Jesus before the Council

Mark 14:53-65.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on January 03, 2021.

Today, we will pick back up in the Gospel of Mark.  Jesus has been arrested and is brought before the chief priests and their council.  The events of this passage underline the importance of holding fast to Christ even when the institutions of justice in this world are perverted and twisted in order to bring about injustice.

Our Lord promised us that in this world we would have trouble, but that we were not to fear because he had overcome the world.  And, we shall too with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within those who are believing upon the Lord Jesus.

Let’s look at our passage.

Jesus is interrogated during the night

The Law of Moses (more properly, the Law of God given to Israel through Moses) had protections for the accused, which would counter humanity’s penchant for rash lynchings.  Several aspects of the proceedings before Christ’s crucifixion do not pass muster and make the proceedings illegal.  Yet, it is still being done under the color of law.  When those who are responsible to uphold the law are intent on breaking the intent of the law, they have a powerful ability to make an illegal thing legal, as if they were innocent of any wrong and merely providing justice.  This abuse of power is not a rare thing among human governments.  Thus, we see that the most righteous human who ever lived received injustice at the hands of those in this world who were responsible for giving justice.  This is an indictment of all of us.

Mark’s Gospel does leave out some critical details that the Gospel of John helps us to see.  There are actually three meetings between Jesus and religious authorities.  The first is a meeting with Annas who was a previous high priest and also the father-in-law of Caiaphas.  It is unclear who all is at this meeting.  It may have taken place as the greater council was being assembled.  The second meeting is where Jesus is brought from Annas to Caiaphas and the religious council of Israel, the Sanhedrin.  The time is roughly around 4 am, and thus this is an informal interrogation, or trial.  An official trial could not take place in the middle of the night.  Mark’s account does not mention the first meeting and details the second one.  The third meeting is mentioned in Mark 15:1. This happens as soon as it is morning.  It appears to be the official, on the books, meeting of the Sanhedrin where they determine to send Jesus to Pilate with a petition of execution.

The setting of this second meeting is in the compound of the high priest.  It has an inner courtyard surrounded by buildings, and perhaps even a large balcony.  I mention a balcony because Luke’s account will mention that, when Peter denies Jesus the third time, a rooster crows and Jesus turns to look at Peter.  Jesus must be either in the courtyard with the Sanhedrin, or on an elevated balcony with the group of 70 or so men.  It is quite likely that the meeting with Annas also took place somewhere within this compound.

I have mentioned Peter already, but it is the Gospel of John that tells us the details of how he was able to get into the high priest’s courtyard.  John records that another disciple was known by the high priest and his house.  This disciple first went in and then arranged for Peter to be admitted.  Most scholars believe this other disciple is John because John displays a tendency to leave himself anonymous in his Gospel.  Is John with Jesus, or in the courtyard with Peter?  The biblical account does not tell us.  This is where Peter’s infamous denials will take place, but we will save that for next week.

This second meeting with Jesus involves many witnesses who are brought forth for the event.  Obviously, they had been told in advance that they would be needed for such.  Mark tells us that none of their testimony was trustworthy.  However, one charge does surface from among the others that has legal clout.  It is purported that Jesus claimed to destroy the temple and then rebuild it in three days.  This is not exactly what Jesus said in John 2:19. The witnesses are talking about the time when Jesus had cleansed the temple.  Afterwards, Jesus is asked to give a sign to back up his actions.  Jesus tells them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days, I will raise it up.”  John then goes on to say that Jesus was talking about his body, and not the temple building.  So, on one hand there is a misunderstanding of what Jesus means by temple.  However, on the other hand, there is a twisting of just who Jesus said would do the destroying.  Notice that Jesus does not say he will destroy the temple.  He posits that they would destroy the temple and that he would do the rebuilding.

Now, to destroy the Temple of God was an unthinkable thing to the Jews, but even the Romans held the destruction of any temple in its lands as a capital offense.  It was treated as an act of terrorism that would threaten Rome’s control over an area.  Ultimately, the religious leaders needed something that they could use in order to convince the Roman Governor Pilate to execute Jesus.  This would do it.

Even then, Mark notes for the second time that their testimony didn’t agree.  Thus, the testimony in general didn’t agree, and then on the one item they were able to treat as legitimate the testimony was still flimsy.  The Law called for at least two witnesses.  The witnesses would clearly have to agree on the salient points for there to be a conviction.  When you testify against the truth, your testimony will be full of errors.  An individual who is not telling the truth has enough trouble keeping a story straight, much less multiple people called at a moment’s notice in the dead of night.

It is clear that the high priest recognizes the weakness of the case because he first questions Jesus about the temple allegations.  Jesus does not answer it.  This leads to the high priest asking Jesus straight forwardly if he is the Christ, that is the Messiah.  This would be a second point of contention with Jesus that the Romans would also take as serious.  If Jesus claimed to be the Messiah then Rome would see that as a threat to their political authority. Remember, Messiah would not only be king of Israel, but ultimately of the whole world.

