Mark 15:1-20

Motivation: to convince you that Jesus is enough to save you.

Rejection of Jesus as savior will lead to the acceptance of anything for salvation.

“Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God, your functional savior.” -Martin Luther

When Jesus is not “enough” we’ll look to other things to be our savior: kids, money, jobs, our own accomplishments and goodness, etc.

Which savior actually saves us?

The power of the politicians vs. 1-5

The Jewish leaders changed their claims to fit Rome’s sensibilities by accusing Jesus of political insurrection rather than blasphemy

Jesus chose to speak vs. 2

Invitation to Pilate to think about the claim and what is true

Jesus refused to speak vs. 5

Being amazed without leading to worship is a useless response

The acceptance of the guilty vs. 6-15

Why Barabbas?

He was a leader that could get stuff done in a political insurrection; salvation on earth

Jesus isn’t attractive to us. His teachings are hard to hear. Too slow, peaceful, unimpressive, subversive, no big sexy ROI on his actions, etc.

Where the rejection of Jesus led the people:

Accepting of Barabbas functionally means that to them,

Murder doesn’t matter

Families of Barabbas’ victims don’t matter

Justice doesn’t matter

God’s word (“Do not murder”) doesn’t matter

Willing to give up everything that they claim to believe in

Jesus was innocent v. 10, 14

The people were given an opportunity to be reasonable by Pilate

Their response: just yell louder. Relevant to today.

Jesus was condemned v. 15

Pilate had no moral compass and no backbone

Where Pilate’s rejection of Jesus took him:

Condemning an innocent man means that functionally, he believes:

Protecting the innocent doesn’t matter

Truth doesn’t matter

Allegiance to Caesar is the only thing that matters

He was willing to torture and murder an innocent man for his savior (order, status quo, Rome, his position)

What about us? All it takes is a social media post, an election year, uncertainty, etc., and our functional saviors are revealed

Politics, money, family, etc.

The rejection of the King v. 16-20

Jesus is a willing savior

John 10:18 “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.””

Hebrews 12:2 “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Trusting in Jesus as savior will lead to the acceptance of anyone forever

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

What did Barabbas do after being set free? How did he live? And what will you do after having been set free?

Question ideas:

What stood out to you from the sermon or the text this week?

In what way did the Jewish religious leaders change their accusations to fit Rome’s sensibilities?

Blasphemy -> political insurrection

In what ways did the actions of the Jewish leaders and Pilate contradict what they claimed to believe?

What was the response of the people when Pilate gave them an opportunity to be reasonable?

Why do you think that the people were able to be so easily swayed away from Jesus and toward Barabbas?

They were the ones singing Hosanna… the fact that they were so easily swayed, what does that say about their functional savior?

They wanted Rome off their backs; it was never really about Christ in the first place

Once Jesus stops being their ticket to getting free of Rome, they move to someone else

What are some examples of functional saviors that people can tend to worship with their actions?

Money, politics, family, “keeping up with the Jones’,” careers, safety, control

How can we identify our functional saviors?

Your actions speak louder than your supposed principles.

How can we ensure that we do not replace Jesus with other things as our functional saviors?

Thinking about being set free in Christ, what specific steps can individuals take to live a life that reflects that freedom and grace?