The Lord of Life

Mark 16:1-14.  This sermon was preached on Resurrection Sunday by Pastor Marty Bonner on April 4, 2021.

There are those in the Church who only value Jesus as an inspiring tale of love and hope.  Similarly, they value the Bible as a text that can inspire us to great good, but which does not place any truth claims upon us.  To them, it is not important what the Bible claims to be true, but only what it inspires us to do.

If you have never run into such a person then be thankful.  The problem with this view is that it somehow thinks the greatest problem of mankind is that we are without a good vision, or are simply short-sighted.  However, the claim of the Bible is that our true problem lies deep within our soul, and it is sin.  We are all bent away from that which is good and towards satisfying the selfish desires of our flesh.  If Jesus was not resurrected from the grave then we are still stuck without an answer to this “sin problem.”  If Jesus was only showing us a supreme example of love, and not the power of One who was saving us by it, then we are still stuck in our sins, and the world is without hope.

It is sad to see the world continually doubling down upon the idea that we can save ourselves.  Whether through science and technology, or the progress of our great wisdom, we continue to think that we can fix every problem, if we only gave more power to the right people.  Such solutions are destined to fail in the same dust bin of all that have gone on before because in the end all men, women, boys, and girls fall short of that which is right and good.  We need a savior, and Jesus is God’s answer for the sin problem that we all have.

They discover that the tomb is empty

Our passage starts on Sunday morning at dawn, when it will be found that Jesus is no longer in the tomb.  Mark clearly emphasizes the female followers of Jesus in these last two chapters.  In chapter 15, he remarks that it was they who stood at a distance when Jesus died, and followed to see where he would be buried.  Where are the men?  They are hiding.  Yes, John was at the cross for a time, but it appears he leaves with Mary the mother of Jesus at some point.  This opening scene of chapter 16 has these women going to the tomb early on Sunday morning. 

So, who are these women?  The women listed are Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the lesser, and Salome (we know from Matthew that she is the mother of James and John the sons of Zebedee).  All of them, were deeply impacted by the healing and teaching of Jesus.

Of course, technically the Sabbath would be over on Saturday evening.  However, these women needed light to do the work that they intend, which is to put spices upon and around the body of Jesus.  Why?  This was done to cut down on the smell of decomposition while family members visited and grieved their loved one.  It was not an attempt at mummification at all.  This type of tomb would have a place where the dead body would be laid.  It would be left in this location until decomposition had left only bones.  The bones would then be put into an ossuary, or bone box, and stored in the tomb.  Thus, a whole family could be buried within the same tomb.

Notice that there is no indication that these women are thinking that Jesus might be resurrected.  They are not coming on the third day to check if Jesus had risen from the dead like he said he would.  They are simply coming to do for their master teacher what they could in such a bad situation.  Jesus was dead and they believe that he will remain dead, decompose, and be buried in a bone box.  It is one of the worse days of their lives.  However, Resurrection Sunday teaches us that sometimes the worst day of our lives turns out to be the best.  Christians are called to be a people of hope in the most dire of situations because we know that even in death things are not over for us!

The main problem on their mind as they approach the tomb is the stone.  How are they going to get the stone moved from the mouth of the tomb so that they can get in?  Perhaps they intend to ask the guards, but are not sure the guards will help them.  The Gospel of Matthew tells us that there was an earthquake that morning and that an angel came down and moved the stone aside.  It is unclear whether this happens as the women arrive or that it has happened just before they arrived.  I like to think that the resurrection happened at that earthquake.  The stone is not being moved so that the risen Lord can get out, but so that the women can get in and witness that Jesus is no longer there.  The guards are scared to death by the earthquake and the angel and take off.

Thus, the women find the tomb open and they go in, only to find “a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side.”  This has them in a state of alarm, unsure of what is going on.  From the other Gospels, we know that this young man is a heavenly messenger, an angel.  Why would Mark call him a young man when other accounts call him an angel?  Is this a contradiction?  No, it is not.  Rather, this follows a typical Old Testament pattern.  Most angels appeared to look like men and are often initially called such until they are identified as heavenly by their activity. 

