Then I Saw His Grace, Now I’m A Believer (Mark 16:9-20)

Although he first appeared way-back in 1954, and hasn’t been in the daily comics since the year 2000, thanks to the recent Peanuts movie, all of us know Pig-Pen as the boy who has the cloud of dust and dirt constantly following him.

Charlie Brown once analyzed the cloud, saying, “Don’t think of it as dust.  Think of it as maybe the soil of some great past civilization.  Maybe the soil of ancient Babylon.  It staggers the imagination.  He may be carrying soil that was trod upon by Solomon, or even Nebuchadnezzar.”

Soon it will be time to watch, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.  It’s celebrating it’s 50th anniversary.

Pig-Pen thinks he’ll be disguised by his Halloween costume, but he is immediately recognized.  The cloud following him gives his identity away.

In these closing words of the Gospel of Mark, we are told of things that followed  the first believers as they were out in the world.

Is there something following you that gives you away?  It is one of the themes we will explore.

These verses also discuss things that can foil us – and by that I mean things hat can hinder and hamper our sharing.

I’ll organize my thoughts around two questions, directed to believers: #1 Is There Something Foiling Your Belief In Jesus?, and #2 Is There Something Following Your Belief In Jesus?

#1    Is There Something Foiling Your Belief?
    (v9-14)

If you have the NIV Bible, you’ll notice that the translators set-apart verses nine through twenty with a special footnote.  In the RSV, verses nine through twenty are printed in the margin.

What’s up with that?

There is a scholarly controversy about whether these verses were originally part of the Gospel of Mark; or if they were later added to the manuscripts.  Modern translations of the Bible suggest the Gospel ends with verse eight, and then acknowledge the disputed existence of what has come to be called “the longer ending” of verses nine through twenty.

The major concern is this: Two of the oldest existing Greek manuscripts (dated from 325 and 340AD) do not contain the longer ending; neither do about 100 other ancient manuscripts translated into other languages.

On the other hand, the overwhelming majority of manuscripts do contain these verses.

The question for us is this: Should we teach these verses as inspired?

What decides it for me is that many early Christian writers refer to this passage in their writings, which shows that the first Christians knew it was there and accepted it as inspired.

The Gospel of Mark was written somewhere between 65-75AD.  Not too long after, it was being quoted by the following men:

Papias, the bishop of Hieropolis, referred to verse eighteen, writing around 100AD.

Justin Martyr, an early apologist, quoted verse twenty in 151AD.

Irenaeus, a bishop in Gaul, quoted verse thirteen in 180AD.

There are several others we could cite.

Additionally, the manuscripts which omit the verses often leave space where they should be, indicating the copyist knew there was a longer ending to the book.

There is no good reason to overlook them.  We accept them, based on the testimony of the earliest Christians.

If you want to be controversial, and say that these verses should not be in the Bible, and therefore should not be taught as inspired, please admit that nothing they say contradicts anything in God’s Word.

This section contains three of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances before His Ascension.

Mar 16:9  Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

Mary had already been to the tomb once, and upon finding it empty, she ran to tell the disciples.  John outran Peter to the tomb, but waited outside while Peter went in.

Mary had followed them back.  They left, but she remained at the tomb.  As a result, she was the first person to see the resurrected Lord when He suddenly appeared to her.

This is the fourth mention of Mary by Mark, but he has waited until now to mention that she had previously been possessed by “seven demons.”  Why now?

Mark was ending the Gospel he wrote on a warfare footing.  Mary is a reminder that Jesus came to defeat the devil, and that He did defeat him.

We need reminding because, post-resurrection, the devil still goes about, like a roaring lion, seeking to devour people.  He is still the god of this world, the ruler of this world, the prince of the power of the air, the leader of malevolent principalities and powers.

We will be engaged in warfare against him until Jesus returns.  We have the advantage, because we serve the One Who has defeated Him, and Who is returning one day to finalize the victory.

Mar 16:10  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.
Mar 16:11  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

The first nonbelievers were the believers.  Jesus had repeatedly told them, over the last six months, that He would be crucified, then rise from the dead on the third day.  They had been to the empty tomb, and now they had eyewitness testimony from a reliable source; but they refused to believe Jesus was risen from the dead.

People sometimes accuse Christians of having blind faith, but disbelief is much more prevalent and powerful.  The average nonChristian has to ignore a ton of evidence that Jesus is risen.

Mar 16:12  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.
Mar 16:13  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

These “two” are the famous disciples on the road to Emmaus.   Jesus hid His true identity from them, asked them why they were so sad, then gave them a Bible study, pointing out everywhere in the Scriptures where the suffering of the Savior was predicted.  When He broke bread with them at their house, they realized it was the Lord.  He disappeared, and they ran back to tell the disciples Jesus had appeared to them.

“But they did not believe them either.”  One reason it is important to demonstrate the disbelief of the believers is that there is a theory that the disciples stole the body of Jesus to simulate His promised resurrection.  Not true; they were totally committed to not believing, or promoting, the resurrection of Jesus.

Mar 16:14  Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

In a moment Jesus will articulate the Great Commission that sent the eleven out upon their mission to share the news of His resurrection with the whole world.  How interesting that they were given first-hand experience with what it would be like when people disbelieved them.

A person’s disbelief cannot alter the facts.  Jesus is risen.

The eleven, along with many of the other first-followers of Jesus, were initially foiled by their disbelief of His resurrection.

Do you think they should be weeping and cowering in fear?  Or do you think that they ought to have been rejoicing and heading to Galilee, where Jesus told them He would meet with them?

They had the Word of God that He would rise, given to them repeatedly by Jesus Himself.  They saw the empty tomb.  They heard eyewitness testimony from credible individuals whom they personally knew.

I don’t think anyone here, who is a believer in Jesus Christ, has any doubts whatsoever about His resurrection from the dead.  We are not foiled by disbelief that He is alive.

So let me ask you this: Do we ever weep or cower in fear?  Are we always rejoicing and excited about the places where Jesus can meet with us, e.g., in the midst of our trials and sufferings?

I submit to you that there are things we believers disbelieve; or that we have a hard time believing.

For some, it could be a disbelief that you are saved.  Many Protestant churches have regular altar calls for believers to come forward and receive Jesus again and again and again.  It foils a Christian, keeping you from going on to maturity in the Lord.

For some, it could be a disbelief that God loves you.  There are any number of ways this is manifest, but one is when God allows suffering to invade your life.  Satan once said to God, concerning Job, “stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” (2:5).  Even if you don’t go so far as to “curse” God, too many believers have been stumbled by suffering.

Probably the thing that foils us the most is a disbelief in the power of the resurrection.  We touched upon this in our last study in the Gospel of Mark.  I know this is a problem because of the prevalence, in sermons and in books, of the promotion of the idea that there are several things I must do in order to be able to experience the power of the resurrection.

How many times have we been told, from the pulpit, that there are two things… Or three things… Or ten things, that we must do as Christians, if we want to be victorious?

Jesus promised to give us God the Holy Spirit as a gift.  What do you need to do in order to earn, or deserve, a gift?

Sadly, we sometimes promote the idea that gifts must be earned or deserved.  I remember a story in one of the Little House on the Prairie books in which an older child told his younger sibling that there was no Santa Claus.

His parents punished him by giving his younger sibling Christmas gifts, while giving him nothing.

We use gifts to manipulate people.  When God talks of gifts, we unfortunately project our own attitudes upon Him.

Jesus promised to give, and to send, God the Holy Spirit, to every believer.  There are no steps to receiving Him; it is all of grace, through faith.

That means I should believe that I can do all things through Jesus Christ.  Right now – without taking any steps.  I simply believe Jesus, and appropriate His overcoming power in my life.

True, I can quench the Holy Spirit.  I can grieve Him.  He is, after all, a Person.

When I do, I can repent, and immediately receive His empowering.

The eleven had the Word of God that He would rise.  They saw the empty tomb.  They heard eyewitness testimony from credible individuals whom they personally knew.

We have the Word of God that He has risen.  We see the empty tomb.  We have credible testimony from millions throughout the Church Age that Jesus transforms lives as we are born-again.

Don’t be foiled into disbelief – not for any reason.

#2    Is There Something Following Your Belief?
    (v15-20)

These last verses are tricky.  As a Bible teacher, you find yourself on the defensive.  Instead of explaining what they do mean, we spend a lot of time on what they don’t mean.

Mar 16:15  And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

This commission may have started with the eleven, and the few other followers of Jesus; but it is binding on every disciple after them.

We are to tell the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, everywhere we go, to everyone we can.

It is a brilliant strategy.  Mathematically, if you lead one person to Jesus Christ each year, then disciple the new believer and train him how to do the same with someone else, you will multiply yourself.

After one year, there are 2 disciples.  At the end of the second year, there are 4.  Third year, there are 8 followers of Jesus.  Fourth year, 16.  It doesn’t sound like much.

However, by year 33, you will have more than 8.5 billion Christians.

Mar 16:16  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

This is where it gets tough, and we start explaining what this doesn’t mean.  “Believes and is baptized.”  It sounds like you need both to be saved – belief and baptism.

Do you need baptism to be saved?

The answer is, “Yes!”  But hear me out before you think I’ve lost my mind.

Whenever we read the word “baptism,” we assume it means the ritual of water baptism.  It does not.  There are other biblical uses of the word “baptism.”

Jesus told His followers they would be “baptized” by drinking the cup of His suffering (Matthew 20:23).  That isn’t ritual water baptism.

The apostle Paul said that the Israelites were “baptized” into Moses (First Corinthians 10:2).  That isn’t ritual water baptism.

Most importantly, John the Baptist said of Jesus,

Luk 3:16  … “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

John the Baptist, who was baptizing folks as a ritual, in water, was obviously speaking of a different type of baptism altogether.  He was talking about a spiritual baptism.

