Mark 16:1-20 — What Am I supposed to Do? (A Resurrected Sermon)

The following points are taken from my first sermon, given to a group of young adults in 1985 at B4 Church in Beaverton, Oregon. I recently pulled these typed (what we did before computers) notes out of the filing cabinet tomb where they had been buried for many years. 

This message may in fact serve as an appropriate if brief summary of our journey through the Gospel of Mark. If you have missed out on some of these posts (there were 94) feel free to click on the "Blog Archive" at the bottom of the right side of this page. They are devotional in tone and short in length but cover the whole text of Mark.

Who Does What In the Work of the Kingdom?

A Brief Job Description

In this passage (Mark 16) we see God doing three things and we, in response, as followers of Christ have a role to play.

God Works on us—He rolls away the stone (v.4) He removes the barrier between man and God. He is the One who saves! The Greek word for salvation (sozo) is far more holistic than we often realize… immediate and eternal spiritual salvation from sin and death, but also physical and emotional healing as well as temporal deliverance from danger.

We are called to Believe (v.14, 16) childlike-expectation, trusting God to do the miraculous. Through the Gospel of Mark, we have seen Jesus loving people and demonstrating the power of God over sickness, storms, death, and the power of sin. He died and rose again to set us free from our fear of death (Heb. 2:14-15). 

Remember Mark 9:22-24? There the father brought his demonized son to Jesus and said, “If you can…” to which Jesus responded, “All things are possible to those who believe.” The man honestly responded, “I believe…help my unbelief!” This is my prayer.

God Works With Us (Greek sunergēo) (v.20) What a comfort! We don’t have to do anything alone. He is a help-mate, a co-worker, and a partner in the proclamation of the Gospel. His presence keeps us from fear and trembling.

We are called to go into all the world & proclaim the gospel to the whole creation (v.15) not just the clean, attractive, or receptive. We have to be willing to be dirty. Here the women were willing to go to the tomb and be unclean for seven days as a result. If they can do this for the dead, why can’t we do more for the living?

Remember Mark 1:40-45 when Jesus touched and healed the leper, despite the tremendous personal cost the healed man would create. We too need to make sure we do not view people from an economic perspective. Jesus works relationally.

God Confirms His Word (v. 17-18, 20), by the attesting miracles that followed. His word will not return void nor fail to accomplish the purpose for which it was given (Isaiah 55:10-11).

We are called to operate in the name and power of Jesus—working with God because he “has the toolbox, the know-how, and the desire” to fix what is broken in the lives of people (v.17-18). My knowledge, ability, and compassion may be limited, but Christ's isn't. 

Remember in Mark 10:46-52 when Jesus healed blind Bartimaeus? We need to stop going along with the crowd and minister compassionately like Jesus did, rather than telling hurting people to be quiet. We need to make sure we are not avoiding the challenges to our faith but rather embracing them in the love of Christ.

Let our feelings of inadequacy or insignificance drive us to review this chapter—Considering what God has done in us, what he is doing with us, and what we can do as a result. If we love Him we will obey His command to believe. 

Thanks for going on this journey with me!

Mark 16:9-20 — “When He Rose Early”

 

“Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs. (Mark 16:9-20)

Comments:

This passage in Mark 16 is often put in parenthesis because it is not in some of the earliest manuscripts. I have addressed this concern in a previous post on our Bible Answers blog so I won’t expand on it here.

What we find in this passage is like a brief (that is in Mark’s Dragnet “just-the-facts” style), and early harmony of resurrection experiences (John 20, Luke 24) and missionary experiences (Acts). We can see four different sections:

Garden Tomb, Jerusalem

Appearance to Mary Magdalene (v. 9-11). That Jesus appeared to Mary is also recorded in Matthew 28:1-7, and Luke 24:1-11, and the extended “Director’s Cut” is provided in John 20:1-18. I love the counter-cultural approach of Jesus to first appear to the faithful women (whose witness would be discounted) rather than the men.

