The Gospel According to Mark (Part 48)

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The Gospel According to Mark

(Part 48)

Good Morning and Welcome to Jesus Church

Wanted to give you a bit of the road map for the next 6 months

• We’ll be done with Mark around the end of February (have a party)
  • And we’re gonna do a series on the Holy Spirit
    • Wanna launch it the week after Easter… last week in March
    • Going into this new season of Gather & Scatter
    • We are gonna need the power of the H.S. in our lives
  • Reason: Life of Jesus (finishing now) shows us how to be human
    • The point of Jesus miracles were not to prove he was God
    • Almost every miracle he did – done by prophets & leaders
    • Jesus did them to show us what a Spirit filled life looks like
• Most would say: Terrible idea to start important series after Easter
  • The week after Easter is the lowest attended service of the year
  • Most pastors don’t even preach that Sunday…
  • I am challenging all of us – Not gonna be true for our church
    • Prayer is that someone u know that isn’t living spirit filled
    • You would invite them to this series
    • And the weekend after Easter… has actually more people
• In between we should have 4 or 5 weeks
  • Gonna look at God’s concept of community (Gen – Rev)
  • How from the garden sin distorted the harmony of relationships
  • We see sin distorting vertical relationships… horizontal as well
    • So that’s just a small preview of what’s to come

Last week we left off with this sorta intense story of Peter

• Go thru whole emotional struggle of failure… knowing redemption
  • And the beautiful thing is we have to remember
  • Peter’s story of redemption… is OUR story of redemption
  • Too often we are ok with Gods forgiveness for others… not us
• And todays story – As Mark continues w/ this redemption narrative
  • Is to show again the unfailing never ending love of God for us
  • B/C the story of the cross – is a story of the ultimate love
  • And with each verse we see that grow louder & more obvious

Tag: Today dive into Mark 15 – Story continues with Pilate & Barabbas

Mk 15:1-15

Very early in the morning, the chief priests with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. Are you the king of the jews? Asked Pilate. You have said so, Jesus replied. The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of. But Jesus still made no reply and Pilate was amazed.

Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrections who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews? Asked Pilate, knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.

But the chief priest stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. What shall I do, then with the one you call the king of the Jews? Pilate asked them. Crucify him! They shouted. Why? What crime has he committed? Asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, Crucify him! Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them, He had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.

[Pray]

Story – Many of you know I like dogs more than cats

But I have a very strange dog (Charlie)… gonna get himself kills someday

• B/C he thinks he’s way tougher than he actually is (not just barking)
  • One time he got off his leash… immediately attacked 2 Rots
  • And when I say attack… no biting: just ran into them full speed
  • And they just looked at him like “What’s your problem”
• There’s this super sweet Pitbull in our neighborhood named Callie
  • Her owner takes her in the area behind our house every night
  • Charlie just goes crazy barking at this dog
  • Amazon delivers a package – Probably a concussion every night
• One day I can just see some Coyotes in our back yard…
  • And Charlie will go into his regular spastic frenzy
  • And that will be the end of Charlie

I feel the more I read of everyone threatening Jesus

They’re like my spastic little dog… thinking have power/position

• Jesus is like those big dogs – little yipper dogs running into him
  • He just looks at them like… “SERIOUSLY”
  • You can literally do nothing to me that I don’t allow

Jn 19:10-11 (In fact in John it records this…)

Pilate said, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you realize I have the power to either free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above…

• So its very apparent that none of these men have any power
  • Especially these Jewish leaders… can’t kill Jesus so send 2 Pilate
  • Its a perfect opportunity b/c usually Pilate wouldn’t be there
• Pilate hates being in Jerusalem… lives on the Mediterranean Sea
  • Politically already super embarrassing 2 be assigned to Israel
    • But he has to be there for the Passover (REVIEW)
    • If there’s an uprising… it’ll happen now… be Pilates head
  • Remember: There’s a vivid picture of Pilate/Jesus entering city
    • Pilate came from West on a horse… signifying power/war
    • Jesus came from East on a donkey… signifying peace/love

So Jesus is handed over to Pilate – Only issue Pilate has is this king thing

• Because in Rome… there’s one King (saying otherwise – treason)
  • You’ll see this conversation echoed throughout entire NT
  • The name “Christ” was read as “Anointed King”
  • Paul saying King Jesus is reality and Caesar is just a parody
• But Caesar starts asking Jesus questions about the accusations
  • And very uncharacteristically Jesus becomes super passive
  • For all of his ministry… Jesus is overly proactive
    • Raising a little girl from the dead…
    • Seeking out the woman at the well
    • Healing the blind… mute… leppers

I think it all changed in the garden

• When Jesus asks the Father to take the cup from me… but what?
  • Not my will but urs be done (saying “Hands off – has to happen)
  • What was the Father’s will for Jesus in his time on Earth

Jn 3:16-17

For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believed in him would not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn it, but that through him the world might be save.

