individual was.

 

Deuteronomy 21:22-23

22 “If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.

 

However, remember that the Twelve had deserted Jesus.  They were nowhere to be found. 

 

Matthew 26:56

56 But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”  Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

 

Also, Jesus’ closest disciple was charged with caring for His mother.  Furthermore, His family was probably too distraught to do anything with His body at this time.

 

John 19:26-27

26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

 

 

1. A Disciple of Faith, Mark 15:42-47

42 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. 45 So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

 

In verse 42, it seems to be a few hours before sundown on Friday, sometime between 3 and 4 PM.  We know that it was Friday because we know that Saturday was the Sabbath. 

 

The Sabbath actually began at sundown on Friday and lasted until sundown on Saturday.  Friday was called the Preparation Day because families had to prepare meals and do chores to prepare for not doing any of those things on the Sabbath. 

 

In verse 43, we are introduced to Joseph of Arimathea.  He was a prominent member of the Jewish Sanhedrin or council. 

 

He was a disciple of faith.  Mark said he was waiting for the kingdom of God.  Therefore, we know that his faith was active. 

 

Mark said his faith was also courageous because he came to Pilate to request Jesus’ body.  That took courage because Pilate was not a fan of the Jews and felt like the Sanhedrin forced him to execute an innocent man.

 

His faith was now public.  John 19 described Joseph as a secret disciple.  The secret was no longer.  Joseph publicly demonstrated his faith by asking to bury Jesus’ body with the Twelve and Jesus’ family not in the picture.

 

When skeptics question the resurrection of Jesus, some wonder if He actually died.  Consider these proofs. Pilate confirmed that He was dead.  The Roman centurion in verses 44-45 confirmed that He was dead, and Joseph wrapped His dead body in linen and placed Him in a previously unused tomb.  Absolutely, positively, Jesus physically and literally died on the cross.

 

 

1. A Deed of Love, Mark 16:1-5

1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

 

Beginning in 16:1, you see that the Sabbath is over.  It was now Saturday night, and we see three of Jesus’ female disciples.  This was Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. 

 

It seems that they expected Jesus to still be dead.  They had bought spices on Saturday night to take to the tomb on Sunday morning.  They had no thoughts of Him being resurrected.  Instead, they expected His body to be decaying and stinking so they were coming with spices to combat the odor.

 

Verse 2 says they came to the tomb on Sunday morning.  Remember the end of chapter 15?  They saw were Jesus was laid.  Therefore, they knew where to go.

 

As they were on the way to the tomb, they began to get worried about who would move the stone.  They probably saw that Joseph had arranged for the stone to protect the tomb and Jesus’ body from grave robbers and wild animals.   

 

This would have been a round stone that would have been rolled down hill into a track.  Therefore, while it was easier to put in place, it would have been difficult to move and would have required the efforts of multiple men.

 

As for this happening on Sunday morning, Mark says it was the first day of the week, and we know that to be Sunday.  By the way, it is because Jesus was resurrected on Sunday that we worship today rather than Saturday. 

 

Saturday is still the Sabbath.  However, the Christian Church changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday to memorialize the day these women found the tomb empty and Jesus resurrected. 

 

Matthew’s gospel speaks of a localized earthquake that dislodged the stone and allowed an angel to move it.  Keep in mind that Jesus was already gone.  Therefore, moving the stone was to allow the witnesses in, not to let Jesus out.

 

When they arrived, the stone had been rolled away, and they were greeted by an angel.  Again, the other gospels tell us there were two angels, but only one of them spoke.  However, these women were deathly afraid which is the common human response to interactions with angels in the Bible.

 

 

• A Directive of Hope, Mark 16:6-8

6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is 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 into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

 

Beginning in verse 6, we see the angel’s conversation with the women. He informed the ladies that Jesus was in fact alive.  The Jesus they were seeking, who had been crucified (another way of saying He was certainly dead), had been raised. 

 

The NKJV says He is risen.  That is better translated, “He has risen.”  Like the stone, an outside forced raised Jesus.  He didn’t raise Himself.  God the Father brought Him from the tomb.  He was no longer there. 

 

The angel then invited the ladies to look at the place where Jesus had been laid.  He was gone.  He was not there.  He had risen. 

 

Then in verse 7, he said that the ladies were to tell the disciples that Jesus would be awaiting them in Galilee.  Not only was He alive, but they would get to see Him again. 

 

Verse 8 says they left the tomb amazed at the prospect of Jesus, whom they saw die with their own eyes, living again. 

 

I want to make one final point and then conclude.  Look back at verse 7.  Remember that this is really Peter’s gospel that was written down by Mark.  That is the same Peter back in Mark 14 who denied any association with the Lord on three occasions.

