Mark 15: The Crucified King

This sermon was first preached at Twynholm November 2nd 2008.
The audio is available here.

With the familiarity that we have with images of crosses hanging not only at the front of many church buildings, but also around people’s necks, made out of silver or gold, it is almost impossible for us to begin to comprehend how offensive an idea the cross was in the ancient world.
It was not a symbol of devotion or religion, but of shame and scorn. In fact, the earliest image of the cross that has been found is not in a church building. It is a piece of graffiti drawn in mockery. A quickly sketched image of a man raising his hand in worship can be seen next to another image of a man with a donkey’s head. Next to this image are the words, “Alexamenos worships his god.”
In the minds of the Romans, crucifixion was so hideous a death that it was not legal to execute a Roman citizen by crucifixion, however terrible his crime had been. It was reserved for slaves or non-roman criminals of whom the most brutal was to be made.
The very word cross was so offensive that in 63BC Cicero had said, “the very word ‘cross’ should be far removed not only form the person of a Roman citizen, but from his thoughts, his eyes, and his ears.”
Even the word “cross” was never mentioned in polite society – perhaps like the word bastard today. The meaning is clear, but the offense is real.
In the minds of Jews the cross was understood to be not only the most horrific punishment that humans might inflict upon one another, but it was also seen as a sign of God’s judgment upon the one crucified. For in the law of moses itself we read, “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23(D) his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for(E) a hanged man is cursed by God.(F) You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.”
So cursed was the idea of crucifixion that if a man were to hang overnight on a cross the whole land would be defiled.
The cross remains odious to many who would claim to revere Christ. So, Islam denies that Allah would have allowed a prophet such as Jesus to face the shame of execution upon a cross.
Even some claiming to be Christians find the traditional understanding of a crucified Messiah so offensive that they too have sought to soften the idea by re-interpretation.
So, the well known media face of Christianity, and presenter of ‘songs of Praise’ has dismissed the idea of Christ taking the punishment for others sins on the cross as ‘cosmic child abuse’, saying instead that the cross should be understood primarily not as God punishing sin, but of Christ turning the other cheek.
In Mark’s gospel the cross it utterly central.
Already Jesus has spoken several times of its necessity.
In Mark chapter 15, that we are about to read, Mark does not shy away from using those utterly offensive words, “cross” and “crucify.” 11 times in 20 verses.
So, if the cross in undoubtedly the most offensive idea in Christianity, why have Christians for 2000 years understood it to be so central and so necessary? Why did Jesus die?
As we turn to Mark chapter 15, we shall see that the question can be answered in different ways.
1) From the perspective of those who crucified him
2) From Jesus’ own perspective
3) From God’s perspective.

1) An ironic coronation
2) A deliberate self-sacrifice
3) A punishment that brings peace

The cross as seen from the people
Jesus Delivered to Pilate
And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole Council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so." And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4And Pilate again asked him, "Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you."

But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.

Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9And he answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?" 10For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12And Pilate again said to them, "Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?" 13And they cried out again, "Crucify him." 14And Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Crucify him." 15So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
16(S) And the soldiers led him away inside(T) the palace (that is,(U) the governor’s headquarters),[b] and they called together the whole(V) battalion.[c] 17And they clothed him in(W) a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18And they began to salute him,(X) "Hail, King of the Jews!" 19And they were striking his head with a reed and(Y) spitting on him and(Z) kneeling down in homage to him. 20And when they had(AA) mocked him, they stripped him of(AB) the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they(AC) led him out to crucify him.
21(AD) And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22(AE) And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23And they offered him wine mixed with(AF) myrrh, but he did not take it. 24And they crucified him and(AG) divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25And(AH) it was the third hour[d] when they crucified him. 26And the inscription of the charge against him read,(AI) "The King of the Jews." 27And with him they crucified two(AJ) robbers,(AK) one on his right and one on his left.[e] 29And(AL) those who passed by derided him,(AM) wagging their heads and saying,"Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30save yourself, and come down from the cross!" 31So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.
33And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 35And some of the bystanders hearing it said, "Behold, he is calling Elijah." 36And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down." 37And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"
40There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died.[j] And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
1) An ironic coronation
Though the Sanhedrin had decided that he was worthy of death on the grounds of blasphemy in chapter 15, they were not able to carry out the sentence. They did not have the right to practice the death sentence. And even though they sometimes ignored this, and raise a crowd to stone someone to death, as in the case of Stephen, this would hardly do with Jesus. He had a groundswell of popularity among the people. It would have been political suicide for them to have him stoned to death at this point.
But if they could have him crucified, that would serve them very well. It would then be seen by all that God was on their side; for not only would he be reviled by the Sanhedrin, he would be cursed by God himself. This meant that they needed the Romans to execute him.
Blasphemy wasn’t going to cut any ice as a reason to die for the Romans. Though they tolerated the Jewish religion, they certainly weren’t going to execute anyone for blaspheming it, Pilate least of all. He had been quite happy to commit the most utter blasphemy when he had killed some pilgrims on a previous occasion and then mixed their blood with their sacrifices.
So, they came up with another charge.
Judging by the occupants of the gaol at the time, there had been an uprising against the Romans, perhaps led by Barabbas. Those involved were facing execution that very day. Perhaps they could tar Jesus with the same brush of political revolt against Rome, and they knew exactly how to do it.
Jesus had been talking about ‘his kingdom’. He had made great claims to be the Christ, again a kingly title. Well, any claim to the throne was a challenge to the rule of Caesar, and so they sought to persuade Pilate to execute him for his claims to be king.
We have heard from the very beginning of Mark’s gospel that the kingdom is near. As the gospel unfolded it became clear that the kingdom was near precisely because Jesus is the Christ, the king.
Now it is as king that he is crucified.
Pilate knows the real reason they had handed him over:

Verse 10: “he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.”

Pilate cannot find a charge against him.

V14. “why, what evil has he done!”

And yet he is not ultimately concerned with what is right, but what is convenient.
How often do we see ourselves acting like Pilate: we don’t realise the weight of what we are doing, but do that which pleases the crowd.

Pilate releases one who is truly guilty of the charge of which they accuse Jesus.

Barabbas was a real insurrectionist. He genuinely did pose a threat to Roman rule; yet he is released and one who is innocent dies in the place of the guilty.

Because the charge was that Jesus was presenting himself as a king, the soldiers see this as an opportunity for their own amusment.
They realise that this whole trial has taken place inside a palace; so mockingly – as an act of brutal irony they stage a coronation ceremony for Jesus.

They call together the whole battalion – there would have been a large guard of men in Jerusalem at the time. There had been a recent uprising, and Passover was a time of heightened political tension. If it was an entire battalion, there would have been up to 600 men, mockingly posing as Jesus’ subjects. Perhaps some of them had lost comrades in the recent uprising, and they were keen to take revenge on anyone who might call themselves a Jewish king.

A soldiers cloak, twisted thorns and a reed were used as mocking royal robes, crown and sceptre.

And they show him no mercy.

The thorns dug into his head, and then, as he was beaten round the head with the cae, the thorns would have gone deeper.

He had already been flogged back in verse 15. So he would be a pathetic and ludicrous image of a king.

The image then changes from coronation to a mock royal procession. With Jesus so beaten that he is unable to carry the cross beam, they rope in a passer by;
Even as they crucify him, the mockery continues.

It was a common custom with crucifixions to put on a piece of paper the crime for which they were crucified. Some would have the word “murderer” hung round their neck, others would have the word “thief” shoved in their face. Jesus mockingly has the term “king of the Jews” placed on the cross, as if the cross itself was his throne; criminals were crucified with him on his left and right, so that he would be placed mockingly between two of his highest ministers.


The scene was perfectly designed to cause people to mock him; and so they did; 29-32

All kinds of people who saw him were mocking him. Soldier, passers by.

The chief priests plan to have him crucified has had its desired effect. They observe the pathetic state that Jesus is in, and without callous glee add their own mockery. Nobody could take seriously his claim to be a king now: the whole idea was clearly ridiculous.

But the irony runs far deeper. Six times Jesus is mockingly declared king in this passage.
Yet this is the very time at which his kingdom is being established. This is the very time in which he is being enthroned;

The 18th century pastor J.L. Reynolds put it like this
WHEN Christ uttered, in the judgment hall of Pilate, the remarkable words?"I am a king," he pronounced a sentiment fraught with unspeakable dignity and power. His enemies might deride his pretensions and express their mockery of his claim, by presenting him with a crown of thorns, a reed and a purple robe, and nailing him to the cross; but in the eyes of unfallen intelligences, he was a king. A higher power presided over that derisive ceremony, and converted it into a real coronation. That crown of thorns was indeed the diadem of empire; that purple robe was the badge of royalty; that fragile reed was the symbol of unbounded power; and that cross the throne of dominion which shall never end.

Those who mock him shout to him “he saved others, but cannot save himself” not realising that it was Jesus’ decision not to save himself that was the only way in which he would save others, including themselves if they would trust in him.

The soldiers who bowed before him in mockery will bow before him with not just a battalion, but along with every other knee that has ever been.

If the king on the cross are the focuses of the first 32 verses of the chapter, the rest of the chapter is dominated by the death of Jesus.

There are several witnesses to Jesus death.

Both Romans and Jews involved in putting him on the cross are witnesses to his death.
It would have been the official role of the centurion to ensure that he was dead – on pain of death.
He was a professional executioner, who would have well known the difference between one who had merely swooned, and one who was really dead.

That’s why Pilate summons the centurion when he is surprised at how quickly he died.

 The centurion – Roman

 The women -disciples

 Joseph –Jew

Jesus certainly died.


Why did Jesus die?
 The envy of the Sanhedrin
 The cowardice of Pilate
 The brutality of the soldiers
Yet, there was a more powerful story going on all along.

The cross from Christ’s point of view
2) A deliberate self-sacrifice


As we read through the account, we keep getting presented with ways in which Jesus might be released from the burden of his suffering. And yet rather than take any of these opportunities, he deliberately goes to the cross.

o He does not answer, but agrees with the charge...

o He could have persuaded Pilate


o He could have been released instead of Barabbas

o He could have been released because there was no charge

o He could have had the pain numbed by the myrrh, but he refused it.

o He could have come down from the cross and saved himself.

o He could have proved to all who he was, but would have saved nobody but himself.

o He could have called Elijah to come and bring about the beginning of his judgement upon the whole world.

