“The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ” – Mark 15:1-34

Psalm 22:1-2
David assumes God has forsaken him.

Psalm 22:3-5
David reflects on God’s past deliverances of his forefathers, wondering why God doesn’t come to his rescue.
A problem with reading the Old Testament is that you can become frustrated because of reading all the miraculous deliverances by God and wondering why God hasn’t come to your rescue.

Psalm 22:6-11
Again David pleads with God to deliver him, feeling emotionally exhausted.

Psalm 22:12-15
When David says that God has laid him in the dust of death, that is another way of saying, “Why have you forsaken me?”
David must decide if he will turn against God because God has not delivered him or to remain faithful to God even though God seems to be completely disinterested in his situation.

Psalm 22:22-31
God does come to David’s rescue and the rest of the psalm is in praise and worship of God.
David’s rescue came suddenly. That is the way it is. You can be in your tenth year of pleading to God for help, then all of a sudden the needed help comes. One moment, the Red Sea will be there barring your crossing, then in the next moment there will be a Moses standing there with a staff and it will split. You have a decision to make: Will you endure in faithfulness until that day arrives? For some of you, your prayer may not be answered until the day of resurrection. Others may be surprised tomorrow. But the decision is still yours: Will you remain faithful?

This is the background for Mark’s account of Jesus’ crucifixion. He is going to tell the story against the background of David’s experience described in Psalm 22. Jesus is David’s son. All that David spoke in Psalm 22 describes not only what he, himself, experienced and felt but also what Jesus experienced and felt in His crucifixion, even to the point of uttering David’s same words spoken in Psalm 22:1.

Mark 15:1-5
Pilot is amazed that Jesus does not defend Himself, even seeming to be disinterested.

Mark 15:6-11
Barabbas was a man being held for murder and rebellion and the crowd demanded that Pilot follow custom and release one of the prisoners. Pilot offered to release Jesus because he knew it was out of envy that the priests had turned Jesus over to him. But the priests stirred up the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released instead.

Mark 15:12-15
When Pilot asked the crowd what should be done with Jesus, they shouted, “Crucify Him!” Pilot then chose to satisfy the wishes of the crowd and released Barabbas and handed Jesus over to be crucified. Pilot knew that it was unjust to hand Jesus over to their demands and he knew Barabbas was a murderer and undeserving to be released but Pilot is overwhelmed with the desire to please the crowd. Under the pressure of the crowd, Pilot made the wrong decision. What are you going to do on the day you have continuously prayed for deliverance and the Lord says one more day? What are you going to do about the silence of God? Are you going to do what is right?

Mark 15:33-34
Here Jesus cried out the same words David uttered in Psalm 22:1. Jesus deliberately chose to be crucified; He made no defense of Himself; and He did not call down legions of angels to deliver Him. By uttering these words, Jesus declared that God had chosen not to deliver Him.
Sometimes, being faithful to God feels like being forsaken by God. Choose faithfulness to God; follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, because you are not alone; He was there before you. He knows what it is like to be faithful even when it feels like you’re abandoned. Hang on for one more prayer, for one more day in faithfulness to God and do not give in to the pressure of the crowds. Though Jesus felt abandoned and was put to death, His resurrection was just three days away!

“The Tendency to Deny Jesus” – Mark 14:27-52, 66-72

The Quo Vadis Church in Rome, a short distance south of the old wall on the Appian Way was built to commemorate the legendary story of Peter leaving Rome during the persecutions of Nero and being met by Jesus and asking Him, “Where are you going,” which in Latin it is “Quo Vadis?” Jesus responded that He was going into the city to be crucified a second time. On hearing this, Peter, reportedly, had a change of heart and went back into the city to be crucified. Peter requested to be crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to be crucified in the way Jesus was.

Imitating the Lord Jesus sometimes means accepting suffering.

The tendency to deny Jesus is so prevalent in all of us and Mark zeros in on it in the 14^th chapter.