 

However, in this verse, we see the foreshadowing of Peter’s restoration from a mistake and for ministry.  Again, Peter didn’t just deny the Lord once or even twice but three times. 

 

This was a huge mistake, but the Lord wasn’t done with Peter.  He would later use him mightily in the book of Acts preaching and seeing thousands saved and as a prominent leader in the early church.

 

Some of you are here today and the devil has told you that your time and opportunity of the Lord using you is done because of mistakes in your past.  I want you to know that the Lord can and will restore you for future ministry if you let Him. 

 

Tell the Lord that you’re sorry for those mistakes and ask for His forgiveness.  Then, ask Him to restore you and use you again in ministry for His Church. 

 

 

Conclusion

This morning, we have seen a disciple of faith and a deed of love and a directive of hope.  Do those words sound familiar?

 

1 Corinthians 13:13

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

 

Brothers and sisters, my encouragement to you this morning is to commit to being a disciple of faith who lives out deeds of love with a directive of hope in the gospel of Jesus.

 

Since we know that love is what remains, let us be faithful in living lives characterized by loving God and loving our neighbors.

 

Matthew 22:37-38

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

 

We can do this no better than by sharing the gospel with every tongue and tribe that God brings to us.

 

Matthew 28:19

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

 

 

Because He Loves You...

One commentator has called it one of the most horrifying forms of execution ever devised.  Yet, it is the universal symbol for Christianity.  Today, we come to the cross of Jesus Christ.

 

It is Friday morning, and Jesus has been up all night being tried by Caiaphas and the Jews.  He was then tried by Pilate and the Romans.  Jesus was then sentenced to execution by crucifixion.

 

As I did two Sundays ago, instead of turning back and forth between all four gospels, I have attempted to harmonize the story of Jesus’ crucifixion from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

 

 

1. The Crucifixion of Jesus included a demonstration of unbelief: what was said by the Jews, what was believed by the Sanhedrin, and what was done by the other insurrectionists.

 

Luke 23:27-32

27 And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. 28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ 31 For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”  32 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death.

 

Mark 15:22-24

22 And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. 23 Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. 24 And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.

 

Did you know the word “Calvary” comes from the Latin word for skull “calvaria?”

 

John 19:24-25a

24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.”  Therefore, the soldiers did these things.  25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

 

This is the first of at least 4 and probably more fulfillments of OT prophecy in the crucifixion story.

 

Psalm 22:18

18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

 

Mark 15:25-26

25 Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. 26 And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS.

 

The third hour is 9 AM.  That was when Jesus was nailed to the cross.  They nailed the equivalent of railroad spikes in each wrist and through His feet, one on top of the other, and I will come back to this process in a just a moment.

 

John 19:20-22

20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.  21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’”  22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

 

The entire title probably read, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”

 

Mark 15:27-28

27 With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. 28 So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

 

Here is the second fulfillment of OT prophecy.

 

Isaiah 53:12

12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Luke 23:34

34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”  And they divided His garments and cast lots.

 

Mark 15:29-32

29 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”  31 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” 

 

Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.  Remember, the Jews thought Jesus was talking about the physical temple when He was really talking about Himself.  When the chief priests and scribes said He saved others, they were referring to Jesus’ healing ministry.

 

Luke 23:39-43

39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”  40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”  43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” 

 

We can learn much from the thief on the cross.  We learn that there is no waiting period between death and heaven for the believer.  Paul said to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. 

 

Secondly, we see that baptism cannot and will not save.  The thief was not baptized, not because he didn’t want to be but because of timing, and yet he was saved and spent eternity in the paradise of heaven.

 

John 19:26-27

26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. 

This unnamed disciple was John, and we see that with believers, even relationships are transformed. 

 

The Christian family rises above the biological family.

 

 

1. The crucifixion of Jesus included a separation from the Father: was a judgment on sin, was judicial not relational, and allowed for Jesus to physically die.

 

Mark 15:33-35

33 Now 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 out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  35 Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!”

 

This is now 12 noon, and the whole city becomes dark.  Simply put, this was a supernatural event.  It was a sign of God’s judgment according to Amos 8:9-10.

 

Amos 8:9-10

9 “And it shall come to pass in that day,” says the Lord God, “That I will make the sun go down at noon, And I will darken the earth in broad daylight; 10 I will turn your feasts into mourning, And all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist, And baldness on every head; I will make it like mourning for an only son, And its end like a bitter day.

 

Here, we also see God’s holiness and justice as He turned away from sin because He could not look upon it as Jesus, even though sinless prior to this point, for a split second embodied the sin of all humanity.  See 2 Corinthians 5:21.