Even his death itself is extraordinary. The centurion recognises how strange the manner of jesus’ death is.

o The loud cry: this is something that nobody can do upon the cross... Finally there is not enough energy to breathe.. Jesus cries out... he is not unwillingly succumbing to death; he is willingly, determinedly giving up his life to his Father.

Chalke’s idea that the cross is a kind of cosmic child abuse completely misses the fact that Christ is not some unwilling victim. As we sometimes sin of Christ: he chose the cross. He had so many opportunities to turn aside from the cross; and he chose none of them. He chose the cross.
At any point he could have walked away. He chose to stay there. As we read in Hebrews 12 he endured the cross. So different to us: we have not resisted temptation even to the point of shedding our blood. He endured the cross, despising its shame.
As Jesus says in John 10
I am the good shepherd. I lay down my life for the sheep. No one takes it from me, but(AC) I lay it down(AD) of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and(AE) I have authority to take it up again.(AF)
If you ever doubt that Jesus is worth following – look to the cross. This is our king. Do you doubt that this king who endured all this for you is worth living for? No, he is worth it. As the writer to the Hebrews continues:
3(H) Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or(I) fainthearted. 4In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
If you ever doubt that Jesus really wants what is best for you, look to the cross. He would not have endured the cross unless it achieved the very best for you. He is not a harsh king who makes unreasonable demands of his followers. He lays down his life for his sheep. You can trust him.
What is it in your life that you feel would be too costly to obey Jesus? Following Jesus is not an easy road. But it is the only good road. Life under his rule is true life.
We begin to see the life that Jesus brings even in the words of the centurion. As Jesus dies he realised that Jesus is unique.
Not just a man, but also God’s own son. Perhaps for a polytheistic roman this isn’t a full statement of understanding, but in his words he speaks better than he knows, and models the response to this good news that we are to have.
Perhaps Simon too came to know the one whose cross he carried, for there seems little other reasons why his sons’ names would be known to the readers of the gospel.
To follow Jesus does mean to be willing to be hated and reviled by the world just as he was – but when we see this beautiful saviour, does anyone else’s opinion really matter?
If you ever doubt that Jesus
Why did Jesus choose the cross?
How then, does Jesus self-sacrifice bring in the kingdom and usher in his subjects into that kingdom?
The cross from The God’s view
3) A punishment that brings peace.
o It was the Lord who struck him
 The fickle decisions of crowds and rulers are in his sovereign hands.

 As we thought about at the beginning, Crucifixion itself is a sign of God’s curse. Curse is the punishment for breaking the covenant with God.

 It is not the punishment the we deserve.

 Jesus had talked about a new covenant in his blood. In the Old covenant, there were blessings and curses: blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.

 In the new covenant there are blessings and curses too. But all the curses of the covenant fall upon Christ on the cross. If you belong to Christ, there are only the covenant blessings for you!

 13Christ(B) redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written,(C) "Cursed is everyone who is hanged(D) on a tree"— 14so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might(E) come to the Gentiles, so that(F) we might receive(G) the promised Spirit[a] through faith.

Are there times when you do not consider the Christian life a blessing? There is only blessing from the Lord for his children; not always the kind of blessing we want: sometimes the blessing is the blessing in sharing in Christ’s suffering; sometimes it is the blessing of having a loving heavenly Father who disciplines his children. But there is not remaining curse for us; Christ has born it all.

This curse from God is pictured not just in the cross itself, but in the darkness that fell.

Darkness is a common picture of God’s judicial anger in the bible.

o Darkness falls on the whole land at Passover.

21Then the LORD said to Moses,(A) "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be(B) darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt." 22So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. 23They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but(C) all the people of Israel had light where they lived.

o The place that should have been the light has darkness.

o The darkness falls also on Christ. There was no pool of light falling on Jesus: instead the darkness focuses on Jesus – he is willingly cut off from his father.

o The cry: My god, my god, why have you forsaken me.
We cannot hope to begin to understand the suffering that Christ endured in being separated from his father’s loving presence.
God the son eternally knows and enjoys the love of his Father. Yet for those six hours on the cross he is utterly forsaken by his Father. His father withdraws that love that only the Son and the Spirit have sully known., and instead pours out his wrath – his righteous anger.

 2 pictures of hell here.
• 1. The picture of separation from God
• 2. The picture of being in the presence of God’s wrath.
 He withdrew his loving presence
 He poured out his righteous anger
 “If Christ was not truly forsaken by his Father during His execution, then no atonement occurred, because forsakenness was the penalty for sin that God established in the old covenant. Therefore, Christ had to receive the full measure of that penalty on the cross.” (R C Sproul)

Do you have any doubt of the existence of hell? It shows that we live in relatively shelterd times that mean that so many people rather hope that there is no hell. I remember being struck by watching a documentary about someone who had worked to try and bring some of the perpetrators of war crimes in bosnia to justice. Towards the end of the programme he said, having seen such terrible crimes where lives were cut short so pointlessly and mercilessly, “I hope there is a heaven”... but after being here, I hope there is a hell too.

My friend, if you have any doubt if there is a hell, and whether God will send people there, look at the cross. There Jesus – God’s own son endured hell. A withdrawal of God’s loving presence, a pouring out of God’s judicial anger. If there was anyone who bore sin whom the Lord would choose to overlook that sin, it is his Son. Yet even when God’s Son bears sin, God will not overlook justice: he punishes that sin in his son with hell.

Hell will be a reality for all who have not been joined to Christ by faith, and had their sin punished in him. Yet for all who would ever put their faith in Christ, God’s wrath is appeased.

o The Lord is appeased

The cross doesn’t merely picture something. It is not merely and example.
The cross doesn’t merely speak something – it doesn’t just teach us that Jesus is king.

The cross achieves our salvation.
God declares it to be so.
Jesus gave up his life: who actually killed him? God took his life. In Luke’s gospel we read that those last words are "Father,(C) into your hands I(D) commit my spirit!"

He gives up his life for his father to take it.

God accepted his son’s sacrifice on behalf of his people. Because the shepherd was sacrificed the sheep are freed from our guilt. The price has been paid.

 He ripped the curtain – the curtain in the temple / tabernacle had for 1500 years had functioned as a big NO entry sign into the presence of God. Only the high priest was allowed to enter, only once per year after sacrifices. If anyone else entered, they would die.
 Such is God’s holiness that he cannot have sinful human beings in his presence. His righteous anger at their sin would burn out against us.
 Yet now, the door is open...
 Why? Has God changed? No, he is just as holy. Have we changed? No, we are just as sinful.
 But, Christ has born the guilt of his people, so that his people might be received with his righteousness.
Perhaps you wonder whether god would really forgive you! You are painfully aware of your sin.

My friend, with all due respect, your sin is worse than you think it is. All of our sin is. But the cross is a more sufficient sacrifice than we think. If you doubt that God would accept you even if you put your trust in Christ, consider that torn curtain!

Perhaps you know that Christ bore your sin, but you go through times when you feel so dirty that you feel you can’t approach God in prayer. Confess your sin; know that it was to save sinners that Christ died. Come once again to the cross. He did not go to the cross merely to wipe our slate clean. He went to the cross to bring us to God.

Jesus did not go unwillingly to the cross, the father didn’t unwillingly accept the sacrifice. There is no small print; he is not trying to trap us; if we know Christ as our Lord, then he is our Saviour. He is delighted to be so. It has all been paid for 2000 years ago. It is finished.

(V) Therefore, brothers,[c] since we have confidence to enter(W) the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by(X) the new and living way that he opened for us through(Y) the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21and since we have(Z) a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts(AA) sprinkled clean(AB) from an evil conscience and our bodies(AC) washed with pure water. 23(AD) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for(AE) he who promised is faithful.


Why did Jesus die?

Jesus died because of the envy, the cowardice and the brutality of men.
Jesus dies because we are sinners deserving God’s judgement. It was a sinful world that crucified Christ.

Because of that we are under the wrath of God.

If this world feels God-forsaken at times. If this world feels lonely and cruel it is because we have forsaken God and turned to worthless idols.

As enlightened dwellers of the 21st century, we sometimes laugh at the pagan gods that were worshipped in ancient times. But we have to admit that the modern gods are far more pitiful.

The Australian theologian Peter Bolt writes,

“we serve the ‘no god’ pf money, and yet we still cannot buy our way out of the grave. We run after the god of Pleasure, and yet we know deep down that we ‘eat, drink and be merry’ because´tomorrow we die.’

In the cross we have a glimpse into what it means to be fully god-forsaken. We have a glimpse into hell. But it is in that glimpse into hell that there is any hope at all for a God-forsaken world.

For Christ bears that hell, that we might enter his kingdom, and share his glory.

Why did Jesus die?

Jesus died because he chose to face hell in our place

Jesus died because God the just was satisfied to look on him and pardon me.

As one pastor has written:

Because the sinless Savior died, my guilty soul is counted free; for God the just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me. On what basis did God pass His justifying sentence? Not on the basis of righteous deeds which we have done because "all our works are filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). God knew the worst about us and accepted us for Jesus' sake. The verdict which He passed on us is final and no one can produce new evidence of my sinfulness that will make God change His mind.
It is finished

Amen.