Mark 14:27-52
During the Passover meal, Jesus tells the disciples that they would all fall away from Him. Peter, however, is feeling pretty good about himself, having enjoyed a good meal with plenty of wine and denies emphatically that he would ever deny Jesus. When we find ourselves in comfortable surroundings and things are going well, it is so easy to say, “I’ll never fall away from the Lord.” There should be no room in our lives for a triumphalistic view of ourselves. All of us are just one temptation away, just one persecution away, from falling deep into sin.

When they had finished the Passover meal and had gone to the Garden of Gethsemane between the Mount of Olives and the temple mount, Jesus withdrew from the disciples and prayed in great agony about what He would shortly have to face and returned to find his disciples sleeping. Jesus warned them, Peter in particular, to watch and pray that they would not fall into temptation, reminding them that the spirit is willing but the body is weak.

Mark shows us that these disciples who were minutes before so sure of themselves now can’t even stay awake to pray and the big difficulty hasn’t even arrived yet.

Judas arrives, leading a crowd of armed men, sent by the chief priests, and kisses Jesus to identify Him to them. After Jesus is arrested, all the disciples deserted Him.
Most commentators believe that the young man who fled naked, leaving behind his linen garment, was the gospel writer, Mark. What Joseph did in holiness, to preserve his morality, the disciples did in unholiness and unfaithfulness, beating it out of town as fast as they could.

Mark 14:66-72
While Peter is warming himself by the fire, he denies Jesus three times, finally with an oath. Then the cock crows twice, reminding Peter that Jesus had warned him of this. Pray that you will not fail in times of temptation, trial, and seduction. Pray for God to rid us of the arrogance and pride that believes we are immovably faithful.

“The Christian Meal” – Mark 14:12-25

Earlier, we had the woman pouring the entire contents of an alabaster jar on Jesus.

Mark 14:12-15
Again we have mention of a jar which is symbolic of the departure of Jesus. It was unusual in that period for a male to carry water; it was woman’s work.
The disciples were to follow the man carrying the water to his house and ask him where the guest room is for the Teacher and the man is supposed to show them. When Jesus is involved, the most incredible things will turn out to be super easy.

Mark 14:16-21
The disciples found everything as Jesus told them.
Jesus reveals that one of the 12 would betray Him.

Mark 14:22-25
The Christian Meal — The Lord’s Supper.
Though the table is filled with a variety of food, the meal comes down to only bread and wine.
The bread is His body; the wine is His blood of the new covenant.

Jeremiah 31:31-34
A new covenant written on our hearts. It will become normal for us to obey. It will bring forgiveness. Everybody who receives this covenant will know the Lord.
He will bring healing because of this new covenant. It is a cleansing which is accomplished by blood. And at a future time, all will be free of sin and sorrow.

Eucharist, which is from a Greek word meaning “thanksgiving,” is an acceptable name for the Lord’s Supper since thankfulness for what Jesus did in saving us should be a part of the observance. Jesus will not drink wine again until He can drink it in the new, coming kingdom with His followers. This is in keeping with the prophets who paint a picture of the coming kingdom as a time of feasting with great quantities of wine. Not only is the eucharist a remembrance with thankgiving of Jesus’ sacrifice but a looking to the future feast in the new kingdom. Each time we partake of the meal we notice that someone is missing. Jesus is not here. We look to the future fulfillment of all God’s promises. But our meals remain for the time somewhat empty and sad.

The church at Philippi during Paul’s day had become concerned with betterment. They had succumbed to concertism, which is a gathering for no more reason than to see the show; no one is concerned with anyone else in the crowd; they are just their together. So many of our churches today have also succumbed to concertism. They show up because that is where the service is held; but they do not come to get connected or do anything sacrificial for the church.

Philippians 2:1-4
If we are in any way blessed by Christ, the relationship to Christ carries with it the necessity to be in relationship with each other.
Consider others as better than yourselves. We need to come together to treat others better than ourselves.

Three examples of this behavior — Jesus Christ, Paul himself, and two others, Timothy and Epaphroditus; Christ, an apostle, and two disciples.