Now we can take a fresh and informed look at the words of our verse:

Mar 16:16  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

The “baptism” in this verse is not water baptism.  It is Spirit baptism, an operation of the Spirit, and it is necessary for salvation.

G. Campbell Morgan stated it this way: “He who believes is the human condition; and is baptized is the divine [inward] miracle” that takes place.

In simplified terms, when a person’s will is freed by grace to believe the Gospel, that person is born-again of the Spirit.  Jesus baptizes that person into salvation.

In his Systematic Theology, Lewis Sherry Chafer writes, “every believer the moment he believes in Christ is regenerated, baptized, indwelt, and sealed [by the Spirit] for all eternity, and has the duty and privilege of continually being filled for life and service.”

After real Spirit-baptism, we practice ritual water baptism, to signify and give an outward testimony as to what has occurred in the heart.

In the letter James wrote, he says “even the demons believe” (2:19).  They do not believe to salvation; they are not “baptized” by the Lord.

You can believe but not be saved.  You must be born-again, born of the Spirit – baptized by Jesus with the Spirit.

“Yes,” baptism is necessary for salvation, but Spirit-baptism, not water baptism.

“He who does not believe will be condemned.”  Eternal conscious punishment in the Lake of Fire is part of the Good News.
It cannot be overlooked or understated.  People who refuse to believe, and are therefore not Spirit-baptized, will be consigned there.

How is that Good News?

For one thing, no one needs to be condemned.  Jesus was lifted up on the Cross to draw all men to Himself.  He conquered sin and death and the devil.  He is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to eternal life.  He is the Savior of all men – especially those who believe.  His grace frees the will to enable anyone to believe and be baptized.

For another thing, it is Good News that one day, in the future, believers will inherit an eternity characterized by purity and righteousness.  Sin will be no more; death will be no more; there will be no more tears.  After every opportunity has been given to people to receive Jesus Christ, those who willfully refuse must be absent from the perfections of Heaven.

Just when you thought all the tough commentary was over, here come verses seventeen and eighteen:

Mar 16:17  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
Mar 16:18  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Dr. J. Vernon McGee commented on these “signs,” saying,

The infant Church needed them, the adult Church is not without them.  They disappeared even in the early church, but they do manifest themselves on some primitive mission frontiers even today.

I think that’s fair; I can live with that as a solid, biblical analysis.  Only I would change it slightly.  Instead of “they do manifest themselves on some primitive mission frontiers even today,” I’d say, “they do manifest themselves anywhere according to the will and working of God.”

“In My Name they will cast out demons.”  If you read the New Testament, you’ll see incredible demonic activity when Jesus was ministering the Gospel.  Demonic possession, and the casting-out of demons, continued in the Book of Acts, but not to the extent that it had been.  Throughout church history there have been exorcisms, right up to the present day; and not only or always on primitive mission frontiers.

When Jesus was ministering on earth, one of Satan’s primary strategies was to have his demons possess as many people as possible.  He unleashed a veritable army of demons against Jesus.

Whenever and wherever Jesus encountered demons, He defeated them by casting them out.  He could do it if there were one demon possessing a person; or seven demons, as in Mary; or a legion of demons, as He had encountered in Gadera.

I think Satan has adapted his strategy over the intervening centuries.

Instead of having his demons possess vast numbers of people, he has them busy on other assignments; like inventing the internet.  (I’m only half kidding).

It struck me this week that nonbelievers read the accounts of demonic possession in the Bible and say it was all undiagnosed mental illness, while believers want to say that all modern cases of mental illness are really demonic possessions.

It’s obvious there are fewer instances of demonic possession today than there were when Jesus was battling the devil.  But if you ever encounter a real case, you will have the power to cast-out the demon.

“They will speak with new tongues.”  The Bible distinguishes between “tongues” and the “gift of tongues.”

“Tongues” refers to known human languages.

The “gift of tongues” refers to a personal prayer and praise language that is unknown.

We see a fulfillment of “tongues” on the Day of Pentecost when the 120 disciples gathered in the Upper Room had the Holy Spirit suddenly and powerfully come upon them.  They spoke in other “tongues,” defined for us in the passage as all of the known native languages of the Jews gathered in the Temple from all over the world.

This promise in Mark sixteen has nothing to do with the gift of tongues that is defined and described by the apostle Paul in First Corinthians.  He says,

1Co 14:2  For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.

I can’t say how often it happens, but don’t you think that if God needed you to speak in a language you never learned in order to share the Gospel, that He could still do it?

“They will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them…”  If you wrangle snakes, and try to poison yourself, in order to fulfill this promise, you are tempting God.  It is similar to Satan’s temptation of Jesus to throw Himself off the pinnacle of the Temple, because God promised to care for Him.

This was, and is, a promise that God can keep you safe from things like poisonous snakes.  The one example we have is Paul, shipwrecked on Malta, being bitten by a viper, but showing no signs of its deadly venom.

At the same time, Paul had just been shipwrecked.  It’s therefore not a blanket promise that no harm will ever come to you.

“They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”  Even among the eleven, and on into the Book of Acts, the believers could not go around healing everyone.  There were times of remarkable healing ministries; there were individuals who were healed; and there were those who grew sick and died – like some in Thessalonica.

The bottom line is this: Preach the Gospel and whatever God wills, it will follow the preaching.

Know this: We live in an era where God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.  We might prefer a more aggressive strategy of healings and exorcisms, while poisonous snakes are hanging from our extremities, and we’re drinking poison… But the Lord has deemed our weakness to be a more powerful testimony in the church age.

Mar 16:19  So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
Mar 16:20  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Every morning, with its new mercies, this is our situation.  Jesus, poised to return; disciples, tasked with proclaiming His death and resurrection while we patiently endure.

Any of these signs can follow you.  That’s up to the Lord.  I trust Him to know when, for example, a healing is a greater testimony than the patient endurance of suffering by the grace of God.

I think we can ask ourselves, the question, “Is there something following our belief?”

Let’s put it this way: “What do you leave behind?”

Are people encouraged about the Lord when you’re done talking with them?

Are their burdens lifted?

Are they ministered to by your compassion?

Can they see the difference Jesus has made in your life?

The answer to all those questions can be an effortless “Yes” as you appropriate the gift of the Holy Spirit to live out the life of Jesus Christ.

Victory Is The Spice Of Eternal Life (Mark 16:1-8)

If I say, “The Lord is risen,” what do you say?

“He has risen indeed!”

We don’t use it too much (if at all) in the West, but Eastern Christians have greeted one another with those words since very early in the history of the church.

There is no Christianity, and therefore no salvation, without the physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus.  As the apostle Paul declares, “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty” (First Corinthians 15:14).

We believe in the resurrection.  The question we want to explore today is this: Do we believe in the power of the resurrection of Jesus?

In other words, Does the resurrection make a difference in my daily life?

It made a difference on the very first ‘third day.’  The believers first to the tomb were initially apprehensive.  By the time they left the tomb, they were amazed.

Which word best describes you each day – apprehensive, or amazed?

I’ll organize my thoughts around two questions: #1 Do You Daily Approach The Empty Tomb With A Sense Of Apprehension?, or #2 Do You Daily Approach The Empty Tomb With A Sense Of Amazement?

#1    Do You Daily Approach The Empty Tomb
    With A Sense Of Apprehension?
    (v1-3)

Jesus made loud and clear His plans to be crucified and to rise from the dead on the third day.

Especially during the last six months of His earthly life, Jesus emphasized the importance and the necessity of His upcoming crucifixion as well as the triumph of His resurrection.

Mat 16:21  From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

He “began” to talk about this, meaning it became a constant topic in His teaching to His followers.  You might say it was the main theme of His last six-months of instruction to them.

The followers of Jesus had seen Him raise the dead.  Jesus also made the amazing claim that He had the authority to accomplish the resurrection Himself:

Joh 10:17  “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.
Joh 10:18  No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

Jesus was not misunderstood.  Even nonbelievers knew what He predicted:

Mat 27:62  On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate,
Mat 27:63  saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’
Mat 27:64  Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”

The point I’m trying to make is that the followers of Jesus had ample teaching regarding His resurrection on the third day.

Keep that in mind as we see the first three to approach the tomb.

Mar 16:1  Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.

We met these fine ladies in our last study, when they were at the Cross on Calvary as Jesus was crucified.  They were last at the Cross, and first to the tomb.  That, in itself, speaks of their great devotion to Jesus.

They “bought spices,” to “anoint” the body of Jesus.  Jesus’ body had already been spiced by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.  He had been washed, anointed with myrrh and aloes, then wrapped in a new linen shroud, according to the burial customs of the time.

There was no need for further spices or anointing.  Wrapped as He was, it wouldn’t be possible to anoint Jesus in any customary way.

Again we see the great devotion of these ladies.  They were coming with more spices, and would waste them anointing the exterior surface of the shroud, to show their love for the Lord.

Jews were restricted to walking only what was called “a Sabbath Day’s Journey.”  Forced to wait, these ladies set out just as soon as it was lawful to do so.

What’s funny is that there was no real agreement on how far that was.  The rabbi’s kept lengthening it through the years.

That’s one of the problems with those who insist you ‘keep’ the Sabbath.  No one agrees on what it means.  As soon as a rule is made, someone finds a way to change it, for their benefit.

Since we know what they are going to discover at the tomb, we can understand the reference to the Sabbath a little differently.

“When the Sabbath was past” is full of insight for us.  It’s a powerful statement letting us know that the old Jewish system, what we sometimes summarize by calling it “the Law,” has been fulfilled.  The keeping of Sabbaths, and the rest of the Law; the bringing of sacrifices; all of that ended at the Cross, and has been replaced by the power of Jesus’ resurrection.

The apostle Paul would say,

Col 2:16  So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,
Col 2:17  which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

Things like the Sabbath pointed to Jesus.  Now that He has risen from the dead, we find our rest in Him, moment-by-moment and day-by-day.