• Jesus was silent because of his love for us
  • B/C his love drove him to take the penalty that we deserved
  • And in case it wasn’t obvious enough… enter Barabbas

Now at first this Character seems very random

All we know of his story is he’s sentenced to die for insurrection/murder

• And Pilate stands before the Passover crowd of Jews
  • Thinking he holds the destiny of these 2 men in his hands
  • Who deserves to be spared judgement: Jesus or Barabbas
• As a reader… Mark makes it painfully obvious how unjust this is
  • You have an actual criminal in Barabbas
    • A rebel against Rome…
    • A murderer…
    • A thug/crook
  • And then you have Jesus… what has he done
    • Only heal the sick
    • Bring sight to the blind
    • Bring hope to the hopeless

And the people who saw everything Jesus did say… give us Barabbas

• Jesus is looking over the crowd… people he loved… ate with…
  • And this criminal platformed before the people Jesus will die for
  • Goes from a guaranteed death of slow pain & torture
  • To complete freedom… all because Jesus lets it happen
• All b/c Jesus decided how much he loves every guilty person there
  • And I never thought of it this way b4… that includes Barabbas
    • Barabbas was spared death because Jesus loved him
    • Jesus watched Barabbas disappear in the crowd a free man
  • Imagine being Barabbas – Most likely knew how good Jesus was
    • And he’s the one that gets set free
    • Never turns around 2 thank Jesus… see who took his place
    • Probably just laughed and joined the crowd
• But it wasn’t the crowd that set Barabbas free… it was Jesus
  • Did Barabbas deserve that freedom – No
  • But Jesus knew the Father had to treat Jesus like Barabbas
    • So he could treat Barabbas like Jesus

End of story – Mark shows us who Barabbas really is

Because he only shows up for moments in the story… but crucial point

• And when I put it all together and look up at the face of Barabbas
  • I see my face staring in the reflection
  • Because we are all Barabbas
  • That name literally means “Son of a Father”
• Outside of Adam meaning Man… can’t get much more universal
  • Barabbas is because every one of us have this story
  • Set for the penalty and certainty of death… no way out
  • But only because of the great love of Jesus… we are free
• The “Son of a Father” had no reason to be saved
  • Not like those stories where you can see cause for redemption
  • They might have some flaws… but they deserve it
  • NOPE – from what we know Barabbas not even grateful to Jesus

But Jesus loved Barabbas…

• Jesus wanted Barabbas to go free
  • And it doesn’t make sense
  • It absolutely shouldn’t have happened

Rom 5:8

“Yet while we were still sinners… Christ died for us”

• God sent his son even for those who would walk away from his gift
  • Why… because his love isn’t contingent on your acceptance of it
  • And he offers it to the world – Even those who hate him
  • He has to… because God IS love
• Now does that mean God is love so everyone goes to heaven
  • No… it does mean that it breaks Gods heart when we reject him
  • Because even when we reject him – he loves us

Lets make this practical – We mess up and think what

I better make this up to God or else…

• I need to get into favor with Jesus again
  • And until I help enough people
  • Until I read enough Bible
  • Until I sing enough songs
• I’m on the outs with my Heavenly Father

Please hear me… That’s the opposite of what Jesus shows us in the story

• Are you here this morning ashamed and bound by your failures
  • Picture yourself on that platform with Jesus before the people
  • You know you’re guilty… you deserve what’s coming to you
  • Maybe you even know how good this man named Jesus is
• And when it comes to who gets to go free and how pays the price
  • Jesus takes a set back and you get to go free
  • Because that’s how good Jesus is…
• My question to you… isn’t a question of if God loves you
  • Its will you disappear into the crowd
  • Or will u turn & acknowledge the love of he who set u free