Appearance to Two Disciples (v. 12-13). These two verses sum up the whole “Road to Emmaus” pericope found in Luke 24:13-35. What we see from this section is that not only did the disciples not believe the report of Mary and the other women, but they also rejected this (legal) testimony of two or three witnesses as well (Luke 24:36-44).

Appearance to the 11 where the Great Commission was given (v. 14-18). This section briefly sums up Matthew 28:18-20 and possibly Acts 1:8. They were commanded to go into the entire world as witnesses of the gospel (v.15) and those who would believe their message would be saved. Interestingly, they had two episodes of their own unbelief in response to the testimony of others, so perhaps they would be more patient and understanding when they themselves were not believed. What is unique in Mark's account is the list of signs that would “accompany those who believe.” They would deliver people from demonic influence, they would speak in new tongues, they would lay hands on the sick and they would recover. All of these activities have a lot of biblical support. It is the snakes and the poison part that has become a euphemism for ignorant hillbilly Christianity. Admittedly, much goofy and dangerous theology has been based on one clause of verse 18 (despite violating all orthodox principles of interpretation). However this was not a prescriptive verse telling people to pick up snakes, but descriptive of God’s protection of his witnesses in their travels. While it may be alluding to such OT passages as Numbers 21 and Jeremiah 8:17, it certainly hearkens back to previous teachings of Jesus about their conflict with the forces of evil (Luke 10:18-20) and looks forward to experiences like that of St. Paul on Malta (Acts 28:3-6). The gist of this section is that when you believe and testify to it, stuff will happen that causes people to glorify God.

The Ascension and Their Response (v. 19-20).

John Singleton Copley,
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Verse 19 summarizes all of Luke 24:50-52, and Acts 1:6-11 on the ascension of Christ. Much of the teaching in the epistles is also included in this statement of Christ’s victory and position in heaven. But the last verse is what brings it home. It is obviously a retrospective of the period covered by the Book of Acts. The apostles and disciples went out preaching while… (wait for it…) “the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.”

So what is our testimony? How do we see the Lord working with us today?

[Please note: My post is already too long—so no room for my brief sermon notes from 35 years ago. But then again, only one person wanted to see them!]

Mark 16:1-8 — Who Will Roll Away the Stone?

 

Dawn over the Mt. of Olives

Mark 16:1-8 

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ² And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³ And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”

⁴ And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large.

⁵ And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.

⁶ And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

⁸ And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

A Smaller version of that "Great Stone"

Comments:

When I read this section I remember preaching on it in my first sermon at Beaverton Foursquare Church as a student intern in the fall of 1985. In fact, I still have the notes…from the days before computers were feasible. My notes were typed on an electric typewriter. I dug them out of a filing cabinet today. Some of you my Facebook friends, were probably there that day. I am tempted to tag you!

The women were not looking for a resurrection. They were simply going to finish the hurried job of caring for the body of Jesus now that the Sabbath was over. Their concern was a practical one—who would be available to help them move the stone away? What I love about these women on their morning mission of mourning (sorry…I couldn’t help it!) was that they didn’t deny the obstacles—the unsolved problems—but neither did they let those unanswered questions keep them from doing what they could do.  

As it turned out, God took care of what they couldn’t do. He sent an angel to roll the stone away (Matthew 28:2) so that they could see that Jesus was no longer there. What is unmentioned in Mark is the soldiers guarding the tomb were trembling in fear like dead men before the angel, while the women took a tour, and only after the women left did the guards flee. Mark probably was wise not to rub that fact in for his Roman audience!

Who will roll away the stone? God himself will do what only He can do to enable our humble faith to receive His saving grace.

I wonder what it is that God is putting on our hearts to do? How will His love move us to serve Him today? Will it require us to get dirty? Is it something that will require him to move in miraculous power? It may well be something that once we begin in simple faith and limited understanding will become something far more wonderful than we could have ever imagined!

In case anyone is wondering what I said about this chapter in that first sermon, 29 years ago, I might tell you in my next post…if you want to know. For now let me say that after reading my notes, I was encouraged to find that I still believe today what I spoke about then so long ago.

Mark 15:42-47 — Crucifixion Courage

 

Mark 15:42-47 

And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph.