Philippians 2:5-11
Though Jesus was God and entitled to be served, He did not come to be served but to serve.
These verses have been translated in several ways. Verse 7 begins in one translation as “but emptied Himself.” This has led to heretical interpretations which have Jesus emptying Himself of some of His divine attributes. But this is not the case; Jesus remained fully God. Better translations are “but made Himself nothing” or “but made Himself of low esteem.” If Jesus loses just one attribute of divine nature, He ceases to be God. What Christ emptied Himself of was the right to be served. He is the only one in the Universe entitled to be served.

There will come a day, however, when Christ shall exercise His right to be served and every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Philippians 2:16-18
As Christ has emptied Himself of the right to be served, we must also not insist on being served but freely serve others.
Verse 17 connects with verse 7. Christ and Paul should be thought of in this chapter as drink offerings.

Concertism is not Christian.

Philippians 2:19-24
Timothy considered the interests of the Philippians ahead of his own.

Philippians 2:25-29
Epaphroditus imitated the example of Jesus Christ in serving the Philippian church to the point of almost dying.

“Believing without Seeing” – John 20:1-29

Introduction: Vincenzo Camuccini’s painting of The “Incredulity of Saint Thomas,” located in a small chapel in Saint Peter’s Basilica.

John 20:1-2 – Mary Magdalene saw something but her interpretation was not of faith. Our flesh always jumps to an interpretation that is always faithless.
John 20:3 – Everybody’s running but not in faith.
John 20:4-9 – John believed Christ had risen because he saw with his own eyes that his body was missing.

John 20:19-20 – Jesus shows the disciples His hands and side. Their fear was turned to joy because they saw.

John 20:24-25 – Thomas, who was not present, declares that he will not believe unless he sees.

John 20:26-29 – Thomas believed because he saw and not because he relied on scripture or the apostle’s word. Faith is nothing more than taking the prophets and the apostles at their word. Blessed are those who have not seen yet believe.

“Being a Christian in a Cultural Christian World — Part II” – Judges 6:25-40

The best way to start breaking through the fog of a culture that is really confused is to sometimes read the people who have stood the test of time.
Augustine’s Confessions was a best seller in its day (written between 397 & 400 AD). As a young man, Augustine’s seeking mind turned to Manichaeism, which was a combination of Greek and Persian, Zoroastrian philosophy, seeking to resolve the dilemma of a loving God allowing evil and intense suffering. Manichaeism’s “solution” was to formulate the existence of two worlds, one good (characterized by light) and one evil (characterized by darkness). In a clash between the two worlds, man, originally of the light, became trapped in the world of darkness but retained some light. This type of philosophy is known as dualism and arises out of Gnosticism, which is of Jewish origin and later took on some elements of Christianity.
Augustine eventually rejected Manichaeism and became a great rhetorician and teacher of rhetoric and later became involved with Christians. One day, while feeling the need to become a Christian, he was in a courtyard and cried out to God how to become a Christian; then he heard a child playing a game and saying, “Pick up and read.” Augustine opened his Bible and it fell open randomly to Romans 13:13-14 and Augustine read, understood, and was converted.
Augustine’s life changed dramatically after this. Augustine, who had lived a thoroughly pagan life, living with a concubine, delighting in the bloody spectacles in the Colosseum, involved with Manichaeism, who found the only meaning to his life in fleshly pursuits, became Christianity’s foremost advocate and teacher. He joined with a group of Christian men who gathered to study together and eventually they found themselves in the North African City of Hippo, seeking a permanent place for their group. On entering the church of Hippo, the congregation, on learning that he was the famous orator of Rome, immediately made him their pastor.
Again, we are reminded that God can make great use of any life, no matter how far from Him that life has degenerated, if he will only turn to the Son of God in faith, submission, and reliance on the completed work of Jesus on the cross.

Judges 6:22
Gideon begins as a man confused about who God is and thus behaved in a confused, timid way. But in verse 22, we hear him exclaim that he has seen the angel of the Lord face to face. Now his life begins to change to that of a mighty warrior for God.

