Sermon Tone Analysis

Steve Turner’s hilarious and incisive satirical poem has a section that goes like this:

Jesus was a good man just like Buddha; Mohammed, and ourselves.

He was a good moral teacher though we think; His good morals were bad.

We believe that all religions are basically the same- at least the one that we read was.

They all believe in love and goodness.

They only differ on matters of creation,

sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation.

We believe that after death comes the Nothing

Because when you ask the dead what happens…they say nothing.

If death is not the end, if the dead have lied, then its

compulsory heaven for all…excepting perhaps… Hitler, Stalin, and Genghis Kahn

This is a poem that playfully mocks the postmodern idea that truth is relative and all religions are basically the same.

I wonder if you’ve ever believed that?

Or if you believe it now - that Jesus is just a good man, like Buddah and Mohhamed, and yourself.

Well, for those who had the slightest idea what Christianity actually is, they know that it’s a ridiculous statement, to claim that Christianity is basically the same as every other religion, and that Jesus is basically the same as Buddha and Mohammed.

They are fundamentally different.

In our teaching through the gospel of Mark, we encounter time and time again why Jesus is utterly unique, and why Christianity is utterly unique.

But as we get closer to the part where Jesus dies on the cross, we see even more clearly how Jesus is different from everyone else.

Mk 14:12-26.

One of the central ideas this passage teaches is the sovereignty of Jesus Christ.

I wonder what you think of when you think of “sovereignty”?

You may think of it in political terms, a sovereign state is one that governs itself.

But when we’re talking about sovereignty, we’re talking about supreme authority, total freedom, absolute power of Jesus Christ.

What is it?

A.W. Pink puts it this way: “The sovereignty of God may be defined as the exercise of his supremacy…Being elevated above the highest creature, He is the Most High, Lord of heaven and earth.

Subject to none, influenced by none, absolutely independent; God does as he pleases, only as he pleases, always as he pleases.

None can thwart him, none can hinder him…Divine sovereignty means that God is God in fact, as well as in name, that he is on the Throne of the universe, directing all things, working all things ‘after the counsel of his own will.’”

Now, you may be wondering to yourself: “Okay, we’re in the gospel of Mark.

We’re reading about how Jesus has been betrayed.

We’re about to study how Jesus will be arrested and crucified.

And you’re telling me that Jesus is “subject to none, influenced by none, absolutely independent?

You’re trying to tell me he “does as he pleases,” even as he’s getting backstabbed by a friend and bludgeoned by guards and crucified by Romans?”

Some sovereignty!

Ah, but therein lies the beauty of it all.

Let’s start by looking at Jesus’ sovereignty over circumstances.

1) Jesus is Sovereign Over Circumstances.

12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”

13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.

Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’

15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.”

16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Remember: Thousands of Jews are flooding into Jerusalem.

So at this point everyone is trying to find a place to kill their lamb and eat the passover meal.

It appears that the disciples are a bit concerned - they ask “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”

At about 3 PM, the slaughter of lambs would begin, by the thousands.

The animals would be cleaned, the head would remain attached to the carcass, and the legs would remain unbroken.

And then they would find a place to eat the passover meal.

The disciples are concerned.

Verse 13, Jesus sends two disciples (Peter and John) and gives them clear directions: “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.”

This would have been easily identifiable because usually in those days, that was a woman’s task.

They were to “follow him” to a house.

In the house there would be a master.

They were given a specific question to ask the master, and the master of the house would lead them to a completely furnished upper room.

It’s interesting how vague the directions are.

Why didn’t he just say, “Go to 1425 Jerusalem Ct, there’s a room there.”

Many scholars believe that Jesus spoke in such cryptic language because at this point he knew Judas was seeking to arrest him and didn’t want to let Judas have the information beforehand - because Judas would have told the religious leaders and spoiled the last supper.

Jesus wanted to eat the last supper with the disciples.

The disciples might be a little flustered, Jesus isn’t.

He knows exactly what to do.

He has clear and specific directions.

Now, the question arises: did Jesus have supernatural knowledge of the future that enabled him, or did he prearrange this all beforehand?

Some scholars claim that Jesus must have made these arrangements on Wednesday.

The answer is this: yes, Jesus did arrange these things.

He most certainly arranged them in eternity past as the sovereign king of the universe.

I’m not sure whether he arranged them physically that week.

Jesus is in complete control of his circumstances.

Remember, Jesus knows he’s going to die.

In 10:45 he said that the whole reason for his coming was that he wouldn “give his life as a ransom for many.”

In fact, since 8:31 he had been making predictions that he would die.

And now, we’re within hours of his betrayal and death, and we realize that he’s in complete control.

He’s not being suckered into this.

He’s not being coerced.

He says in John 10:18 “No one takes [my life] 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.”

In other words, what we see here is Jesus' authority over his circumstances.

You look at verse 13 and you might think, “Yes, he has authority.

Look at how the disciples obey him.”

But no, I’m talking about a bigger authority.

A more cosmic authority.

Jesus is demonstrating his knowledge of the future.

He knew where the man with the jar would be.

He knew what the master of the house would do.

He knew the room would be adequately furnished for them.

He is not playing guessing games.

He’s not hoping.

He is conducting.

He is in absolute control.

Can you see the implication here?

Every time Jesus demonstrates a knowledge of the future - whether it’s the distant future or the immediate future - he is demonstrating his authority as God himself.

Only God knows the future.

Jesus knows the future.

Jesus is God.

Consider this.

This is a central doctrine of Christianity.

The God who made us rules us.

He is perfect and righteous and good, and will one day judge us.

But one of the core doctrines of Christianity is that God became a man.

We call this the incarnation.

God, who has always and eternally existed, became a man.

We walked among us.