Up to this point, we do not see Jesus defending himself and arguing with those who are giving false testimony.  He is essentially silent before them.  Isaiah 53:7 prophesied that Messiah would be “as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”  The main point is not about never uttering a syllable, but rather about defending himself and trying to get himself out of the charges.  Even a guilty man will brashly rail at truthful charges against him.  How much harder is it to hold your peace when those who accuse you are lying through their teeth?  Jesus is showing us that we are to have as our main defense the testimony and decision of God.  He is completely trusting God, which may seem foolish at the cross, but is clearly wisdom at the resurrection.

When authorities have a flimsy case, they fall back on getting the accused to talk so that their words can be used against them.  We don’t need the 5^th Amendment to teach us that there is wisdom in holding your peace and trusting God.  Yet, now the approach of the high priest has switched from labeling Jesus as a terrorist, and has moved to claiming he is a false Messiah.  Jesus does answer the direct question from the high priest, “Are you the Christ the son of the Blessed One?”

It is clear in the answer of Jesus that he is giving them the truth, and at the same time giving them the political ammunition that they will need to execute him.  First, Jesus answers, “I am…”  He clearly owns the title of Christ, Messiah, but he doesn’t stop there.  Jesus adds to the claim of Messiah an allusion to a figure in Daniel 7:13-14, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven!” 

This passage opens with 4 beastly empires that have their way on the earth until the Ancient of Days holds court.  The judgment of God the father is that three of the beasts will have their dominion taken away and the fourth beast will be slain and given over to the burning flame.  At this point, Daniel sees a being that comes on the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days, who is seated on His throne, in order to receive an everlasting dominion and kingdom over the whole earth.  This being is described as “like a son of man.”  Son of man is a way of describing someone as human.  However, the text says that he is “like” a son of man. 

The history of how this cryptic figure was viewed in the first century is shrouded in the history that happens after it.  The destruction of Jerusalem destroyed many documents and religious groups.  The Sadducees and their interpretations disband and do not survive.  The Pharisees that went with Israel as it was dispersed to the nations became the sole religious leaders.  They passed down their ideas by word of mouth, until their interpretations were written down in the fourth century AD.  Much of the original religious discussion of that time was lost and even purposefully hidden because of its closeness to Christian theology.  Archaeology and the Dead Sea Scrolls have helped to shine some light on the beliefs of those days.  Instead of going into that, we can determine much about what they thought by how they responded to what Jesus said.

Caiaphas takes this statement as complete blasphemy, even ripping his robe as he declares it.  How is what Jesus said blasphemous?  It cannot be a blasphemy to admit to being the Messiah, at least not up front.  The Messiah would one day come and would need to be able to declare he is Messiah.  There is no law in the Torah that forbids claiming to be Messiah.  It could be seen as blasphemy once a person has proven they are not.  So, it is possible that they believe Jesus has more than proved that he is not Messiah.  I think this is a stretch.  I believe the declaration of blasphemy has more to do with the Daniel 7 allusion than the claim to being Messiah.

The Daniel 7 character is “like” a human, and yet rides the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days.  No mortal can ride the clouds of heaven.  It is clear that some groups saw this figure as a heavenly being that looks human. This would be one of the ways to see the statement as blasphemous.  The logic would be that Jesus is clearly a human being, and yet he is claiming to be a heavenly being.  Therefore, he must be a deceiver of the worst sort.

This leaves us with the main witness against Jesus as his own words, which are both truth and anything but blasphemous.  Though this is an informal trial, the group is asked what their decision is.  Jesus is declared guilty of blasphemy and deserving of death.  At first light, they will have an official meeting of the Sanhedrin that will rubber stamp this decision officially, but the real work happened in the dead of night under the hour and power of darkness.

At this point, Jesus is physically abused, which from the Gospels has happened several times before now.  This reveals the hideous hatred that was among the group towards Jesus.  It was an undeserved hatred, much like David of old.  Some were spitting on him as a show of contempt and humiliation.  A cloth is tied over his face so that he cannot see.  Then, different ones take turns hitting Jesus, and some of the servants slapping him.  A sick game commences with them taunting Jesus to prophecy which of them had hit him.

In all of this, the Lord of Glory restrained himself and took it all.  He did so for you and for me, for them, and he did so trusting in the judgment of his Father.  O, how difficult it would be to trust God when He allows such gross injustice.  Yet, trust he did.  If they treated the King of kings and the Lord of Life in such a way, how much more will this world treat us?  Is it only for Jesus to receive shame and only for us to receive glory?  Is not our participation in the coming glory of Christ dependent upon our participation in the present shame and humiliation of Christ before the world?  May God help us to stand with Jesus in the midst of a world that is still seething with a hatred and a rage for Jesus and any who will follow him in truth.  Yes, difficult days lie ahead, but those who know their God will do exploits in his name, amen!