An example of this is in Judges 13.  There the story of Samson’s parents is found when they encounter the Angel of the LORD.  The narrator lets us know up front that Samson’s parents are interacting with an angel, but the woman and the man think he is a “man of God.”  It is not until the “man of God” ascended in the flame of an offering to God that they were burning that they realized they had seen the Angel of the LORD.  We see the same thing in Genesis 18 and 19, when Abraham is visited by “three men.”  By the end of the story, we find out that two of the “men” were angels who went down to Sodom to deliver Lot, and the third “man” was the LORD Himself.  The only heavenly beings described as having wings are the throne guardians referred to as Cherubim and Seraphim.

I take the time to go through this because there is a lot of confusion in this area of understanding angels and heavenly beings.  Angels who were sent to be messengers for God appeared to be men and were typically called such until their activity made it clear that they were heavenly messengers (not just a man of God, but an actual heavenly being).

So, what does the angel in the tomb tell them?  First, he tells them that they are looking for Jesus, but he is risen and not there.  The tomb is empty and Jesus has risen from the dead.  It is amazing how Jesus has a tendency not to stay in the boxes that we try to put him in.  They tried to get rid of the problem of Jesus by putting him in the grave, but that didn’t work.  People are still trying to put Jesus in boxes today, whether unbelievers or believers.  Be careful of thinking that you have Jesus all figured out.  He is the Lord of Life and we would all do well to be very humble in how we think about him.

The angel then tells them to go tell the disciples, and Peter, that Jesus is planning to meet them in Galilee.  I think the angel purposefully adds Peter’s name separate to the disciples.  It both emphasizes the reality of what Peter has done, and the reality of what Peter feels like, separated from what he was a part of.  Jesus had told them before his death that he would rise again and meet them on a certain mountain in Galilee.  However, their unbelief regarding what would happen got in the way of their understanding.

The descriptions of these women are understandable: trembled, amazed, and afraid.  Oh, that moment when your natural mind is assailed by the supernatural power of Jesus.  It is enough to make you quite afraid, but that is not where Jesus intended to leave them, or us.  A new relationship with the risen Lord has begun, and they don’t even know the half of it yet.

Jesus appears to his disciples

Mark does not give a timeline with details of the post-resurrection visitations of Jesus, but he does note a least three of them.  Each time, the unbelieving response of the disciples is highlighted.  These were not bold tomb-robbers trying to invent a new religion, as some try to accuse, nor were they giants of faith, ready to receive the good word.  They were just like we would be in the moment, freaked out and unbelieving at first.

Jesus first appears to Mary Magdalene.  I believe the first appearance has nothing to do with conspiracy ideas that circulate today.  Contrary to the conspiracy theories, Mary Magdalene was not a romantic interest of Jesus.  Even the gnostic text that is used as proof that she was, does not say this, and it is clearly not from the first century and from eye-witnesses.  I believe that God is here rebuking their society and his disciples by appearing to a woman first.  She was not only a woman, but was a woman who had been possessed by 7 demons.  Jesus purposefully picks one who they would not look up to, nor believe.  God is the God of the lowly and humble, those whom society often has little time for.  He did not appear to Herod, Pilate, Caiaphas, or Caesar for that matter.  He appeared to someone who may have been possessed by demons, but was now set free.  She had used her income to help support the ministry of Jesus, and was faithful even in his death.  This is the testimony of the risen Lord to you today.  It matters not how bad your history is, or how low you are viewed in this society.  What matters is that Jesus wants to reveal his power over death, his power over your sin, and his love for you, to you.

Mark does not describe the interaction, but focuses on Mary’s attempt to tell the disciples that she had seen Jesus alive.  She enters the place where the disciples are weeping and mourning, and tells them that Jesus is alive, that she has seen him!  However, they did not believe her.  Why not?  Maybe it seemed preposterous that he would be alive at all, or maybe it was preposterous that he would appear to her before them?  Whatever the reason, they did not believe her.

Mark then relates that Jesus secondly appeared to two disciples on the road outside of Jerusalem.  This is clearly the two men on the road to Emmaus that are mentioned in Luke 24:13-35.  Emmaus is described as a village that is about 7 miles from Jerusalem.  Jesus walks up to them and talks with them, has a meal with them when they reach Emmaus, and vanishes from the table after blessing the bread.  They hadn’t recognized him at first, but they did when he blessed the bread and handed it to them.  It was close to evening, but they ran back to Jerusalem and told the disciples what they had seen.  However, again, Mark emphasizes that the disciples did not believe these men either.  