“The Sabbath was past.”  Don’t return to it, thinking you can somehow ‘keep’ a set of rules and rituals that are required for you to either attain, or to maintain, your salvation.

You are saved by grace, through faith in the risen Lord.  It is not by works.  The only work required is to believe in Jesus.

Mar 16:2  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

Today we would say “as soon as they could.”  I doubt they even slept the night before.  Without clocks to tell them the exact time, they’d be gauging the exact moment “very early in the morning” that they could honestly say the Sabbath was over.

Mar 16:3  And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”

They had a major obstacle to overcome.  A two-ton tombstone stood between them and Jesus.  It would take several strong men to open it for them.

The moment they could, they set out to perform a service that didn’t need to be done, against all odds that they could enter the tomb.

Have we seen devotion similar to this before in the Gospel of Mark?  In chapter fourteen a woman broke an alabaster jar filled with costly spikenard so that she could anoint Jesus for His burial.  It was, practically speaking, a total waste of resources.

But the Lord received it as an act of worship and, therefore, of infinite worth.

Was the devotion of these three ladies like that?  Was it an act of worship and, therefore, of infinite worth?

Not really.  The woman in chapter fourteen heard Jesus as He described His upcoming death.  She believed His words, and acted accordingly.  She anointed Him as if He was already dead, because she believed He would die just as He said.

The two Mary’s and Salome were coming to anoint Jesus as if He were dead, when He had repeatedly made it clear that on the third day He would be alive.

These ladies had lots of instruction from Jesus about His death, burial, and resurrection.  You might say it’s all Jesus talked about towards the end.

They obviously had incredible love for Jesus.

They had faith to believe that somehow the stone would be rolled away.

But they were fully convinced that Jesus was dead and gone.  They were coming to anoint what they believed was a corpse.

Let’s be real.  They should have brought lawn chairs, to sit outside the tomb to await Jesus’ resurrection.

The Lord’s teaching about His resurrection had no immediate effect on these ladies.  They approached life as if He were dead.

I want to make a comparison to us.

It seems it is possible to be a Christian, and to believe Jesus rose on the third day, but to not understand the power of His resurrection in your daily life, thereby approaching life as if He were dead.

I get that from something Paul said in Colossians 3:1-2.  Let me read it to you in a paraphrased version of the Bible called The Message:

Col 3:1  So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides.
Col 3:2  Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ – that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.

Paul saw some believers as if they were “shuffling along” in their walk with the Lord.  They were not acting as if there was a power available to them by which to live-out the Christian life.

Paul in another place expressed his own constant desire, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection…” (Philippians 3:10).  It seems by his wording that I can “know” Jesus, believing He is risen, but not walk in the “power of His resurrection.”

What is “the power of His resurrection?”  Pastor Greg Laurie puts it this way:

… the resurrection of Christ gives us power to live the Christian life (see Romans 8:11).  Certainly the Bible does not teach that we will be sinless in this physical body we now live in.  On the other hand, we can sin less, not by our own abilities, but by the power of the Spirit.

Christ can make us altogether different kinds of people.  We must believe that. “Old things have passed away… all things have become new” (Second Corinthians 5:17).

Another author wrote:

The resurrection is more than just an event that happened once in history.  It’s the source of the power you can experience in your own life, every day.  The same resurrection power that brought Jesus from death to life is available to you, and if you tap into it, you’ll see amazing transformation in your own life, too.

How do we appropriate all this power?  The risen Lord lives in us by His Holy Spirit.  As Billy Graham says, “His divinity inhabits my humanity.”

You can live the Christian life not in your own strength, but in the strength of a risen Savior.  You can plug into power every day, by faith.

Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Like the two Mary’s and Salome, you can be wonderfully devoted to Jesus, bringing Him costly gifts as a token of your worship.  But you can be shuffling along, defeated rather than victorious, because you are not appropriating by faith the power of His resurrection that is always immediately available to you.

Are you apprehensive most of the time, wondering how some giant stone that stands in your way is going to be overcome?  Then receive the power of the resurrection that is yours by faith.

There are no steps.  There cannot be any steps to appropriating the power of the resurrection because you need it to take any step with the Lord in the first place.

If I say, for example, “You must deny yourself, and then this resurrection power can be yours,” the truth is that you need to tap into the power of the resurrection in order to deny yourself.

One reason we shuffle along is because we put the cart before the horse; or, in this case, we put the deed before the power to accomplish the deed.  We establish rules to live by that we think are prerequisites to receiving the power of the resurrection, but those rules are really obstacles that keep us mired in self-effort.

There is nothing for you to do, except receive it by faith.

#2    Do You Daily Approach The Empty Tomb
    With A Sense Of Amazement?
    (v4-8)

Looking for something to do in Los Angeles?  Why not take a tour of Forrest Lawn Cemetery.

From their website:

Ride in climate-controlled comfort on the Forest Lawn Trolley as you hear about our historic and beautifully landscaped grounds on this two-hour tour led by one of our trained docents.

New for 2016 is the “Hail to the Chief Tour.”  First Lady Abigail Fillmore has agreed to come up from the “other side” and take you on a fascinating trolley tour of Forest Lawn that will highlight the people that had ties to the White House or have held high political positions locally.  

Our tomb-visiting ladies are about to get a private tour of Jesus’ tomb with a very talkative supernatural docent of their own.

Mar 16:4  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away – for it was very large.

First item on the third-day tomb-tour was the tombstone.  It had been “rolled away.”

First thoughts about it were, “How?,” since it was described as being “very large.”

Matthew’s Gospel tells us an angel had rolled it away; but the ladies missed that.

The stone wasn’t rolled away to let Jesus out.  In His many post-resurrection appearances, its clear that Jesus can appear and disappear places at will.  We like to say He can walk through walls, but we’re not sure how He does it.

The stone wasn’t rolled away to let Jesus out, but to let us see in.

Mar 16:5  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

He’s an angel.  Mark is telling us how he appeared to the ladies.

If you recall, in a previous study we said that Mark called this angel a “young man” so that we’d connect him with another ‘young man’ in an incident at the arrest of Jesus.  I’d encourage you to review that study.

Under any circumstances, it would be alarming to enter a tomb and find someone hanging out in there.  It was eerie.

Remember – they still fully expected to find the body of Jesus.

Mar 16:6  But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.

Like a good docent in a tomb-tour, the angel gives the ladies all the pertinent data.

This was, in fact, the very tomb in which Jesus had been laid.

The angel calls the Lord “Jesus of Nazareth” because that is how the ladies were thinking about Him.  They were seeking the Jesus who was from Nazareth, as if He were a mere man.

Had they received His teaching on the resurrection, they’d have come, without spices, to worship the Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The angel reiterates that Jesus “was crucified.”  He gives his own verbal death certificate.  Jesus was really, really dead when He was laid in the tomb.

But here it comes: “He is risen!”  I wonder if the angel practiced how he would say it.  Where would he put the emphasis?  How loudly would he say it?

After all, these are arguably the most glorious words spoken in the history of the human race.  Neil Armstrong’s historic “one small step” comment pales in comparison.

“He is not here.”  Well, duh.  Why state the obvious?

I don’t know why, but it smacks of, “You just missed Him!”  In fact, Mary would see Him in just a few minutes (but not in this Gospel record).

They were encouraged to “see the place where they laid Him.”  We know – again from other accounts – His shroud was still there, as was the garment that covered His face.

The angel was encouraging them to see for themselves; to look at the evidence.

The resurrection of Jesus is a historical fact.  The Bible encourages you to see for yourself; to look at the evidence.  There is no theory of man’s that has ever been sufficient to counter the facts as they are presented in God’s Word.

As Josh McDowell says, there is evidence for the resurrection that demands a verdict.

Mar 16:7  But go, tell His disciples – and Peter – that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

They immediately received a mission.  It smacks of the grace of God.

For one thing, they had completely missed the truth of the resurrection.  They came seeking dead Jesus, not risen Jesus.  That kind of dullness usually goes unrewarded by men.  But it’s just the thing God is looking for, to bring Him glory.

For another thing, they were women, and in that culture the testimony of women meant very little.  Yet God chose as His first witnesses, women.

The Lord had promised His followers they’d meet-up after His resurrection in Galilee.  He wanted them to know that meeting was still on His calendar.

A lot had happened, but the Lord was in charge of it all.  His plan was unfolding exactly as it was, well, planned.

The two words, “and Peter,” are incredible.  The Lord was reaching-out to Peter, to let him know he was restored.  Peter, who had denied the Lord three times, was still part of the plan.

It establishes that the resurrection guarantees us forgiveness and insures our fellowship with Jesus.

I can envision Peter asking, “Did he really say that?  Are you sure?  He actually used my name – Peter?”  It would have washed over him as waves of joy.

I love that song, “He Knows My Name.”  Benny Hester, an early Christian rock performer, had a song in which he sang to Jesus, “though some know me well, still nobody knows me like You.”

Jesus knows you and yet loves you.  If that isn’t at once terrifying and awesome, then you think too highly of yourself.

Mar 16:8  So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

They launch-out on their mission to tell the disciples, saying “nothing” to anyone else, with a reverential fear.

They “trembled and were amazed.”  We always downplay feelings as Christians.  For example how many times have you heard that agape love is a choice, not a feeling?

If you’ve attended church, or listened to Bible studies, you’ve heard that a lot.

I understand that, and it’s true; but it doesn’t somehow cancel-out feelings.

God has feelings.  He is a personal God with a mind, emotions, and a will of His own. To deny God’s feelings is to deny that He possesses personality.

We could cite passages where the feelings of love, laughter, compassion, jealousy, anger, hate, and joy are attributed to God.

This isn’t to say that our feelings and God’s are the same.  All of God’s feelings are rooted in His holy nature and are always expressed sinlessly.

Since it is alright to have feelings, let me ask you this: Do you tremble before God?

