Sermon Tone Analysis

“The men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him.

They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, ‘Prophesy!

Who is it that struck you?’

And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.”

[1]

Perhaps you imagine that the soldiers who beat Jesus and mocked Him were unusually cruel; surely people in this enlightened day would never act in such a vicious manner!

However, mocking Jesus of Nazareth is almost a contemporary sport.

Whether it is today’s Lady Gaga or whether we are speaking of a “Hunky Jesus” contest in San Francisco, Jesus has been the subject of ridicule by those who do not know Him.

One attempt at blasphemy, called “Judas,” is from Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” album.

In the “song” she sings about how she’s in love with the betrayer of Jesus.

Isn’t that special?

It is a “Springtime for Hitler” moment without the humour.

Nicki Minaj continues the assault against Christianity with her performance at the Grammy awards this year.

[2] In San Francisco, a gay group employs the cross, the crown of thorns and men with beards as part of their “contest.”

I’ll leave the rest to someone’s twisted imagination.

[3]

It has always been something of a curiosity to we who follow the Christ that Jesus was not mocked then—nor is He mocked now—for demonstrating compassion and concern for the poor and showing forgiveness to prostitutes and tax collectors who repented.

Rather, He was mocked because He revealed the darkness that lies within each of us and because of the refusal by many to come to the Light.

People then, and people now, prefer to remain in darkness rather than come into the light.

Perhaps this mocking has something to do with the way a few who claim to be His followers misrepresent Him.

That may be worth mocking, but He isn’t.

Today’s mockers would never dare to speak ill of Muhammad—to say nothing of the bloodthirsty Allah—they might have their throats slit, or their homes blown-up.

A cartoonist, who did something as innocent as portraying Muhammad wearing a bear costume, received death threats.

The New York Times, rapidly becoming infamous as a shill to promote liberalism, recently accepted an ad calling on Catholics to leave their church.

However, the same paper refused to run an ad calling on Muslims to leave their religion.

The Gray Lady justified the decision by noting that Muslims are prone to respond with violence when they perceive a slight.

[4]

Others have been the victims of more than threats.

They have been murdered because they “offended” some self-appointed defender of the Religion of Peace.

Think of the response of Muslims to what they viewed as mishandling of their holy book by American servicemen.

It did not matter to the enraged murderers that Taliban Muslims had already desecrated the books by writing notes in them that fomented rebellion and sought to create trouble for their nation; their holy literature was more precious than human life.

The despicable god of Islam is a bloody tyrant incapable of changing hearts—he is dependent upon coercion and threats.

No wonder people are afraid to mock Muhammad.

Jesus is always a safe target, because His followers are unlikely to retaliate, just as He did not retaliate when false charges were brought against Him.

For the atheists and other unbelievers who enjoy mocking events holy to Christians, I recommend setting aside on the calendar a special day for them to enjoy and celebrate their lack of faith.

Let it be April 1; after all, we are taught, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” [PSALM 14:1].

Even on the day we call Good Friday, the day He hung on a cross for the sins of others (not His own, for He had none), Jesus was ridiculed.

“Come down from the cross and then we’ll believe” [see MATTHEW 27:40-42], some shouted.

They wouldn’t have believed even had He come down, because they refused to believe all the other miracles He performed before their eyes.

As for mocking Jesus, recall the Divine warning penned by the Apostle in GALATIANS 6:7: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”

Joyous Easter!

He is risen, just as He said!

MANKIND HATES THE FAITH — That is undoubtedly a harsh statement; however, I don’t believe it to be overly harsh.

I will concede that it is a general statement and that I am painting with a broad brush.

Moreover, I suppose it is possible to soften the tone by stating that mankind is irritated by the Faith, or by stating that people want to remake the Faith in a form more acceptable to their ideal—an ideal that holds the Faith in reserve when needed, though it should mostly remain unobtrusive and hidden from sight so as not to disturb the idyllic peace of the inhabitants of this darkened world.

Nevertheless, I contend that the Faith is hated; and the primary reason people hate the Faith is that people hate the Author of our Faith.

He exposes mankind’s inadequacies and strips away the façade we imagine masks our self-centred lives.

The light of His presence demonstrates the darkness in which we live, and that is always painful.

His perfect character angers us because we want to present our own efforts at goodness as equal to anything He might be or do.

However, we are always confronted by the dark assessment of our puerile efforts to be righteous: “all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” [ISAIAH 64:6].

In order to verify the accuracy of my assessment, it may be helpful to review the Word.

We are taught in Paul’s Letter to Christians in Rome, “The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” [ROMANS 8:7, 8].

His statement mirrors that presented by James, the brother of our Master.

“Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” [JAMES 4:4].

Though it may be insulting to any who are outside the Faith, the Word of God declares, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” [1 CORINTHIANS 2:14].

I am not attempting to overemphasise the matter, but it is important that we understand the divine perspective—and we are presented that perspective repeatedly throughout the Word.

Jesus cautioned, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other” [LUKE 16:13].

If an individual serves his or her own interests, if one pursues the desires of their own heart while ignoring the will of God, that one reveals that “self” is master.

Such a one cannot help but be deeply offended by the divine call to love God supremely.

This is the reason we are commanded by the Apostle of Lord, “Do not love the world or the things in the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” [1 JOHN 2:15].

The concept follows the teaching Jesus delivered to His followers, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” [JOHN 15:19].

The Words are stunning, perhaps even disquieting.

Nevertheless, in unmistakable terms the Master has taught the cost for those who would follow Him.

Listen to the Words of Jesus.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’

If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

Whoever hates me hates my Father also.

If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.

But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause’” [JOHN 15:18-25].

To follow Jesus is to identify with Him; and identifying with Him is demanding.

Jesus Himself said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” [LUKE 9:62].

Life as a Christian is demanding; one cannot imagine that he or she will say some words, or perform some rite, and satisfy the True and Living God.

The one who follows Christ will be born from above and transformed by the Spirit of God.

What is required is the New Birth.

Thus, the challenging words Jesus spoke to His followers.

When Jesus spoke these words, He was but iterating a position previously established.

“The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil” [JOHN 7:7].

I remind you that the Master spoke those words to His own brothers [see JOHN 7:1-3].

The divine text states of them, “Not even His brothers believed in Him” [JOHN 7:5].

Moreover, when He spoke to His brothers, Jesus was anticipating the presentation of His followers before the Father in His High Priestly prayer.

Speaking with the Father, Jesus said, “I have given [those who follow Me] your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” [JOHN 17:14-17].

Unquestionably, the Master drew a bright line distinguishing those in the world from those in His Kingdom.

The distinction is not arbitrary—it is based on reaction to His presence.

Unbelievers are in the world, and they will not be hated by the world because they pose no threat to those of the world.

However, those who are born from above have identified with the Son of God, and they can anticipate that the world will hate them.

John writes, “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.

Whoever does not love abides in death” [1 JOHN 3:13, 14].

There was a saying attributed to Jesus that was extant among the early churches.

The saying has been preserved in the writings of several individuals and also in at least one Gnostic writing.

Understand that though the saying bears the ring of authenticity, it cannot be verified as authentic.

This is the saying: “Whoever is near Me is near the fire.”

[5] What is true is that following the Master will expose the one following to calumny and contempt from those identified as belonging to this present, dying world.