The unbelief of The Eleven at this point can help us to understand why Jesus purposefully does not appear to them first.  Even we can complain that Jesus didn’t appear to us personally.  Why must I only believe upon the witness of others?  Many today proudly state that if God did something spectacular for them then they would believe, but these guys had seen Jesus do all manner of spectacular things, and yet they didn’t believe.  Are we lying to ourselves, and to God, when we make such bold statements?  Most likely, we are.  Our pride needs to be humbled before we are ready to meet the risen Lord!

Lastly, Jesus finally appears to The Eleven (verse 14).  He rebukes their unbelief and their hardness of heart.  This is the hallmark of the Gospel to this very day.  Jesus is always being introduced by those who have encountered him to those who have not yet.

If you find yourself wrestling with unbelief then know that you are not alone.  However, that is not a place to stay and hang out.  Unbelief in the face of so much evidence is not just being careful.  It often is more than that; it is having a hard heart.  May God help us by softening our hearts this morning to see just who Jesus is.  He is the Lord of Life.  He has the command of life and power over death.

This generation is chomping at the bit of moving past Jesus as an answer to this world’s problems, but he is the only answer.  Revolutions and new laws will not fix this world because the real problem is inside each and every one of us.  It has nothing to do with your gender, skin color, sexual preference, economic station, or political party.  It is the fact that each and everyone of us has a sin problem that cannot be solved through justice.  It can only be solved through letting go of justice and embracing the grace of Jesus Christ, who alone gives eternal life!

Lord of Life audio

Putting Life to Death

Mark 15:33-47.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on March 21, 2021.

In our rush for progress, there are many things that society appears to be trying to jettison.  It is true that there are often obstacles that I need to remove or find away around in order to progress in life.  However, the influence that Jesus Christ has upon many people throughout the world, has been moving to the top of the list.  The argument is being developed that Christians and the Bible are holding back the USA, even the world, from creating a society that is truly Utopia.

Now to be clear, it isn’t Christians and the Bible per se.  The challenge will come against “those kind of Christians” who interpret the Bible “in that kind of way.”  O, how ancient is the human tendency to tell itself that if we just rid ourselves of “those people” then we can be a greater society.  Of course, this is impossible.  The type of person who would think such a thought, and go along with it, is twisted already.  Such people cannot build a true Utopia, no matter how much science they follow.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is not only the Truth, but the Life of men.  “In him was life and the life was the light of men.  And, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”  (John 1:4-5 NKJV).  Think about how all life on this planet eventually dies, while new life rises up to take its place.  This is bad enough.  Humans must die, while others take their place.  However, there are situations in life in which life is purposefully extinguished.  The devil led Adam and Eve into an act that extinguished something of the life in them, that is why Jesus called him a “murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44).  Cain also extinguished something of the life in his brother Abel.  Yet, it is in Jesus that we see the true heart of humanity.  All people murdered by other humans up to that point were imperfect, and we can always tell ourselves that we were justified by their imperfections.  In Jesus, we didn’t just put to death a life.  In Jesus, we were putting to death The Life, the One who gave life to us in the first place (at least we were attempting to do so).  This is our problem.  We want God to go away, disappear, pretend that He doesn’t exist…, even die, so that we can do what we want, but with His stuff.  “God, go away, but leave your stuff for us to play with.”  This is a horrendous definition of Utopia because it believes it can exclude the giver of life and still have life.

When Jesus was put to death on the cross, he was offering us a way back to the Fullness of Life and we tried to snuff that out.  Newsflash: True Life cannot be snuffed out.  Yes, they killed his mortal life, but not his eternal life.  God knew our hearts and had incorporated such evil in His plan of salvation.  Know this; if the life of Christ dwells in you, you too cannot be snuffed out.  Yes, you may be killed, but they cannot snuff out eternal life, and this is the joyful inheritance that God has given to all of humanity who will turn from their sins and believe in what Jesus has done, and what he is telling us to do.

The death of Jesus

In our passage, we come to the point of the death of Jesus.  He will be on the cross from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, six hours.

At noon, a darkness comes over the land that lasts until Jesus dies three hours later.  This cannot be an eclipse for two reasons.  First, Passover always occurs during the full moon.  By definition, solar eclipses can only happen during the new moon.  Lunar eclipses can happen at the full moon, but they do not darken the whole land during the day, which leads us to the second point.  Solar eclipses only last minutes for the totality, not hours.

