Mark 15:16-41 | Joy to the Nations

One of the elders - James a GospelLife.

INTRO

If you are new or visiting, over the last 18 months we have been making our way through the gospel of Mark - (Expository Preaching).

We have been standing at the foot of the cross, and lingering on the several different strands of this story that Mark points out to us as significant.

This morning we consider the first response to the death of Jesus recorded by Mark - and what it means in light of God’s grand story of redemption.

Read

v. 25 - 39

HOOK: The Centurians Confession

Across from Jesus as he hangs upon the tree, stands a Centurian.

If history serves us well, this centurian would have been the leader of the kill squad who now presides over the death of those crucified.

as far as we know, he has had no other interaction with Jesus

Yet when he saw the way in which Jesus died:

when he saw the powerless death of this man they are calling a false king,

when he sees the desperation as he cries out in abandonment,

when he witnesses the darkness as if the Sun departed from the sky,

when he sees his final cry and the final breath leave his bloody and broken body:

He responds - ‘truly this man was the Son of God!’

The Roman Centurian - looks up and what does he see, he sees a man, with a body who at that point looks more like a conference of flesh and blood than a human, who has suffered and died - and he concludes that - this is the Son of the divine, of God.

It must be said that - We have very little to go by here,

we don’t know what exactly brought him to this conclusion

we don’t know exactly what he means by what he says,

and we have no story about him after, we don’t know what this faith statement produces. And i say it as a faith statement, becuase that is how Mark inspired by the Holy Spirit presents it.

Although we can point out that this response is evidence of a radical transformation in the Centurian.

a transformation in his undersatnding of the divine Divinity only belonged to ceasar. Due to his power. power that was evident in his role and wealth and victories.

a Transformation in his understanding of Power For him to make this statement, his understanding of power has to be turned upside down. Again, what does he see - the powerless death of a jewish rabbi… Jesus at the mercy of others. In fact, as the lead executioner, likely, Jesus in his hands… This Roman, who has lived in been raised in and soaked in a worldview where power reigns, yet still when he sees the helpless, powerless death of Jesus he still comes to this conclusion. Surely this is the son of God How?

the centurian is contrasted with those who demand a sign. Come down and then we will believe. vs 32

But this attitude never seems to beleive.

The centurian instead, simply beholds the obscurity, lowliness, humiliation and powerlessness of the cross, and in it he sees God demonstrating his mighty power.

How can that be, freinds it is only by faith.

ANd just to be clear, that is the same reality for us. Let us not think we have some high position, where becuase of our modern setting and the volume of information available to us. That we have an enlightened perspective, and might come to be saved by our working out of the facts.

We come to be saved by faith, and faith, is a gift.

Yes we do have more content than the centurian, we have the letter of the new testament and the scriptures canonised and the witness of the apostles, we have church history, and a church community.

But let us be clear, that we only have those things by grace - through faith - which is gift!!

Freinds here is the power of the gospel. The good news of Christ the Son fo God’s death in the place of sinners, it is the power of God for salvation for all who believe (Rom 1:16)

It’s salvation to anyone who beleives.

The gospel that can transform even the executioner at the cross.

The gospel that saves sinners, not through coersion or winning them over with violence, but through love and obedience and sacrifice to God.

All who believe.

Which leads us to maybe the most notable thing about this centurian… he is a Roman.

The first response to the death of Christ, doesnt come from a descendant of abraham

the first proclaimation of the divinity of Jesus from someone other than jesus, comes not from a jew, but a gentile.

In which we see:

God’s wisdom and power in fulfilling what he promised.

This response of the centurion, is a key marker in the story of God’s redemption of people from every tribe and nation and tongue.

This is the grand story of God’s mission to redeem people from all nations for his Glory.

Let me show you, by starting at end of the story.

The great heavenly host, in the final revelation, sings a new song about the lamb, the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Revelation 5:9–10

9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

The end of the story of God’s redemption is that the Son has redeemed by his blood people from all nations

Revelations 7:9-10 sees a great multitude from all nations worshipping Christ!

And this end of the story is all according to the will and plan of God.

It is the fulfillment of his promise to redeem fallen humanity.

Creation

Fall

Primevil - Sin culminates at Babel. all peoples want to make a name for themselves by getting to heaven. Bu God comes and he scatters the people - and in doing so divides humanity in nations and cultures by way of giving them different languages. Ch 11

IN Gen chapter 12 then, God chooses from among the nations of the world 1 man, Abram:

Genesis 12:1–3

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Upon the background of scattered humanity, God chooses one family, in whom he would bless all the nations. 

