Mark 14:43-52
Notes
Transcript
Handout
We are now firmly into the last day of Jesus’ life.
It’s interesting as you read these words in the book of Mark and read of Him leading Himself to the cross, you almost get this sense of God beginning to up the ante for future readers to understand what the Kingdom of God, following Jesus is really like.
It’s getting heaver, scarier, more and more tense because now we’re getting to lessons from the book of Mark that calls on those who follow Jesus and read these words to continue to follow Jesus even in the midst of strong persecution.
I want you to think to yourself a recent time in your life where you were in some way done wrong by somebody.
Some way some how you were sinned horribly against. This is far more than just being lied to, gossiped about, or stood up maybe by a friend.
I want you to think of a time most recently that you were really hurt to the core. Betrayal, deception, physically hurt even, cheating, something somebody did to stab you in your heart on purpose.
And then I want you to think of the ways you might have responded to this situation that was also sinful.
Maybe you responded by gossip, some sort of retaliation, getting back at that person, having a very un-Christian response in some sort of way yourself.
OK.... think of that and then think of another level or two more than that…
That is where Jesus sits here in the midst of spiritual persecution and betrayal.
(We often like to compare our own trails, hardships and such to spiritual persecutions of the Christian church, to the apostles and Jesus to ourselves.)
Jesus in this passage shows us some truths that we can hold onto as a model in how to ultimately deal with Christian persecution.
Jesus doesn’t fight, try to impress, or use His omnipotence.
Jesus doesn’t fight, try to impress, or use His omnipotence.
The crowd was many (temple police, roman soldiers, religious leaders, chief priest),
probably thinking that Jesus and His disciples were going to all fight, try to escape, or Jesus try to perform a miracle to try and get out of the arrest that was about to happen.
The fact that Judas brought such a large group of armed men is evidence that neither he nor the religious leaders really understood Jesus.
THEY STILL think that Jesus is this political leader that’s going to bring political uprising when IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS WORLD!
It’s all about a SPIRITUAL UPRISING. They don’t understand this.
He doesn’t do any of these things (fight, try to escape, try to impress)
He is in control here. He is allowing this to happen.
Mark then goes on to continue to describe the betrayal and the extent of this betrayal...
A kiss was a common way for disciples to greet his teacher and beyond that an act of endearment between any two persons. — The mention of this further confirms the wickedness of Judas’ act.
Jesus in this situation has every reason to respond in other ways. He understands what’s happening because of His clothe relationship with the Father. He understands what must happen.
This is the definition of meekness. (POWER UNDER CONTROL)
The world confuses meekness with being a pushover, easily imposed, weak, submissive to the point of giving up.
This is not what we see from scripture and the examples we see from Jesus as being meek.
One pastor describes meekness like this...
it is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of bridled strength. Meekness is produced by God living in us, but it requires our conscious choice and cooperation with His Spirit. We can choose to remain gentle or not. It is power and courage under control, linked with kindness. This principle is found in the original Greek word for meek, πραΰς “praus,” which was used to describe someone who is not overcome by arrogance, anger or aggression.
Jesus had all the power of God within Him and at His disposal, yet He shows us here how to handle total betrayal and not being understood.
The bishop of Antioch, Ignatius, was a native Greek speaker and this is how he taught and promoted praus to the Ephesians. While on his way to Rome to face martyrdom around AD 110, he wrote to Christians in Ephesus about their response to those who were persecuting followers of Christ. This is part of what Ignatius wrote concerning gentleness, humility, and non-retaliation towards the enemies of the Church.
In response to their anger, be gentle (praeis)
In response to their boasts, be humble
In response to their slander, offer prayers
In response to their errors, be steadfast in the faith
In response to their cruelty, be civilized…
Jesus Loves.
Jesus Loves.
We then get to see an example of Jesus intentionally loving His enemy during this situation. To understand this story even more...
You can see in John 18:10 who the person was that wielded the sword and who got his ear cut off...
10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)
You then see the action Jesus performs afterwords in Luke 22:51
51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him.
Peter tries to impersonate a Roman soldier in cutting off a soldier’s ear.
He had seen fight and resistance like this most likely often and thought to himself, well maybe this will work for me!
Much like we try to impersonate our world in the midst of persecution at times.
But Jesus decides to love His enemy in the midst of it by healing the man’s ear.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Jesus defined our enemies as those who curse us, hate us, and exploit us selfishly.
Jesus commanded this!
He had the right to. After all, He loved us when we were His enemies.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
How do we do this?
We show this love by being a blessing to those who curse us, doing good to them, praying for them. When we pray for our enemies, we find it easier to love them. It takes the poison out of our attitudes.
This proves that we are of the Father.
Jesus continues to follow God’s will.
Jesus continues to follow God’s will.
By the end of this passage we see that verse 27 is completely fulfilled.
27 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will fall away, because it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.
Jesus now is completely forsaken by the people around Him.
He is totally alone.
God has satan right where He wants him.
The world looks at this and sees it as a win for evil.
God looks at this and sees it as His plan coming together.
Students there are going to be times in this world where you may be in the midst of terrible persecution, lies, slander, deliberate back stabbing, and possibly in your future spiritual persecution because of what you believe.... But still in the midst of God’s will
for God’s glory
to show others God’s glory.
3 For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up. 4 In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or lose heart when you are reproved by him, 6 for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives. 7 Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline—which all receive—then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit, so that we can share his holiness. 11 No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed instead.
Even though Jesus is beginning a time of immense persecution. Let there be no doubt that He is completely in the Father’s will.
21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; 23 when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.