“Wait a minute,” you say; “I thought Jesus was my Friend, yet you say I must tremble in fear before Him?”

That isn’t the kind of trembling I had in mind.  More like the trembling you have when you’re in love.

For tremble, substitute the word twitterpated.

(That’s not something that happens to you on social media)

It means to be overcome by romantic feelings.  It means to be smitten.

It was first used in the 1942 animated classic, Bambi.

Thumper: Why are they acting that way?

Friend Owl: Why, don’t you know?  They’re twitterpated.

Flower, Bambi, Thumper: Twitterpated?

Friend Owl: Yes.  Nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the springtime.  For example: You’re walking along, minding your own business.  You’re looking neither to the left, nor to the right, when all of a sudden you run smack into a pretty face.  Woo-woo! You begin to get weak in the knees.  Your head’s in a whirl. And then you feel light as a feather, and before you know it, you’re walking on air.  And then you know what?  You’re knocked for a loop, and you completely lose your head!

Thumper: Gosh, that’s awful.

You’re to be twitterpated AND you’re to be “amazed.”  That word means ecstatic.

Its understandable that you may have left your first love for Jesus.  It happened to the Christians in Ephesus, who were attending a really great, Bible-teaching church, whose corporate and individual works were commendable.

It’s understandable that you may have left your first love, but it’s not OK.  It’s inexcusable.  You and I should, spiritually speaking, still tremble with amazement at our resurrected Lord – Who is our heavenly Bridegroom.  We should be ecstatic about salvation.

After all, the Lord is coming for us in the clouds.  He’ll be walking on air when He comes.

Shouldn’t we be ‘walking on air’ waiting for Him?

The Persuasion Of The Body Snatcher (Mark 15:40-47)

The last lines in books and movies should capture the meaning of the entire story.

Can you identify this famous last line: “Well, I’m back.”

Those are the last words spoken by Samwise Gamgee to end J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy trilogy, The Lord of the Rings.

Sam is an everyman character.  He’s the guy we are supposed to relate to in the story.  He’s a guy quietly going about his daily routine who is suddenly pressed upon to do something remarkable.

He returns from the journey changed, never to be quite as quiet or as timid, but valuing more than ever getting back to his routine life.

“Well, I’m back” captures perfectly the fact that his extraordinary exploits had preserved ordinary life in the Shire.

My thoughts went to Sam because of something we see in the verses we are about to read.  Mark introduces us to Joseph of Arimathea.  He steps forward out of nowhere to claim the body of Jesus, to assure He is prepared for a proper Jewish burial.

Joseph is a closet-disciple who is suddenly pressed into service to do something remarkable.

Mark also calls our attention to the group of women who had been following Jesus around as He ministered to others for three-and-one-half years.  They served Him, performing routine, you might even say, mundane tasks.

I mostly identify with the group of women.  My service to the Lord is generally pretty routine.

I’d like to identify more with Joseph, and do something remarkable.

The routine and the remarkable will be our theme.  I’ll organize my thoughts around two points: #1 Don’t Think That Your Routine Service For The Lord Is Insignificant, and #2 Don’t Think That You’re Remarkable Service For The Lord Is Inconceivable.

#1    Don’t Think That Your Routine Service
    For The Lord Is Insignificant
    (v40-41)

Mr. Miagi’s training regimens in The Karate Kid are the classic example of a person coming to realize the significance of the mundane.

He had Daniel sanding his floors, waxing his cars, and painting his fence and his house.

When Daniel complained he wasn’t learning karate, Mr. Miagi asked him to demonstrate the repetitive movements:

“Show me sand the floor.”
“Show me wax on, wax off.”
“Show me paint the fence.”
“Show me paint the house.”

Each movement turned out to be a defensive response.  What seemed repetitive and routine to Daniel was really quite significant in preparing him for his tournament.

Most of your daily activities as you walk with the Lord are pretty mundane, pretty routine.  “Wax on; wax off.”

Never think they are insignificant.  Doing everything as unto the Lord is honorable in itself, and it prepares you for whatever may be coming your way.

Mark introduces us to a group of ladies whose routine daily life was to minister to the mundane needs of Jesus.

Mar 15:40  There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome,

Mary of Magdala is how it should read.  Since there were so many Mary’s following Jesus, this one was distinguished from the others by reference to her Galilean hometown of Magdala.

This is the first mention of her in Mark’s Gospel.  The earliest reference to her is in Luke 8:2, where it is recorded that Jesus cast out of her seven demons.

She is mentioned twelve times in the New Testament, making her the second most mentioned woman, after Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Except in John 19:25, Mary is always named first in these lists of women.  We can therefore deduce that she held an unofficial position of leadership among the women.

Mary of Magdala has been the victim of slander by church officials.  Specifically, that she was a prostitute.

The Roman Catholic Church was guilty of fastening this slander upon Mary when at Naples, in 1324, it established its first “Magdalen House” for the rescue and maintenance of fallen women.

There is zero biblical evidence that Mary was a prostitute or a notorious sinner.

Nor was she the girlfriend or the wife of Jesus, as is sometimes portrayed in extra biblical literature.  For one thing, the fact that she assumed a leading role among the women argues for her being a much older woman.  We may imagine her in her twenties or thirties, but she was just as likely above fifty or sixty years of age.

Most of the references to her are found in the crucifixion and empty tomb accounts, where she is portrayed as a loyal disciple at the foot of the cross, and as one of the first witnesses to the resurrection.

The next Mary is distinguished by her sons.  “James the less and Joses” must have been well known in the early church.  The nickname “less” apparently served to distinguish this James from other men of that common name by a reference to his stature.  He was either a little guy, or one of those big guys that you call “tiny.”

Salome’s name appears only in Mark’s Gospel (15:40; 16:1).  A comparison with Matthew 20:20 and 27:56 indicates that she was “the mother of Zebedee’s children,” the apostles James and John.  From a comparison with John 19:25, it is commonly held that she was also the sister of Jesus’ mother.

Mar 15:41  who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

Numerous other women followed Jesus to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.

Mary, Mary, and Salome ministered to Jesus when He was in Galilee; and they “followed Him” when He was outside of Galilee.  They were constantly serving Him.

Think, for just a moment, about Jesus and the Twelve, and sometimes many more, traveling from place to place, as Jesus preached the Gospel.  There was grocery shopping to be done; there were meals to be prepared; clothes needed laundering and mending.

Everyday… Day-by-day… For three-and-one-half years.

They did it, quite literally, as unto the Lord.

So ought we to do our mundane and routine activities as unto the Lord.

Col 3:17  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

For some of us, it’s going to be “wax on, wax off,” for the better part of our lives.  It is not insignificant if we are where the Lord wants us, doing what He wants us to do, in His Name, and for His sake.

At the same time, we don’t want to settle for the routine if and when the remarkable presents itself.

#2    Don’t Think That Your Remarkable Service
    For The Lord Is Inconceivable
    (v42-47)

In the Old Testament, Amos was a herdsman, and a grower of figs.  About 755BC, God called him to leave his farm in the southern kingdom of Judah to go and prophesy judgment against the northern kingdom of Israel.

It was altogether remarkable:

He had no formal training as a graduate of the School of the Prophets.

He had no informal training.

He had no experience.

As far as we can tell, his remarkable ministry as a prophet lasted just a few months.  Afterward he returned to his hometown of Tekoa and, presumably, lived-out the rest of his life as a rancher and farmer.

No formal training… No informal training… No experience.  Sounds like us!

There’s an ‘Amos’ in all of us, and we see that in Joseph of Arimathea.

Mar 15:42  Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath,

“The Preparation Day” was a technical term that described the daylight hours on Friday leading up to sundown Friday, when the Sabbath began.  Because no work was to be done on the weekly Sabbath, you must make preparation for it ahead of time – doing whatever needed to be done to avoid work.

The regular, weekly Sabbath was sundown Friday through sundown Saturday.  It was never, and it is not, Sunday.  Sunday is not somehow the ‘new’ Christian Sabbath.

Because we know Jesus was the fulfillment of Passover, and therefore was crucified at the same time the Passover lambs were being slain in the Temple, we know the date was the 15th of the month Nisan on the Jewish calendar.

We’re not sure of the year, although it was most likely 33AD.  That date is based on the classic and scholarly work of James Usher in the 1600’s.  In 33AD the 15th of Nisan fell on a Friday.

The Hobbits had “second breakfast.”  Jews had a first and second evening in their reckoning of each day.

Jesus died shortly after 3:00pm.  “Evening” here means the first evening, from mid-afternoon to sunset, and not the second evening, from sunset to dark, since Jesus was buried before sundown.

It was probably about 4:00pm.  Since no work could be done after sundown, time was at a premium if Jesus were to be prepared for burial.  There were only about three hours remaining til sunset.

But, wait a minute.  In all His talking to His disciples, about His crucifixion and resurrection, no instructions had been given about His burial.  It seemed to be a major flaw in His plan.

God is always able to provide for His plan.  That’s essentially what providence is – God providing for His plan, without violating human free will.

In this case, God prompted a man to step forward.  He was compelled, obviously, by the Holy Spirit, Who gave him boldness.  But it’s clear he was acting freely, and could have refused.

Mar 15:43  Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Joseph comes out of nowhere.  We meet him for the first time.  So Mark provides some basic background information.

Joseph was yet another common name in Israel.  This was the Joseph from “Arimathea.”  We don’t really know where that was.  It may have been the town we know as Ramah.  Wherever it was, Joseph now resided in Jerusalem.

“Prominent” stands alone as a descriptor.  It means he was socially connected, held in esteem, and wealthy.

The “council” he was a “member” of was the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin.  It consisted of seventy-one men.  Think of it as a kind of Supreme Court.

Interesting but totally unimportant factoid: Several aspects of the U.S. Senate, including the semi-circle seating of the senators, were derived from the Jewish Sanhedrin by the Founding Fathers.