Jesus before the Council audio

The End-Times Battle for Humanity

Mark 13:19-23; John 5:43; Revelation 13:5-8, 11-18.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on December 27, 2020.

Being that this is the last sermon of this year, I felt it appropriate to examine the end-times battle that God has warned us is coming in His word, the Bible.  It is the apex of the battle for the hearts and minds of humanity that has been going on ever since the fall of Satan from perfection into sin and destruction.

We know very little about that initial fall, though there are some hints here and there in Scripture.  By pure logic, he appears to be the first being to fall through self-deception.  All those who came behind him, both heavenly and earthly beings, have been deceived by him to some degree.

The Bible tells us that the critical victory in this battle was won by Jesus through the cross and his resurrection.  However, it will not be completed until Jesus comes back and kicks out the usurpers, again, both heavenly and earthly.  None of them deserve to rule over humanity, but Jesus alone is worthy to receive all power and rule.

If believers in Jesus are to resist the deceptions that are even now being cast before the world, then we will need to heed the warnings of Scripture, and recognize them as they materialize.  Thus, the big-picture in the Bible must be recognized on the ground in our own life, or we will be deceived.  Let’s look at our passages.

Jesus warns of The Great Tribulation

The passage in Mark that I have noted above comes at the end of a prophecy that Jesus gives concerning the period of time between his ascension into heaven and his return to earth.  Towards the end of this period, Jesus warns about the Great Tribulation.  Mark doesn’t use the word great like Matthew does, but the description is clear.  This will be the worst time of trouble that the earth has ever seen in the past and will ever see in the future.  It comes upon the world right before the Second Coming of Jesus.  What makes this troubling time so bad is that God stops restraining Satan’s evil plans, and pours out His wrath upon a world that would choose to follow The Beast and reject the message of the Lamb of God, Jesus.  Of course, I am using terms that the book of Revelation uses.

Jesus has already presented himself and his plan to the world.  Christians are his emissaries continuing to plead with a world that has heard, and to give a hearing to those who have not.  In a spiritual sense, Satan has been presenting his plan to the world as well.  Yet, The Great Tribulation is a time when a particular being called The Beast will rise up with a plan for the world that is satanic in origin.  John 5:43 reminds us that Jesus came representing God the Father and was rejected.  However, another (christ-figure) will come in his own name, and the people will receive him.  This is the overall state of the world.  We will reject that which is good and innocent, and embrace that which is evil and guilty.  Now, let’s go to Revelation 13.

The Beast’s plan

The groundwork for Satan’s final kingdom has been laid down over the millennia.  Every empire up to now has been prologue and perhaps trial runs, or war games that are done in preparation.  Satan knows that God is partially restraining him, but he also knows that the restraint will one day cease.  He is ready with his plan at all times.

However, it is worth taking a few moments to ask this question.  Does his plan really involve helping or saving humanity?  He continually deceives the world with the carrot of a path of salvation, a path of fixing the world, that does not depend upon the One True God.  His plan tells man that there is an alternate way that does not involve following the God who actually created all things that exist.

Satan loves to project himself as the light-bringer who is only seeking to free humans from the tyranny of God.  However, this is either a form of psychosis, or pure deception.  He either really thinks that he can make something better than God, or he knows that he can’t, but wants to “stick it” to God anyway.  It is highly doubtful that Satan actually wants to help mankind.  We are simply a means to an end, useful idiots in a megalomaniacal plan that will destroy all those who participate in it.

Regardless of the true intentions of this being, one thing is absolutely clear from Scripture and from history.  He cannot save humanity; or better, he is unable to save humanity.  He is impotent, and powerless to stop the coming judgment day for himself or humanity.  Thus, his plan is itself a dream world that can never truly be because it refuses to submit to reality, and the God who created it.  Perhaps, this is why we see so many revolting against reality and seeking to make their own imaginations real and consequence-free.

Scripture warns us continually against trusting evil, fallen spirits and their propaganda.  In the Old Testament, people were warned against seeking the wisdom, or the leading, of these spirits instead of God Himself.  Leviticus 19:31 says, “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.”  I could quote many others.  It is generally presented as a loyalty issue in the Old Testament, but it does include a warning against deception.  Deuteronomy 11:16 says, “Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them…”

Ultimately, the New Testament makes it abundantly clear that Satan and his spiritual cohorts are deceivers.  In John 8:44, Jesus says, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Evolutionists and modernists love to present religions as the attempt of ancient man to explain the cosmos so that he wouldn’t be afraid of the dark, the unknown.  This itself is a propaganda.  Religions all have a spiritual origin.  The false religions of the world and the twisting of true religion are all propaganda from evil spirits who are intent on separating mankind from its Creator.  The doctrines and teachings of demons are more prevalent today than ever before.  They have even infiltrated much of the Church, just as they had infiltrated the religion of Israel in the days of Jesus.  Christians today must wake up to the spiritual deception that comes through secular and religious sources.