 

2 Corinthians 5:21

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 

John 19:28-30

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

 

Luke 23:46

46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last.

 

 

• The crucifixion of Jesus included the elimination of barriers: the barrier between God and man, Jews and Gentiles, and men and women.

 

Mark 15:38

38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

 

Don’t simply pass over this.  This was significant.  This was the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple.  When Jesus died, everyone who would believe would then have personal access to God. 

 

Previously, you had to go to God through the human priest.  That changed when Jesus died on the cross. 

 

Hebrews 10:19-22

19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

 

Matthew 27:52-53

52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

 

Now we have this third significant event that is recorded as happening when Jesus died.  First, the temple veil was torn.  Second, the earthquake occurred.  Third, Matthew recorded that tombs opened.

 

However, notice in verse 53 the timing of all this.  It says after Jesus’ resurrection, they came out of the tombs and went into Jerusalem and appeared to many.  I know this is weird, and it is debatable as to who these saints were.  Matthew certainly leaves many questions unanswered.

 

Mark 15:39-41

39 So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”  40 There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, 41 who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

 

This Roman soldier was a Gentile who recognized that Jesus was the Savior not only for the Jews but for the entire world.

 

And the mention of these women is monumental considering the Twelve had deserted Jesus when they going got tough.

 

John 19:31-37

31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” 

 

Now, for at least the third and fourth times, OT prophecy is fulfilled in the events of Christ’s crucifixion.

 

Psalm 34:20

20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.

 

Zechariah 12:10

10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

 

 

Conclusion

Jesus did all of this because He loves you.  Maybe it doesn’t sound like much.

 

Dr. Truman Davis is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine.  He is a practicing ophthalmologist and author of a book about medicine and the Bible.

 

“Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh, a mild analgesic, pain-reliving mixture.  He refused the drink.  Simon was ordered to place the patibulum on the ground, and Jesus was quickly thrown backward, with His shoulders against the wood.  The legionnaire felt for the depression at the front of the wrist.  He drove a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood.  Quickly, he moved to the other side and repeated the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexibility and movement.  The patibulum was then lifted into place at the top of the cross. 

 

The left foot was pressed backward against the right foot.  With both feet extended, toes down, a nail was driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed.  The victim was now crucified.

 

As Jesus slowly sagged down with more weight on the nails in the wrist, excruciating, fiery pain shot along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain.  The nails in the wrists were putting pressure on the median nerve, large nerve trunks which traverse the mid-wrist and hand.  As He pushed himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He placed His full weight on the nail through His feet.  Again there was searing agony as the nail tore through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of His feet.

 

At this point, another phenomenon occurred.  As the arms fatigued, great waves of cramps swept over the muscles, knotting them in deep relentless, throbbing pain.  With these cramps came the inability to push Himself upward.  Hanging by the arm, the pectoral muscles, the large muscles of the chest, were paralyzed and the intercostal muscles, the small muscles between the ribs, were unable to act.  Air could be drawn into the lungs, but could not be exhaled.  Jesus fought to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath.  Finally, the carbon dioxide level increased in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided.

 

He suffered hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, and searing pain as tissue was torn from His lacerated back from His movement up and down against the rough timbers of the cross. 

 

Then another agony began: a deep crushing pain in the chest as the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, slowly filled with serum and began to compress the heart.

 

The end was rapidly approaching.  The loss of tissue fluids had reached a critical level; the compressed heart was struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood to the tissues, and the tortured lungs were making a frantic effort to inhale small gulps of air.  The markedly dehydrated tissues sent their flood of stimuli to the brain. 

 

The common method of ending a crucifixion was by the breaking of the bones of the leg.  This prevented the victim from pushing himself upward; the tension could not be relieved from the muscles of the chest, and rapid suffocation occurred.  The legs of the two thieves were broken, but when the soldiers approached Jesus, they saw that this was unnecessary.

 

Apparently, to make doubly sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into the heart.  John 19:34 states, "And immediately blood and water came out."  Thus, there was an escape of watery fluid from the sac surrounding the heart and the blood of the interior of the heart.  This is rather conclusive post-mortem evidence that Jesus died, not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation but of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium.”

 

Romans 5:8

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Will You Bear the Cross of Christ?

As we continue to look at the last days of the life of the Lord Jesus, this morning we simply look at one verse.  We will consider the life of Simon of Cyrene as he bore the cross of Christ. 

 

It is Friday morning between 6-8 AM.  Late on Thursday evening, Jesus celebrated the Passover with the Twelve and instituted the Lord’s Supper. 

 

Later that evening, He was arrested in the Garden at Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives.  In the earliest hours of Friday morning, He endured His religious trial at the hands of the Jewish Religious Leaders and was found guilty of blasphemy and condemned to death.