Through the years, many conjectures have been made for what caused this darkness: a sandstorm, a volcanic eruption in the region, storm clouds, etc.  Whatever the cause of this darkness, it is strange enough by itself, but when added to the crucifixion of Jesus, it gives an ominous picture.  The literal event becomes symbolic of a spiritual event.  God had sent them light and they tried to snuff it out.  Therefore, God sends a spiritual darkness upon them.  This is prophesied throughout the Old Testament.  The Apostle Paul refers to it when he says, “But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.  But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.”  (2 Corinthians 3:14-15 NKJV).

Simultaneously, the darkness becomes symbolic of the dark night of the soul of Jesus, as the Father must abandon his son to a punishment he didn’t deserve.  By the way, it is interesting that Amos 8:9 prophesies of a time when it will be dark at noon by God’s doing.

Mark then tells us that Jesus cried out with a loud voice in the Aramaic language, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  This statement of Jesus has at least two purposes.  It stands to let us know how he feels in that moment as he approaches his death.  The Father is not stepping in and protecting him from injustice.  The Father is also placing all of humanity’s sins upon him.  The separation of relationship in the moment is something that even the eternal Son of God had never known.  Most likely, this was the most horrible part of his crucifixion.

Secondly, Jesus is actually giving a direct quote of the first verse of Psalm 22.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize that he is directing our attention to that passage.  What Scripture verse would you quote when you were being executed unjustly?  It would be one that would fit the situation well enough to highlight the injustice.  When you read Psalm 22 (a great homework assignment by the way), it sounds as if it was written by Jesus on the cross.  For 20 verses, David describes a horrible plight of oppression and torture at the hands of others.  Verse 21 has a clear change.  “Save me from the lion’s mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen!  You have answered me!”  The rest of the psalm then goes on to praise God.  Clearly, Jesus intends for us to make the connection.  He is going to die, and it will look like God has not heard him, but has forsaken him.  However, Psalm 22 promises that the moment will come when God will answer him.  It wouldn’t be the case for Jesus and it won’t be the case for you!  No matter what injustice you suffer, even death, God has not abandoned you and will resurrect you to keep His promises.

Mark then tells us that Jesus gave a loud cry and gave up his last breath.  He doesn’t tell us what that cry was, but from the Gospels of John and Luke, we have at least two sentences Jesus spoke as he came to his death. 

“It is finished!” (John 19:30).  The task that Jesus had been sent to do had been accomplished.  He could now die and bring the torture to an end.  However, the word Jesus uses for being finished was also one that would be stamped on a bill to show that the transaction has been finished.  In modern parlance, we would say, “Paid in full!”  Jesus had paid the price for our sins completely, through his suffering of our penalty.  The wrath of God is poured out upon him and he dies.

Luke 23:46 also tells us that Jesus says, “Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit.”  Whether this last part is also cried out or not is immaterial.  Even in a moment of feeling forsaken, Jesus teaches us the wisest thing ever.  When you have nothing left, don’t turn your back on God.  Instead, commit yourself into His hands.  He can be trusted even when it doesn’t look like it.  Much of our problem comes from not speaking these words each day as we approach our own daily crucifixion (metaphorically).  Every day for the Christian is crucifixion day, a day when I will put my own flesh to death.  My flesh won’t like it, but we must commit our spirit into the Father’s hands and trust His way, trust the Savior Jesus that He has given us.

Jesus spoke at least seven things from the cross and they are all worth meditating upon.  You will have to look through all of the Gospels to find them, but take the time this week to do that (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19).

As Jesus gives up his last breath, the darkness over the land comes to an end.  In truth, this is the moment of most spiritual light for the earth.  God is dead on a cross.  Jesus has perfectly shown us the love of the Father despite all of our accusations against Him.  Light is about to be sent out to the ends of the earth through the apostles and disciples of Jesus.

Several other things occur at his death that serve to underscore the gravity of what is happening.  Mark mentions that the veil in the temple was torn in half.  Mark leaves out that there was a powerful earthquake, which serves as the mechanism of ripping the large veil (about 4 inches thick).  The veil separated the area called the holy place.  It had the menorah, the table of bread representing the tribes of Israel, and the altar of incense.  Priests came into this area each day.  However, behind the veil was the ark of the covenant, which served as the footstool of the presence of God on earth.  This was the most restricted place in all of Israel.  Only the High Priest, on only one day of the year, and only observing the correct rituals, could enter into this space where God’s presence dwelled.  The ripped veil represents that the way into the presence of God has been opened up by the great High Priest Jesus.  Believers would no longer need an earthly priest to mediate for them every year.  They could go directly to God, and His “throne of grace.”  The next time someone complains to you about the restrictions on foreigners, women, common men, and common priests, remind them of this moment.  We want God to be all-powerful, but not dangerous.  That is because, we want a god that we can control, that is safe.  God is holy and just.  None of us dare approach him without the wisdom of how to do that.  However, in Jesus God opens up the way so that every man, woman and child can approach Him through repentance and faith.