The Beast of Revelation is not Satan, but a representative of Satan (see 13:1-4) that comes on the scene with a global kingdom in the last days.  The picture of the beast rising up from the waters is not what he actually looks like.  Rather, it is a symbolic picture of his character, and the attempts at such a global kingdom by Satan.  The origin and identity of this Beast is scattered throughout Revelation.  However, it is in Revelation 17:8 where we are told, “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit, and go into destruction.  And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.”  This picture of beings coming out of the bottomless pit happens several times in Scripture.  In Revelation 20, Satan himself is captured, chained, and locked up in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years and then is released at the end of the millennial reign of Christ.  This makes it pretty clear that the bottomless pit is some kind of prison, or holding place, for spirit beings that God determines must be removed from His creation temporarily.

This is all tied to Revelation 9 and the sounding of the fifth trumpet.  An angel with a key to the bottomless pit comes down and releases a locust hoard whose king or ruler is called The Destroyer (Abaddon in Hebrew, Apollyon in Greek).  This is a key point in the end times.  These are not actual locusts.  However, the symbol of locusts describes the kind of voracious beings they are.  They are destroyers by nature and leave everything wasted in their wake.  Also, they are clearly spiritual beings who have been locked up in the bottomless pit for a long time (many connect these to the time before the flood).  The king and leader of these spiritual locusts is The Destroyer, which is another name for The Beast.  The beast is also a spiritual being that apparently tried to rule the earth in the past, and was judged, imprisoned, and will be released at the end of the age.  This evil, spiritual being will come out of this prison with a pent-up rage.  Yes, the world is going to embrace a global leader who is a psychotic prisoner of the spirit realm.

His plan requires: global political control of the nations (13:7), global religious control through worship (13:8,12), and global economic control through a mark of the beast (13:17).  It will be touted as guaranteed security and peace for the world, but will lead to anything but.  It will be tyranny over the masses of humanity.  It would be a boot in the face of humanity forever, if God allowed it to continue.  Those who reject this pledge of allegiance that is called the mark of the beast will be killed, and the world will buy the idea that it is for the sake of peace (they will be pictured as terrorists that are thwarting peace). 

The plan of Satan and his Beast will end up leading humanity down a path that is away from God’s.  God made mankind to be imagers of Him.  However, Satan plans to deconstruct the mark of God or image of God that is upon us.  The term “mark of the beast” can refer to a mark, but it can also refer to the fact that the taking of this thing marks us as something less than human.  Of course, it will be marketed as a means of becoming something greater than human, breaking free from our human shackles, but this itself is a lie, which I will come back to in a bit.

We see a dehumanizing plan throughout the world today in a variety of ways.  Our schools are wanting to teach our children that they are not bound by biological gender.  Their sexual preference need not be limited, but can be fluid.  We need not be accountable to our decisions because our technology allows us to have remake reality.  We can have abortions or sterilize ourselves in order to embrace sexual immorality.  In the end, we are being propagandized that reality itself is the enemy.  Our biology is the enemy.  We are being led down a path of hating the weakness and frailty of our humanity.  Instead of waiting for the Creator to make us immortal, we will make ourselves gods, which is the original lie that Satan told Eve.  “You will be like God.” 

Why is Satan so bent on teaching us to destroy our humanity and to make ourselves over in an image of our own making?  Is it just pure hatred against God and His Creation?  Or, is something else going on?  Hebrews 2:16 reminds us that God does not give help to angels, but does give help to the offspring of Abraham.  Of course, we are told elsewhere that all who put their faith in Jesus become his, and, by definition, also become the offspring of Abraham.  Redemption is not available for any beings, but humans.  Think about that for a moment.  Why would I make myself something other than human?  That would disqualify me from being redeemable.  It is a mark of a beast because, in taking it, we become something less than human.  Thus, Revelation 14:9 and the following verses warn.  Anyone who takes the mark will be doomed to the Lake of Fire, the second death, no option for redemption.  Yes, the plan of Satan is to dehumanize humanity and thus damn us forever.

The Lamb’s plan

The plan of Christ requires us to be patient, and to embrace our weakness.  We are to embrace our humanity as God created us instead of fighting against it.  We are to live in loyalty to Jesus and die with faith in him and his plan.  A plan in which Jesus will resurrect all who believe upon him to inherit immortality, and a place with him in a New Heavens and a New Earth.

Our weaknesses are not our problem.  Our problem is that we are deceived into thinking that they are the things that hold us back from greatness.  Our weakness is actually the greatest strength that we have.  It is our weakness that allows us to be forgiven, redeemed, and resurrected. 

