The Humble King

Intro: Come Adore the Humble King

Summary of Mark

This morning we come to the end of the gospel of Mark. Throughout Mark’s Gospel account, he has labored to show us that Jesus indeed was the Son of God who had come to save sinners. Throughout the gospel account, we have seen that Jesus in his ministry was one with great authority. But we have more importantly been seeing Jesus’ call to discipleship and what that means. And Mark closes driving the call to faithfulness as a disciple home. Mark ends his gospel with another gospel sandwich. This time, on one outer end, you have Jesus’ sacrificial death. And on the other end of the sandwich, you have Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. But in between, we take a glance at those faithful to remain with Jesus and follow him.

Main Point: At the cross, Jesus claims victory for his followers in his death and resurrection.

Points

What Jesus does on the Cross

What the Resurrection of Jesus means

What it means to follow Jesus

What Jesus wins at the Cross

Substitutionary Atonement

At the cross, Jesus did a great work in restoring sinful man to a holy God. The cross was not just a humiliating means of death, but a moment of redeeming a rebellious people back to God. At the cross God’s holy and righteous judgement meets his faithful, his steadfast love and mercy. For in the cross of Christ, to quote Mark Dever, “Jesus solves the riddle of Exodus 34. He shows how God can forgive our wickedness while at the same time punish the guilty.” In Exodus 34:6-7 we read, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.” It is this riddle of being merciful and gracious and not clearing the guilty that the cross solves through the blood of Jesus. For at the cross, God shows his mercy and grace by pouring out his steadfast love for thousands in forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin as Jesus steps into the gap as a sacrificial lamb and takes God’s judgement against sin on himself.

To first understand this though, we must remember that God created us as man in his image. In the very good beginning, we were good and walked with God. But when Adam and Eve sinned, sin entered the world and we all were born in sin. And because we sinned against our creator, breaking his law, his ways, then we were guilty before him. Therefore, we must grasp this guilt, understanding that we need salvation. And that salvation can’t come through the law, for the law shows us who God is, it was the means to enjoy God. But the problem is we can’t keep the law, no matter how hard we try. We all have fallen short of the glory of God. That is all except the perfect man, the Beloved Son of God in which Mark’s gospel has been introducing us to. In fact, here in the account of Jesus’ crucifixion and death, one of the Roman soldiers, the centurion there in verse 39 even comes to recognize that there is something different about Jesus. While it is most likely that he doesn’t acknowledge him as the Son of YHWH, he does recognize him as one favored by a God, because of how he carried himself, the way in which he died.

On the cross, Jesus brings salvation by becoming sin for us and enduring God’s judgement against it. We read in 2 Corinthians 5:21, For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. The perfect one who had never sinned against the Father becomes sin that we might be saved. And as he becomes Sin, it is he who becomes separated from God, that we might be brought near to God. This is why Jesus in verse 34 states, Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus here quotes from Psalm 22:1, the only part of Scripture that he could use to express what it was he endured on the cross. He was forsaken by God, the Father in his becoming sin. He was forsaken for our sake. For the way the guilty are cleared and the mercy and grace is Jesus substituting himself for sinners, by him laying down his own life that we might find life in him.

Now, some like the Pharisees seem to think that Jesus was calling for Elijah, not God. And here is why, for while they don’t seem similar in English, they are in Hebrew. For Elijah in Hebrew is אֵלִיָּה. And, the Hebrew word for God is אֱלֹהִים. A very subtle difference in the Hebrew and Aramaic that would have been spoken in that day. But, we have certainty that Jesus was saying my God, my God for one the quoting of Psalm 22:1, but also Mark translates and makes clear for us who it was that Jesus was calling out to, for yes, he translated in the original too. So there should be no question that Jesus was calling out to God in his forsakenness.

For without Jesus becoming forsaken, we would remain forsaken. For in him being forsaken, Jesus the innocent becomes the guilty, so that the guilty might be declared innocent. Jesus is judged, sentenced, and executed so that we can be declared justified and free of guilt. And in doing so, the Father’s face turns away from the Son, he abandons him as he becomes sin. For the Father’s face cannot even look at his beloved Son in his sin, in this judgement. So Jesus was truly abandoned there on the cross. The darkness of this event is described in verse 33. It tells us that the whole land was covered in darkness for three hours. The 6th hour being noon, and the 9th hour being 3 PM. So, no matter the time of year, the sun should have been at its highest point during this stretch, yet it says that darkness was over the whole land. This fulfills what was written in Amos 8:9 which says: “And on that day”, declares the Lord God, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. The darkness here isn’t saying there was an eclipse that covered the whole earth, but in the area of Jerusalem, where Jesus was crucified a sudden darkness had covered the entire region in a unique way. A darkness that should be contrasted to the heavens being torn open as Jesus was baptized. For in the moment here at the cross, the Day of the Lord has come as the Son becomes sin for us. The crucifixion of Jesus was a dark stretch of time as the darkness of sin is dealt with.

