The Road of Discipleship
Notes
Transcript
Announcements
Announcements
March 25th – St. Pat’s Day Party!
Limerick writing, sea shanties, root beer tasting
March 26th – ASK ANYTHING NIGHT!
Context
Context
Heavy stuff last week.
Last week we saw all of Jesus’ disciples leave Him as he was crucified by his people and by his government. Really, the world didn’t know what to do with Jesus.
Why is this so hard for us as people do you think? What is it about us or about Jesus that we find it so difficult to know what to do with Him?
Pray
Pray
Father we don’t follow you as we ought to.
Pray that we would be encouraged to follow Jesus.
When we sense that our faith will fail, help us to remember your forgiveness towards us.
And find us faithful. Help us to carry our crosses in pursuit of the loving relationship of Jesus Christ.
Read the Text
Read the Text
42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46 And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
The Women
The Women
The Disciples are nowhere here either. The last we saw of them was when Peter wept after realizing that he denied Christ 3 times.
72 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
The women remain when Jesus leaves. They are ministering to him, and watching one they have cared for and served alongside die.
We aren’t different than the 12 disciples. On the road of discipleship, we have failed at being faithful to Christ.
Illustration
Illustration
14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
Jesus was comparing the faithfulness, and even the scraping the bottom faithfulness of one of the scribes and the safety of his child. The disciples, not understanding what was happening, reveal what only the scribe could do. To ask Jesus, to plead for the restoration of his son is faithfulness. That is prayer. To turn to the living God and acknowledge that no other can care for us like he can.
Application
Application
We should recognize where we are faithless to Christ. To truly examine where we struggle in life and to pray and seek God out of faithful obedience as disciples of Jesus.
Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea
Strangely, the one who shows courage is one who is not a disciple, but is Joseph of Arimathea. Joseph, like Simon of Cyrene who carried Jesus’ Cross, is a kind of pseudo-disciple or sometimes he is known as a secret disciple. He is a member of the sanhedrin and for him to follow Jesus publically was hard. Nonetheless, he still took Jesus down from the cross and took him to his burial ground.
We can contrast this with the disciples too.
27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.”
All of the disciples fell away out of fear of what happened to Jesus.
Application
Application
On the Road of Discipleship, we too fear what will happen to us because of what happened to Jesus. Whether it’s smaller persecution like losing a friend or relationship, or something greater like your life we are all scared.
What greater reminder does Christ give us than this?
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Jesus loves you so much that he died to reconcile us to the Father who loves His Son. We killed that Son. Yet, because of our faith in Jesus being the Son of God, we are his adopted brothers and sisters. God’s adopted children.
Jesus
Jesus
51 And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, 52 but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
This is Jesus too isn’t it?
They took his garments when they crucified him when they cast lots for it.
Joseph brought Him a linen shroud though. He brought garments to cover up Jesus’ body.
The “young man” is there through wearing white garments.
5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.
We know this is an angel. The white clothes, the knowledge of the resurrection. The garments are there showing how faithless disciples, and stripped kingship from the world don’t change who Jesus actually is. Faithful to His promises.
See how he reinstates the disciples when he is talking to the women.
7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
Jesus is concerned for the disciples! He wants them to know of His resurrection and they will.
Application
Application
Do you see how the disciple’s failure isn’t even addressed here? There’s no condemnation or need to repent before Christ will see them. He specifically mentions peter because He loves him.
On the road of discipleship, Jesus forgives. He is quick to forgive just as we are called to.
Conclusion
Conclusion
8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
What great fear seized these faithful women!
In Jesus’ ministry we saw how He commanded people to tell or not tell what had happened to Him. In this case the women did not tell.
But Mark is doing something amazing here. It forces the reader to ask the question, “WHO IS GOING TO TELL THEM???”
YOU AND I ARE!!
The road of discipleship means we must remain faithful, fearlessly serving the Lord and freely restoring others through His gospel.
Pray
Pray
Questions
Questions
What do you find encouraging about reading the Gospel of Mark?
The Road of Discipleship is hard. Why is the grace of Jesus so important in our discipleship?