Contrary to the motives of Satan and The Beast, Jesus has proven his intentions and ability.  At the cross, Jesus shows the depths that he is willing to go to in order to save us, and he does just that.  His resurrection proves to all time that he is the Lord of Life and is able to conquer death.  Even if Satan intended to try and give to humanity what God is offering, he cannot deliver.  Everything he would try would be a cheap imitation that leads to destruction in the end.  Only Jesus is both worthy and able to raise humanity up out of its weak state and put us into a state of strength that is even greater than that of the angels. 

What kind of heart do I have?  One that wants to follow a crushing beast so that I can feel strong and powerful for a brief amount of time?  Or, one that will follow a sacrificed lamb who trusts the plan of the Father, which feels weak and powerless to our flesh?  You see our hearts and the choices we make are demonstrating to God whether he should give us true strength or not.  Only those who can humble themselves and lean upon Him and His strength can receive the strength that He has offered us.

The Beast’s plan gets mankind to trade its freedom for security, but Jesus offers us true freedom, the freedom of the Sons of God.  True freedom cannot be found in fighting creation and its Creator, fighting our nature and nature’s God.  This only leads to self-tyranny, and ultimately to the tyranny of Satan as a useful idiot in his kingdom.  2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!”  This is a true freedom where I am no longer a prisoner to sin and my own fallen flesh.  It is a true freedom where I am no longer manipulable and easily duped through the baser desires of my flesh.  It is a freedom in which I break free from my human condition by trusting in the God who loves us with a steadfast love, and mercies that are new every morning!

The plan of the Lamb does not reject and despise our humanity, but instead it capitalizes on the very reality of our humanity, even embracing it and joining us in our humanity.  If we embrace our weakness and learn to lean upon God’s loving strength that He has promised to use on our behalf then we will rise triumphant in the end.

In the years ahead, depending on how much longer God allows this to go on, we will face a growing case that is being made for us to use technology to free ourselves from these human shackles.  It is a deception and a lie.  Even with our knowledge of DNA, we cannot genetically manipulate ourselves into godhood.  We cannot seize the reins of our evolution and lead ourselves to a place that we’ve never been and by a being who is anything but God.  No.  His plan will make us beasts, irredeemable, and destroyed in the end.  Trust the plan of God.  This may not sound scientific, but it is actually created by the One who created all that we seek to understand through science.  Think about that.

End-Times Battle audio

Peace on Earth

Luke 2:8-14.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on December 20, 2020.

I pray that you will have a wonderful Christmas this year because you have put your faith in Jesus.  If we thought we lacked peace in this world before now, 2020 has become a year to highlight that fact.  The turmoil of a pandemic that has spread worldwide has many in a panic.  The turmoil within the United States of America due to this, plus: the impeachment hearings, pandemic, race riots, and now questionable and corrupt elections, seems to be building.

If it weren’t for Jesus, there would not be a lot of hope in this world. Yet, there are many who are still doubling down on man’s ability to create Utopia without Jesus and God.  Mankind as a whole has rejected the path of peace that God the Father has offered it.  However, for all of those who embrace Jesus, we have peace with God, and we can have a peace that passes all understanding within our hearts because of it.

Let’s look at the story of the shepherds and hear the message that the angels brought that wonderful night.

When angels show up

Our story begins with shepherds doing normal shepherd things.  It is night and they are sleeping in the fields with their sheep.  Perhaps, they have a small fire to ward off the evening chill.  Suddenly an angel appears to them.  Now, the appearance of angels in the Bible is often accompanied by fright, which is often due to the unexpected suddenness of their appearance.  It is not generally what they look like that gives them away, but rather what they say and do.  Otherwise, we are often told that they look like men.

Hebrews 1:14 makes it clear that part of the job of angels is to serve those who will inherit salvation.  On this evening, God chose to send angels to these lowly shepherds in order to give them a message that is good.  However, it is not always a good thing when angels show up. 

These interdimensional beings are quite powerful.  God sometimes sends them to mete out judgment.  God sent two angels to Sodom in order to test their wickedness and to save Lot and his family.  In Genesis 19:13, the angel says that “the Lord has sent us to destroy it [Sodom and the surrounding cities].”  Yes, God gave the decree, but it is carried out by two angels. 

In 2 Kings 19, the Angel of the Lord slew 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night who were camped outside of Jerusalem in siege of it.  Also, the book of Revelation has the angels working hand in hand with Jesus in order to carry out his Trumpet Judgments, and the Bowls of Wrath.  Lastly, Jesus tells us that, at the end of the age, angels will gather out of the kingdom all those who practice lawlessness (Matthew 13:41).  Thus, when angels show up for judgment, it is a bad thing for those being judged.