“Waiting for the kingdom of God” indicates Joseph was a spiritually-minded man.  He was a devout Jew, in the best possible sense of their religion.

But, wait a minute.  Wasn’t it the Sanhedrin that had condemned Jesus of blasphemy, and had turned Him over to Rome as an accused traitor to Caesar?

John’s Gospel reveals that Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus but that fear kept him from making any public confession of his hope (19:38).

Luke notes that “[Joseph] had not consented to their decision and deed” (Luke 23:51).

Today we might label Joseph a closet Christian.

Nicodemus, who came to Jesus at night, shared a closet with him.  I can only imagine them at the meetings, looking at each other, probably each hoping the other would be courageous enough to speak up.

Neither one did speak-up.

Before we criticize either or both of them, consider if there has ever been a time you or I held our tongue out of fear of sharing Jesus.

Closet Joseph suddenly gave way to courageous Joseph, coming forward asking Pilate for the body of Jesus.

Mark doesn’t mention him, but Nicodemus also stepped-up.  He bought the spices that were needed to prepare Jesus for burial, and he helped Joseph get Jesus down from the Cross.

Courageous doesn’t begin to describe Joseph’s actions.

Pilate must have been in a foul mood.  The Jewish ruling council that Joseph was a member of, had cornered him into releasing a notorious terrorist, BarAbbas, and executing an innocent man, Jesus, against his better judgment.  They had made a fool of him, pressuring him into a terrible decision.

I can’t imagine Pilate would be happy to see a member of the council, or hear any more talk about Jesus.

Besides risking possible repercussions from Pilate, the Sanhedrin would be very unhappy to see one of their members showing compassion for Jesus, even in His death.

Political pressure, and peer pressure, were against Joseph.  Pressure had kept him quiet before, but not any more.

We would attribute his boldness to the Holy Spirit coming upon him.  Still, he had the choice to obey or disobey.

If Joseph had balked, God would have raised-up someone else.

It’s reminiscent of Elijah in the Old Testament.  On the run, being hunted by evil Queen Jezebel, Elijah complained to God that he was alone is his devotion.  God responded by telling Elijah He had seven thousand people who were loyal to Him.

It seems they were in the closet, but any one of them could be tapped to step-up.

God is never without resources.  He has made ample provision to see His plan for history, to redeem the human race, to its successful completion.

It’s our privilege to be a part of God fulfilling His plan. He’s chosen to use believers as His agents, rather than, for example, angels.  It seems inefficient, but in reality it’s brilliant, because God’s strength and glory are revealed in our weakness.

Mar 15:44  Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.

Death by crucifixion could take days.  The Romans liked to prolong death as a deterrent to crime.  Cruel and unusual punishment was the goal.

The centurion in charge of the crucifixion doubled as the coroner.  A seasoned soldier who had undoubtedly killed men on the battlefield; and a skilled executioner who crucified men for a living; he knew when a person was really, really dead, and not just ‘mostly’ dead.

You could say that the centurion issued a verbal death certificate.

Mark goes to great lengths to establish Jesus’ death on the Cross.  It’s a good thing he did, because one of the false theories about Jesus is that He wasn’t dead; that He revived after being taken off the Cross.  Not true; He was officially pronounced dead.

Mar 15:45  So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

The word used for “body” is carcass.  It’s a strong word, again intended to communicate that no life was in Jesus’ physical body.

Mar 15:46  Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.

I found this quote regarding Jewish burial customs in the first century:

As soon as a person was dead… his body was to be washed.  In this washing, the body was anointed with perfumes.  Nard was the most usual of these, but myrrh and aloes were also used.

By the time of Christ, the custom was that the body was elaborately wrapped in a shroud and the face was covered with a special cloth called a sudarium.  The hands and feet were tied with strips of cloth.

All of this happened in very short order; burial usually followed within eight hours of death.  In such a hot climate, burial could not be delayed.

John’s Gospel tells us that the tomb was near the place of crucifixion (19:42).  It had been cut out horizontally into the side of a rock cliff.  Such carefully hewn tombs were common around Jerusalem and generally belonged to well-to-do families.

It was Joseph’s own tomb (Matthew 27:60) and had never yet been used (Luke 23:53).  Jesus’ burial in a rich man’s tomb was a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:9, “And they made His grave with the wicked – But with the rich at His death…”

They “rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.”  The stone was not a rough boulder but a large, circular, flat stone, fitted in a groove, which could be rolled back to open the tomb when necessary.  It was heavy, and would require several men to roll it open.  The stone was rolled over the rectangular entrance to keep out grave robbers and animals.

Mar 15:47  And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

If, in fact, Salome was the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus, we may speculate that she went to comfort her.

Mark includes their observation of the tomb to counter-act another of the false theories about the resurrection of Jesus.  They say that the disciples went to the wrong tomb on Sunday and, finding it empty, only thought that Jesus had risen from the dead.

People will believe almost any lie about Jesus rather than admit they are sinners who need to be saved.

Like Amos, Joseph of Arimathea burst onto the scene at the behest of God’s providence to perform a remarkable service.

I said earlier that there was an ‘Amos’ in all of us.  Allow me to clarify.

I think we’d agree that the Holy Spirit came upon Amos, and Joseph, giving them the boldness to serve the Lord in these remarkable ways.  For their part, they chose to not quench the Holy Spirit, but rather to yield to Him.

So when I say there’s an ‘Amos’ in all of us, I’m really talking about God the Holy Spirit’s effect upon us.

If Amos and Joseph could be given boldness, how much more can we have boldness, since we have the Holy Spirit permanently residing within us?

We’ve further been promised His coming upon us, to empower us, as a gift to be received by faith.

I’ve made a comparison between us and the women and Joseph:

Like the women who followed Jesus, most of our serving is routine, but it is never to be considered insignificant, since it can be done as unto the Lord.

Like Joseph, we should not think it inconceivable that we be empowered to do something, or some things, that are remarkable.

Joseph is especially encouraging because we’re told he was afraid in John’s Gospel.  We see him hiding his faith in Jesus.

How is that encouraging?  The Lord nevertheless chose him to serve.

Jesus looks for the unlikely.  If you’re here today, cowering in fear of men, hiding your Christian faith, barricaded in the closet, know this.  You are not disqualified from being called upon to step forward and be used by the Lord.

You may, in fact, be the perfect candidate.  It goes against our thinking, but God delights in using frail, broken vessels, in order that the glory might be His and not ours.

Joseph was empowered to do this one thing, and afterwards nothing more is known about him.  I think we’re on safe ground to say he went on to walk with the Lord, but as far as the biblical record is concerned, he pinch-hit this one time.

I don’t want to give the impression that we therefore can only perform one remarkable deed in our lifetime as we walk with Jesus.

The way to think about it is this: We should do everything as unto the Lord, expecting at any minute to do something out of our routine that is remarkable.

It could happen once in your lifetime… Or once a day… Or once an hour.

Leave it up to the Lord.  He is the one providing for His plan.

For your part, believe you have received the empowering of God the Holy Spirit, then walk by faith, not quenching Him.

Sinful Simon Met The God-Man Going To The Cross (Mark 15:16-22)

When Sean Connery, in The Untouchables, derides his attacker for bringing a knife to a gun fight, he doesn’t realize it’s an ambush.  Moments later he’s sprayed with machine gun fire.

Superior weaponry isn’t always obvious.  That’s no where more true than in what we refer to as spiritual warfare.

I would go so far as to say we almost always wonder, if not worry, if our spiritual weapons are up to the task.

Part of our confusion has to do with our understanding of what constitutes victory.  In spiritual warfare, victory can look an awful lot like defeat.

If a believer is persecuted for his or her faith, then martyred, praising Jesus with their final breath… Is that a defeat, or is it a victory?

It’s a substantial victory in terms of spiritual warfare, even though it appears, to the nonbelieving onlooker, like a defeat.

Mark is moving closer to the Cross upon which Jesus will die.  First he recalls the Roman soldiers mocking the Lord, and beating Him, and spitting upon Him.

It was part of the spiritual warfare Jesus was waging against His enemies.  Despite appearances that He was being defeated, Jesus was victorious over an entire garrison of soldiers.

Spiritual warfare and its weapons and its warriors will be our theme as we work through these verses.

I’ll organize my thoughts around two points: #1 Jesus Demonstrates The Weapons Available To You In Spiritual Warfare, and #2 Jesus Identifies The Warriors Available To Him In Spiritual Warfare.

#1    Jesus Demonstrates The Weapons
    Available To You In Spiritual Warfare
    (v16-20)

In The Avengers, Thor’s brother, Loki, is captured by Captain America and Iron Man.  It turns out that he let himself be captured so that he would be taken to the hovercraft to be on board to aid in its destruction, and the downfall of the super heroes.

Jesus was captured by the Roman soldiers and the Jewish Temple guards.  He let Himself be captured because He was on His way to the Cross, to destroy the works of the devil, and to conquer sin and death.

Jesus had a single objective His entire life: To die on the Cross as God’s final sacrifice for the sins of the world.  In the Gospel of John, talking to His Heavenly Father about the Cross, He said, “for this purpose I came to this hour” (12:27).

It seems, in regular warfare, there is always a heavily defended hill to be conquered.  Heartbreak Ridge comes to mind, for you who can remember the Korean War.   Hamburger Hill in Vietnam is another example.

Jesus’ objective involved conquering a hill.  As we will see, the hill was called Calvary.  To get there, Jesus would have to go through the Roman soldiers holding Him.  He’d have to survive, first their scourging (which He had done); and second, their mocking (which we see here).

Mar 15:16  Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.

One of the commentators I consulted, who seemed familiar with Roman customs of the day, insists that this treatment of Jesus was unprecedented.  It wasn’t how Romans normally treated a prisoner in their custody who was on his way to be crucified.