At this point, the centurion, whose job it is to make sure Jesus dies, is overwhelmed by what he sees.  “Surely, this man was the son of God!”  Luke adds, “a righteous man.”  He had seen many rebels and murderers put to death, but the death of Jesus was something altogether different.  The manner of Jesus and the spectacular events surrounding his death convinced this Roman soldier that Jesus was a righteous man who was the Son of God!

Mark tells us that there were also many of the female followers of Jesus watching all of this.  In Luke, we are told that the crowd disperses, beating their breasts in a show of anguish and grief.  They too are shocked by what they have seen.  This was a tragic day, a day when the lights went out in Jerusalem, a day when they crucified an innocent man.

The burial of Jesus

Jesus has expired in his physical frame around 3:00 PM, and the Sabbath quickly approaches.  It is at this point that a rich man named Joseph, from the town of Arimathea- it was northwest of Jerusalem by approximately 8 miles- asks Pilate for permission to bury the body of Jesus.  Joseph was member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling elders of Israel.  He had dissented to the council’s actions earlier that morning.  This is who he is.  We are also given information about Joseph’s spiritual condition.  He lived waiting for the Kingdom of God.  He wasn’t giving it lip service, but actually looked for it to happen.  The Apostle Peter gives a similar exhortation to believers in 2 Peter 3:11-12.  Knowing that all the things of this earth and the universe are going to be dissolved by fervent heat, what sort of people ought we to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the Day of God?  We need to be a people who are waiting and looking (even hastening) the coming of the Day of God, the Second Coming of Jesus.  It was people who had given up on the Kingdom of God that gave themselves to crucifying Jesus.  Don’t give up spiritually on God.  Those who wait on Him will be glad that they did in the end.

When our hopes go beyond this world, and are not desperately seated only in the material plane, then we are spared the desperate acts that, in trying to grasp at life, actually put true life to death.  Jesus warned us.  “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.” (Mark 8:35 NKJV). 

Pilate then confirms that Jesus has truly died and gives Joseph permission to remove the body and bury it.  We are told that Joseph wraps the body in a new, expensive linen and lays it in a new, rock tomb that is sealed against intruders by a large stone.  No doubt, this tomb had been intended by Joseph to be for his family, but now was given in service to the Lord.

All of this is observed by the women mentioned earlier.  They witness where Jesus is buried, and eventually go home for the Sabbath, preparing spices for his body, to bring when the Sabbath is over.

It is good that we pause in this valley of death, at the moment when all seems lost, and life seems dead.  Part of what Jesus is showing us is that the Life of God cannot truly be extinguished.  I’m not saying that Jesus didn’t actually die, but that this cannot be the final word.  We are more than bodies, and Jesus is more than a human spirit.  In Christ, we are given assurance that our exit from this world is not the final word on our life.  Those who put their faith in God will rise again as Jesus will soon show us in the next chapter.  The life of God will cause us to shine like the stars.  However, no amount of “following the science” can do anything but lead us into dead ends.  Only God can give us what we seek.  Put your faith in Him today!

Putting Life to Death audio

The Lifting up of Jesus

Mark 15:21-32.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on March 14, 2021.

During the last week before the crucifixion, Jesus had said, “If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.”  He uses a verb that literally describes the crucifixion, but also has a metaphorical use that meant exaltation to a place of honor.  The people of Israel would lift Jesus up, one way or another.  We typically take this verse in the sense of exaltation.  However, we are told that Jesus was speaking of the way in which he would be executed.

The world was going to crucify Jesus, but it would ironically be his exaltation.  It would set in motion his power to draw all manner of people unto himself.  They would be drawn to him spiritually, but not forcefully.  The world will soon drag mankind into worship of a system and a god-man that will employ force.  However, this is not the way of the omnipotent God of the universe.

