A Rejected Savior

-A Rejected Savior

The New Testament has four books that we call the Gospels. These books tell the story of Jesus, each with a different writer, a different audience, and a different purpose.

The writers didn’t just simply write everything they knew about Jesus. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they wrote what they felt was most important for their unique audience to hear.

The main message runs through each Gospel: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

Driven by that foundational message, the people they wrote to needed to know how the Gospel impacted their lives, not just eternally, but today and into the future until that great day that all the church is gathered together in glory with Him.

Last week, as we continued our study in the Gospel of Mark, we saw what I called Mark’s climactic statement by Jesus:

Mark 14:61–62 ESV

But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

In this statement, Jesus not only confessed to being the Promised Messiah, but He claimed equality with God; positionally and authoritatively.

At this point, the religious leaders needed no further proof. They now were convinced that Jesus must die.

Now Mark’s Gospel turns to truly the darkest part of the message, in which Jesus is convicted, humiliated, brutalized, and crucified.

The major theme of this section that Mark is showing his audience is what Jesus has done in hopes that they will put their faith in Jesus.

Within this theme, Mark shows that Jesus is a rejected Savior. This not only tells them what kind of Lord He was and explains why He died, but it also gave them hope when the people around them reject Jesus, His Gospel, and them as believers.

In looking at Mark 15:1-15 we will see three ways that Jesus was, and still is, rejected by people and what we as the church must do in response to the rejection of people.

Verses 1-5

Why did they take Him to Pilate?

Are you the King of the Jews?

You have said so...

…the chief priests accused him of many things...

Luke 23:2 ESV

And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”

Have you no answer to make?

Jesus made no further answer...

…Pilate was amazed.

The Gospel of Christ Jesus will always have those who reject it as a lie.

Why?

Because the Gospel calls people to repent and be saved.

Because the Gospel calls people to live a new life in Christ.

Because the Gospel calls people to look towards future blessings, not earthly gains.

Something we must remember:

Suffering at the hands of the enemies of the Gospel is normal for Christians.

2 Timothy 3:12 ESV

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Philippians 1:29 ESV

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,

1 Peter 4:12–13 ESV

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

We must continue to hold to the Gospel, even in the face of opposition.

What does it mean to hold to the Gospel?

Don’t turn from it in the face of trials and tribulation.

Live like you believe, don’t just talk about it.

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness...

Hard reality: Many people in the Christian church today don’t face opposition from the enemies of the Gospel because they are more influenced by the culture than by Gospel.

The Gospel of Christ Jesus will always have those who reject it as foolishness.

I imagine that Pilate thought that this beaten up Jewish man was a fool.

All he needed to do was deny what the religious leaders were claiming and he would be free to let him go.

Why in the world would this guy not try to save himself?

Pilate’s life, like most of the movers and shakers within the Roman hierarchy, was all about attempting to get the most out of life as possible and seek upward mobility.

Judea was likely one of the worst posts, and I can’t help but think that Pilate wanted nothing more than to get a better position within Rome.

He would do anything to achieve that.

But here before him was a man who didn’t seem to care about any of the same things Pilate cared about.

In fact, all this man cared about was “truth,” whatever that meant!

I have no doubt that Pilate believed Jesus was a fool.

Something we must remember:

One of the most effective tools in the devil’s arsenal is our desire to be thought well of.

Most of us are people pleasers. Or, at least, we desire that others think good things about us.

And, there’s nothing wrong with that, as long as it’s kept in perspective.

But, the devil will often take that good intention and convince us that the worst thing in the world would be to have people think ill of us.

It makes us shy away from sharing our faith, hide our faith from those who might ridicule us, or believe the lie that religious faith is something that is private and personal.

We must continue to boldly proclaim the Gospel, even in the face of ridicule.

Romans 1:16–17 ESV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Verses 6-15

The sad irony of this passage is that just days before these same people were crying out “Hosanna in the highest!” as Jesus entered Jerusalem.

Now, they are crying out “Crucify him!”

This is a clear example of mob-mentality. These people are not necessarily mad at anything that they know that Jesus did or said. They are responding to what they heard through the grapevine and/or through the influence of liars.

The Gospel of Christ Jesus will always have those who will be influenced to reject it.

Many people in our community who either reject the Gospel do so because they were influenced by others to do so.

Just like there are many in our community who don’t know the Gospel because it has never been presented to them, others don’t believe the Gospel because someone else told them it wasn’t worthy of their faith.

The reasonings are numerous, but the results are the same.

We must continue to influence others with the Gospel, even in the face of social pressure.

Here’s the good news: some of those people will change their minds if the Gospel is presented to them in a way they can understand it.

This doesn’t mean we need to have all the answers...

This doesn’t mean that everyone who will present the Gospel to will believe...

It does mean that there are those out there who just need to hear the Gospel presented to them in a language they understand, from a person who genuinely cares for them.

That’s why were are here!

One last point, and it comes from the story of Barabbas:

Despite all of those who reject it, the Gospel of Christ Jesus teaches people that the guilty are set free because the innocent One was pronounced guilty.

Even in this ugly, nasty passage, we find an incredible picture of hope.

Consider Barabbas...

Barabbas was a guilty man who deserved the cross.

But, Barabbas’ story is our story as well.

We, like Barabbas, deserve punishment for our sins.

But, just like Barabbas, Jesus took our place on the cross; and in doing so became the very embodiment of my sin and yours, if you put your faith in Him.