Jesus is forsaken to become our substitute. J.I. Packer helps to unfold this point further as he writes, “The notion which the phrase “penal substitution” expresses is that Jesus Christ our Lord, moved by a love that was determined to do everything necessary to save us, endured and exhausted the destructive divine judgment for which we were otherwise inescapably destined, and so won us forgiveness, adoption, and glory.”

In the cross, Exodus 34 and its tension are met as the Son of God is punished, so that God’s mercy and grace can go out to those who would come and rest in Jesus. God’s heart of compassion and mercy and grace is shown in the giving of his own son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life (Jn 3:16). And Jesus, even in his forsakenness, continues to willingly endure this. We see this even as he tastes the forsakenness of the cross, when he opens it with, My God, my God! In the ancient languages, phrases are often put twice emphasizing a surety, a trust in what was said. And here it is no difference here as Jesus says My God twice, showing his continued trust and relationship with God the Father. For this was the whole reason that Jesus had come. As we saw back in Mark 10:45, Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many. And that is just what he did there on the cross, enduring the wrath of God in our place.

Therefore at the cross we see the call to salvation for any here who have yet to believe in Jesus. Friend, if you are not a Christian, if you have yet to repent and turn from your sin and rest in Jesus, see the invitation for you to come and be forgiven of your sins by trusting in Jesus. The cross is not a call to perfection, it is a call to seeing your need in Jesus and believing that God’s judgement against sin was satisfied in Jesus. You need not do anything except to come to Jesus. Will you come and believe this truth today?

And Christian, for us who have already believed, this continues to be good news for us. For as Christ became sin for us, as he was forsaken for us, this means that in him we are already declared just before God. We are already declared not cursed, not guilty. In Jesus we are not defeated or crushed. No matter what sins we continue to struggle with, no matter how many times we fall into that same sin that we can’t seem to shake, our salvation is secure, because of what Jesus endured on the cross and our faith in Him! Christian, find comfort and joy in this! We have the assurance of our salvation in the midst of our unwillingness and struggle to obey, because Jesus was willing to obey and suffer on our behalf.

The Torn Curtain

And the certainty of this promised hope comes in what we read in verses 37-38. First look at verse 37 with me. It says…

While Mark nor the other two synoptic gospels don’t include what this loud cry is, John, in his gospel account, does. In John 19:30 we read: When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Jesus finished the task, his mission was complete in giving his life as a ransom for many. He had done that in his sacrificial death on the cross. But, not only did the Son complete his mission, the Father accepted the sacrifice. Look now with me at Mark 15:38, it says…

Charles Spurgeon comments on Mark 15:38 saying, “Even as the flesh of Christ, which is the curtain of the incarnate God, was torn, so now was the curtain of mystery taken away. The temple's curtain was torn. The old ceremonial law passed away with the tearing of the curtain. It was a strong—I might say, a massive curtain—it could not have been torn by any ordinary means, but when the hand of God takes hold on the curtain, it readily tears and into the innermost mystery of the holy of holies we may gaze, yes, and through it we may enter.”

Earlier in the service, Mark read from Exodus 26:31-35 about this curtain from the old law. In that passage, we saw the veil and its measurements that separated the Most Holy place in the sanctuary. This veil was to only be entered by the High Priest once a year to make sacrifice for the whole of Israel. Access to God was limited. But, with Jesus completing his mission in his substitutionary death on the cross, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, breaking open the Holy of Holies for all in Christ to enter in once and for all. Access to God was no longer dependent on a priest in Israel, but was made possible through the Forever Priest of Jesus.

Christian, because of Jesus’ victory on the cross, we have forever access to God. This means that we have one constantly before the Father both interceding and advocating for us. Just a few weeks ago on Sunday night, we looked at this in chapters 8 and 9 of Gentle and Lowly. On Jesus interceding for us, Dane writes, “The intercession of Christ is his heart connecting our heart to the Father’s heart.” He then applies this and adds, “We cannot sin our way out of his tender care.” Oh Christian, think about the richness of this truth. Because the curtain is torn and there is the Forever Priest before the Father, he is constantly interceding for us, even as we continue to struggle in sin. Every victory we have is because of Christ’s work on the cross. But again, it is not just intercession that Jesus is able to bring to us constantly as the curtain has been torn, but he too is advocating for us. Dane on this writes, Our sins feel far more sinful after we have become believers than before. And it’s not only our felt perception of our sinfulness; we do indeed continue to sin after becoming believers. Sometimes we sin big sins. And that’s what Christ’s advocacy is for. It’s God way of encouraging us not to throw in the towel. Yes, we fail Christ as his disciples. But his advocacy on our behalf rises higher than our sins. His advocacy speaks louder than our failures. All is taken care of.”