If we are to exalt Jesus before the world, we must be careful of separating him from the cross in people’s minds.  Yes, Jesus is coming back in power and great might, but he broke the might of our enemy at the cross.  We live in the face of a backlash against Jesus and his people that is growing every day.  It is a backlash against his word, the Bible.  It has already been happening in people’s hearts, even some who profess to be Christians.  This is being drawn to the surface through the events and social issues of our day.  Satan will seek to cancel the truth about who God is, who Jesus is.  Who will you stand with in this testing time?  I pray that you will stand with the one true Jesus faithfully revealed to us in God’s Word.

Jesus is taken to the place of crucifixion

In verse 21, it is time for Jesus to be crucified, and thus, they begin to lead him to the place of execution.  Jesus is a “dead man walking,” as they say.  It was typical for the victim to carry the crossbeam of the cross with the vertical member generally left standing in the same place between executions.    The physical condition of Jesus is so bad that he is unable to carry his crossbeam all the way to the place of death.  It is at this point that a man who happened upon the scene is forced into service.  Simon of Cyrene is force to help carry the cross of Jesus.

Cyrene was a city in Africa, what we would call the coast of eastern Libya today.  With a name like Simon, he is clearly a Jew who has made the long journey to participate in the Passover proceedings.  The mention of his sons, Alexander and Rufus, seems to indicate that the original readers would recognize the names.  They had most likely become a part of the early Christian community.

It is interesting that sometimes we are compelled to do things that we do not want to do, but they end up marking our life for good, and for God.  Where Simon Peter had failed to stand beside Jesus, the Father supplied another Simon to help His Son to complete the mission.  May God help us to do less complaining about the lot that we have received, and to do more praying about how we should respond to those difficult times. We must seek to discover what He is saying to us through it.  Simon of Cyrene had a close encounter with Jesus as he went to the cross.  This would mark him forever.

The execution site is named Golgotha, an Aramaic term meaning “place of a skull.”  There are two sites that are contenders today for this location.  The idea that it was a small hill that was shaped like a skull cannot be traced back to the first century, so it is unclear how dependable it is.  However, all of Jerusalem in those days would know exactly where Golgotha was.  It was the place that was just outside of the walls of Jerusalem, either to the west of the temple mount, or to the northwest of it.

Upon arrival at the execution site, Jesus is offered a mixed drink to help numb the pain.  Proverbs 31:6-7 tells us to give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart.  It was common for the Jews to offer such to those being executed.  However, Jesus refuses this, not so much because he loves pain and suffering, but because he must fully identify with our suffering in order to serve as a merciful High Priest, as the book of Hebrews details (Hebrews 2:17). 

There is a certain amount of suffering that we must embrace in this life, not because of some masochistic desire, but because it helps us to identify with Jesus.  It helps us to understand that his sufferings brought us life that our sufferings cannot neutralize.  We should not seek to make ourselves suffer on purpose, but neither should we run from it when it comes knocking.  Weep with those who weep, and know that, this too, Jesus shall overcome in the resurrection.

Jesus is crucified

At last, Jesus is nailed to the crossbeam and lifted into place.  Mark tells us that this happens at the third hour.  The Jews divided the day as hours counting from what we would call 6:00 AM.  Thus, the third hour would be the hour beginning at 9:00 AM.  Later in this chapter, we will be told that Jesus dies just after the ninth hour, or 3:00 PM.  This would put him on the cross for six hours total.  The Roman reckoning of time was as ours.  John’s Gospel must have been using this when it refers to Jesus being before Pilate at the sixth hour, or 6:00 AM.

Mark tells us that an inscription, or sign, is put above Jesus.  Typically, this would be the charge for which the person is being executed.  However, Pilate words it in such a way as to slight the Jews, or at least their leaders.  “King of the Jews,” is what it says.  John’s Gospel adds that it also said “Jesus of Nazareth.”  It was in Greek, Hebrew, and in Latin.  Though the Jewish leaders complained that the sign made it look like Jesus actually was the king of the Jews, it was fitting that the Savior of all peoples, of every language, should be declared in the main languages of the day.  Here is Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.  Of course, Jesus is much more than this.  What Pilate does out of spite, God allows to drive home the point to the Jewish onlookers.  We have crucified the king that God has finally sent us.

Mark mentions that Jesus is crucified between two robbers.  Only Luke mentions that one of the robbers ends up putting his faith in Jesus while he was on the cross.  Mark’s gospel implies that both of the robbers mock Jesus at first.   Mark points us to Isaiah 53:12, which tells us that the suffering Messiah would be numbered among those who are transgressors.