Of course, that evening with the shepherd, God was giving grace to Israel and to the whole world.  When God sends angels for grace, it is good for those who are receiving it.  The angels were there to testify to a gracious message.  In fact, that is what the word angel means, “messenger.”  At first, there is one angel with the whole area lit up with what is described as the Lord’s glory.  Later, as if to emphasize the point, a multitude of the heavenly host, or army, join in at the end before all of them going back to heaven. 

It seems quite clear that the Old Testament prophets make the case that Israel did not merit the gift of the Messiah by their great loyalty and good works.  In case this seems uncharitable towards Israel, we can say that the other nations of the world had not merited it either.  These angels came bearing the news that the Messiah was now here to save mankind!  The statement is, “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”  Now, that was a glorious day!

When the Savior shows up

The incarnation is an amazing message in itself.  God does not send a servant, an angel, to do the great work of salvation.  Rather, He sends His Son who takes on the nature of a man in order to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.  Finally, after so many centuries of waiting for Messiah, he was there!

There is a certain parallel between how God is working with the Church today and what He was doing with Israel in those days.  Just as Israel waited centuries for the coming of Messiah, so the Church of Jesus is waiting for him to return.  And, just as it happened then, it will happen again.  Some will not be ready for his return.  We are in jeopardy of losing hope and surrendering to faithlessness and compromise.  Strengthen yourselves this morning because good things happen for those who are prepared for the arrival of Jesus the Christ, the Messiah.

The message of the angel states that a savior has been born that day in the city of David, which was Bethlehem.  The word for Savior and the verb, saving, that goes along with it are used throughout the Bible.  It is a general term that is understood best by the context.  For a person who is wounded or sick, a savior is one who heals and cures.  For a nation that is oppressed by an enemy, it a military deliverer who brings victory and freedom.  For a person who is in bondage spiritually, it is freedom and cleansing from that sin. 

Jesus is a savior in every way that the word can be used.  His emphasis in those days was to provide for our spiritual malady, and to weaken the power of our spiritual enemy.  One day he will return to set the world free from those who love wickedness, and the tyranny that results.  Though Jesus came as a Jew who was born within the kingdom of Judea, he had come to save Israel and anyone from the nations who would believe upon him, that is put their faith upon him.  So, each time you think that something needs fixing, either in your life or around you, rejoice that we have a mighty savior who has come and given us the greatest gift of God that we could desire, himself.  And, where the Lord is, there is freedom.

The angel also calls the Savior, Christ the Lord.  Christ is Greek and Messiah is Hebrew.  They both mean “anointed one.”  Jesus is anointed by God to be the perfect Voice of God, the perfect High Priest, and the perfect King.  Each of these roles were commenced with an anointing.  The outward ritual of anointing was to symbolize the spiritual anointing that God did Himself by His Holy Spirit.  The Spirit would be supplied to enable the person to fulfill the role that God had given them.  With Jesus, the Spirit of God was without measure.  He was not just a prophet, a high priest, and a king.  Rather, he was the final word, the final sacrifice, and the final coronation!

God had anointed him to be the Saving Lord for mankind.  He has the power to deliver us from ourselves and from the spiritual enemy that holds us captive.  One day, he will be Lord over all the earth.  The question today is this.  Is he lord of your life right now?  In Jesus, God has set the question before all people.  Here is your Savior.  Will you embrace him?  Let us fully embrace the Anointed One who is even now interceding on our behalf before the throne of God.

At this point, we have all of the angels showing up and saying, “Glory to God in the highest!”  Glory involves the opinion, or estimation that is held by others.  This can be congruent to the nature of the person or incongruent.  A person who is truly worthy of glory should receive glory from others and those who are not worthy, should receive none.  Yet, people often receive glory when they do not deserve it.

Our Father in Heaven is the most glorious being, and the incarnation of His Son on earth to save us is its ultimate proof.  However, not all beings in heaven or on earth glorify him as they should.  Here, the angels give glory to God who dwells in the highest place.  In the Old Testament, this is typically stated as “the Most High God.”  This statement is in contrast to the next statement.  God in the Highest place should receive glory because men who are on earth are receiving peace and goodwill.

At that point in history, both the Gentiles and Israel had proven that they do not deserve God’s goodness.  Yet here, we are told that peace and goodwill are now “among men.”  Jesus represents the peace of God, and is described in Isaiah 9 as the Prince of Peace.  He also represents the goodwill of God.  We should have received His wrath, but instead we get His favor and the most valuable thing that was dear to Him.  The word for “goodwill,” or “favor,” is related to the word for glory.  There is a poetic connection intended.  God thinks good things about us, or at least makes it possible.  And, therein lies the rub.  We must put our faith in Him and keep it there to have that peace and favor.