Mark says, “the whole garrison” was involved.  The overkill is a clue that something sinister was going on.

It’s not a stretch to say that Satan was inspiring them to mock and mistreat the Lord.  The Bible says that nonbelievers are taken captive by Satan to do his will.

What was the devil’s objective?

He may have been coming at Jesus hard in order to convince the Lord to say “No!” to the Cross.

Three-and-one-half years earlier, after Jesus stepped forward to begin His public ministry, Satan had tempted Him in the Judean wilderness.  One of his temptations was to offer Jesus all the kingdoms of the world without having to go to the Cross.

It seems likely the devil would again attempt to derail Jesus from going to the Cross.  He may have thought Jesus was at His most temptable on account of the things Jesus had recently said aloud:

The devil had heard Jesus plead with His Father, in Gethsemane, three times asking Him to “take this cup” of suffering from Him.

The devil had heard Jesus tell Peter as He was being arrested that He had at His disposal twelve legions of angels, who could at any moment be called upon to put an end to His suffering.

This is my conjecture, but perhaps the devil thought that Jesus could yet be coerced into abandoning His life’s mission.  That He could break Him, as it were, through psychological and physical torture.

Action movies always have a torture scene, where the villain tries to ‘break’ the hero.  After beating the good guy mercilessly, they pull-out some psychological torture, e.g., threatening to kill innocent family members.

Mar 15:17  And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head,

Mocking Jesus as King of the Jews was a physical torture, for sure.  But it was psychological, too.

After all, Jesus WAS King of the Jews, and more.  He was, and is, King over everyone, and everything.

It was a genuine temptation for Him to end His suffering by acting as King, perhaps by calling on those twelve legions of angels for an air strike to deliver Him.

Mar 15:18  and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

The verb tenses that are used indicate this went on for quite some time.  They “began” to torture Jesus, and they kept at it.

Mar 15:19  Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.

Mark is very matter-of-fact in his presentation of the torture.  He’s methodical.  It almost lacks emotion.

Sometimes the facts themselves evoke more emotional reaction than a visual representation.

I was watching In the Heart of the Sea, the recent Ron Howard directed film that purports to tell the true story that inspired Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.  They got to the point where it was time to reveal that the open-ocean survivors had to resort to cannibalism.  Instead of showing anything, one of the characters dispassionately described the proper procedures for cannibalizing a human being.

It was so much more effective than showing it would have been.  It left me sick to my stomach.

Make no mistake.  Jesus was being tortured.

Mar 15:20  And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

They had dressed Jesus as the King of the Jews, and now they put His clothes back on.  It was symbolic of His victory over the soldiers.

Instead of taking-up His deity to save Himself, represented by the kingly clothing they had dressed Him in, Jesus went forward clothed as a man, onward up the hill, to the Cross.

Let me ask you a question: Do you think Satan is stupid?

Clearly he is not stupid.  Twisted, hateful, vicious, yes; malevolent, for sure; but not stupid.

God had revealed His plan to come into the world as a man and defeat Satan all the way back in the Garden of Eden.  From that moment forward, the devil tried to keep Jesus from ever being born:

He incited Cain to murder his brother, Abel, in an attempt to cut-off the godly line.

He incited demons to somehow pollute human genetics by having them marry and mate with human woman, producing weird offspring.

The devil tried to have baby Moses killed, so that Israel would have no deliverer.

When the birth of Jesus was announced, Satan incited King Herod to have all the young children murdered in an attempt to keep Jesus from accomplishing His mission.

I don’t think Satan believed he would win if Jesus died on the Cross.  I think the devil did everything he could to stop the Lord from ever getting to the Cross – and that included this torture by the Roman garrison.

Jesus was victorious because His objective wasn’t to escape custody, or to kill the soldiers, or to overthrow the Roman Empire. His objective was to go to the Cross, to go to Calvary, to take the hill… And after the mocking He was still on mission.

We agreed earlier that martyrdom was a spiritual victory.  All you have to do is read the story of Stephen in the Book of Acts to see that the death of a Christian, for his or her faith, defeats our enemies.

It’s the nuclear option and Satan has no counter strategy against it.

You and I are probably not going to be martyred.  Christians certainly are being martyred, at an ever-growing rate.  But I don’t really expect it in my life, in America, anytime soon.

We can be, and we are, being mocked and mistreated.  I’d go so far as to say we are being psychologically abused by the devil using nonbelievers – his ‘garrison’ – out in the world.

It’s spiritual warfare; yet our first impulse is usually something carnal like demanding our rights.  We attempt to fight the battle with weapons that are similar to those being used against us.

The early Christians were impressed with how Jesus handled His mistreatment.  Peter wrote,

1Pe 2:23  … when [Jesus] was reviled, [He] did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

Let me give you a disclaimer: We live in a free society, and we do have civil rights.  I’m not advocating always abandoning them, or saying that we can never invoke them.

I am saying that our witness, and the Gospel, are more important than our rights, and that means sometimes we should act and react the way Jesus demonstrated for us when He was tortured by the garrison.

Will it appear as though you are being defeated?  Yes, it will; but you will be victorious on the spiritual level, where things really matter.

The apostle Paul, in discussing spiritual warfare, said, “we wrestle not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12).  When your boss is mistreating you… Or your friends or family are mocking you… There is something deeper going on behind the scenes, something spiritual below the surface.  They are being taken captive by the devil to do his will.

Draw from your arsenal.  God the Holy Spirit lives in you and can give you peace and patience and perspective as you pray and stand upon the Word of God.  He can tell you what to say, what not to say, and when to say or not say it!

Jesus defeated the garrison as a Spirit-filled man.  So can you defeat your enemies.

Maybe this will help.  Real spiritual victory is me being Christlike in the midst of my sufferings.  Me being worldly is always a defeat.

#2    Jesus Identifies The Warriors
    Available To Him In Spiritual Warfare
    (v21-22)

The Huns, led by the ruthless Shan Yu, invade China, breaching the Great Wall via grappling hooks.  This prompts a panicked soldier to light the sentry fires.  As a result of the invasion, each family is given a conscription notice.  Mulan’s father, Fa Zhou, has to serve in the army, but due to his age and previous war injuries, it’s doubtful that he will survive.  Mulan secretly disguises herself as a man, then takes her father’s conscription notice, armor, and weapons so that he will not have to go.

Especially in times of war, those in authority have broad powers to conscript people and property.

On His way from the Praetorium to Calvary, Jesus falls under the weight of the Cross He is carrying.  A passerby is conscripted into carrying the Cross for the Lord.

Mar 15:21  Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.

A condemned man would typically be guarded by four soldiers and preceded by another soldier who would bear a placard stating the crime of which the prisoner had been found guilty.  There’s some evidence that the soldier with the placard would also shout out the crime as the procession proceeded.  The lead soldier might be riding a horse, but not always.
They would purposely take a long route to the place of crucifixion, winding through the streets.  The Romans wanted to instill fear, as a deterrent to crime.

The man being taken to his place of execution would be carrying either the whole cross, or the cross beam, or the upright.

The Bible doesn’t specify what part of His Cross Jesus was carrying.

We are not directly told, but it is safe to assume that Jesus fell under the weight of the Cross as He made His way towards the place of His crucifixion.

He had already suffered tremendously, and was weakened:

He had been awake all night.

He had sweat great drops of blood while praying in Gethsemane, indicating great physical stress.

He had been handled roughly at His arrest.

He was struck at the house of Annas.

He was struck repeatedly in His trial before Caiphas.

Pilate had Him scourged, a vicious whipping that often left men dead, but certainly meant massive blood loss and shock.
The garrison had beaten Him for an extended period of time, hitting the thorny crown on His head repeatedly with a solid rod.

It’s amazing Jesus was still alive, let alone that He could carry the Cross any distance at all.

Let alone that He would go on to grapple with dark forces for several hours on the Cross.

At that moment, Jesus had no human strength.  He could go no further.

Have you ever felt crushed by the weight of your suffering?  I’ve never been in a physical place like that.  There have been a few times in my life when the trial that I was in, that Pam and I were in, was so crippling psychologically that I didn’t see how we could possibly get up from it, and go on.

The apostle Paul was all too familiar with crushing suffering:

2Co 1:8  For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.
2Co 1:9  Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,

In your walk with Jesus, you will sometimes have more than you can handle; but it will never be more than the Lord can help you carry.

Just when it seemed Jesus would not make it to Calvary, the Roman soldiers leading Jesus to His crucifixion conscripted a passerby to carry the Cross.  He’s identified as “Simon, a Cyrenian.”

Cyrene was in Northern Africa.  Think modern Libya.  There was a large community of Jews in that region of Africa.  The historian, Josephus, tells us that the Pharaoh sent a number of Jews from Egypt to Cyrene around 300BC in order to strengthen Egypt’s claim to the region.

Simon may have been on a pilgrimage from Cyrene, some 800 miles away.  If so, he’d have been walking for about 60 days in order to arrive at Passover.

Alternatively, he may have been a local who was distinguished from other “Simon’s” by giving his place of origin.

One of the soldiers saw him, went over to him, and laid his sword on Simon’s shoulder to signify he was being conscripted to help.

Way to ruin Passover.  Carrying a criminals bloody cross to the place of execution for the oppressing Roman army was on no Jewish person’s bucket list.

The Roman soldier who tapped Simon with his sword certainly seemed in command, but I think, with spiritual hindsight, we’d say it was God acting providentially.

Providence is God providing for His eternal plan by acting in history, but without violating human free will.

Simon’s being conscripted provided that Jesus would get to Calvary and fulfill His mission.

If we pause for a moment, we might recall there were two additional things that Jesus had recently conscripted for His use:

On Palm Sunday, to make His entry into Jerusalem, Jesus rode a donkey.  The disciples were told to go into town where they’d find the donkey tied-up outside.  If asked why they were taking the donkey, they were to answer, “The Master has need of it.”  Jesus conscripted the donkey.

