Sunday Sermon
sunday morning service 4th July 2010
Mark 15v1-21
We have been looking at some of the lead-up events to the crucifixion. The Last Supper, the Prayer in the Garden, the Betrayal and then the handing over of Jesus to the authorities. Lastly we saw Peter deny the Lord.
Next we see Jesus handed over to the Romans for execution:
1) V1-5 Pilate Marvels
Summary:
Jesus is brought to Pilate: are you King? Yes, then more accusations but no answer, leaving Pilot amazed!!
Focus:
· V1 and they bound Jesus
Verse one sets the tone for the rest of the section we are looking at!
It is all about what they did to Him! “and they.....”
But how does Jesus respond to what they are doing to him?
He responds in such a way that reveals his glory!
Pilate “marvelled”, he was amazed at how Jesus responded to the situation.
The word is the word that is used for how people respond to divine presence!!
Pilot stands in awe of Jesus here.
And what is it that Jesus actually does that causes Pilate reaction?
He takes it all! He allows it to happen!! So unlike any other person Pilate had the chance to kill or free. There was no fighting back, no shouts of innocence!!
But more than merely taking the abuse and punishment that was being handed out, he was actively laying down his life.
He answered yes to the charge that had been laid against him! He was the King!!
He was letting it happen, this was all under his control.
App
How are we to respond to this section of scripture, where we see such dreadful things happen to our Lord?
Like Pilate we are to stand in awe of our God!
Why?
Because what we see of Jesus here is a revelation of God.
This is all part of how Jesus won our salvation.
As always we can only show our adoration and worship of Jesus by how we live daily.
A church worship service is a good place to start, but then the rest of the week is to come!
2) V6-15 Pilate Manoeuvre
Summary:
Next the story turns to the custom of releasing a prisoner as it was Passover, but instead of releasing Jesus, the crowd ask for Barabbas and call for Jesus to be crucified!!
Eventually Pilate capitulates and hands Jesus over for crucifixion.
· V13 and they shouted crucify him
Focus:
Pilate had previously stood in awe of Jesus. But that does not stop him from handing Him over to death! Even though he knows that they are simply jealous of Jesus (10)!!
Why? V15 gives the answer:
V15 – how astonishing this verse is. So contradictory.
He wants to please the crowds, more than Jesus!!
He released Barabbas, not Jesus!!
He should have handed Barabbas over and released Jesus.
Note/app:
From the human perspective Pilate was a weak man, easily manipulated!
From the divine perspective he was the man for the hour!
God was working out our salvation in all of this.
God used Pilate weakness to enable the offering up of his own Son as a sacrifice for many!
There is not a word from Jesus in this whole section! It’s incomprehensible from the human perspective. Why does he not stand up for himself?!
Because he is laying his life down for us! He is standing up for us!
Jesus is loving us here :
John 15:13 Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
3) V16-24 Military Muscle
Summary :
· “and they ..... call the battalion....... clothed him...... salute him ......strike his head .... mock him ......... compelled Simon ... they crucified him”
They called the whole garrison v16
They clothed ... they twisted v17
They saluted ... v18
They struck Him on the head ... spat ... bowed ... worshiped v19
They mocked ... v20
They crucified him .... v24
Focus:
Mark is getting us to see that the soldiers are now in charge.
And they do all that they are supposed to do as soldiers to an enemy of Rome!
The physical suffering is extreme, as much as any torture ever devised.
Jesus is compliant all the time.
Throughout the Gospel he has been the one in charge, who did this and that.
Now the soldiers are in charge, Jesus simply lays down his life.
App
Again we have to remind ourselves that this is our God.
Our God took on human flesh knowing that one day it would be brutally tortured and killed.
Jesus suffered all this knowingly and willingly.
Why?
Our sin. He was willingly taking the punishment that our sin deserved
The punishment that brought us peace was upon him!
sunday evening service 4th July 2010
Joshua 1v1-18
The Israelites have completed their 40 years in the desert and are now poised to enter the promised land at last! But their leader is dead!! Moses is gone, up steps Joshua ... :
1) V1-9 Growth by the book.