Today, the temptation is to view the message of the birth of Jesus as rubbish and no longer helpful.  It doesn’t look peaceful down here!  However, that is because multitudes are refusing to take hold of it.  Let me leave us with this.  Through Jesus, God has made peace available to you.  First, you have peace with Him.  You are no longer His enemy and under His judgment.  Instead, you are now under His favor because of your faith in Jesus, the Savior that He sent.  Second, this can give you peace in your heart in the midst of turmoil because God’s favor gives you a solid future, hope.  Do you have this hope today?  May God bring us all to the place where we see our sin, and yet also see His love giving us grace despite it.  Merry Christmas!

Peace on Earth audio

Arresting of Jesus

Mark 14:43-52.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on December 13, 2020.

We continue our walk through the Gospel according to Mark, and today we arrive at the point of the arrest of Jesus.  It is still the middle of the night, though we are not given the exact time.  Jesus and his disciples are at the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus has been praying.  At some point, Jesus tells Peter, James, and John upon waking them up that the betrayer is here.

Judas leads an arresting force to take Jesus

As Jesus is speaking, the arresting force comes on the scene.  It is led by Judas and Mark particularly notes that he is one of The Twelve.  To be betrayed requires someone who has been close to you.  We never speak of being betrayed by an enemy.  We expect them to try and harm us.  Judas had been chosen by Jesus, participated in all that the disciples did, and was loved by Christ until the end.  The Bible tells us that, even when Jesus chose Judas, he already knew what he was and what he would do.  John 6:70 states, “Did I not choose you, and one of you is a devil?”  John places this immediately after a statement from Peter that The Twelve had come to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  Later in John 18:9, Jesus prays, “Of those whom you gave me, I have lost none.”  This implies that Judas was never one that God had given Jesus.  Jesus chose him on purpose.  There needed to be a betrayer.  Still, few things sting quite so badly as being betrayed by those you treated well.

To add insult to injury, the group coming to get Jesus is armed to the gills with swords, clubs, and a lot of man-power.  Just from the situation alone, we could expect at least 2 to 3 men per Jesus and his disciples, without Judas.  This would be a force of over 20 to 30 men.  It is interesting that the word used in John 18:3 and translated as a “detachment of troops,” is a technical term for at least 200 men.  We cannot be completely sure John was using it technically, but we will leave it at that.  John also tells us that they carried torches and lamps, which would make sense since it is the middle of the dark and not inside the city.  Jesus will emphasize the ludicrous nature of this huge arrest party later, so I will leave it here.

Judas has worked out a signal for the group that would identify which of the men is Jesus.  It is dark and there are at least eleven of them who have a vested interest in protecting Jesus.  So, this does make some sense.  However, Judas chooses a kiss of greeting as his signal.  Thus, Judas comes up to Jesus and addresses him as Rabbi, which means teacher, and gives him a customary kiss.  The Gospels of Matthew and Luke give a few lines from Jesus to Judas that Mark does not record.  It is unclear whether Jesus asks this as a question or a statement, but it doesn’t change it in the end.  “Friend, do what you have come to do.”  The second is this.  “Judas, are you betraying me with a kiss?”

For his part, Jesus had treated Judas as a friend, and given him a friend’s place near him.  Yet, Judas uses something that should be a good thing, an intimate thing, to portend something that is bad.  O friend, beware the kisses of this world.  Many pretend closeness, but they are all about their own gain and advancement.  Politics may make strange bed-fellows, but they generally will stab each other in the back in the end.  We can choose to obsess over who may betray us, but Jesus shows us that this need not be our concern.  Betrayals will occur, and it is not my job to determine ahead of time in order to stop them.  If God is our guide then He will also be our guard.  And, if anything gets through His guard then He is working it for our good.  Part of the problem that Judas has is that he cannot see how Jesus is working things for the good of Judas.  He takes matters into his own hands and betrays Jesus for his own personal ends.  To follow Jesus in this matter requires us to have faith in God over the top of our hurt feelings.

A confrontation occurs

As the men move to seize Jesus, a confrontation occurs.  Before we follow this account, let me remind us of the added detail that is given in John 18:4-8.  There, Jesus asks the men who they are seeking and then answers, “I am.”  We are then told that the men drew back and fell to the ground.  By the way, I would not assume that this means ever single person in the arresting party, especially if there are 200 of them.  Regardless, when they get up, Jesus asks them again and then tells them again, “I have told you that I am.  Now, most translations will have Jesus saying “I am he.”  However, the pronoun he is not actually in the Greek.  It simply says I am.  Of course, many languages allow and employ assumed words within discourse.  Yet, the forceful falling backwards of the men (at least those directly around Jesus) gives a strange emphasis to his words.  The Hebrew name of God given to Moses at the burning bush was in Hebrew Yahweh, I am.  Two things are accomplished by this.  Jesus signals to us just who he really is, and how easily he could get out of this predicament.  Second, it focuses the men on him so that they will be more likely to let the disciples go.