And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

Comments:

Jesus died on the cross as discussed in my last post. However, it is hard to believe that after all he suffered, many have thought that he wasn’t really dead. However, the expert testimony is in…be it medical forensics or simply one who would know better than any other when someone on a cross was dead…the centurion. Death on a cross comes by suffocation as the lungs fill with fluid and the victim has to pull themselves up to breathe. The legs of the other prisoners were broken to speed up the process, but Jesus at that point was already dead. Just to be sure the soldiers inserted a spear into his side and pierced the pericardium. The blood and “water” that came out also indicated he was dead.

What is surprising is the change in Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (John 19:38-40) from secret followers to men bold enough to go to the governor to request Jesus’ body in order to bury in his own tomb. It seems that Jesus’ death impacted them at least as much as it did the Centurion. Once obtaining Jesus' body they wrapped it in linen soaked in myrrh and aloes.

John 19:38-40 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.

When we can see the death of Christ, as it really was, and that it was for our sins how could we be unchanged? His selfless death changed formerly fearful "secret" believers into courageous followers...even if only to bury his body with respect.

I wonder how our own testimonies of faithfulness will motivate future generations of Christ-followers to greater courage and belief? 

May we finish well and may our faith produce good fruit!

Mark 15:33-41 — The Centurion’s Conclusion

 Mark 15:33-41 

And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 

And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 

And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 

And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 

And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

Comments:

How will Jesus respond to all the pain, rejection, and humiliation he was experiencing? 

While the account here in Mark is characteristically brief, when we read the Gospels horizontally we can build a rather detailed harmony containing all of Jesus' statements from the cross that shows us how he responded. However, in this gospel characterized by action, and written for a Roman audience perhaps the key is the response of the Roman centurion, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”  Whatever he saw in word and deed was enough to convince the previously hostile Roman soldier that this innocent man was also "the Son of God". Here is a classic cameo of John Wayne as the Centurion, "Awww, truly, this man was the Son of God."

Certainly, this would have been the hope of the Evangelist that those who would see Jesus’ actions through the pages of this gospel would come to the same conclusion. As we have read through the Gospel of Mark together over the last several months, what conclusions have we come to about Jesus Christ? Is he who he said he was or just a crazy messianic "wannabe"? He can't be merely a good teacher or a prophet. He is either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord! I have come to believe that it is the latter! He has saved me by his own blood.

------------------------------------------------------------

Just in case you wanted me to harmonize Jesus’ seven last sayings on the cross (which have been the subject of many great sermons) see the list below.

1. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) It’s not surprising to me that the first word on the cross is a prayer, for God to forgive those who were so cruelly abusing him.
2. “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”  (Luke 23:43). This second word was an answer to prayer, that of a single individual. The one thief who realized that he was getting what he deserved for his crimes but that Jesus was innocent…and the rightful king.
3. "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." (John 19:26-27) Jesus, as the eldest son took a moment, even in excruciating pain and struggling to breathe on the cross, to care for his mother. He gives her into the care of the Apostle John.
4. “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34) Jesus felt forsaken on the cross because he took all our sin upon himself and in that moment felt a separation from the Father that he had never previously known.
5. “After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), ‘I thirst.’” (John 19:28) This is the culmination of what we call “the Passion of Christ.” It is important to realize that passion does not mean "feelings of love" but rather experiencing "suffering & agony." Christ's suffering (passion) was the price God's love paid to buy us back from our own destruction.
6. “It is finished.” (John 19:30; likely the “loud cry” of Mark 15:37). The single Greek word Jesus spoke here (tetelestai) was the word stamped on a bill when it is paid in full, or on a prisoner’s list of charges when all their time in prison has been served.
7. “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46; John 19:30) Jesus wasn’t murdered; John makes it clear that he gave up his life willingly. From the circumstances at his arrest, to his conduct at his trial, and finally in the dismissing of his own spirit, Jesus is seeing to surrender his life for us willingly. 

Mark 15:21-32 — Exposed

Mark 15:21-32

And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.

And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull).

And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.

And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take.