Abraham and Israel were chosen to bring blessing to the nations as They would hear of the God of Abram, and be drawn to worship Him as their God.

This is the promise to abram, and the mission of God to redeem people from all nations for his glory.

A mission, that we see all throughout the OT.

Do not be fooled into thinking that since God chose to bless and be with Israel, that he was forgetting the nations.

No he was creating a people that were to bring blessing to the nations as they worshipped God as the only true God.

The Song’s of Israel that pick up the theme of the mission of God to the Nations. To bless the nations through the offspring of Abraham.

Psalm 67:1–4

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, 2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.

Psalm 98:2–4

2 The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. 3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

Yet if you follow the story of the people of Israel, the descendants of Abraham - , they fail to remain faithful to worship God, and rather than pointing the nations to worship the one true living God, the nations influence them to worship their false Gods, so they fall into idolatry.

Yet hope is not lost because God is faithful and he will not give up on his mission to bless the nations through an offspring of Abraham.

So, through his prophets, he proclaims that a king, a Son of David, would come, who would rule with justice and equity, and would enrich the nations (e.g., Ps 72:17; Isa 11:10–12; 55:3–5; Amos 9:11–12).

Take one example from - of a Messianic promise

Isaiah 49:6

6 he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

The new Testament then opens with the geneology of Jesus Christ, the Son of Abraham, the Son of David.

and presents us with the grand coming of the king, of God in the person of Jesus Christ, who came preaching and displaying the kingdom of God, first to the descendants of Abraham (Jews), and then to peoples of all nations (gentiles).

But then he dies, and having breathed his last, it is the gentile, Roman, italian, centurian who responds with faith first.

Mark makes sure we note this, becuase it is evidence of the grand story of God’s mission to bless and bring salvation to the nations through the offspring of Abraham.

The Centurian is a first fruits of sorts, a first blossom of new life, that would continue.

Becuase though Jesus died in the place of sinners, he would rise again that all who turn to him in faith might be saved. 

ALL - This is the story of Acts and proclaimation of the Apostles.

That all who beleive, without distinction

Consider Paul

Romans 15:8–9

8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised (jews) to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs (Ab, Isa, Jac), 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” (ps, 18:49)

Galatians 3:26–29

26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

This is the gospel, the good news of what God has accomplished in fulfilling his mission to the nations through the descendent of Abraham.

It is the gospel that is Joy to the Nations.

Joy, becuase the Jewish Messiah, died for the Roman, for the Brazillian, the Australian and even for the irishman. That the jewish messiah died for us.

It is the story of the NT, of the gospel going out and bringing joy to the nations:

Afterall, before ascending to the father, Jesus commissions the disciples in:

Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV)

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Apply: Gospel for the Nations

This is the story that we now play a part in. having been saved by grace, we are commissioned to go and make disciples.

This simple, single line, about the response of the centurian, should remind us that the gospel is the proclaimation of joy to the people of all nations.

3 things to chew on, in light of this

1. That the end of God’s mission is to save sinners from all nations is - his Glory

God has brought about this salvation for his own glory.

Romans 9:17

all God does he does that [his] “name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

How concerned are you with the glory of God?

You know, I think one of main reasons we are hesitant, to go, to share the gospel, to bear witness to the love of God with others, is we fear what they will think about us.

friends, there are millions, billions of people, who hate God, who think little of Jesus. Whether through active disregard or passive, sinful unbelief. Let us, be far more concerned with proclaiming the glory of God, than maintaining face with those around us.

Let us exhibit, he to whom all authoirty in heaven and on earth has been given, and who is with us always.

2. A people United in Christ

Gal 3:26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

God in his divine wisdom, has made us one people.

IN the final day, we will stand as a multitude before the throne, and we will stand alongside people from every tribe and nation and tongue.

Today - we have a glimpse.

= Google translate - beautiful and terrifying.

But it is evidence that the gospel brings joy to all nations.

Let us show no distinction, let us pray, beleive and share the gospel with all people, that they may come to join in the multitude who worship the lamb

3. Go, Send, or Disobey

Immediately with those around us - we are to make disciples

therefore there is only 1 way to respond.

Although we should also consider the nations - or people groups who are unreached with the gospel - who lack, faithful established churches that proclaim the gospel.

in regards to those peoples, there are three ways we can respond - beucase, I don’t believe we are all called to be overseas missionaries (For example)

Go

Send - equip/support - Provide - Pray for a heart for those who do not know Christ. Join us as we pray for nations that need the gospel every thursday.

3. Disobey