 

However, because the Jews didn’t have the authority to carry out capital punishment, they sent Jesus to Pilate for His political trial and accused Him of treason.  Neither Pilate or Herod thought Jesus was guilty, but they didn’t want a Jewish riot on their hands.  Therefore, they allowed Jesus to be crucified. 

 

 

Main Point

Those who were sentenced to crucifixion had to carry their own crossbeam, a patibulum, to the place where the execution would happen.  This was true for Jesus. 

 

However, as you can imagine, He couldn’t physically do it.  Because of His extreme fatigue, His emotional distress, and the physical abuse, He could not carry His crossbeam from Jerusalem to the outskirts called Golgotha.  Don’t forget how He was scourged.

 

 

In what would appear to be a random act, the Roman soldiers pulled aside a man named Simon.  He was a Jew from Cyrene, which was a town in Northern Africa and is present-day Libya.  We don’t know if he was in town for the Passover or if he was passing through for some other reason, but nonetheless, he was pressed into service to carry Jesus’ crossbeam.

 

This morning, I want to ask you this question.  Even though Simon was pressed into bearing Jesus’ cross here, I believe he had done so voluntarily earlier in his life.  My question is, “Will You Bear Jesus’ Cross today?”

 

This idea of bearing Jesus’ cross is an invitation to follow Him and serve Him as your Lord and Savior.  We see this invitation multiple times on the pages of the NT.

 

Matthew 10:38

38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

 

Matthew 16:24

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

 

Mark 8:34

34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

 

Luke 9:23

23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

 

Luke 14:27

27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

 

In today’s single verse, Simon of Cyrene bore Jesus’ cross literally and publicly.  My invitation and challenge for you this morning is to bear Jesus’ cross figuratively and personally and specifically with your family. 

 

Simon is mentioned in Matthew’s gospel and Luke’s gospel, but Mark’s gospel includes something unique.  Only Mark’s gospel includes that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus. 

What do we know about these two sons?  In the rest of the NT, the name Alexander is found in 4 places.

 

Acts 4:6

6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

 

Acts 19:33

33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people.

 

1 Timothy 1:20

20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

 

2 Timothy 4:14-15

14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. 15 You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.

 

In all 4 places, these Alexander’s are not good men.  They opposed the ministry of Peter, and they opposed the ministry of Paul.  Was one of these Simon’s son?  We don’t know.

 

However, there is only one Rufus, and he is found in Romans 16:13. 

 

Romans 16:13

13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.

 

He was a member of the Roman Church and according to Paul was a choice man, an extraordinary follower of Christ.  Remember to whom Mark’s gospel was written.  It was written to Roman Christians.  Therefore, it is highly likely that the Rufus in Romans 16 is the son of Simon here in Mark 15:21.

 

It is certainly possible that Simon had one son that turned out great in Rufus and one that didn’t turn out so great in Alexander.  We know that to be true from our own life experiences.  Sometimes, the best Christian parents have children that followed the ways of Christ and those that strayed. 

 

So I want to be crystal clear this morning.  As for Christian parents, when it comes to parenting, you cannot be held completely responsible for how your children turn out, but you are 100% responsible for how you choose to parent them. 

 

 

1. Bearing Jesus’ cross means discipling your children.

 

Because of what we know about Rufus, I would suspect that Simon of Cyrene, being a good Jew, choose to parent his children according to Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

 

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

 

This is called the Shema and is the basic Judaism confession of faith.  It speaks to monotheism and speaks against polytheism.  The other nations in the OT were polytheists.

 

It says that the LORD, literally Elohim, or Yahweh or Jehovah is God, and He is one.  He is not many or multiple.  He is one.  Therefore, this basic confession excludes the validity of Islam and Buddhism and Hinduism because the one God is Yahweh not Allah or anyone else.

 

Furthermore, because of how Jesus used this word “LORD” in John 8:58, this basic confession renders Judaism incomplete, and it affirms the exclusivity of Christ as the only way to heaven. 

 

John 8:58

58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

 

Beginning in verse 5, notice the language that is in command form, “You shall.”  This is the same type of language used in Exodus 21 and the Ten Commandments. 

 

Jewish adults and parents were to love Yahweh or Jehovah with all their heart, soul, and might.  Sometimes, we try to see too much in these three areas when really God is saying that Israel was to love God with everything they are and everything they have. 

 

Because of how Jesus interpreted this same mandate in the gospels, what was true for Jewish adults is true for followers of Christ.  We are to love Yahweh or Jehovah or Jesus with everything that we are and everything that we have, and just to make sure there is no confusion as to what it means to love Jesus, remember John 14:15.