And it was the third hour when they crucified him.

And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.”

And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.

Golgotha (the Place of the Skull), 
now looks down on an Arab bus station.

And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!”

So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.”

Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.

Comments:

Because Jesus had been so brutalized, with pain, blood loss, and shock taking their toll he could no longer carry his own cross. Remember that Roman soldiers could compel people to carry their load for them for up to a mile (Jesus taught people to go one more). I think this situation was a little different but Simon at least got his name in the Bible for this filling this role.

Athol Dickson wrote a gripping novel (Lost Mission) featuring a mysterious and centuries-old triptych[1] that could reveal the spiritual condition of the viewer by placing their likeness somewhere in the three-panel painting of the crucifixion. If we had to put ourselves into such a picture of the crucifixion of Jesus who would we be?

While we would like to imagine ourselves being represented by figures such as a grieving Mary, a responsible John, or a heroic servant figure like Simon of Cyrene, a more honest look inside our hearts exposes the truth and finds us…

in the soldiers' torture and tearing,

in Pilate’s giving in to pressure,

in the priests' testing,

in the “Aha!” and the “tsk-tsking” of those passing by,

in the thieves' reviling…

Yet it was for this moment that Christ had come. It was for these people, and it was for us. He went to the cross in complete submission to the will of God and experienced the physical, social, and spiritual pain, agony, and humiliation, full-strength rejecting the local anesthetic offered at the cross. One aspect of his humiliation that we don’t seem to spend much time thinking about is Jesus' emotional humiliation.  

What role did we play?

In our next post, we will consider Jesus' responses on the cross.

If you are interested in reading more about the emotional humiliation of Christ, the following is an excerpt from my “Do You See Him?” curriculum that I have used in some of my Bible classes.

Jesus' humiliation also applied to His emotions.  His feelings were crushed by the betrayal, the denial, the torture, and the public mocking.  But there is one thing further that struck me with new force as I again studied the accounts of His crucifixion.  The Bible says that He was stripped of His clothing by the soldiers in the courtyard when they mocked Him, and again at the cross.  As it is written,

Matthew 27:28 "They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head."

John 19:23-24 "When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining.  This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.  'Let's not tear it,' they said to one another.  'Let's decide by lot who will get it.' This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, 'They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.' So this is what the soldiers did."

I don't know if you have ever thought about it before, but it would seem from the context that they stripped Him naked.  How humiliating that must have been for the God of the entire Universe, the One who was without sin, to be stripped naked for all to see.  In art and in movies, of course, we see Jesus still covered by a loincloth type of garment, but in reality that was probably not the case.  Perhaps we can see a hint of the public's attitude and of Jesus' pain in the words of the psalmist,

Psalm 22:16-19 "Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.  I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.  They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.  But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me."

The people were staring and gloating over Jesus.  Can you think of anything more humiliating, if you have any modesty or discretion at all than to be abused terribly and then hung completely naked and helpless for all your enemies and your loved ones to see?  I can't.  Forgive me for being so graphic but I don't want us to miss the full impact of Jesus' complete emotional humiliation.  It is written,

Psalm 35:11-12,19 "Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about.  They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn . . . Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye."

Psalm 69:19-21 "You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you.  Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.  They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst."

Just as our sin, if not covered by God's grace, will one day be exposed, and laid naked for all to see, so Jesus, as he became sin for us, submitted to the humiliation of nakedness that began in the garden so long ago.

---

[1] A free-standing altarpiece made of three hinged panels, painted with related scenes. 

Mark 15:16-20 — Robes & Reeds: How Jesus Was Mocked

Mark 15:16-20

And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 

And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 

And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 

And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. 

And they led him out to crucify him.

Comments:

Christ Mocked by Soldiers, Roualt (1932)

In this short but painful section, we see many prophecies fulfilled. Jesus' own words were fulfilled. Remember how Jesus had predicted this back in Mark 10:33-34,

“See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief 
priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

When I read how they mocked Jesus, I can’t help but think about Psalm 1:1-2...

Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

We are not to be among the mockers…and yet at times, I wonder if our hypocrisy and stiff-necked responses to his claims don’t put us there!

They dressed him in purple, as a king and mocked him—for if he was indeed a king it was only a king of the Jews, which in the eyes of the Roman soldiers was not worthy of any true honor. [On a side note, the color purple, was present in the original Tent of Meeting (Exodus 26) where God gave very specific instructions. for its construction.  The veil was made of blue, red, and purple yarns—blue above (the color of divinity), red below (the color of man), and purple in the middle (the color of the Messiah, our great high priest who was both God and man Hebrews 2:14).] The robe was on his shredded back (from the scourging) just long enough for it to stick and start to scab…then they tore it off like a huge Band-Aid.

The scoffers of David’s time, the mockers of the passion of Christ, and the situation will be the same in the last days, as Peter would write,

 “This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Peter 3:1-4)

Will we see his amazing love poured out for us or will we settle for scoffing?

Mark 15:6-15 — The Voice (to Which We Listen)

 Mark 15:6-15

Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas.

⁸ And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them.

⁹ And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” ¹⁰ For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.

¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead.

¹² And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” ¹³ And they cried out again, “Crucify him.”

¹⁴ And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?”

             But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.”

¹⁵ So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Comments: 

The Governor—Pilate—listened to the people more than he listened to the voice of justice or the voice of his wife’s warning to have nothing to do with the innocent man Jesus (Matthew 27:19). Even though he sought to release Jesus, he was more afraid of the priests’ threat that to pardon Jesus would endanger his standing with Caesar. Pilate not only feared any potential loss of his position, but he too feared death and was enslaved by it.

The crowd—at least those allowed near Pilate—listened to the voice of the priests for whatever reward or in response to whatever intimidation they offered.

The chief priests listened to their own appetite for power and their fear of losing it. 

Can you hear the devil’s voice whispering, persuading, shouting, intimidating? Or are we swayed by appearances to choices less than just, less than loving, less than faithful to the vocation/calling God has placed on our lives? 

All three groups or individuals here was under the influence of demonic wisdom as described in James 3:14-16,

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

  

In contrast, the wisdom from above is described in James 3:13, 17-18,

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom… But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

There are voices all around us. To which voice will we listen? The fearful voices of selfish ambition or the gentle, pure, sincere, voice of the wisdom of God?

In a nod to The Voice (the popular singing talent show famous for their blind auditions where the judges/coaches can't see the contestant until they have heard enough to decide if they want them on their team), what voice is it that will make us "turn our chair" this week? 

Lord Jesus, give us an ear to hear your voice above all the others!

Mark 15:1-5 — Are You the King of the Jews?

Mark 15:1-5

And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate.

And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

And he answered him, “You have said so.”

And the chief priests accused him of many things.

And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.”

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

Comments:

Jesus was taken to Pilate and said nothing except to answer as to his identity that Pilate had called him the King of the Jews. As I have written previously, Jesus didn't defend himself against the false charges or the incomplete naming. So much is said today about the oppressor’s habit of naming the oppressed, but here Pilate names Jesus “King of the Jews” and Jesus didn’t object. Was Jesus the king of the Jews? Yes, but that was not everything that he was—he was so much more! Yet he felt no need to correct Pilate’s condescension.

Jesus carries his cross--mosaic in Jerusalem

Governments tend to be threatened by the authority of Jesus which is historically present in the lives of his followers. Ultimate authority does not rest with Caesar and for most rulers and realms this inflames their inferiorities and persecution spill over onto the church. However, like Christ, those who have come to realize that Jesus’ death and resurrection have removed the penalty of sin and opened up access to eternal life. Hence, what fear is there in death? If we don’t fear death it shows the superiority of the kingdom that we serve. Remember, Jesus came to set us all free from the fear of death, as it says in Hebrews 2:14-18,

^“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

He set us free from the fear of death! And because state control is ultimately related to the fear of death—we are no longer oppressed by the fear of death, because we have received eternal life in Jesus Christ. We don’t ever stoop to trying to establish the kingdom by force by attacking the servants of the oppressors like Peter did, but we explicitly trust in the heart of God and the Spirit of God to bring about the plan of God. If we overcome, in Christ, Jesus promises to give us a new name. 