To celebrate Passover with His disciples, Jesus told Peter and John to go into town and find a man carrying a pitcher of water.  They were to follow him to a house, then tell the owner that the Lord was going to have Passover in the upper room of his house.  Jesus conscripted the room.

Those two conscriptions lend credibility to our argument that this was indeed spiritual warfare, with the objective that Jesus take the hill.

The encounter changed Simon’s life for eternity.  We conclude that his life was transformed by Jesus because of the mention of his two sons, “Alexander and Rufus.”  Their names, with no further explanation, tell us that they were well-known to the believers reading Mark’s Gospel.

It means they were well-known believers.

Some time before the Gospel of Mark was written, Simon received Jesus as his Savior.  So did his boys.  It was all put in motion by a seemingly random encounter of Simon with a condemned man on His way to be crucified.

Had he been five minutes earlier, or later, he would have missed this divine appointment.  It lends credibility to the statement, “There are no coincidences.”

Before we leave Simon and Alexander and Rufus, let me share a few facts about them:

Though we can’t say with 100% accuracy it’s the same guy, “Rufus” is mentioned by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans, where he says, “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine” (16:13).  If it is the same Rufus, then we see that his mom, Simon’s wife, was also a believer, and especially dear to Paul.

A burial cave in the Kidron Valley discovered in 1941 by E. L. Sukenik, belonging to Cyrenian Jews and dating before 70AD, was found to have an ossuary inscribed twice in Greek “Alexander Son of Simon.”  An ossuary is a container in which the bones of the dead are kept; it is sometimes called a “bone box.”  We cannot be certain that this refers to the same person; but it’s likely that it does.

Jesus was pressing forward to the Cross, and His Father was giving Him aid along the way.  What looked like defeat when Jesus fell was really an incredible victory.  Every step He took was hard-fought ground that He was conquering on His way to Calvary.

Mar 15:22  And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.

In first century Israel, Aramaic was spoken as well as Hebrew and Greek.  “Golgatha” is the Aramaic form of the Hebrew word meaning “skull.”

I keep saying that the hill was called Calvary.  “Calvary” is derived from the Latin calvaria, “a skull.”  We are Skull Chapel of Hanford.

The name cannot mean that skulls were lying there; unburied skulls would not be tolerated by the Jews, and the singular number is against it.

Most probably, the name was derived from the shape of the place.  It bore the resemblance of a human skull.

In 1842 a German theologian and biblical scholar from Dresden named Otto Thenius was the first to publish a proposal that the rocky knoll north of the Damascus Gate, which, as Thenius noticed, resembled a skull, was the biblical Golgotha.  The site he suggested is today known as Skull Hill or Gordon’s Calvary.

While this is the site most accepted by Protestants, we cannot be certain, and there are other suggestions.

The biblical wording does suggest Calvary is a hill.  “To the place Golgotha” literally means, “upon the Golgotha place.”  The preposition upon denotes not direction but rather attainment of a position upon.  It is consistent with the view that Golgotha was a knoll – a hill – that could be seen from afar.

Jesus fought His way through the enemy to take the hill.  We’ll see Him successfully complete His mission in the subsequent verses of chapter fifteen.

Simon of Cyrene was conscripted to be a warrior.  It didn’t look that way, but it was that way in the spiritual warfare being waged.

It establishes that God has, at His disposal, any number of warriors.  Simon was a nonbeliever at the time, but God could use Him.

Obviously, believers are God’s primary warriors.

Can you think of a time you were conscripted into serving the Lord?  In one sense, your whole life ought to be lived as if you’ve been conscripted to bear the Cross, dying to yourself in order to serve the Lord.

I came across this quote:

We followers of Christ are born conscripted into a spiritual army.  Drafted by re-birth.  A duty mandatory and necessary but still voluntary.  

Psalm 144:1 reads,

Psa 144:1  Blessed be the LORD my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle.

You are a warrior, surrounded by spiritual warfare.

Spiritual victory can look an awful lot like defeat when, in fact, you’re winning hard-fought ground.

It’s never a defeat to be like Christ.

Pilate Error (Mark 15:1-15)

“Pilot error” is a term used to describe a decision, action or inaction by a pilot or crew of an aircraft determined to be a cause or contributing factor in an accident or incident.

Pardon the bad pun, but I want to ‘hijack’ the term, and apply it to Pontius Pilate.  He is forever associated with his grave error.

Knowing that Jesus was innocent of any wrongdoing, Pilate caved to the crowd and condemned the sinless Son of God first to a vicious scourging, and then to death by crucifixion.

Mark’s account of Pilate emphasizes a title given to Jesus –  “King of the Jews.”

It occurs here for the first time in his Gospel, but it does so three times in our passage, and a total of six times in this chapter.

Pilate marveled at the dignity of the King, but he caved to the din of the crowd.  It causes us to ask these two questions of ourselves: #1 Do You Marvel At The Dignity Of Your King?, and #2 Do You Cave At The Din Of The Crowd?

#1    Do You Marvel
    At The Dignity Of Your King?
    (v1-5)

Jesus certainly did not look like much of a king, standing before Pilate.  After the early morning arrest in Gethsemane, Jesus was assaulted by one of the officers of Annas, the former high priest.  Then, being tried by Caiphas, the son-in-law of Annas and the current high priest, Jesus had been blindfolded and struck repeatedly by members of the Sanhedrin and their officers.

He must have been bruised and bloodied.

We should also take into consideration that Jesus was rather common looking.  The Bible never gives any physical description of Him.  The closest thing we get to a description is in Isaiah 53:2, where we read, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.”  Isaiah adds that Jesus would grow up like a plant out of dry ground with no form of kingly majesty.

Several times in His ministry He was able to slip away into a crowd without being noticed.  He didn’t stand-out in any way.

Jesus’ appearance was just like that of any other Jewish man.

His appearance was about to change.  After Pilate was through with Jesus, He would barely look human.

Isaiah predicted this, too, saying, “His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness” (Isaiah 52:14).

He may not look like the King of the Jews, but after observing Jesus through His ordeals, Pilate would be described as “marveling” at Him.

Pilate would be struck with a sense of wonder at the dignity of Jesus.

Mar 15:1  Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.

Mark is very concise.  He omits many details.  Since his words were God-breathed, we want to be careful to follow Mark’s train of thought without getting distracted by historical details from the other Gospels that he doesn’t include.

It’s important we know the whole story; and that we realize what Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell us is absolutely true, historically.  Nevertheless each of them edits the details so that God the Holy Spirit can apply the text to our hearts.

Each Gospel tells the story in a way that is designed to do what only the Bible can do: discern between your soul and your spirit, to bring you spiritual life and insight for living it.

The chapter starts with the word “immediately.”  The Jewish authorities couldn’t wait to be rid of Jesus.  They were first in line at Pilate’s place.

It seems as though our political leaders can’t wait to be rid of Jesus.  No prayer in schools… No posting of the Ten Commandments in government buildings… No Nativities on public  land… Drop the word “God” from the pledge, and the words “In God we trust” from our money… No invocations at City Council meetings.

They think they have Jesus “bound” by political correctness.  He remains King no matter the efforts of the ungodly to dethrone Him.

Pilate governed the areas of Judea, Samaria, and the area south as far as the Dead Sea to Gaza.  As prefect he had absolute authority over the non-Roman citizens of the province.  He was responsible to the Roman governor who lived in Syria to the north.

The Sanhedrin must involve Pilate because, as a subjected people, they no longer had the power of capital punishment.  If Jesus was to be executed, it had to be by Rome.

As Christians in America, we sometimes feel like a subjected people, having what we deem our “rights” taken away.  I suggest true power, spiritual power, rests with us.

I believe we should do all we can, participating in the political arena, to stand for righteousness.  Vote; sign the petitions; call your elected officials.  It makes a difference in a free society.

But do not ever depend upon those things.  They are no substitute for the power of the Gospel to transform lives, and through those lives, to transform society.

We are losing on many fronts, legally.  The long-term solution remains the Gospel, and getting people saved.

Evangelism is not an afterthought.  More saved individuals means more political impact.

Mar 15:2  Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”

The Sanhedrin had pronounced Jesus “Guilty!” of blasphemy for claiming to be their Messiah, and for claiming to be equal with God.

Pilate, representing Rome, couldn’t care less about a charge of religious blasphemy.  So what did they tell him about Jesus?

Pilate calls Jesus “King of the Jews” because the Sanhedrin accused Jesus of trying to lead a political rebellion against Rome.

That’s something that would get Pilate’s attention.

When Pilate sees Jesus, I think it’s with something like sarcasm that he asks the Lord, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  It was almost comical to Pilate to think that this seemingly powerless, nondescript, bruised and bloodied Jew, was capable of leading a revolution.

Jesus didn’t look, or act, like any king Pilate had ever dealt with.

Jesus answered, “It is as you say.”  In other words, “Yes.”

We know Jesus was the rightful King, the promised Messiah.  He had come offering the Kingdom of God on earth.

The Jews in authority rejected Him, and thereby rejected the Kingdom from being inaugurated at that time.

There is a lot of confusion about the “the Kingdom of God.”  For example, some say we are in it now, but give no further explanation.

There is always a spiritual Kingdom, which is God’s rule, in the heart of believers.  It is an invisible, spiritual Kingdom.  In this way, we are currently in the Kingdom.

It’s also true that God remains in charge of history.  He is always King  above all the earthly kingdoms of men, and the current rule of Satan, who is called the Prince, and Ruler, of this world.  It’s biblical to refer to God’s over-rule of history as the Kingdom of God.

There will also be the literal Kingdom, that will commence after Jesus’ Second Coming when He will be physically present to rule from Jerusalem in Israel for one thousand years.

Mar 15:3  And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.

Jesus did not need to “answer” accusations because He had already given His testimony:

The works He had performed for the last three-and-one-half years spoke volumes.