 

John 14:15

15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.

 

Another aspect of the mandate is found in 6:5. We are to keep these words (6:4 and 6:5) on our hearts.  We are to meditate on them throughout the day.  We are to keep them before us at all times…at home and at work and at school and everywhere.

 

Who is to do this?  This is parents.  It is not a preschool.  It is not a school, public or private.  It is not the church. 

 

Also, notice again this is a mandate or a command.  It is not optional.  As parents, we err when we require our children to go to school and require our children to go to practice and require our children to go to games and allow them the option of coming to church.

 

Parents are to teach their children diligently.  Teach them what?  These words as indicated in 6:6 and spelled out in 6:4-5.  Not only are you to teach, but you are to talk about them, the things of God.  The things of God are to be regularly on your lips. 

 

Parents are to teach your sons and your daughters when you are at home and when you are outside of the home.  You are to teach your children the things of God when you go to bed at night and when you wake up in the morning. 

 

You are to teach your children the things of God by always keeping them before them.  More than anything else, the idea is that your entire house and household should be about the things of God.

 

 

2. Bearing Jesus’ cross means demonstrating your service.

 

Obviously, we see here in Mark 15:21 that Simon served others.  I believe he also demonstrated or modeled that for his family. 

 

The NLT of Romans 16:13 is interesting.  Paul doesn’t say greet Rufus’ mother and mine.  It says greet Rufus’ mother who was like a mother to me too.

 

Romans 16:13 (NLT)

13 Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own; and also his dear mother, who has been a mother to me.

 

She served Paul.  Could she have seen that in her husband, Simon, who learned that from the Lord?

 

Matthew 22:39

39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

 

 

Conclusion

It is no secret that more and more Christian twentysomethings are turning away from their Christian faith when they get to college.  George Barna reported in 2006 that 61% of young adults who were somewhat active in church as a teenager now go nowhere. 

 

Certainly, the church deserves some blame, but I would say Christian parents who teach their children more about hitting balls and shooting baskets and enjoying the lake than what it means to love Jesus with everything you have deserve the majority of the blame.

 

Moms and Dads, I’m challenging you and inviting you to bear Jesus’ cross by discipling your children and demonstrating your service.

According to Plan...

In Mark 15, it was Friday morning, the day that Jesus was crucified.  More than likely, it was between 5-6 AM when Jesus was led away for His political trial.

 

Between 1-3 AM, He had already experienced His religious trial at the hands of the Jewish Religious Leaders, the Sanhedrin.  All of those who were present condemned Jesus to die because they found Him guilty of blasphemy.  He claimed to be the Son of God, and they didn’t believe He was. 

 

However, they did not have the legal authority to carry out capital punishment.  Therefore, they had to appeal to the Roman Government, but blasphemy wouldn’t have mattered to them so we will see in the just a minute that Jesus was charged with treason.  In other words, He was charged with trying to overthrow the Roman Government.

 

Jesus before Pilate is found in all four gospels.  This morning, I am going to attempt to bring all of these texts together for one comprehensive account.  Instead of turning pages back and forth between Mark 15, Matthew 27, Luke 23, and John 18-19, you can simply listen and take note of the order on the screens behind me.

 

 

1. In Jesus’ Political Trial, there was an Anxious Man, Mark 15:1-3.

1 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate. 2 Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”  He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”  3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.

 

Again, we are still relatively early on Friday morning.  That is when the Romans had their trials. 

 

The Jewish Religious Leaders led Jesus and delivered Him to Pilate.  Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea at the time, and the presiding judge in this trial. 

 

John 18 and Luke 23 contain dialogue between Pilate and the Sanhedrin.

 

John 18:29-30

29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”  30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”

 

Luke 23:2

2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”

 

John 18:31-32

31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”  Therefore, the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.

 

The reason I say Pilate was an anxious man is because he was in a precarious situation.  On one hand, he hated the Jews and wanted to do whatever to demonstrate his hatred.  Consequently, Pilate personally thought Jesus was innocent and not deserving of death and wanted to deny their request.

 

Mark 15:2-4

2 Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”  He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”  3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.

 

John 18:34-38

34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”  35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”  36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”  37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”  Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”  38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.  On the other hand, He ended up honoring the Jews and their wishes

 

Luke 23:4-12

4 So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man.”  5 But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.”  6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. 7 And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. 8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. 9 Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing. 10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. 11 Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.

 

On the other hand, he didn’t want a riot on his hands.  Therefore, in the end, this anxious man honored the request of the Jews in spite of his hatred for them.  We’ll see that specifically in Mark 15:15.