Mark 10: The Sacrifical King

This sermon was first preached at Twnholm Sept 14th 2008.
audio available here

W E Henley had had a hard life. When he was only 19 his father died with massive debts, leaving, as the eldest of 6 children trying to help his mother make ends meet.
But he himself was not strong: he had suffered from t.b. aged 12, and had lost a leg as a result.
Though not physically strong he was tough. RL Stevenson had modelled the one-legged pirate Long John Silver on Henley’s unstoppable character.
Nowhere did Henley encapsulate this spirit of determination so eloquently as in his poem, Invictus, “Invincible”, written 6 years after his father’s death in 1875.
He wrote,
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.
We might consider these brave words from the pen of a man lying in a hospital bed.
And they certainly proved a source of inspiration to him. A little before writing the poem Henry had been told that his only chance of survival was amputation of the other leg.
Soon afterwards he was discharged, and lived on for another 30 years.
In many ways Henley encapsulates the dogged determination that so many Brits have been taught to aspire to.
His legacy was seen during the Blitz, where despite extraordinary hardship and loss, the people of London gritted their teeth and battled on.
Popular British culture continues to echo similar sentiments.
Perhaps less eloquently than Henley and Kipling but no less forcefully,
In 1997 Chumbawamba sang
I get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never going to keep me down.
Though such words all have an impressive bravery and determination do they prove a viable philosophy of life: I am the master of my fate. Trusting yourself when all men doubt you. I get knocked down, but I get up again?
A rugged determination that will help to to get back on your feet and rise to the top?
Is this the quality that separates the leaders from the followers; the shepherds from the sheep?
Well, though such a self-dependent form of leadership might be inspirational to many, Jesus presents a radically different model in Chapter 10 of Mark’s gospel.
Christlike leadership is not self-satisfied (1-12)
1(A) And he left there and went(B) to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.
2And Pharisees came up and in order(C) to test him asked,(D) "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" 3He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" 4They said,(E) "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away." 5And Jesus said to them, "Because of your(F) hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6But(G) from the beginning of creation, 'God made them(H) male and female.' 7(I) 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,[a] 8and(J) the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9(K) What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."
10And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11And he said to them, (L) "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12and(M) if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."
- There can be an approach to Jesus that is actually very self-satisfied. We come to him, assuming we are fine, and if there are any problems, they must be with Jesus not us.
- We can even think that we are doing this as religious people who believe the bible. We find in the bible everything we want to find, and we dismiss as a wrong interpretation anything that might be uncomfortable to us.
This was the approach of the religious leaders who were coming to speak to Jesus. They were pretty sure they had everything right; but they didn’t like Jesus and wanted to catch him out.
It was a well chosen question, because there were two answers that Jesus might have said and either one of them would get him in trouble.
- You may remember that John the Baptist had made an enemy of Herod because of what he said about Herod marrying his brother’s divorced wife.
- John the Baptist had eventually died for standing up against Herod’s actions.
- Well, if they can get Jesus on record to say that that divorce and subsequent remarriage was illegal, then maybe Herod would do away with Jesus too; but if he wouldn’t say that, then he would have lost face with the crowd that thought John the Baptist was in the right.
But for Jesus, losing face is not the point at all. He only cares about what is right, not what is convenient. And he reveals the Pharisees own self-satified approach to the law that they claimed to love so much.
“What did Moses command you.” Was a key question – for the debate on the legality of divorce usually turned on the interpretation of Deuteronomy 24:1 – the verse the Pharisees allude to.
“When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and(A) he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house”
The debate would centre around what counted as “some indecency”-could that be anything that the husband didn’t like, or was it only in the case of adultery?
Pharisees, functioning as divorce lawyers would argue about whether a particular divorce was permissible under the law.
But Deuteronomy wasn’t the only book that Moses wrote. He also wrote Genesis; and in the very first 2 chapters of that firs book of the bible we see God’s intention for marriage –and it was not that it would end in divorce.
5-7
5And Jesus said to them, "Because of your(F) hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6But(G) from the beginning of creation, 'God made them(H) male and female.' 7(I) 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,[a] 8and(J) the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9(K) What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."
That which God promised for every marriage “the two shall become one flesh” has become a present reality in every marriage, “they are no longer two but one”. And why did he do this – well, he made them male and female as his image bearers. The character of God himself is to be displayed in marriage.
Is God looking for reasons that would permit him to break faith? No! He is faithful and committed to his people.
Divorce is therefore a terrible reality. It tells lies about God, and therefore is one of the most painful things that anyone can go through in their lives, and we should have great compassion on anyone who has felt that pain.
John Piper said in a sermon on this passage, ““For many of you who have walked through divorce, the very word brings up a huge sorrow, loss, tragedy, disappointment, anger, regret, guilt . Few things are more painful than divorce. It cuts to the depth of personhood like no other relational gash.
It is more emotionally heart-wrenching than the death of a spouse. Death is usually clean pain and divorce is usually dirty pain. In other words the enormous loss of a spouse in death is compounded in divorce by the ugliness of sin and the moral outrage and the sense of being wronged.”
SO why did God allow it?
Because of the hardness of our hearts… not because he wants to make lives easy for the hard of heart, but because he wants to expose the hardness of our hearts towards him.
Divorce was permitted that there would be a picture in Israel of the devastation of covenant unfaithfulness-a picture that would be picked up by the prophets of the way in which we God’s people had been unfaithful to him, and therefore he divorced them.
And yet, the extraordinary thing about this picture is that the God, who has every right to divorce his wayward wife Israel – is the one who instigates and pays for reconciliation with her. The book of Hosea beautifully illustrates this incredible love. Hosea’s wife had not only become and adulterer, but a prostitute.
Hosea 3:
1And the LORD said to me,(A) "Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods ..." 2So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a(B) homer and a lethech[a] of barley. 3And I said to her, "You must(C) dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you." 4For the children of Israel(D) shall dwell many days(E) without king or prince,(F) without sacrifice or(G) pillar, without(H) ephod or(I) household gods. 5Afterward(J) the children of Israel shall return and(K) seek the LORD their God, and(L) David their king,(M) and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the(N) latter days.
My brothers and sisters; we do not have time to outline a full biblical picture of divorce and remarriage. Please do come and talk to me or one of the other elders if you have questions.
But we do have a need both to care for those who have gone through the pain of divorce, and to support marriages so that it will not happen. We need to hold one another accountable.
Don’t be too proud to get help in your marriages. If you have troubles, talk and pray with other godly couples.

We must be aware of the kind of approach to God’s law that the Pharisees have. The approach that asks “what is permissible” rather than “what is best”.
And we must be very careful not to begin with what I want.
The number of times I have had conversations about really difficult pastoral issues, and people have said to me, “well I want to do this, and the bible doesn’t seem to have any specific command against it”, we just have to say,
“OK, what is God’s design for you life. It isn’t to ask, can I get away with this, but is this going to encourage me to please my Lord, and best display His incredible grace to the world?”
If the starting point is OUR desires, then we are unlikely to approach God’s word with open ears and ask what his desires are.
“We’ve got to want to …!!!” No we don’t!!!
Let’s not just ask the question,”is this permissible?” but ask also, “Is this beneficial”?
Where would we be if Jesus himself had stood on his rights? Was it permissible for him not to go to the cross? He had a right not to go – he didn’t deserve it –but he did that which would most honour his father, and the only thing that could save us. He sought his adulterous bride, the church, by laying down his life for her.
Christlike leadership is not self-satisfied with our own convenient answers, but will be satisfied with doing that which will bring most glory to Jesus and bring most good to those we lead, whatever the cost to ourselves.
Christlike leadership is not self-important (13-16)
13(N) And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples(O) rebuked them. 14But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, (P) "Let the children come to me;(Q) do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15(R) Truly, I say to you, whoever does not(S) receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." 16And(T) he took them in his arms and blessed them,(U) laying his hands on them.

Who do we stop coming to Jesus by our own sense of self-importance?
Note Jesus’ indignance at the disciples. “Oh Jesus is far too busy for children… run along now.!”
Who d’you think you are… If Jesus is far too busy for children he is too busy for all of us, for we are no more important than them.
We live in a very strange and hypocritical culture when it comes to children. In one sense our culture is so child-centered: people live their lives around their children; some models of care assume that a child knows what is best for him or her even from infanthood. We go from demand feeding to children having the right to demand whatever they like.
But on the other hand we have a society that is killing its children.
Metaphorically in the kinds of pressures that can be placed on a child to perform in various ways;
Even physically, we are killing children by their hundreds of thousands in the place they should be most sheltered from harm –in the womb.
People have complained this week about the disruption to 85,000 holidays as people face the inconvenience of having to find another way home.
But last year alone in the UK 198,499 innocent human lives of British residents were silently and legally killed in this country; 50,213 in this city.
We have not grasped the truth that underpins Jesus’ teaching both on marriage, and Christ’s love for children. The truth that every human being is made in God’s image.
Dean’s going to help us reflect more deeply on this truth this evening. But when every human being is seen as an immortal soul created by God to give Him glory, our mistreatment and dismissiveness towards them is seen as mistreatment of God himself, whose image they all bear.
This is a world with so much pain...
... we must be compassionate about the pain.
- We should be the ones there comforting the divorcee
- We should be the ones comforting the mother who have a grief she feels she can’t even talk about because she is responsible for the death of her child that the world has told her she had every right to treat as if it were worthless.
- If either of these issues have affected your lives, I hope that you would be able to talk to people in the church and that you would find compassion.
- But we need to be the ones who also hold out a better hope.
- The hope that doesn’t come from self-satisfaction or self-justification, but that comes from knowing that we have rebelled against God, the world is in a mess, but we have a saviour in Jesus Christ.
- We cannot even begin to speak into a world torn apart by divorce or abortion until we admit that we are a guilty world. The pain is a result of the guilt; and we need forgiveness.
- The world so often thinks that we can only offer compassion if we somehow affirm the choices that people have made. Real compassion does not come through encouraging a self-righteousness that says that every sin is excusable. We have a better hope than that. Real compassion comes from facing up to our terrible guilt before God, but seeing that there is one who has born that guilt.
- WE must come to Jesus like little children coming to a loving father, and asking for forgiveness.