What the Resurrection of Jesus means.

But the cross is not the end for Christ. Moving to point #2, what the resurrection of Jesus means. For any who doubt out there, Jesus actually died and was buried. He was buried in a tomb with a massive stone rolled in front of it as we see in verse 46. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses who saw Jesus buried also saw him raised.

And whether you are one who struggles with this or have heard of and believed in the Resurrection from early on, we should be absolutely astonished by the fact Jesus arose and was not found in the tomb. Instead of Jesus being found in the tomb, there in Mark 16:5 there is one found dressed in white who says that Jesus is not there. Then, notice the reaction of these two women there in verse 8, it says they went out and fled from the tomb. But notice the grounding or purpose clause that follows. For trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

The reality that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again is simply astonishing. No one just rises from the dead from their own power or own accord. In fact, it had only been Jesus, the Son of God who had raised people from the dead. But here, the one they had 3 days prior seen brutally killed and put in a tomb was now alive. In the resurrection, we see that not even death could hold or defeat Jesus. As Jesus arose, he defeated even that great enemy of death, rolling back the curse of sin and its effects. Even as we sang this morning, Joy to the World. That third verse:

No more let sins and sorrows grow,Nor thorns infest the ground;He comes to make His blessings flow; Far as the curse is found,Far as the curse is found,Far as, far as, the curse is found.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,Nor thorns infest the ground;He comes to make His blessings flow; Far as the curse is found,Far as the curse is found,Far as, far as, the curse is found.

And, because of Jesus defeating death, because of his resurrection,, there is the promise of resurrected life for all who believe in Jesus. Our hope in the gospel isn’t just about the here and now. It is not about simply being in heaven when we die. Our resurrected hope is a hope of when Christ returns again, us being raised with new bodies where we will dwell in the new Jerusalem and be with God forever and ever. A hope of entering the new and better Jerusalem in which sin and sorrow reign no more.

What it means to follow Jesus.

Oh friend, see the beauty and glory of what Jesus has won for us in his death and resurrection. And as we take some time to consider all that Jesus did, let it marinate us and move us to faithfully following him. And that is where we turn here in our third and final point this morning, what it means to follow Jesus.

Prior to the crucifixion of Jesus in Mark’s gospel, there in Mark 15:1-32, what we looked at last week, we saw those who were against Jesus. But, on the other side of his death, we see some faithful followers who continued to follow Jesus.

Women in the distance

First, there is the group of women mentioned in Mark 15:46, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. This group of women, in particular the two Mary’s mentioned faithfully followed Jesus and served him along the way. Most of them were not even mentioned here. But they consistently followed the Lord Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, to faithfully follow Jesus is not about us being in the spotlight, us being even visible in our service for the sake of the Kingdom. It is about just that, following Jesus and faithfully serving him, even when others have abandoned him, even when others shout loudly and antagonistically against. There are those who forsake a career, living in their home country, and go to the nations who will not be known to the masses, but who faithfully serve our King. One dear sister I recall going over with a family to help them as they ministered in the Middle East. Most will never know her name, but she was on the frontlines in helping build a Chrisitan witness in a place where there is currently much gospel growth. Be willing to serve behind the scenes, in the shadows. Do the work of the evangelist, not caring who does or doesn’t know. Do the dirty work of discipleship in helping others to follow Jesus. This is what it means to faithfully follow Jesus.

Joseph of Arimathea

Then there is Joseph of Arimathea, the surprising follower mentioned here. For in Mark 15:43 we learn that he was a member of the council, that is of the Sanhedrin. And he comes and boldly asks to be able to bury Jesus properly instead of thrown into a ditch as all other crucified bodies were. And it provides for the means of the burial place. And this same example is shown again with Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James, and Salome. They sought to anoint Jesus with spices for burial, showing him care and respect, even in his death.

Faithful followers of Jesus will be called to be bold and to sacrifice. We are to be bold by simply affirming Jesus as others deny him. We are to be bold by holding to our belief that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life as others deny that. We are to be bold by sharing that faith, and may the LORD make us ever bolder. Same with sacrifice, may we count the cost and take up our own crosses and follow Jesus, knowing very well that it will cost us as we follow him.

A call to faithfully follow Jesus

As Christians, let us be quick to follow Jesus in these ways. Let us continue to follow him, holding fast to our hope in Him. And even when we fail and struggle, looking back to the Cross to see how God cleared the guilty by the substitution of Jesus. That he shed his own blood for us, that we might have life if we would place our faith in him. And it is the shedding of this blood and the breaking of his own body that we will soon turn our attention to as we take the Lord’s Supper.

Let’s pray...