Jesus was executed as if he was the same as these two robbers, worthy to be executed and cast out as a dead branch.  Yet, Jesus is eternal life!  Even today, this world will control the narrative by castigating believers as transgressors.  It is not what this world says about you that is most important.  It is what Jesus will say about you when you stand before God the Father.  May we be found as faithful in this generation.

Jesus is blasphemed and mocked

We talked about the mocking of the soldiers last week.  Now, Jesus is opened to further public mocking.  The terms blaspheme and mocking are used.  They can serve as synonyms in this situation, but essentially to blaspheme is to speak a falsehood about someone, especially God.  Whereas, mocking is more about the ridicule of a person and what they stand for.

The common people and the chief priests are all blaspheming and ridiculing Jesus.  It is unclear why these priests would be here when there are clearly duties to be done at the temple.  It can only be chalked up to their vitriol towards Jesus.

The first statement mentioned is blasphemy and mocking.  “You who destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days…”  Jesus never said that he would destroy the temple, but here they ridicule the idea that a man who is powerless to stop his own execution would have the power to rebuild the temple in three days.  What of your wild claim now, Jesus?  Of course, it is they who are destroying the temple of his body, and on the third day, Jesus would raise it up in his own resurrection.  It is not an honor to mock things that you do not understand because you end up being revealed as a fool in the end.

This is followed up with mocking his ability to save.  Save yourself and come down from the cross.  In a sense, they throw down the gauntlet for him to prove himself, but on the other hand, it is not something they expect him to do.  To them, Jesus has been checkmated and there is no way out.  He is proven to be a false prophet in their eyes.  Jesus was famous for saving people from the death sentence of hideous diseases.  Yet, he is powerless in the face of crucifixion.

They even add the twist that if he does come down from the cross then they would believe that he is the Messiah, and the rightful king of Israel.  The sad thing is that Jesus did have the power to save himself, but if he saved himself, he would be damning all mankind.  The logic goes like this.  “God, do this thing and I will believe.” However, if God does that thing my belief would be to late to help me.  I would be trapped forever in guilt, knowing that he was right and I failed to believe when I should have.

This is the great wisdom of the world.  It seems so powerful and wise, but in the end, it is folly.  It foolishly tells God how to run the universe, or ridicules the idea of God because the universe is not running in a particular way.  Imagine God at the beginning of creation, looking ahead and writing down a list of every demand from every human being who ever existed as to what he must do to prove Himself to them.  God is not a dog to jump through all the hoops we demand that He must jump through.  Yet, He does love us and demonstrated it powerfully on the cross.

So, I end with this.  Save yourself from this stubborn and wicked generation, by putting your faith in the crucified Lord who died for your sins, and rose up from the grave to give you eternal life!

Lifting up Jesus audio

Mocking Jesus

Mark 15:16-20.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on March 7, 2021.

Mocking is one of those things that can come from very different motivations.  Kids will mock things out of silliness and lack of understanding.  Their mocking is very superficial, whereas, adults can mock things with a far deeper hostility towards another, and with very evil intent.  Mocking was even used by the prophet Elijah towards the prophets of Baal in order to drive home the point that Baal was not a true god.  Elijah’s intent is not evil, but rather to make it clear to the onlookers just how impotent Baal really was.  He was trying to draw them back to worship of Yahweh, the One True God.

The sad thing about the mocking of Jesus is more than the reality that he had power to stop it.  The sad thing is the ignorant, misguided, and deluded state that these people had come to be in.  We see them using their power and flaunting it over Jesus, while he basically does not resist.  They are indicting themselves, and foolishly bringing the wrath of God to an even greater degree.  Jesus is the only one who can save them, and they are making a joke of him and his “power.” 

Today, we will read about the soldiers mocking Jesus, but throughout his arrest and crucifixion, many different groups are shown mocking Jesus, Jews and Gentiles, great and small.  It is a recurring theme, the mocking of man towards the humble nature of God.

Let’s look at our passage.

Jesus is prepared for his crucifixion

Mark’s Gospel moves quickly to the crucifixion.  From the other Gospels, we find that there is far more happening here.  Jesus will be sent to Herod Antipas, the king of the Galilee region, when Pilate finds out that Jesus is from there.  Herod finds it amusing at first, but Jesus is not talking and so Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate.  Verse 15 mentions a scourging.  Jesus was scourged and then presented to the crowds again in hopes that they will relent once they see how badly Jesus had been injured, but it was not to be.