We must love children and all other human beings: but we must also be like them, in our dependence upon God for forgiveness.
Our faith is not to have become old and cynical, but young and trusting.
In Britain we pride ourselves with not being gullible, as if gullibility were the worst possible thing. Cynicism is far worse than gullibility. Cyncism about God is the first sin… doubting God’s motives; doubting that he is worth trusting. Cynicism will cut us off from him.
And it is not the product of wisdom, but of blind foolishness that doesn’t see his beautiful and glorious character for what it is. To put our trust in him isn’t a foolish and gullible move; he will not betray our trust; he will not send us away; he will welcome us just as we see him welcoming these children. We will be safe in his arms, and he will bless us, because he will have forgiven us.
Christ-like leadership is not self important.
Christlike leadership is not self-righteous (17-31)
17(V) And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and(W) knelt before him and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to(X) inherit eternal life?" 18And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19You know the commandments:(Y) 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'" 20And he said to him, "Teacher,(Z) all these I have kept from my youth." 21And Jesus,(AA) looking at him,(AB) loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go,(AC) sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have(AD) treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 22(AE) Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

The man’s question betrays his self-righteousness.
“What must I DO to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus doesn’t immediately answer the question, but points out that only God is good. Do you think that you can DO something to gain eternal life? Well,you can if you are good- truly and always good. But that excludes everyone except God.
The man might be able to kid himself that he has kept external commandments like not murdering or committing adultery. But he has not realized that he has broken the first commandment: have not other gods before me:
Jesus’ question expsoses the young man’s love for his possessions showing that they were his God.
He would not give up even temporary possessions to gain the treasure of eternal life with God. He preferred them to God.
It’s a tragic picture at the end of verse

22(AE) Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
What is in danger of making your life a misery, because you would choose that gift, and in doing so forfeit the giver?
Why did Jesus ask him a question that would expose something in his heart that would make him so sad?
Because of verse 21.
21And Jesus,(AA) looking at him,(AB) loved him, and said to him,
Jesus exposes false gods in our life not because he hates us. But because he loves us. My friend: recognise the idols in your life. What is it that if Jesus asked you to leave it behind, you’d walk away from him before you walk away from that thing.
Pray that Jesus would open your eyes to see your idols and open your heart to love him more than them. So that you might not walk away from him sad, but leave them behind and run into Jesus’ arms rejoicing.
Jesus comments in 25
25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter(AM) the kingdom of God." 26And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him,[c] "Then who can be saved?
We are so used to Jesus words “blessed are the poor” that we may fail to grasp the impact of passages like this. It was obvious to most people that it was the rich who were blessed. God had blessed them by giving them more stuff. And it was often assumed that that blessing was a sign of approval.
Don’t assume that God’s blessing is a sign of God’s approval. As a church we mustn’t assume that. It would be possible to appear to be very successful as a church but to do so in a way that would be met with God’s disapproval.
But the disciples realized that if it was hard for a blessed person, then it is hard for everyone.
Yes, exactly, it is impossible, says Jesus, with man. But possible with God. God can grant us a righteousness that we cannot achieve ourselves. Jesus had asked the question of the man “why do you call me good?” that was a better question for the man to mediate on than his self-righteous claims that He was good enough.
He isn’t good enough. We are not. But Jesus is; he alone is God become man, who has lived a perfect life; he has perfect righteousness; how will God do the impossible of bringing the kingdom of heaven to those who are not righteous? By having someone else live a righteous life on their behalf, and die a sinner’s death on their behalf. That is the only good news we have for a broken and sinful world, but it is enough.
Even then Peter fails to understand: 28Peter began to say to him, "See,(AP) we have left everything and followed you." 29Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you,(AQ) there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and(AR) for the gospel, 30who will not receive a hundredfold(AS) now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands,(AT) with persecutions, and in(AU) the age to come eternal life. 31But(AV) many who are first will be last, and the last first."
Perhaps we can’t earn a way into God’s kingdom, perhaps we can pay him back once we are in…
No! God is no man’s debtor. In fact, even though we were thinking last week about the dangers of an overrealised eschatology –thinking that all the blessings of heaven are available to us here and now; it is possible to have an underrealised eschatology, suggesting that there are no blessings now.
No; there are wonderful blessings now – not least of which is the church. The church, a blessing, you say! Yes – we have a family where we are blessed; not because it is easy, no but because we have the encouragement along the difficult road. Travelling companions encouraging us along.
Chrislike leadership is not self-righteous.
We can’t earn Jesus’ acceptance. We can’t pay Jesus back. He will give us blessing after blessing if only we will trust him. Tough blessings today -immerearble blessings eternally.
Christlike leadership is not self-serving (32-45)
32(AW) And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and(AX) Jesus was walking ahead of them. And(AY) they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33saying, "See,(AZ) we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will(BA) condemn him to death and(BB) deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34And they will(BC) mock him and(BD) spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And(BE) after three days he will rise."

35(BF) And James and John,(BG) the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us(BH) whatever we ask of you." 36And he said to them, (BI) "What do you want me to do for you?" 37And they said to him, "Grant us(BJ) to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left,(BK) in your glory." 38Jesus said to them, (BL) "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able(BM) to drink the cup that I drink, or(BN) to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" 39And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, (BO) "The cup that I drink(BP) you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized,(BQ) you will be baptized, 40but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant,(BR) but it is for those for whom it has been(BS) prepared." 41And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42(BT) And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles(BU) lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43But(BV) it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,[d] 44and whoever would be first among you must be(BW) slave[e] of all. 45For even the Son of Man came not to be served but(BX) to serve, and(BY) to give his life as a ransom for(BZ) many."

What a contrast between the desires of James and John and the direction of Jesus.
The road to Jerusalem accompanying the Messiah was surely full of expectation. Surely David’s son would be crowned king once he arrived in Jerusalem. And then, what would become of his disciples? Who would get to be prime minister? Who would get to be chancellor of the exchequer?
James and john thought that a little campaigning with the future leader behind closed doors would stand them in good stead – surely there was no harm in asking. Was there? We should be careful what we ask for.
Jesus would go to Jerusalem. And he would be crowned king of the Jews. But he would be crowned with thorns, and dressed in a purple robe in mocery; all people, Jews and gentiles would bow down to him- but will(BC) mocking him and(BD) spitting on him, and flogging him and killing him.BE

There were indeed two who were seated on mocking thrones on his right and his left – but they were robbers, sentenced to die with him.
Is that the glory that you want, James and John? Asked Jesus. You will share in that kind of glory if you follow me; like me
And they did. James was the first of the apostles to be executed. John faced exile.
This is the leadership of Christ. The leadership that knows his fate that awaits him in Jerusalem and sets his face towards it.
45
He did so in order to save, rescue those he led.
Gospel
Loving leadership not serving himself, but those he would save:
Thou who art God beyond all praising
All for love’s sake becamest man
Stooping so low but But sinners raising
upwards by thine eternal plan
Christlike leadership is not self-dependent (46-52)
46(CA) And they came to Jericho. And(CB) as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus,(CC) a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47And when he heard that it was(CD) Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48And many(CE) rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him,(CF) "Take heart. Get up; he is calling you." 50And throwing off his(CG) cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51And Jesus said to him, (CH) "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him,(CI) "Rabbi, let me recover my sight." 52And Jesus said to him, "Go your way;(CJ) your faith has(CK) made you well." And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
We had begun with Henley’s poem. It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll. I am the captain of my fate; I am the master of my soul.
We like Bartimeaus are not the captains of our fate, though we may attempt to be the masters of our soul. We are blind beggars unable to find our way to God; we are sat helpless by the side of the road; but there is great news. Jesus has come.

Our only hope is to cry out “Son of David have mercy on me.”

And if we do, we can be sure that he will not pass us by; for faith in him will save us.

Then we would be delighted to leave behind anything that the Lord would call us to-Bartimaeus leaves behind even his cloak!”

My friends, the scroll is indeed charged with punishments precisely because we have been the captain of our own souls. And yet if we have taken Christ as our captain we
Let us conclude:
If you would aspire to be a leader (and all of us are to be leaders if we follow Jesus. To follow Jesus is to take on the mantel of leading others to Jesus.) But a leader must be first of all a follower.
We are not to be self-satified, for we will find satisfaction only in following Jesus.
We are not to be self-important, for we have come to recognise that he alone is of ultimate importance, and we are to approach him like little children.
We are not to be self-righteous, for we will realise that God alone is righteous, and that it is impossible for us to be righteous in God’s sight. But in Jesus living a righteous life in our place God has done the impossible.
We are not to be self-serving – Christ has ultimately served us in ransoming our lives from slavery to sin, and the penalty of hell, so that we are freed to serve others.
We are not to be self-dependent, for without him we are blind beggars. And with him, we may follow him first to the cross, and then to glory.
We are to be restored in the image of God, once again to lead not for ourselves, but for his glory alone, for we long to see that day when we will enjoy his glory forever.

Mark 14: The Suffering King

Sermon first preached at Twynholm.
audio available here

Mark 14 sermon
“A global problem requires a global solution.”
So said the president of the European commission, Jose Manuel Barroso when talking about the need for the world to work together to combat climate change.
Similar ideas have been echoed in recent weeks in regard to the global economic crisis.
So, on Wednesday this week the White House announced a meeting of financial leaders from the world’s 20 largest nations. An official at the white house said, "It will be the first summit to bring the leaders of the G20 together to discuss the present financial issues".
“A global problem requires a global solution.”
What about in the realm of religion?
The bible outlines for us a far greater problem than a world economic crisis, or a global ecological catastrophe.
Is that the purpose of the church? Is the worldwide Christian church the solution to the problem of human separation from God. Is it by us working together to call people to submit to God’s rule that a solution will be found? Those who are, by copying Jesus example of servanthood to reverse the trend of rebellion against God.
After all, we have seen over the past 13 chapters of Mark’s gospel Jesus spending an inordinate amount of his time with just 12 followers. Would these twelve be the seed of a worldwide movement that would produce the solution to the world spiritual crisis?
There are of course religions that see themselves as exactly that: a worldwide movement for the transformation of people by the people in submission to God.
That is what the word “Islam” means. It is a call for people to bring themselves into submission to Allah’s will.
But that is not the nature of Christianity.
As Jesus’ life approaches its climax, the crowds that had welcomed him less than a week earlier were nowhere to be seen. Other crowds would cry out for his execution.
And his 12 closest followers? Were they the beginnings of a global solution? No.
One would be his betrayer.
Another would publically disown him three times.
All the others would flee in terror.
If Jesus’ intention had been to found a worldwide movement, then he had utterly failed.
This was no global co-operative solution. He was utterly alone.
And yet Jesus claims that this moment of utter rejection was not the failure of his mission. It was its centre. Throughout Mark’s gospel, Jesus has said several times that he must die alone. Here we find him making his final preparations.
Please turn with me to Mark 14.
There is so much in this chapter that we could easily have spent all 16 weeks that we’ve been looking at mark’s gospel just in this chapter; so we are just going to look at 4 aspects of what is happening here.
The Lamb is prepared (1-21)
The cups are exchanged (22-25, 32-42)
The shepherd is struck (43-49, 53-65)
The sheep are scattered (26-31, 50-52, 66-72)
The Lamb is prepared (1-21)
1(A) It was now two days before(B) the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes(C) were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, 2for they said, "Not during the feast,(D) lest there be an uproar from the people."
3(E) And while he was at(F) Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,[a] as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4There were some who said to themselves indignantly, "Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii[b] and(G) given to the poor." And they(H) scolded her. 6But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7For(I) you always have the poor with you, and whenever(J) you want, you can do good for them. But(K) you will not always have me. 8(L) She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand(M) for burial. 9And truly, I say to you, wherever(N) the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told(O) in memory of her."
10(P) Then(Q) Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to(R) betray him.