So did His teaching, described as having a heavenly authority no one else on earth had ever demonstrated.

His sinless private life prior to His public ministry was solid testimony, too.

Jesus doesn’t need to “answer” accusations that are marshaled against Him any more today than He did then.  While it’s good and right for us to be ready to give an answer to those who have sincere questions, the answer is to surrender your heart to Jesus.

Mar 15:4  Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!”

We might be sensing frustration in Pilate.  Jesus’ silence was making it hard on him to release the Lord.

I suggest that Jesus’ silence was an answer.  Jesus’ dignity was His answer, communicated by His keeping silent in the face of false accusations.

Mar 15:5  But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

He “marveled,” or it could be translated, “he was full of wonder,” or “he was amazed.”

Pilate had never interrogated a prisoner like Jesus.  I can’t help but think that Pilate had the sense that Jesus was the One in charge – not him.

There was a dignity about Jesus, as well as a mystery, and – I dare say – a veiled power.

At one point during His arrest in Gethsemane Jesus told Peter, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53).

Not only that, when they came to arrest Him, Jesus spoke, and all the soldiers and Temple guards fell backward.

That kind of power, just below the surface, can be sensed.

Mark’s writing leads us to ask of ourselves, “Do you and I marvel at His dignity?”

Of course we do!  Maybe not as much as we could, or should; but, as believers, He is our King, and we bow before Him.

Since that is true, let me suggest a devotional thought.  In your sufferings; in your struggles; in the midst of your trials; Have you ever had the sense that Jesus was silent?  Have you felt as if He was not answering your questions, or responding to your cries for help?  Felt that He wasn’t explaining the lesson you were supposed to be learning?

Those things describe every suffering or struggle or trial I’ve ever had, or am having!

First, Jesus only seems silent.  In fact, He has already spoken, well ahead of time, so you need not fret or fear.

You know, probably by heart, at least a few of the things He has prerecorded for you:

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
1Pe 4:13  but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

Jas 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
Jas 1:3  knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
Jas 1:4  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Php 1:6  being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

2Pe 1:11  for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We should have all those on a continual loop, so that we never think, even for a moment, that Jesus is silent.

Second, Jesus owes us no current, updated, personal explanation.  He doesn’t need to dignify us with an answer, beyond what He’s already said.

Instead, we need to treat Him with the dignity He deserves by receiving His Word by faith.

His silence is itself proof that He has given us all we need for life and for godliness.  He loves us too much to withhold anything we might need; therefore His silence establishes we already have everything we need.

We thus see Jesus in His dignity, in unveiled power, yet with a sense of mystery, in our adverse circumstances.

Let Jesus be King and know that you are His beloved subject.  Walk by faith in His promises, and you will exhume a dignity like His.

#2    Do You Cave
    At The Din Of The Crowd?
    (v6-15)

Pilate’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day was going to get a lot worse.  He was going to get manipulated by the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin, into making the mother of all political errors.

Mar 15:6  Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.

Pilate’s headquarters were not in Jerusalem.  He was in town because it was expected of him, as prefect, during Passover, when tens of thousands of Jews made pilgrimage to the Temple.

When and how this custom of releasing a prisoner developed is unknown.  Mark’s wording might indicate it was something Pilate had initiated during his tenure.  If he didn’t initiate it, he was careful to observe it.

Pilate’s Passover pardon was going to become the most infamous ever.

Mar 15:7  And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.

“Bar” means son of.  “Bar Abbas” means son of Abbas.

“Abba” is intimate for father.  So BarAbbas is son of the father.
Hold that information for a moment.

BarAbbas had been involved in some notable uprising against Rome, in which he and his men had committed murder.

It seems that BarAbbas was scheduled to be crucified, along with his colleagues, that very day.  His colleagues were probably the notorious two thieves whom Jesus would be crucified between.

They were most likely members of the Zealots.  The Zealots were a movement in first century Israel which sought to incite the people of Judaea to rebel against the Roman Empire and expel it from Israel by force of arms.

One particularly extreme group, perhaps a subgroup of the Zealots, was known in Latin as Sicarii, meaning “dagger men.”  Their policy was to kill Jews who opposed their call for war against Rome.

They would come up behind you in a crowded place, and repeatedly stab you, then be gone before anyone could react.

They would identify themselves as patriots, but in fact, were terrorists, by today’s understanding.

Most Jewish citizens were opposed to the Zealots, and they especially opposed the Dagger Men, who might kill them for their lack of zeal against Rome.

Pilate had brought out the worst criminal, apparently thinking that no one in their right mind would call for his release.
Except that no one in the crowd had a “right mind.”  They were unrighteous, far from God, thinking only of the here-and-now, and not eternal life.

Mar 15:9  But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
Mar 15:10  For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.

Pilate used the title to needle the chief priests.  Little did he know how accurate he was.

On paper, it seemed foolproof.  For one thing, BarAbbas was just as likely to kill the chief priests as he was any Roman.  It was pretty clear Jesus posed no lethal threat to them.

For another thing, it was absurd that a crowd accusing Jesus of leading a rebellion would demand to be released to them someone who was actually guilty of leading a rebellion.

Mar 15:11  But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.

Clearly Pilate underestimated both the influence and the envy of the chief priests.  Incredibly, illogically, irrationally, the crowd called for BarAbbas.

Mar 15:12  Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”

Pilate was in a pretty pickle.  BarAbbas must be released, but that didn’t solve the Jesus problem.

Mar 15:13  So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”

You’ve probably heard it said that the same crowd which shouted “Hosanna!” to Jesus a few days earlier now called for His death.

It was not the same crowd.  I mean, think about it.  There were literally tens of thousands of pilgrims in town.  What are the odds the exact, same Jews were there?

It’s likely that this crowd was especially interested in the Passover prisoner release.  They were of a different mindset than those who had been following Jesus, supposing He was going to announce His Kingdom.

Besides, the chief priests were orchestrating all this, and probably had seeded the crowd with those sympathetic to their cause.

Mar 15:14  Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”

Those are words of exasperation, and desperation.  He had lost control.

Pilate never really had control of this situation; Jesus did.  But any thoughts he might have entertained about getting his way were gone.

He was serving God’s providence.  Though making free decisions he was responsible for, God was providing for His plan in history, for Jesus to be crucified at the hands of Rome.

Mar 15:15  So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

There is some evidence in literature that the Roman scourging was called pre-death.  Many individuals did not survive it.

The subject was whipped with leather thongs embedded with pieces of bone or shards of metal.  There was no limit placed on the number of lashes.

It was not uncommon for inner organs, e.g., the kidneys, to be exposed.  Blood loss alone could be fatal.  Shock was certain.

Remember earlier I pointed out that BarAbbas meant son of the father?  You might recall an exchange Jesus once had with the religious authorities.  They accused Him of being born from fornication, not believing in the miracle of the virgin birth.

Jesus responded by saying, “you are of your father, the devil” (John 8:44).  The choice of the crowd nicely demonstrates the Jews were of their father, the devil:

BarAbbas was a rebellious, thieving murderer.

Satan is a rebellious, thieving murderer.

They identified with a rebellious, thieving murderer, rather than with the Son of the Heavenly Father, Who was full of grace and truth.

Pilate had to “gratify the crowd” for his own political position to remain intact.  Though in power, and powerful, he was pressured by the din of the crowd to deliver an innocent man to death.

The question, “Do you cave at the din of the crowd?,” might be a rebuke, if you know that you’re compromising your testimony.

It’s more likely a reminder to you that we are under a lot of pressure as believers.

If a powerful Roman prefect could be pressured and manipulated into delivering Jesus Christ to be crucified, then little ‘ole you and me can certainly be pressured to deny Him.

We’re pressured at home, by family… At work… In school… Out in public.

Some of it is political pressure, as the ungodly continue to pass laws against religious freedom.  But mostly it is personal pressure from the ungodly all around us.

One way we set ourselves up to succumb to pressure is by hesitation.  Pilate hesitated to act, taking time to calculate the political consequences.

In the Book of Acts, the Lord wanted Peter to take the Gospel to a Gentile household.  Peter, in a vision, was told to accompany the men from Cornelius’ house “without hesitation” (Acts 10:20 ESV).

If something is right, why hesitate?  Thinking about it’s consequences can only weaken you.  If there are consequences, then you must suffer the consequences, and stand strong upon the promises Jesus has given you in His Word.

Pilate next tried to reduce Jesus to someone less than He was.  He tried to show that Jesus was no real threat, because He had no real power.

We can do that, too – reduce Jesus.  We can do it, for example, by being careless in our walk and witness.  If my family, or my colleagues, see nothing different about me, then I’ve reduced God’s power to transform lives to something impotent.

Pilate succumbed to fear.  He was afraid of losing his job.  It may come to that for you and I.  Sooner or later the ungodly draw a line in the sand that we simply cannot step across.

Captured and made slaves to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Daniel’s three companions, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, settled-in to life in Babylon:

They received new, Babylonian names.  Their original names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.  Daniel’s Babylonian name was Belteshazzar.

They went to Babylonian schools, where they were exposed to a lot of weird, ungodly information.

It seems likely, from clues and direct references in the Bible, that all of them were made eunuchs.

But they also knew when a line had been drawn that they could not cross:

They refused to eat the foods offered to them, insisting on keeping the dietary laws Jews were subject to under the Law of Moses.  They risked death for doing so.

They refused to bow to the idol of King Nebuchadnezzar, for which they were taken prisoners, and thrown alive into a burning fiery furnace – and from which they were delivered by Jesus unharmed.

Later, held captive in the Persian Empire, Daniel continued to pray, openly, after a decree was issued making it illegal to do so.  He ended up thrown into the lion’s den, but survived.

I can’t say where your line or lines will be drawn; nor mine.  I can only hope that Jesus’ love for me casts out the fear associated with it, so that we can take our stand, and give our testimony.