Joshua is commissioned in place of Moses.
What a commissioning!!
Moses is gone but Yahweh still speaks. And what a word!! V1
A) get up and go to conquer the land!! 2-4
Everyone is to get up and cross the river and take the land! Invasion! v2
Gods promise of land to Moses, now to Joshua – the whole land will be given over v3-4
B) get up and go with my promised presence v5-6
Gods promise of presence to Moses, now to Joshua,
God commands strength and courage for the task ahead v6
c) get up and go with bold obedience
Faithfulness to the law the only instruction v7-8
Final encouragement v9
app
the Church has been given the great commission.
We are told to go and conquer the world by making disciples and as we do so we are promised Gods presence with us too.
Followers of Jesus are the tools of Gods Kingdom Advancement trade!
God works out his kingdom in this world through his willing servants.
· So the great question is: How do we become useful instruments for God?
Simply put: be obedient! v7.
The promise that goes with obedience is prosperity in all we do!!
Not necessarily financial prosperity, more spiritual prosperity, eternal prosperity.
· But how are we to be obedient?
A) “do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth”
The first thing is we must be reading and speaking the word.
We are to study the word, chew on it, then speak it out.
Be always talking about the good news.
Jesus is the living word of God, He is the one we are to talk about, with, to etc.
Sing praise to him. The word is to be in our mouth... Not just our head!
B) “meditate”
This is an extension of what we have just said. To meditate is to continually mull something over. More literally it is to mumble the Word.
Again the focus is that the word is in our mouth!
c) remember the great promise
as we read, speak and meditate the word, then obey - God is with us!!
We often pray for God’s presence to be with us.
But He has promised his presence as we so live!
“Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go”v9.
2) V10-15 if God asks Just Do It!
Following all that what can Joshua do but get on with the task in hand!
Immediately he sends out the word – we are leaving in three days!!
The RGM’s are given clear commands too.
Obviously Joshua was fit and ready to obey. He was already living by the Word in God’s presence so when the command came there was no debate, simply obedience.
Notice the effects of life lived faithfully before God
a) immediate undoubting obedience
– we are going within three days and we will be in the promised land!
Even though the Jordan blocked the way!!
b) boldness
- he hands out the orders as if he had been doing it all his life!
App
The life of faithfulness to God does not mean we will be sucked up into boring mediocrity!
Jesus promised life and life to the full John10v10!
Jesus came to bring us life, excitement, thrill, joy, peace, wonder, awe ....
But we will only see that as we step into obeying God in our lives.
Doing what He wants!
If God is asking you to do something, do it! Then see what happens.
And then keep on obeying, for fullness and life.
3) V16-18 Gospel Hearts
RGM’s promise allegiance
We will obey whatever you command as long as God is with you! The RGM’s show their faithfulness is to Yahweh not Joshua or indeed Moses! They show their close walk with God in that they echo the very words Yahweh has given to Joshua already.
Focus:
The RGM’s show us what we want our hearts to look like.
They had gospel hearts.
a) they would do everything they were asked and go wherever they were sent!!
That is what a heart in full submission to Jesus looks like.
The RGM’s had their land, their wives and children, they might have said “not this time”!!
They might have said “we struck that deal with Moses!”
b) but their allegiance was ultimately to God.
Because they knew that though the request came through a man, God was asking!!
Though the face had changed God had not!
c) they had the promise
after the work was done the rest was theirs!!
App
Our obedience at the end of the day will come if we have hearts that are fully devoted to God.
That heart comes through what we have seen already:
· a dedication to the word, followed by putting into practice.
As we so live and experience life with God we will be evermore drawn to having hearts in full commitment to Him.
What we need to do now is get on with it!
“be strong and courageous!! ” v18.
God has spoken all that is left is for us to obey.