Judges 6:25-32
In addition to being a storm god, Ba’al was a fertility god and, in an agrarian culture, he was particularly important. His followers believed that, at the approach of winter, Ba’al went down into the nether world, allowing plant life to go dormant, and the only way to entice him back up to revive plant life and have crops was to have sex on his altar. This was the rationale of having temple prostitutes. The Asherah pole represented the female goddess-consort to Ba’al and was covered with sexual symbols.
Gideon is instructed by God to tear down the town’s altar to Ba’al and to build in its place an altar to Yahweh and use the Asherah pole as fuel for the fire of the altar.
When the town reacts by seeking to kill Gideon, Gideon’s father, Joash, deflects them by telling the town’s people that if Ba’al is a god, he can defend his own altar. So the town’s people decided to leave it to Ba’al, naming Gideon Jerub-Ba’al, meaning “Ba’al will contend with him.”

Judges 6:33-35
When the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples join forces, cross the Jordan, and encamp in the valley of Jezreel, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and He blew a trumpet, gathering the Abiezrites to follow him. Messengers were sent to the rest of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali so that they would join him.

Judges 6:36-40
But Gideon is still not sure about this and still not sure who God is and calls Him Elohim, the more generic name for God, and instructs God in doing another sign for him. God is patient with him and provides the desired sign.
Do not take Gideon’s actions as a pattern for deciding the course of your life. This is not a Christian way to make a decision.
Gideon isn’t trying to decide a course of action; he is really trying to find out if he is actually talking to God. He is still trying to find out who God is. It turns out that Ba’al, besides being a storm god and god of agriculture, is also a god of dew.

The Christian should use the wisdom of the Scriptures and supplement it with the light God has given him and the wisdom of the Christian community.

Hebrews 11:32
Saving faith is composed of knowledge, perseverance, and trust (or reliance). This verse in Hebrews is concerned with the perseverance aspect of faith.
This is difficult, and we need each other to persevere.

“Being a Christian in a Cultural Christian World — Part I” – Judges 6:1-24

The author of the book of Judges is thought to be Samuel.

The second generation of Israelites after the Exodus invaded the land of Canaan.

God’s plan was for Israel to be a light to the rest of the nations. But in Judges, we see that they fell far short of that goal by assimilating idolatry into their religious life. From time to time, God allowed them to be taken over or oppressed by neighboring nations and then eventually, when they had repented, providing them a deliverer who would restore their independence.

Judges 6:1-6
Israel did evil in the sight of God and the Midianites, primarily, and the Amalikites invaded the land and left the Israelites impoverished.

Judges 6:7-10
Israel cried out to God and god sent a (man) prophet to tell them where they went wrong.

Judges 6:11-12
The angel of the Lord appears to Gideon. The angel of the Lord is generally taken to be the pre-incarnate Christ, “Yahweh is with you, mighty warrior.” Gideon is a leading man in his community.

Judges 6:13-18
Gideon disputes what the Lord has said to him. But God tells him that He is sending him.
Gideon evidently does not recognize that he is talking to God. But Gideon asks for a sign.

Judges 6:19-24
Gideon prepares an offering to the Lord and the angel of the Lord touches the offering with his staff and fire consumes the offering. Gideon now believes.

It is hard to live as a true Christian in a nominally Christian culture.

Romans 12:1-2
We need to live with Christian distinctives in a cultural Christian world. Be all-in as a Christian. Allow yourself to stand out. Be in the world but not of the world.

“Let not your Hearts be Troubled” – John 14:1-16:7

John 14:1-3
The stark reality pervading much of the New Testament is the physical absence of Jesus.

“Let not your heart be troubled” is a preparatory statement to all that Jesus will subsequently say.

The first reason that we should not be troubled is that Jesus has left to prepare a place for us to spend eternity.

The second reason is that we have His promise to return.

John 14:12
The third reason we shouldn’t be troubled in His absence is that we, particularly the apostles, will be doing greater things than what Jesus has been doing.

John 16:5
A quick look around at the world should be enough for you to grieve that Jesus is not here with us.

In John, Jesus is giving us reasons why our sorrow and grief should be mitigated.