12(S) And on(T) the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they(U) sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?" 13And he sent(V) two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house,(W) 'The Teacher says, Where is(X) my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 15And he will show you(Y) a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us." 16And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
17(Z) And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18And as they were reclining at table and eating,(AA) Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me,(AB) one who is eating with me." 19They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, "Is it I?" 20He said to them, "It is(AC) one of the twelve,(AD) one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21For the Son of Man goes(AE) as it is written of him, but(AF) woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!(AG) It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."
The Passover had been THE great act of salvation in the Old Testament.
For 400 years the Israelites had been Egypt, and now they were oppressed slaves. With 10 extraordinary miracles the Lord had brought them out of Egypt, the most remarkable of which was the Passover.
Every firstborn son in Egypt was to die. There would be a death in every household. But the Israelites were told that either the firstborn Son could die, or a lamb could be sacrificed, and its blood poured out upon the wooden beams of the doorposts. Then the angel of death would pass over that house and the Son would be spared. The Lamb had died instead.
Terrified, the Egyptians let the Israelites leave slavery that very night – they even gave them vast gifts of gold to try to get rid of them.
The slaves were freed because the Lamb had died.
Every year they were to reenact the scene.
The preparations were to be very detailed: each element in the meal that they were to eat was to remind them of the great rescue.
They were only to eat unleavened bread – bread without yeast to remind them that the Lord accomplished the salvation so quickly that there was not even time to let the dough rise. They were to dip the bread in bitter herbs to remind them of the bitterness of the slavery from which the Lord had released them. They were to drink wine….
But central to the whole meal was of course the lamb. The lamb that reminded the people of God’s mercy and his salvation.
Our passage begins 2 days before the Passover. Jerusalem was teeming with people and so many lambs were to be slaughtered – estimates vary from tens of thousands to over a million lambs.
Every priest in Israel should have been busy with the preparation to sacrifice the Passover lambs.
But the chief priests have rather different Passover preparations that they are making.
V1. And the chief priests and the scribes(C) were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him.
Meanwhile Jesus is in Bethany, about three miles outside Jerusalem.
In an act of great extravagance, an unnamed woman (possibly Mary) pours a whole bottle of perfume that would make Coco Mademoiselle look cheap. The whole bottle is smashed – they’ll be no scraping the excess of the floor to save it for a later date. It was worth more than a year’s wages… Gone in a moment, poured over Jesus head.
Is that ridiculously extravagant?
In a world of poverty, is there not a better use, say the disciples. After all, this is Passover: couldn’t the money be used to give some of the poor a proper Passover meal, rather than blowing it all in one seemingly pointless gesture?
Jesus’ comments are incredible.
She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7For(I) you always have the poor with you, and whenever(J) you want, you can do good for them. But(K) you will not always have me.
Her act was beautiful for 2 reasons. One reason was to do with Jesus’ identity. “You will not always have me”.
If we have come to realise who Jesus is, then there is NO extravagance that is too great for us in our devotion to Jesus.
Too often we think that if it is the Lord’s resources that we are spending, we should be frugal lest we waste something that belongs to him.
That sounds much more like the fearful servant in the parable of the talents than this extravagant love that this woman pours out upon her Lord. If we have resources that the Lord has given us, let’s not delay in planning how we might wisely invest them in his kingdom for his glory.
True devotion will have an element of extravagance.
Married women, imagine its your 25th wedding anniversary and your husband has been keeping the plans of the evening out a closely guarded secret: the night arrives but you end up at the local fish and chip shop. Would that lack of extravagance speak of true devotion?
Do people say to you: “Well, I can understand you being a Christian. But aren’t you taking this all a little too far?” be encouraged – our extravagant devotion should make no sense to those who don’t realise who Jesus is!
Perhaps you are shocked that Jesus seems to have such disregard for the poor.
Were you involved in the campaign, “Make poverty history.” Though I had a great deal of sympathy with the cause, Jesus seems not to agree with its title. “You will always have the poor.” This is not a callous statement we are not to care for the poor. We are. But we are to be even more concerned about the glory and honour of the Lord Jesus Christ than we are of the welfare of the poor.
That is why the preaching of the gospel must remain the primary work of this and every other local church.
The church is not the solution to the world’s problems. The good news of Jesus is. We must point people to him and particularly his death.
This is the second reason that Jesus commends the woman.
She has anointed my body beforehand(M) for burial
This is the heart of his mission, we will see more of it in a moment.
But there are further preparations.
10(P) Then(Q) Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to(R) betray him.

Judas is making his own preparations. What a contrast, between the extravagant devotion of the woman, and the extraordinary spitefulness of Judas. She had given a costly gift. He betray for money – far less than the price of that jar of perfume.
In those two acts are found all the acts of men and women. Each act is either an act of devotion to Christ, or of betrayal. An act of delight in Jesus as Lord, or an act of rejection his Lordship. And act of giving all for him, or an act of taking all for self.
And then the following day there were yet more preparations: for the Passover meal itself.
We read of the bread, the wine, the furnishing, the bowls for dipping in the bitter herbs.
But the key element to the meal is not mentioned at all.
Where is the lamb for the meal?
Jesus is the lamb.
All those plans: all of them were together working toward the sacrifice of Jesus at Passover.
No longer would there be tens of thousands of Lambs slaughtered; but there would be one perfect lamb.
For there was one even more significant who was making preparations for that day; V21.
21For the Son of Man goes(AE) as it is written of him,
God himself had sent prophets over the centuries to prepare for that day. The day at the centre of all of God’s plans to redeem people from slavery to sin was at hand. His plan will prevail over all other plans.
The chief priests’ plans to kill Jesus, the woman’s plan to anoint him, the celebration of the Passover, Judas’ plans to betray him would all be woven into God’s great plan to bring about salvation through the sacrifice of this lamb.
If the Lord used those evil plans for good, does that mean that Judas and the priests were not responsible? Not at all.
but(AF) woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!(AG) It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."
Do you realise that there are some people for whom it would have been better if they had not been born? God’s sovereignty over evil in the bible is never an excuse for evil. Yet it is a comfort that His plans will prevail despite all evil.
All takes place as God himself decrees.
The lamb is prepared.
Christ the lamb would be slaughtered for us.
The cups are exchanged (22-25, 32-42)
22(AH) And as they were eating, he took bread, and after(AI) blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, "Take;(AJ) this is my body." 23And he took a cup, and when he had(AK) given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24And he said to them, (AL) "This is my(AM) blood of the[c] covenant, which is poured out for(AN) many. 25Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
32(AX) And they went(AY) to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." 33And he took with him(AZ) Peter and James and John, and began(BA) to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34And he said to them, (BB) "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and(BC) watch."[d] 35And going a little farther, he fell on the ground(BD) and prayed that, if it were possible,(BE) the hour might pass from him. 36And he said, (BF) "Abba, Father,(BG) all things are possible for you. Remove(BH) this cup from me.(BI) Yet not what I will, but what you will." 37And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38(BJ) Watch and(BK) pray that you may not(BL) enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 39And again he went away and prayed,(BM) saying the same words. 40And again he came and found them sleeping, for(BN) their eyes were very heavy, and(BO) they did not know what to answer him. 41And he came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?(BP) It is enough;(BQ) the hour has come.(BR) The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand."
Of the four cups of the Passover meal, some looked back, and others forward.
The Four Cups represent the four expressions of deliverance promised by God Exodus 6:6-7: "I will bring out," "I will deliver," "I will redeem," and "I will take."
It was only the fourth cup that was drunk after the meal.
It was the most significant, called the cup of blessing, for it anticipated the time when God would dwell with his people again. Since the presence of God had left the temple some 600 years earlier, this was the great hope.
Jesus reinterprets that cup around his death.
“This is my(AM) blood of the[c] covenant, which is poured out for(AN) many”
Through Jesus blood there would be a new covenant, or agreement between God and men.
Through Jesus death, we can be restored into a right relationship with God...
It isn’t the cup we deserve to drink.
For there is another cup that is talked about in the Old Testament. Not a cup of blessing, But the cup of curse. Not the cup of a covenant with God, but of abandonment by him. The cup of God’s wrath, his righteous anger.
As you read the Old Testament, and ask what cup we should receive from God, it becomes clear that we most certainly deserve the cup of God’s wrath.
Isaiah 51 talks of how all Jerusalem had drunk that cup.
Jeremiah 25 had shown that all the nations of the earth should drink this cup.
28:And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts:(BB)You must drink! 29For behold,(BC) I begin to work disaster at the city that is called by my name, and shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished,(BD) for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of hosts.
Perhaps it sounds wrong that God would actually be angry with us. He’s doesn’t loose his temper… this is a considered, righteous anger. He is insenced at the evil of our hearts.
We taste something of His anger when we read of the innocent suffering at the viscious whim of those who should have loved them.
Many who read the news this week felt something of that incensement of such evil when we read of the father who murdered his own 16 month old daughter by snapping her back. she was found to have 7 other fractures as well as other injuries, none of which had been treated, some dating back months.
Yet, if we had eyes as pure as the Lord’s that same righteous anger would burn not just against his evil actions. But against our own selfish, hateful, capricious, lustful, proud, self-righteous, apathetic, thoughts and deeds. And we have committed all these against one we should have loved more than we love our daughters: against the perfect, holy God who made us and gave us life.
God: J.I. Packer: “Men are opposed to God in their sin. God is opposed to men in his holiness.”
CJ Mahaney “Considering how our sin must appear in God’s sight, why are we even here and breathing?”
The cup of God’s wrath is what we should drink.
That was what Jesus was preparing to drink in Gethsemane. Jesus is no coward shrinking away from physical suffering. He is facing metal anguish at a level under which we would all cave before we even came close to it.
Is it possible?
In one sense it is possible. We could all be condemned to hell.
But it is not possible that God would leave sin unpunished. To do so he would have to deny his own righteous character. He would have to say that such evil as exists in this world does not matter.
There was no other way for Christ to save us, than to drink that cup to the dregs.
He understands his Father’s holy anger, for He is his Father’s son – just as holy, just as righteous, just as incensed by evil. He knows that for anyone
William lane, “Jesus had gone to the garden to be with his Father. But in his father’s presence what opened up to him was not heaven, but hell.”
Two cups: the cup of blessing has been given to us. Thecup of enjoying being in God’s presence for ever. That should have been Jesus’ cup and his alone!
The cup of God’s wrath is before Jesus: that should have been ours.
The temptation for him to turn away from that cup was so very real.
CJ: “AS we watch Jesus pray in agony in Gethsemane, he has every right to turn his tearful eyes towards you and me and shout, “this is your cup. You’re responsibile for this. It’s your sin! You drink it.” This cup should rightfully be thrust into my hand and yours. Instead, Jesus freely takes it Himself... so that from the cross He can look down at you and me, whispers our names and say, “I drain this cup for you – for you who have lived in defiance of Me, who have hated Me, who have opposed Me. I drink it all... for you.”
What are we to do!?
- Non Christian: both cups are before you. One you, like all of us deserve. The other is offered you by Christ.
- Will you drink the cup of God’s wrath?
- Or, will you trust that Christ has borne that for you, and will you take up the cup of blessing that he offers?
Christian:
Rejoice!