 

 

2. In Jesus’ Political Trial, there was an Angry Mob, Mark 15:6-15.

6 Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. 8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.  11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. 12 Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”  13 So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”  14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”  But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”  15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

 

This angry mob was made up of the Sanhedrin and their followers.  The reason they were angry is found in verse 10.  They were envious of Jesus.  They were envious of His authority, His ability, His teaching, and His following. 

 

Consequently, they were angry, and it was expressed throughout this text.  In verse 8, they were crying aloud.  In verse 11, they were stirred up.  In verse 13, they cried out again.  In verse 14, they cried out all the more. 

 

What was the result they wanted?  They wanted Jesus dead by crucifixion, and we know that because that is what they cried out. 

 

Pilate offered Barabbas to them instead.  They would have no part of it.  They were envious and angry and wanted Jesus to be dead. 

 

Mark 15:6-10

6 Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. 8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.

 

Matthew 27:19

19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”

 

Mark 15:11-14

11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. 12 Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”  13 So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”  14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”  But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”

 

Matthew 27:24-25

24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”  25 And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”

 

Mark 15:15

15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

 

 

3. After Jesus’ Political Trial, there was an Acrimonious Military, Mark 15:16-20.

16 Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. 17 And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, 18 and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. 20 And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

 

They punished Jesus with scourging.  This was the act of whipping Jesus on His back, and in the process, His flesh was torn to ribbons. 

 

After their punishment of Jesus, we see their pretense regarding Jesus.  In reality, these soldiers hated the Jews just as much as Pilate, and Jesus was a Jew. 

 

Therefore, what you see in verses 17-20 was not their authentic feelings but their pretense.  They clothed Him with purple which was the color of royalty.  They put a crown of thorns on His head because He was a king.  They saluted Him, but they also struck Him and spat on Him.  They worshipped Him, but they also mocked Him. 

 

At the end of verse 20, they led Him to crucify Him.

 

 

The Main Point

So what is the main point of this text?  I believe it is to remind us that all that took place was according to plan.  In other words, it was a fulfillment of prophesy. 

 

Isaiah 53:5-9

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes 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.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment,

And who will declare His generation?

For He was cut off from the land of the living;

For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

9 And they made His grave with the wicked—

But with the rich at His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

 

Therefore, you can trust every word of this book as these two texts, Isaiah 53 and Mark 15, were written approximately 700 years apart. 

 

Specifically, you can trust this book when it says that God loves you unconditionally. 

 

Second, you can trust this book when it says that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and in your place and whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 

 

Third, you can trust this book and its plan for your life as it is better than your plan for your life as it relates to your marriage and your children and your finances. 

 

Back in the Game Revival Meeting #3 with Richard Taylor

Back in the Game Revival Meeting #2 with Richard Taylor

Back in the Game Revival Meeting #1 with Richard Taylor

The People's Court

We have come to the end of Mark 14, and it is in earliest hours of Friday morning, the Friday that Jesus was crucified.  Most commentators think our text is set between 1 and 3 AM.

 

Remember that Jesus was in spending His nights in Bethany and His days in Jerusalem all week long.  On Thursday night, He was at John Mark’s house with His disciples observing the Passover meal and introducing the Lord’s Supper. 

 

He then took His disciples with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.  It was there that Judas betrayed Him, and He was arrested and taken away.

 

We now pick up the story in Mark 14:53 in a message entitled, “The People’s Court.”  I want us to make three observations: the Jews lied, Jesus testified, and Peter cried.

 

 

1. The Jews Lied, Mark 14:53-59.

53 And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. 54 But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.  55 Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. 56 For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.  57 Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, 58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’” 59 But not even then did their testimony agree. 

 

In these first two verses, Mark used a familiar writing technique when he bracketed or sandwiched two events that happening simultaneously.  In verse 53, we see Jesus’ first trial.  It was His religious trial.  It would be followed by a political trial.

 

Jesus’ accusers included the high priest, the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.  In other words, these were the Jewish Sanhedrin. 

 

Why would they have a trial at 2 AM Friday morning?  It was not formal, but since He had just been arrested, they felt the need for an immediate hearing.  Second, the Romans held their trials shortly after dawn so they needed to act quickly.  Third, they didn’t want to risk releasing Him and having to arrest Him again.

 

Mark 14:54 tells us about Peter.  He followed Jesus at a distance.  I wouldn’t make much of that language other than Peter had temporarily lost his courage in following Jesus. 

 

Also, keep in mind this isn’t derogatory language as it probably came Peter.  We’ll come back to him in verse 66.

 

The Sanhedrin or the Council tried desperately to line up their witness to testify of Jesus’ blasphemy, but to no avail.  Notice the repeated results of verses 55, 56, and 59. 