John 14:15-16
Jesus recognizes that while He was with the disciples His presence and guidance was a comfort to His followers; He was available to answer all their questions. But in going away, Jesus is sending another in His place to be a comforter to us, and in particular, the apostles. The Greek word used to describe the Comforter is paraclete, which means more than comforter; it carries also the idea of one called along side, a counselor, and an advocate. He is called the Spirit of Truth, God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is identical to Jesus in nature and in what He can do, though not identical as to person.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was not present with anyone permanently. We find David in Psalm 51:11, after his great sin of adultery, pleading with God not to take from him the Holy Spirit. But He is with us forever, to comfort and advise.

John 14:25-26
Let not your hearts be troubled. We have the writings of the New Testament because Jesus left and the Holy Spirit came.

John 14:17
The Holy Spirit will minister internally. That part that we cannot touch or do anything about is where He will minister.

John 14:18
The first way Jesus will come to you is at the end of the age when He returns.
The second way Jesus will come to you is by the Holy Spirit, so that when He comes He will be conveying the presence of Jesus Christ to you.

John 15:26-27
The Holy Spirit empowers us to be witnesses of Jesus.

John 16:6-7
It is for our good that Jesus went away. The Holy Spirit had to come within us so He could have a ministry to the world. We worship a trinitarian God. We are not just Jesus-worshipers. As Christians, we are also worshipers of the third person of the Trinity.

“Something is Missing from our World” – Mark 14:1-9

One of the themes in Mark is that most people respond to Jesus in inappropriate ways. Those who have responded to Jesus appropriately we call the church. So most of the people in the house of Simon the Leper respond to the woman’s act of pouring perfume on Jesus’ head by saying that it was a great waste. They don’t realize that Jesus is leaving. The only one who understands this is the woman.

John 16:5-11, 16
Even though we are saved, forgiven, and redeemed and we have the promise of resurrection from the dead and eternal life in the kingdom of God, there is a big hole in our world — Jesus has left it. This is something for you to grieve about, something to feel pain about. Some people will tell you that you have all you need as a Christian right now. But they just don’t get it.

Mark 13:1-2, 5, 9, 12-13, 17
Things are not right with our world because Jesus is not here. Something is missing from our world and we should be grieved because of it.

Mark 13:26-27
When Jesus returns there won’t be any mistake about it because He will come in the clouds and the dead will be raised from one end of the earth to the other. It will be something you have never seen or imagined before.

We are a people without our Lord. Every day should be a day we cry out for our Lord. We are a people in waiting.

“Even so, come Lord Jesus.”

“Suffering is Mitigated by Confidence in the Resurrecton” – Psalm 16:1-10

We can have confidence in God in the midst of suffering because God’s providence extends beyond the grave.

Psalm 16:1
David uses the term El for God. This term was used in all the surrounding cultures to denote the chief god, but, in Israel, to denote the one and only God.

Psalm 16:2
Here, David uses the term Yahweh for God. This name for God was introduced to Israel by way of Moses at the burning bush. It means “I am that I am” and speaks of the perfection, completeness, and self-existence of God. (Exodus 3:14)
David then refers to God as his Lord, Adonai, meaning master.
David understands that he has no righteousness of his own.

Psalm 16:3
David delights in the saints, the people of God.

Psalm 16:4
David relies on God’s grace and not on appeasement, as the pagans surrounding Israel do.

Psalm 16:5-6
This is an allusion to the book of Joshua, in which the tribes received their promised inheritance. David was of the tribe of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:3-15).

Psalm 16:7
The night is when one meditated on the law, the scriptures.

Psalm 16:8-9
David has confidence that he will dwell securely because he has put God in first place in his life. The right hand has significance in a military setting; a combatant holds a shield in his left hand and holds a sword with his right. The left has protection from his shield but the right is more vulnerable because he can be struck when he has his sword raised. So, with God on his right, he has protection there also.

Psalm 16:10
This psalm was quoted by Peter in the book of acts. It is foundational to the Christian faith.

Luke 24:44-45
Jesus informs His disciples that the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms have written about Him. They must be understood in the context of His coming.

Acts 2:22-32
Here, Psalm 16:8-10 is put in its right context.

We will all experience suffering but we can have confidence that at the end of our days our souls will rest securely in the hope of the resurrection from the dead.