Rejoice! The cup of God’s wrath has been drunk to the bottom!
It no loner sits before us.

- The cup of blessing is OURs.

- It is the most solemn act in the history of the world that Christ drank the cup of wrath; but our response is not to be merely mournful. We must mourn over our sin, yes.
- Making light of sin is to be banished from the Christian church when we read of what our Saviour suffered for it.
- But he did so for our JOY.

He did so that we might drink the CUP of BLESSING. And he will drink it with us one day in untold exuberant happiness. Did you see that in verse 25?

Perhaps we find this hard to grasp today for so many of our happinesses are of the most trivial kind. But the deep joys of this world are solemn joys. The birth of a child after the pain of labour, the blessed memories of a loved one who has passed. The solemn vows taken at a wedding.
There is no deeper, or more solemn joy than the joy of receiving the cup of blessing because our savior has drained the sup of wrath.

Guilt gone.
Punishment gone.
Fear gone.
Alienation gone.

Romans 8: because He has drunk the cup, we are given His Spirit… and we may cry Abba Father.

And the promise of the rest one day:
Suffering: gone
Temptation:gone
Confusion: gone
Weariness: gone

Communion with God
Seeing God
Energy to worship him as he deserves…
Words that truly honour him.
Spirits that are constantly inclined towards him
Joy that is rightly centered upon him.
Joy that looks to Christ with tears that he would drink that cup for us.

All because he drank that cup to the dregs.

The shepherd is struck (43-49, 53-65)
43(BS) And immediately, while he was still speaking,(BT) Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard." 45And when he came, he went up to him at once and said,(BU) "Rabbi!" And he(BV) kissed him. 46And they laid hands on him and seized him. 47But one of those who stood by drew his(BW) sword and struck the servant[e] of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48And Jesus said to them, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? 49(BX) Day after day I was with you in the temple(BY) teaching, and you did not seize me. But(BZ) let the Scriptures be fulfilled."
53(CC) And(CD) they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. 54(CE) And(CF) Peter had followed him at a distance,(CG) right into(CH) the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with(CI) the guards and(CJ) warming himself at the fire. 55Now the chief priests and the whole Council[f] were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. 56(CK) For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony(CL) did not agree. 57And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, 58(CM) "We heard him say,(CN) 'I will destroy this temple(CO) that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another,(CP) not made with hands.'" 59Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. 60And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?"[g] 61But(CQ) he remained silent and made no answer.(CR) Again the high priest asked him, "Are you(CS) the Christ, the Son of(CT) the Blessed?" 62And Jesus said, "I am, and(CU) you will see the Son of Man(CV) seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." 63And the high priest(CW) tore his garments and said, "What further witnesses do we need? 64You have heard(CX) his blasphemy. What is your decision?" And they(CY) all condemned him as(CZ) deserving death. 65(DA) And some began(DB) to spit on him and(DC) to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, "Prophesy!" And the guards received him(DD) with blows.
Jesus had just predicted in verse 27 that the shepherd would be struck.
And he is.
In this one chapter more evil is done to Jesus than any of us will face in our lives, and this is even before his flogging and execution in the next chapter.
- betrayed by a beloved disciple
- arrested by the temple guard
- deserted by all his disciples
- the trial he faces here would be a farce if it were not so seriously intent of his destruction.
It was illegal in all kinds of ways.
- It takes place at night
- In an illegitimate place
- There is no hearing for his defence
- The arrest and the trail begin before there is even a charge. In fact the death sentence is decided upon, and then they try to find a charge that would match the sentence.
- The witnesses for the prosecution all contradict each other.
- The defendent isn’t merely imtimidated: he is mocked; he is struck in the face;
accused of a crime he didn’t commit
- but despite all this, he is condemned by such a court.
- and , at the very moment this is happening, his closest follower: the rock on which he would built his church denies that he even knows him.

The ironies of this section are too many to list: here are but a few.
- The one who most emphatically insists he will stand by Jesus, is most vehement in his denial.
- Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss: precisely what we are beckoned to do to find mercy in Psalm 2: kiss the Son.
- As Peter denies knowing Jesus, he brings down curses upon himself, the very thing that we receive if we are left without knowledge of Christ.
- It is the great shepherd who will be sacrificed as the Passover Lamb.
- The high priest asks Jesus why he has no answer, when in fact nobody has been able to bring any charge that would require an answer.
- Men stand in judgment over the one before the God who would judge them.
- Jesus silence speaks more powerfully than all their words.
- In attempting intimidating him with their fury, they are unaware that he has already resolved to face a far greater fury from God.
- The high priest rends his clothes in disgust at the blasphemy of Jesus calling himself the Son of God; yet the blasphemy is his violent attack upon God’s Son.
The sheep are scattered (26-31, 50-52, 66-72)
26(AO) And when they had sung a hymn,(AP) they went out to(AQ) the Mount of Olives. 27And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, 'I will(AR) strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' 28But after I am raised up,(AS) I will go before you to Galilee." 29(AT) Peter said to him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not." 30And(AU) Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before(AV) the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." 31But(AW) he said emphatically, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." And they all said the same.
50(CA) And they all left him and fled.
A Young Man Flees
51And a young man followed him, with nothing but(CB) a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, 52but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
66(DE) And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67and seeing Peter(DF) warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus." 68But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you mean." And he went out into the gateway[h] and(DG) the rooster crowed.[i] 69And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them." 70But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, "Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean." 71But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know this man of whom you speak." 72And immediately the rooster crowed(DH) a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, (DI) "Before the rooster crows twice, you will(DJ) deny me three times." And he broke down and wept.[j]
They all fled. If we had been there, we too would have fled. We are not to scorn Peter, or the other disciples. We are to identify with them. We do not stand alongside Jesus in his hour of suffering. We abandon him. He alone stands.

Peter was unable to keep his promise.

Three times he denied Jesus.

How often do our proud claims that our discipleship will outmatch anyone else’s. That we will not fall into this or that sin again. That this time we will devote ourselves to him more fully. How often do such boasts end with us remembering the words of Jesus, and breaking down in tears.

There would not be another alongside Jesus going to his death with him because of his love for him.

The problem of our rebellion against God is indeed the global problem. All other problems spring from that problem.

Yet all the co-operation of all the people in the world could not begin to solve it. The resolutions of the most vehement disciple cave within a night and end in curses. The co-operation of the whole world would just multiply the curses. We cannot even contribute to the solution. We are the problem.

The solution can come from Christ alone.

Jesus would drink that cup entirely alone.

He would be the sole Passover lamb who would bear the sins of the world.

For those who deserted him. For the scattered sheep. In the original Passover a lamb died in place of the firstborn son. Now God’s Son would die in the place of the scattered sheep.

Let’s end our meditation in the words of an old hymn. We’ve not sung it here before, so we are not going to sing it now, but we will be learning it this evening, Lord willing.

Ah, holy Jesus, how hast thou offended,
that men to judge thee have in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by thine own rejected,
O most afflicted!

2. Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee!
'Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee;
I crucified thee.

3. Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
the slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered.
For our atonement, while we nothing heeded,
God interceded.

4. For me, kind Jesus, was thy incarnation,
thy mortal sorrow, and thy life's oblation;
thy death of anguish and thy bitter passion,
for my salvation.

5. Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay thee,
I do adore thee, and will ever pray thee,
think on thy pity and thy love unswerving,
not my deserving.

 
Lost material….

From introduction:

As we have seen in reading through Mark’s gospel over the past few months, Jesus clearly portrays the heart of the human problem to be the problem of the human heart. So, in chapter 7:20-22 he had said,
“What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' 21For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "
The radical result of such uncleanness Jesus describes as hell. 9: 43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.[c] 45And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.[d] 47And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48where
" 'their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.
The problem of our guilt before God, that exacts such a terrible punishment from God could not be more serious. We could not be more lost.
And Jesus has been clear that he has come to bring a solution to this problem.
42(BT) And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles(BU) lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43But(BV) it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,[d] 44and whoever would be first among you must be(BW) slave[e] of all. 45For even the Son of Man came not to be served but(BX) to serve, and(BY) to give his life as a ransom for(BZ) many."
Is the solution to the problem of our broken relationship with God of such magnitude that it can only be resolved by a global solution?
Point 1
If God himself has entered this world in Jesus Christ, who has died for us, and we may know him as Lord, we cannot take things a little too far. We can go the wrong way: but we cannot press too far down the road of extravagant love to the Lord Jesus.
----------
It’s real cloak and dagger stuff: Jesus has eagerly desired to eat the Passover, and ensures that he would not be arrested until after that meal is finished: so even the disciples, don’t know where they are going. Judas would not be able to betray him until after they had eaten.
The preparations for the meal are made.

mark 13: The Returning King

Sermon first preached at Twynholm October 9th, 2008.
Audio available here

Mark 13 sermon.
The world is in turmoil…
… As well as the world economic crisis, there
In the province of Orissa in Eastern India the wave of violence against Christians that began in August continues unabated.
In the past 2 months 300 villages have been cleansed of all Christians. More than 50 people have been murdered. 18,000 injured, and an estimated 50 000 made homeless.
Those who return to the village will often be taken, covered in petrol, and told to renounce Christ and embrace Hinduism, or the petrol will be lit.
This wave persecution has began Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was murdered. Those in his organisation blamed Christians for the attack, though only last week it has become clear that Christians were not involved at all, as Sabyasachi Panda, one of Orissa's most wanted Maoist leaders took responsibility for the killing.
The persecution that allegedly began because of the murder continues, even though someone else has take responsibility for it.
What would cause such utter hatred?
One Hindu leader explained. “all we are doing is reversing the conversions that Christians have been doing, exploiting poverty”
How should we see such persecution?
Persecution: it is a reason for despair?
What hope is there in the face of such persecution…?
What does it tell us about the world we live in that people are so persecuted for bearing the name of Jesus Christ?