I refrained from talking about the scourging last week because I felt it fit better with the scene we have today.  I believe that the mocking of the soldiers depicted here happens on the heels of his scourging.

At this point, Jesus has been kept awake all night, beaten several times, and most likely neglected in physical needs like water and food. 

This scourging will serve two purposes.   First, it will serve as a horrible, visual deterrent for the onlookers.  After seeing his tortured state, few would dare follow in his footsteps.  Second, the scourging serves to weaken the vitality of the man to be crucified.  It puts him in a state that is very near death (it was not rare for those condemned to crucifixion to die from the scourging).

The leather scourge, or whip, would have many strands coming off of it.  Metal balls were attached to it in order to bruise and pulverize the back muscles.  Sharp items like sheep bones were also attached in order to puncture and cut the skin and muscles.  Such a scourging would leave the back shredded with ribbons of flesh and some areas exposing the bones beneath.  Loss of blood alone would put him in a state of physical shock.  This kind of scourging was not punishment; it was a stage in execution by crucifixion.

Isaiah 52:14, in speaking of the Messiah, tells us, “His visage was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men…”  In chapter 53 verse 5, we are told, “He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities.  The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”  How could such a shocking thing be necessary for our sins, our peace, and our healing?  Many today, still balk at the idea that such a thing is necessary.  Surely our sins are not so evil as to require this!  Yet, the God of heaven disagrees.  Our sins are a great evil that cannot be overlooked, nor atoned for on our own.  We needed Jesus, and he willingly surrendered his back to these scourging.

As horrific as this treatment is, it is not over yet.  When they are done, the soldiers mock the idea that Jesus believes he is the king of the Jews.  They put a purple cloak on him because it is a color that is expensive to make and was connected to high station, and royalty.  He thinks he is a king then we will dress him up like a king!

Next, a crown is fashioned for Jesus from the branches of a thorn bush.  These are then pushed down on his head.  It is said that the thorn bushes of this area can have thorns up to an inch long.  Clearly, this mocks his kingship while also adding to his pain.  A crown of pain is all that he will wear.  Of course, Jesus is the one who God has anointed to be King of kings and Lord of lords.  No crown of this earth could truly honor this man.

Mark mentions Jesus being struck with a reed.  It is Matthew who tells us that the reed was put in the right hand of Jesus in order to mimic a scepter.  This scepter exudes weakness instead of power.  However, it should remind us of Isaiah 42:3.  “A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.”  A reed is easily broken, and so Jesus would look weak, or at least that is their intention.  Yet, Scripture states that, though he is weak, he will not break until he has accomplished bringing forth true justice (not justice according to this world’s ever changing definition).

We live in a world that is tired of waiting for justice.  Many are clamoring and attempting to force justice as they think it should be, but such a spirit can never bring true justice.  It will only bring greater destruction and the wrath of God upon our stubborn insistence on rejecting His help and doubling down on our frail attempts at it.

Having finished their costume, the soldiers begin to give him false worship.  The word translated worship in verse 19 refers to the idea of bowing down, or prostrating oneself, in order to kiss the hand or feet of an authority.  In this case, they bow as if before Caesar and give the vocal salute, “Hail, king of the Jews!”  The word translated as “hail” is often thought of as only a welcome greeting, but it includes the idea of joy and cheer to the individual.  At this point in time, Jesus would feel anything but joy and cheer.  Thus, their ridicule reaches a ridiculous level.

Rome was used to having its way with these Jews.  To them, a king of the Jews was completely under their power.  Even the God of the Jews, was nothing to them.  The most powerful of these people were weak and impotent in the face of Rome and her legions.

This begs the question.  What will you worship?  In their mock worship of Jesus, these soldiers are truly worshipping the idol of Rome’s power, especially Caesar himself.  Will you give mock worship to Jesus all the while actually worshipping the powerful things of this world?  Will you worship the things of this world that can do what they want in the face of the weak?  Or, will you worship the one who became weak in the face of the powerful of this world in order to make their guilt evident, and to save you?  Yes, we testify to the world today that its power and wisdom is impotence and foolishness.  We testify to the world that Jesus is the true authority and the only one who is worthy of our worship.  Let us stand with Jesus in these last days regardless of what the powerful may think and do to us, and so join with him in the day of his reward!

Mocking Jesus audio