 

They even presented something Jesus said in John 2:19. However, that didn’t even stand up according to verse 59.

 

John 2:19-21, 19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”  20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”  21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

 

 

2. Jesus Testified, Mark 14:60-65.

60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 61 But He kept silent and answered nothing.  Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”  62 Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”  63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?”  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.  65 Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.

 

 

Matthew’s gospel tells us that this high priest was Joseph Caiaphas, and his first round of questions begin in verse 60.  Jesus first responded with silence.

 

Then his second round of questioning is found in verse 61.  “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”  He wanted to know if Jesus was the Messiah and also the Son of God. 

 

Jesus answered in verse 62.  He testified unequivocally, “I AM is here.”  He was claiming without any hesitation or reservation that He was both Messiah and God.  Certainly, His accusers remembered Jehovah’s words to Moses in Exodus 3:14, “I AM has sent me to you.” 

 

Then Jesus combined Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13. In effect, He was saying, “You’re judging Me now, but I will judge you soon.”

 

His response created chaos.  Caiaphas tore his clothes and pronounced Jesus guilty of blasphemy.  All of the Sanhedrin present unanimously agreed, and they began to spit on Him, and blindfolded Him, and beat Him.

 

By the way, please notice I qualified the end of verse 64.  The translation is somewhat misleading.  We know that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea would not have voted in such a way. 

 

While all of this is going on, our last event was happening simultaneously outside.

 

 

3. Peter Cried, Mark 14:66-72.

66 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. 67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”  68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.  69 And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” 70 But he denied it again.  And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.”  71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”  72 A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.

 

In these last verses, we see that while Jesus was being tried in the people’s court by the Jewish Religious leaders, Peter was denying Him three times. 

 

In Mark 14:66-68, Peter was accused by one of the servant girls of being with Jesus.  Notice the use of the word “also” in the girl’s statement.  According to John 18, John was with Peter at this time. 

 

Peter denied it.  At the end of this verse, Mark tells us that a rooster crowed.

 

Why is that significant?  Remember 14:30. 

 

30 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

 

In Mark 14:69-70, again, the servant girl claimed that Peter was one of Jesus’ followers.  Again, he denied it.

 

For a third time, look at Mark 14:70-72.  Some of the bystanders began to accuse Peter.  They accused Him of being one of Jesus’ followers and from despicable Galilee. 

 

However, Peter began to curse and swear.  This does not mean that Peter used profanity.  Instead, He said something like this, “I swear to you I am telling the truth, and if I am not telling you the truth then may the curses of God come down on my head.”

 

As soon as his final word left his mouth, the rooster crowed a second time.  According to Luke 22:61, Jesus and Peter made eye contact, and then Peter remembered what Jesus had said as they were walking to the Garden of Gethsemane earlier that night, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

 

Peter’s heart was broken.  He was crushed, and he wept or cried because He had betrayed his Master.

 

 

Applications/Conclusions

First, don’t be a Peter and deny Jesus.  However, I’m not talking about with your words.  I’m talking about actions.  Don’t deny Jesus in the way you talk to your wife or the way you mock your husband.  Don’t deny Jesus in the way you raise your children to believe that the lake and sports is more important on Sunday than church.  Don’t deny Jesus at work with your co-workers in how you treat them or your lack of respect for your boss.

 

However, if you are, don’t forget that Peter was restored, and you can be too.  This is the same Peter who all throughout the book of Acts is preaching and performing miracles and doing great and mighty things in the first church for the glory of Christ.

 

Second, be like Jesus in handling criticism.  He didn’t always speak and legitimize complaints.  However, He did speak to affirm the truth that He was God.  Ultimately, He trusted God to fight His battles.

 

Third, make no mistake about it.  Jesus was then and is now the only Son of God and the only way to be at peace with the Father. 

 

If you don’t know Him today, I would love to introduce Him to you as you call on Him to save you and receive forgiveness of sins, heaven, and eternal life.

Our Humanity...

In Mark 14, we have been looking at Passion Week, the last 8 days of the Jesus’ life on earth.  We are on Thursday night, and Jesus has just completed transitioning from the Passover Meal to the Lord’s Supper. 

 

Afterward, He and His disciples minus Judas left the upper room and went to the Mount of Olives close to the Garden of Gethsemane.  This morning’s message is entitled, “The Hopelessness of Our Humanity…”

 

 

Our Humanity

 

1. In our humanity, we are often spiritually prideful.

We see this in the life of Peter.  He thought he was invincible.  He thought he couldn’t fail.  He saw himself as stronger than he was. 