In the passage we are about to read from Mark’s gospel, Jesus will say, “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake!”
We should certainly be unsurprised if those who follow Christ are treated better that Jesus himself was.
But the passage we are going to read will also raise other questions about how to understand mass persecution and other catastrophic events. For in this passage Jesus will talk not only about persecution, but also about “the end” and about “signs”. Are we to understand the persecutions in Orissa as a sign that the end of this world is near?

How are we to understand Jesus’ teaching on Signs? The context of the conversation begins about Jesus teaching of cataclysmic events that will unfold in Jerusalem. If we are to be faithful to Jesus in understanding signs, are we to keep an eager eye upon the Middles East pages of our favorite newspaper or website?
Should we skeptical about any teaching that suggests that there will be an end to this world? Is such eschatological discontinuity dangerous teaching that causes people to forget their responsibilities for this world? Is it those countries that have a higher percentage belief in the nearness of the end of this world who take less responsibility to care for the environment, the physically poor and the unhealthy?
And finally, what difference should it make? What difference does our knowledge of the approaching end make to the way in which we live today?
To hear Jesus teaching on these and other questions, let’s turn now to Mark 13.
Page 1024.
This is the longest section of Jesus teaching in the whole of Mark’s gospel.Because it’s one section of teaching, we’re going to read the whole chapter at once.
Chapter 13 comes as the climax of 3 chapters in which Jesus has talked about how the temple in Jerusalem had missed it’s purpose of welcoming the coming Messiah, and would therefore be judged.
Here Jesus speaks most clearly about what shape that judgment would take. It would be completely destroyed.
Mark 13: let’s hear what God is saying to us this morning.
1(A) And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" 2And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings?(B) There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."

3And as he sat on(C) the Mount of Olives opposite the temple,(D) Peter and James and John and(E) Andrew asked him(F) privately, 4"Tell us,(G) when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?" 5And Jesus began to say to them, (H) "See that no one leads you astray. 6(I) Many will come in my name, saying,(J) 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray. 7And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars,(K) do not be alarmed. This(L) must take place, but the end is not yet. 8For(M) nation will rise against nation, and(N) kingdom against kingdom. There will be(O) earthquakes in various places; there will be(P) famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9(Q) "But(R) be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten(S) in synagogues, and you will stand before(T) governors and(U) kings for my sake,(V) to bear witness before them. 10And the gospel must first be proclaimed(W) to all nations. 11And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over,(X) do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say(Y) whatever is given you in that hour,(Z) for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12(AA) And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13(AB) And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake.(AC) But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
14"But when you see(AD) the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be ((AE) let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15(AF) Let the one who is on(AG) the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, 16and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 17And(AH) alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 18Pray that it may not happen in winter. 19For in those days there will be(AI) such(AJ) tribulation as has not been(AK) from the beginning of the creation that(AL) God created until now, and never will be. 20And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for(AM) the sake of the elect, whom(AN) he chose, he shortened the days. 21And(AO) then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. 22(AP) For false christs and false prophets will arise and(AQ) perform signs and wonders,(AR) to lead astray, if possible,(AS) the elect. 23But(AT) be on guard;(AU) I have told you all things beforehand.

24"But in those days, after(AV) that tribulation,(AW) the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25and(AX) the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26And then they will see(AY) the Son of Man coming in clouds(AZ) with great power and glory. 27And then(BA) he will send out the angels and(BB) gather(BC) his elect from(BD) the four winds, from(BE) the ends of the earth(BF) to the ends of heaven.

28"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near,(BG) at the very gates. 30(BH) Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31(BI) Heaven and earth will pass away, but(BJ) my words will not pass away.

32"But concerning that day or that hour,(BK) no one knows, not even the angels in heaven,(BL) nor the Son,(BM) but only the Father. 33(BN) Be on guard,(BO) keep awake.[a] For you do not know when the time will come. 34(BP) It is like a man(BQ) going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants[b] in charge,(BR) each with his work, and commands(BS) the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35(BT) Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come,(BU) in the evening, or(BV) at midnight, or(BW) when the rooster crows,[c] or in the morning— 36lest(BX) he come suddenly and(BY) find you asleep. 37And what I say to you I say to all:(BZ) Stay awake."

Chapter 13 is certainly the most debated chapter in Mark’s gospel; Christians would disagree even with one another about much of the interpretation of the passage. Perhaps you will disagree with some of the details of what I’m going to say.
But let’s also make sure that we can see the wood for the trees. There are some things that come through extremely clearly, and without controversy.
We are going to look at some of the details as we go through, but I hope that the main points are clear and uncontroversial. It is in fact an immensely practical passage. In 33 verses of teaching there are 19 imperative verbs.
“Don’t be alarmed, be on your guard. Don’t be anxious. Say whatever is given you. Understand, flee, don’t go down, don’t enter, don’t turn back, pray. Do not believe it. Be on your guard. Learn. know. Be on guard, keep awake. Stay awake, stay awake, stay awake.

1. Do not be alarmed (1-23)
2. Be assured (24-31) (learn, know)
3. Stay awake (32-37)

1. Do not be alarmed (Run up to destruction of Jerusalem) (1-23)
a. Don’t be alarmed by Jesus’ teaching. (1-4)
The last couple of days had been extremely unsettling for the disciples. You’ll remember in the Chapter before Jesus and his disciples had arrived in Jerusalem some of the disciples had had very high hope for what would happen when Jesus entered the city. James and john had asked if they might be the ones who get to sit at his left and right hand at his coronation.
The elation had continued as Jesus entered Jerusalem to shouts of Hosanna. But they had been stunned by the way in which Jesus had clashed with the temple authorities rather than been welcomed by them.
One of the disciples seems almost to be hinting to Jesus that surely the temple must have its part to play in any future kingdom. His words in verse 1 sound very like the kind of thing encouraged in Psalms that focused on the future glory of Zion, such as Psalm 48.
1(B) Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised
in(C) the city of our God!
His(D) holy mountain, 2(E) beautiful in elevation,
is(F) the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
(G) the city of the great King.
9We have thought on your(P) steadfast love, O God,
in the midst of your temple. 11Let Mount(S) Zion be glad!
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments!
12Walk about Zion, go around her,
number her towers,
13consider well her(T) ramparts,
go through her citadels,
(U) that you may tell the next generation
14that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
He will(V) guide us forever.
Jesus, they’re saying, Get with the party, we should be glorifying in the city of Jerusalem and her temple. It is the joy of the whole earth, and surely will be again, won’t it, when you are king?
Jesus’ response is as forceful as it is shocking:
“Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down!”
This was VERY alarming. For the disciples. Four of them call a private meeting with Jesus to try to understand.
It seems that there is no space in their understanding for a world without a physical temple. For them, the end of the temple must mean the end of the world.
And so, for the rest of the chapter, Jesus addresses not only their question about when the temple itself would be destroyed. He also says why this is not the end of the world – in fact it would be a sign that the world has entered a great new age; but then he moves onto talking about the end of the world itself.
So, there are three things in view, that correspond to our 3 points
1)The times running up to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. (They should not be alarmed)
2) The significance of the destruction of the temple: this should assure them rather than bewilder them.
3) And end of this world. This should cause us to be prepared…
So, Jesus’ teaching shouldn’t alarm us.
b. Don’t be alarmed by false teaching.
In this section about the run u to the destruction of the temple there are a couple of times that Jesus warns of false teachers who would come… 5-7, 22-23.
Cataclysmic times are a breeding ground for false teachers.
When people see their own world crumbling around them, it is easy to think that it is the end of the world. And others might exploit that thought.
In 1987 Edgar Whisenart wrote the book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988.
It sold 4.5 million copies.
It had rather different effects that Jesus words, “do not be alarmed”.
The final shout: Rapture report 1989. Predicted that the Rapture would occur in 1989.
Apparently that one didn’t sell quite so well!
Jesus teaching here is supposed to have the opposite effect of the panic created by many who have tried to explain him!
Jesus is teaching us to exercise discernment. People will make wild claims. Some will even claim to be Jesus, or to know exactly when he is coming.
But Jesus wanted to make the disciples be very clear that the cataclysmic events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem would not be the end, whatever people were teaching.
c. Don’t be alarmed by wars (though they be terrible they are not the end)
The rumours of war began inAD66 as the tension between the Jewish religious leaders and the occupying Roman forces reached melting point. The son of the high priest himself led a successful attack on a roman garrison in Jerusalem. After a few early victories, and a pause due to the death of the emperor, the final assault on Jerusalem was ruthless. It was besieged for some months. Those inside were soon without any source of food. The Jewish historian Josephus writes a chilling account of the utter barbarism that the city was reduced to.
He summarises, “Neither did any other city ever suffer such miseries, nor did any age ver breed a generation more fruitless in wickedness than this was, from the beginning of the world.”
I don’t know if he knew Jesus words in verse 19.
Those who tried to escape were crucified. As those besieged in the city looked over the wall, they would have been faced by tens of thousands who had been crucified.
Eventually the general in charge of the attack pressed home.
the city was sacked and On july 29th/30th AD70 the temple was destroyed.
One report said there were 600000 men, women and children killed on that day. Antoher, that 1.1 million were killed in the siege.
But, the extraordinary thing was that the Christians were not there. They had all fled some years earlier. Why? Well, it seems that they had understood verse 14.
Perhaps some of you are intrigued to know what “the abomination that causes desolation was”. Well, we don’t know. There were several events that it might have been. There was a zealot with blood on his hands who served as a highly unqualified high priest. The Roman standard, roman coins a pagan statues were all in the temple at different times.
We don’t know whether the abomination of desolation is one, all or none of these things.
And we don’t have to! The sign of the abomination that causes desolation isn’t for us. It is for Christians living in Jerusalem before its destruction. And they got it! They fled.
One question you might have is, why did it take so long? If the religious authorities murdered Jesus. The sacrifices of the temple were fulfilled in Jesus, why did it take 40 years before its destruction.
Well, there were other things that had to happen about which also Jesus doesn’t want them to be alarmed.
Don’t be alarmed by persecution (though it be severe, and hurtful for it is a gospel opportunity and it will be cut short)
The time running up to AD70 was an intense time of persecution for Christians. They were persecuted by Jews for recognizing Jesus as the Messiah; they were persecuted by Romans. But Jesus says that this is to be used for the spread of the gospel. (9-11)
It was important that the whole world, who had heard Psalm 48:
Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised
in(C) the city of our God!
His(D) holy mountain, 2(E) beautiful in elevation,
is(F) the joy of all the earth,
The temple was instituted by God to prepare not just Israel, but the whole world for the coming of the Messiah. Old testament religion had been a come and see religion. If you wanted to find out about the Lord, you came to the temple in Jerusalem, and you saw! But with the coming of Christ, he was the temple, and his people were the temple.
It was important that the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ would reach people’s ears before the news of the destruction of the temple. The honour of the Lord was at stake. The temple had not been destroyed because God’s plans had failed, and he was no longer to be sought. The temple was destroyed because God’s plans had been fulfilled and he was no longer to be sought in Jerusalem, but in Christ.
- I wonder if we take the same attitude to persecution that Jesus calls the first disciples to.
- Look closely at verse 11 “when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say!”
If I’m honest, I’m not sure that that would be the main thing I was anxious about. I might be more anxious about what they are going to do to me, than about what I am going to say! But if we have realised that the gospel must be preached to all nations.
If the preaching of the gospel was the reason for the delay of the judgement upon Jerusalem, it is also the reasons for the delay of the judgement upon this world. The Lord wants people to trust in Christ, even those who are persecuting us.
Being persecuted is a great opportunity for the gospel. For it is revealed in persecution whether we really have a hope outside this world.
That’s the case in Orissa at the moment. Those who will refuse to renounce Christ, knowing that he match will be lit are showing that they know for sure that the flames will only bring them to be with him.
But it is the same in the smaller and more subtle persecutions that we face.
Do we have friends who have never scoffed at us about anything until we began to follow Jesus. Why not, because we didn’t have any reason to do anything they’d want to scoff at. We were happy to live lives that pleased other people. But now, by being scoffed at we are making it very clear that we have one whose opinion we care about.
Jesus calls us to pray for those who persecute you. What compassion we should have for those who hate us for Jesus’ name’s sake. What a terrible jeopardy they are in if they so hate the name of Christ that they would even hate his followers. Pray that as people scoff at you, or worse, that you would care more about whether you say the right thing than about what exactly happens to you.
But don’t be anxious; trust that the Spirit will give you the words to say. Pray that you would indeed say them, for Holy Spirit himself intends to speak through you.
As for ourselves, what should we care about most when facing persecution. We should care whther we endure. (v13)
Jesus here is aluding to the last verse of the book of Daniel, that will be our passage for meditation tonight. Pray that we as a congregation would be far more concerned about our endurance in trusting Christ than our comfort, our popularity, our prosperity.
In praying for the persecuted church we should pray for endurance even more than we pray for relief. For if they have no relief from persecution but endurance, they have Christ forever. God forbid that they have relief but no endurance, for then their relief would be short-lived.
For though the destruction of Jerusalem was the worst suffering faced by any city in the history of the world, there will be a far worse eternal suffering to come for those who are found to have rejected Christ.
There was a sign that pointed to the coming destruction of Jerusalem.
But the destruction of Jerusalem itself was a sign. A sign of the certainty of a cataclysmic heavenly event that was to give Christians great assurance.
2. Be assured (24-31)
24"But in those days, after(AV) that tribulation,(AW) the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25and(AX) the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26And then they will see(AY) the Son of Man coming in clouds(AZ) with great power and glory. 27And then(BA) he will send out the angels and(BB) gather(BC) his elect from(BD) the four winds, from(BE) the ends of the earth(BF) to the ends of heaven.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
28"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near,(BG) at the very gates. 30(BH) Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31(BI) Heaven and earth will pass away, but(BJ) my words will not pass away.
Many people think that jesus is utterly mistaken here. They assume that the ‘coming’ that Jesus is talking about is the coming of Jesus back from heaven to judge the world. It is understandable why.