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’" (Rev. 2:17).

So even when people consider us less than we really are we can like Jesus accept the part that is true, and trust God for the rest. 

Jesus knew his life was in the Father's hands. He knew his life was being given as a ransom for even those who attacked him. He knew who he was as the Father had named him, “Jesus” (Matthew 1:21; lit. Yahweh is Salvation) and declared, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11)

But here in this moment of trial…

• I wonder as to the expressions upon his face, the sense of eternity in his eyes.
• I wonder how the priest and leaders felt when he looked them in the face.
• I wonder if his countenance, though bruised and disfigured, glowed with the radiance of a pure spirit. Certainly, Pilate wondered and marveled at Christ.

 

Mark 14:66-72 — The First Rooster Crowed

 Mark 14:66-72

The Denial of St. Peter by Caravaggio

And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 

But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. 

And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 

But again he denied it.

And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 

But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” 

Photo by chuttersnap-xNCRkHVEqMY
 on unsplash

And immediately the rooster crowed a second time.

And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 

And he broke down and wept.

Comments:

In these verses, we have the story of Peter's infamous three-fold denial of the Lord. Having tried to stand with the sword and having been rebuked by Jesus, Peter had fled with the others. Then, most likely tormented by his own cowardice and failure, he tried to follow the Lord again "at a distance" (v. 54). Peter was following in his own strength, still trying to keep his promise but he could not pull it off. I picture him coming into the courtyard incognito complete with "trench toga" and dark glasses and trying to warm himself by the fire along with the people of the household. But his plan was foiled. He was recognized by a servant girl as having been with Jesus, but he quickly lied about knowing the Lord, and to maintain his cover he withdrew to the porch and a rooster crowed.

If I were to give a title to this passage it would be the rather King James-ish sounding "And the First Cock Crew." Why would I choose this title? As I mentioned in a previous post, there is something very powerful about the message of the first cock crowing. Jesus had told Peter that he would deny Him three times before “the cock crew twice.” Peter had denied the Lord once when the rooster crowed for the first time. Would that not serve to remind Peter of his vow and of the Lord's prophecy? Would one rooster be enough to turn him back from his path of denial? It seems that Peter gave no thought to that first wake-up call. I wonder how often our gracious Lord gives us the first rooster to wake us up and turn us back to him and his ways. I also wonder how often we pay no heed, or if we do notice we merely determine to try harder in our own strength and willpower rather than turning to the Lord in dependent prayer. Peter trusted in his own resources and failed the Lord. He lied (v. 68), he denied (v. 70), he even vilified (v. 71), then he "woke up" and went out and cried (v. 72).

Imagine Jesus, sitting in the court of the high priest being lied about and slandered by false witnesses, yet listening to one of your closest friends lie about even knowing you. Certainly, Jesus could hear Peter's vehement replies in the courtyard below, perhaps he heard little of the mock trial going on around him as his mind focused on the drama being played out in the shadows and firelight below. What does this tell us about Jesus? As I wrote previously, he was taking the rap for Peter even as Peter cursed and swore to others that he didn't know Him. Jesus also took the rap for us even when we did the same thing Peter did. 

Then the second cock crew and Jesus turned and looked at Peter (Luke 22:61) and Peter was never the same. There was no denying his actions. But thankfully it didn’t end there.

Previously Jesus had prayed that when Peter returned that he would have a great ministry for the Lord. Peter began to mourn right there and Jesus would pay the price for Peter's sin, the next afternoon by dying on the cross. 

Later, Peter’s full restoration took place on the shores of Galilee with Jesus’ thrice-repeated question, “Simon, do you love me?” (John 21:15-19). Then on the Day of Pentecost, Peter, empowered by the Holy Spirit, would speak boldly regarding Jesus Christ and 3,000 would be saved (Acts 2).

Have we seen Jesus look at us the same way—with deep love despite our painful failures? 

"Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). 

What is his love empowering us to do for him today?