But, let’s get back to Mark.  As the men begin to lay hold of Jesus, Peter uses a sword to strike at one of the men.  He ends up cutting off the ear of Malchus the High Priest’s servant.  No doubt, Malchus was there to represent the High Priest, and make sure all went well.  Though Mark leaves it at that, Luke tells us that Jesus healed the man’s ear.  This would be similar to a police officer being knifed by a guy when arresting his friend.  However, the friend then comes over and heals the knife wound.  Wow, what would you do with that as a police officer?  Here we see that Jesus had no ill-will towards these men.  They are only the blind following blind guides.  It is the authorities who sent them that have the true guilt.  We should also remember that when Jesus talked to them about having a sword earlier that night, he did not mean to protect him from being arrested.  Even when Jesus was suffering injustice, he was gracious.  How can this be?  For the one who is in God’s hand, injustice is never permanent because God oversee it all.  The day of setting all things right may be in the future, but God has guaranteed it to mankind.

Jesus actually gives two rebukes here, although Mark only records a rebuke of the arresting force.  In Matthew 26:52, Jesus rebukes Peter.  “Put your sword away.  All who live by the sword will die by it.”  Peter was a man of action and wanted to stop this injustice from occurring, but this is not God’s way.  Jesus also states, “I can pray and receive 12 legions of angels.”  Note: 1 legion was typically 6,000 foot-soldiers and 700 as cavalry.  That would be nearly 84,000 angels.  An extremely large force to say the least.  Jesus was probably not emphasizing the exact number, but rather the overwhelming force.  We should also keep in mind that one angel slew 185,000 Syrians in one night in 2 Kings 19:35.  No earthly forces, nor any fallen spiritual forces can actually do anything to Jesus save he allow it.  Lastly, Jesus says to his disciples, “Shall I not drink the cup that my Father has given me?”  He can come all this way for this purpose, and now he would balk?  No.  Jesus would press on.

Jesus also rebukes those leading the arresting party, as Mark records.  They could have arrested him any time during the day at the temple.  Why did they wait for now?  Jesus was not known to be an outlaw in any way.  Why a huge force with swords and clubs?  This is most likely projection on their part.  The wicked are always afraid that others are just like them in their hearts.  Thus, they trust no one.  Luke adds the words, “But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”  Jesus connects the hour of the arrest with the spiritual darkness with which they were in league.  In these last days, a great darkness called by Paul, “The Lie,” and “A Strong Delusion,” is coming.  It will be a time where the powers of darkness will have their way for a season.  Children of the light never need to be afraid of the powers of darkness, not because it cannot touch us, but because God is our defense and our vindicator.

At this point, Jesus is bound and taken away.  He has told the guards to let the disciples go, and they seem happy to have him alone.  Their arrest order was apparently only for Jesus.  Of course, if they had understood what those eleven men would do later, the leaders would have had them all seized and executed, but this was not in God’s plan.  Let us remember that God is always in control, even when the forces of darkness are having their way.  It is difficult to rest in that belief in chaotic times like they were seeing and that we are seeing today.  However, it is possible, and it is the gift that God gives to us if we will seek it through faith.

The disciples abandon Jesus

At this point, all of the disciples forsake Jesus and flee.  On one hand it was fine for them to leave Jesus because that is what he wanted and what the Father had decreed.  It was not their time to be arrested and die.  On the other hand, they vehemently insisted that they would stand with Jesus just hours ago.  They are doing in the flesh, what was proper to do by the Spirit of God.  What I mean is that we can do the right thing, but for the wrong reasons.  It is a good thing that God loves us, disciplines us, and restores us to him in grace.

In verses 51 to 53, we have a strange part of the story that is unique to Mark.  There is a young man who is obviously not one of the disciples.  The term means a young servant who is typically in the teens.  The fact that he only has a linen covering seems to imply that he had been in bed, and had hurriedly covered himself to see what would happen.  This is not one of The Twelve.  In short, it is believed by many that this is Mark himself, though we cannot be sure.  The arresting party may have stopped by the place of the last supper first.  This would have wakened up the household and made them aware of the desire to arrest Jesus.  Mark may have been following the party to see what would happen and is nearly grabbed as he tries to continue his following after the arrest.  Of course, we are told that he slips away without his linen covering.  Why would Mark record this?  One conjecture is that Mark couldn’t describe the failures of his betters without including his own failure in the moment, though he leaves it anonymous.  Of course, we all fail at times.  Yet, the Lord loves us and promises restoration to those who love him.  And, this is what the world does.  It challenges your love for Jesus.  Will we love him and follow him, or will we run away from him?  And, if we run away from him, will we go to destruction like Judas, or will we be restored like these men were?  The disciples ran away, but in that isolated place, they met the resurrected Lord and that made all the difference.  May God strengthen us and remind us that we serve the Lord of Life who has conquered death.  Amen!

Arresting audio