Very similar imagery is used in Revelation 1:7 about Jesus’ coming on the clouds. And yet Jesus says here that “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”
But the coming that Jesus is talking about isn’t necessarily him coming back to earth. Jesus is alluding to Daniel 7.
But listen carefully to Daniel 7:13-14.
13"I saw in the night visions,

and(AA) behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the(AB) Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
14(AC) And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all(AD) peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
(AE) his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.
The Son of Man comes on the clouds to His Father, the Ancient of Days.
This is exactly what Jesus had been talking about in the previous chapter of Mark 12, when he quoted psalm 110, “the lord said ot my Lord, sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”
So, what’s going on. Well, the horrifc earthly act of the death of hundreds of thousands in Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, described here in terms of “the sun being darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” They are a sign of the coming of the Son of man.
Why?
Christ has entered the real temple in heaven… so the model has been torn down, never to be
As Marcos, preaching on Psalm 110:1 last Sunday so helpfully showed us, Christ has presented his completed sacrifice to God in heaven. Christ Had cried on the cross, “It is finished”. Now the Father proclaims in heaven, “It is accepted.”
The destruction of the temple in Jerusalem is the final earthly sign that Christ’s death really was the sacrifice to end all sacrifices. That God really has forgiven the sins of all who trust in Christ.
GOSPEL.
Heb9:24For Christ has entered, not into holy places(AV) made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God(AW) on our behalf. 25Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as(AX) the high priest enters(AY) the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is,(AZ) he has appeared(BA) once for all(BB) at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
The destruction of the temple in Jerusalem is the final sign that this meal that we shall share today is not an empty ritual.
The destruction of the temple in Jerusalem is also the final sign that our evangelism is not in vain. V27
27And then(BA) he will send out the angels and(BB) gather(BC) his elect from(BD) the four winds, from(BE) the ends of the earth(BF) to the ends of heaven.

Because the Son of man’s sacrifice has been accepted by the Father, he has sent out his spirit, and preachers of the gospel, and angelic hosts to ensure that not one of those that the Lord intends to save will be lost.
They will be gathered to him from every nation under heaven by the preaching of the gospel.
What are we to learn from this?
We are in the last days. Just as spring leaves tell us summer is coming, so the destruction of the temple tells us that the destruction of this world is coming. If the temple, the model of God’s presence and sacrifice on earth has been destroyed to give way to its fulfilment in the reality of god’s presence and sacrifice in Christ. So too this earth itself will soon be destroyed to give way to its fulfillment in the new heavens and the new earth.
V29 So also, when you see these things (finally answering their question right back in v.3) you know that he is near.
So, then. How will we know that he is really near; what will be the sign that he is even closer than he was in 70AD.
We won’t know. There are no more signs. That was the last one.
Note that there are no more signs between v30 and v31. There are the things that happened within a generation; and then there will be the passing away of heaven and earth.
This world is passing away. But Jesus’ words will remain forever. Are we in the world for the sake of his words going out; or are we listening to his words, and yet desperately trying to hold onto this world?

So we are to e ready for the moment when this world passes away. We are to stay awake.
3. Stay awake (32-37)
In the last 6 verses Jesus moves to talk about the very end. All the other things would take place within a generation. The end, nobody will know when it will happen. Not even the angels, not even the Son. We are not to be looking towards the middle east, or to earthquakes, or to famines, or to the evangelization of all nations, or to persecutions or to signs and wonders or to a great tribulation to realise that Jesus might come today.
These all happened within a generation. From that point he could have come any day?
If we are honest, why do we want signs…? If Jesus says to us 4 times in 5 verses “stay awake” he is making the point fairly clear that he could come at any time. If we are to be ready at any time then why do we want a sign to make sure we are ready? Actually, the reason we want signs is so that if we decide the signs are not all there, then we feel we have a little more time to get ready. Jesus says, Get ready!
The return of Christ may happen ANY moment: v35…
Any moment.
How much more effective for the kingdom we would be if we really believed that Jesus was coming back?
Anthony Ashley Cooper, seventh Earl of Shaftesbury, had an unuasually fruitful life.
Climbing Boys Act, the Factory and Ten Hours Acts, Mines and Collieries Regulation Acts, the establishment of ragged schools, training ships, and refuges for boys and girls, his share in the abolition of slavery, the protection of lunatics, the promotion of the City Mission and the Bible Society.
When asked of how he could be so productive he replied,
"I do not think that in the last forty years I have ever lived one conscious hour that was not influenced by the thought of our Lord's return."
Do we recognise the privilege it is to have Jesus Christ as Lord; and to spend every moment of it in his service?
We are so sinful and lazy aren’t we? Perhaps if we knew how many days we have to serve, we would relax, and think that we have plenty of time to invest our lives in Jesus’ service tomorrow.
But we don’t know that we have another day. We should thank him that he hasn’t told us when he will return, so that we can make sure that we are ready today, and we can live every hour in his service as if it were our last.
Would our calendar look different if you knew this was the last week you had? Live knowing that it might be.
He is such a wonderful Lord, so worth serving.
Though we might be persecuted for serving him, none have suffered like he did, not even at the destruction of Jerusalem.
We might face the scorn of our families, but Jesus was betrayed by a kiss from one who had been as close as a brother.
If we are hated by everyone, then their hatred was poured out more venomously upon Christ.
Though times of tribulation are cut short for the sake of the elect, the tribulation that Christ faced would not be cut short. He would drink to the dregs the cup of God’s wrath. Why? For the sake of the elect.
If the temple was defiled by all kinds of abominations, none of them matched the way in which Christ was defiled;
The temple was torn down; and the temple of Jesus body was destroyed; on that day too the sun was literally darkened and the moon gave no light.
Christ suffered God’s wrath, more fully even than the city who suffered the world’s greatest ever tragedy.
Yet he is the one who fully endured it to the end.
It is finished, he cried.
It is accepted, cried his father.
But the stone the builders had rejected has become the cornerstone. This crucified, messiah, who faced the greatest tribulation of all has entered heaven with great power and glory.
What moment of life do you have left that you would not spend in His service?