 

Speaking to all of Twelve except Judas, Jesus prophesied that they all would stumble in verse 27.  Different translations use words like stumble, fall away, desert, and be offended.  We take our English word “scandalize” from this Greek word that is translated “stumble” in the NKJV.

 

Jesus didn’t mean that they would lose their salvation.  However, He did mean that they would temporarily disassociate with Him because they would not want the treatment He and any and all of His associates would receive.

 

The rest of verse 27 is a quote from Zechariah 13:7. The “I” refers to God.  Jesus is the “Shepherd.”  The “sheep” are the 11 disciples.  After God allows Jesus to be executed, there would be a temporary scattering of these men. 

 

However, Peter didn’t want to believe it.  Peter said he would never desert the Lord, but before the rooster would crow twice, Jesus said Peter would deny him three times. 

 

By the way, does it upset you and hurt you when family or friends are unfaithful?  Does it upset you or hurt you when family or friends betray you and stab you in the back?  Be encouraged.  You’re in good company.  Jesus experienced the same with Judas.

 

Jesus invested in Judas for three years.  However, at the end of those three years, Judas said no to Christ and turned his back on Jesus in betrayal. 

 

In verse 32, we see Jesus actually entering the garden and said to eight of the disciples to stay put until He returned.  However, He took His innermost circle of disciples with Him further into the garden.  That inner circle was Peter, James, and John.

 

 

2. In our humanity, we can get physically exhausted.

The disciples had been up since early Thursday morning.  It was now past midnight on Thursday night and into Friday morning. 

 

Jesus asked them to watch and pray.  They couldn’t do either because of their physical exhaustion.

 

Some of you here today are not only physically exhausted but you are mentally and emotionally exhausted.  Our world today is exhausting. 

Learn to rest daily and weekly.  Learn to get away and unplug or at least unplug.  God told us to do such because He knew what was best for us. 

 

As Jesus went further in the garden with the Three, verse 33 says He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.  Not only did Jesus experience unfaithfulness, He also experienced unrest. 

 

In verse 34, Jesus said His psyche was exceedingly sorrowful unto death.  Other translations say troubled, deeply grieved, overwhelmed, crushed.  This was one of the most trying times of Jesus earthly life.

 

Peter, James, and John were told to wait and watch while Jesus spent some time alone.  Rather than watching for Judas, He more than likely meant for them to stay alert in the face of temptation.

 

Jesus also experienced the unfamiliar.  Why did Jesus feel the way the unrest that He did in verses 33-34?  The answer is found in verses 35-36.

 

Jesus went a little further by Himself.  He fell face down on the ground.  His sweat became like drops of blood and prayed for this unfamiliar experience to pass from Him. 

 

What was unfamiliar?  The One who knew no sin would become the sin of all humanity for the first and only time.  He would become every murder, every abortion, every rape, every affair, every profanity, every drug use, every drunken stupor, every look at pornography, every robbery.  He would become our sin, and the thought was overwhelming. 

 

However, that is not all.  Also, for the first time ever and only time, and for a brief moment, because God cannot have fellowship with sin, there was a brief interruption in the intimacy between God the Father and God the Son. 

 

In the words of Jesus, God the Father would forsake Him, and He couldn’t bear the thought.  This was completely unfamiliar ground for the Lord Jesus. 

I don’t know what your experience is this morning, but if you’ve ever experienced unfaithfulness from a family member or friend, if you’ve ever experienced unrest because of your current situation, and if you’ve ever faced the unfamiliar, you’re in good company.  Jesus did too.

 

 

3. In our humanity, we are easily tempted.

Peter was trending downward.  Notice that Jesus called him Simon in verse 37.  He wasn’t living like the strong rock that Jesus envisioned. 

 

Jesus had prophesied of his unfaithfulness and warned him again in verse 38.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

 

In verse 40, Jesus found them sleeping again.  They had succumbed to the temptation to sleep and not watch and not pray.

 

 

Conclusion/Application

If you are down and deflated from today’s text and this story in Jesus’ life, that’s exactly how you should feel.  In our humanity, we are hopeless. 

 

If left up to us, we have no hope.  We are spiritually prideful, get completely exhausted, and are easily tempted. 

 

However, I conveniently skipped over one verse.  Did you notice it?  It is verse 28.  Jesus alluded to His resurrection.

 

Brothers and sisters, Jesus’ resurrection is our only hope.  Because He conquered sin, death, and the grave, we have hope for eternal life and hope for victorious living in this life.  Paul said it like this in 2 Corinthians 12:9.

 

8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

 

Even though we look at ourselves and are hopeless, remember Jesus’ resurrection and know that there is hope for me and hope for you regardless of our current situation because His power is perfected in and through my weakness. 

 

By myself, I am hopeless, but Jesus is my only hope!