The Servant Delivered Mark 15:1-15 Introduction

Transcription

1 Introduction In the past several weeks we have followed Jesus from the upper room to a lonely garden to a crowded courtroom. We seen the Servant betrayed, denied and tried. Now our passage in Mark focuses on Jesus before the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate. In the trial before the religious leaders (the Sanhedrin) Jesus is accused of Blasphemy. Now in the trial before Pilate Jesus is accused of being The King of The Jews. In verse 2 Pilate asks Are you the King of the Jews? This is an important question and the only question Jesus chooses to answer. The fact that Pilate asks the question reveals that Jesus is being tried for political reasons. Before the trial is over Pilate is convinced of several things: 1. The Jews have delivered Jesus to the Romans for petty unprovable crimes. Whatever religious claims were being disputed, Pilate knew the Chief Priests were envious of the Servant s popularity among the people. What Pilate did not realize was that Jesus was the most dangerous man in the Roman Empire. The Servant Jesus is delivered into the hands of Rome. This is the first real confrontation between Caesar and Christ (excluding the coin). Jesus is not dangerous because he commands an army of innumerable warriors (He does). Jesus is not dangerous because He can overthrow the Empire with just a word (He can). Jesus is dangerous because He can overthrow every Empire, tear down every system whether religious or political; and can destroy the works of darkness by dying! Jesus is dangerous because sin can be forgiven; hearts can be changed; people can be restored to the Creator of the universe. Pilate does not realize this. I am sure that Pilate woke up early-- annoyed and upset that the Jewish natives would embroil him in yet another religious controversy. I am sure that Pilate never thought for a moment that his judgment about the Galilean peasant would accomplish the Lord s ultimate goal. 2. I am sure that when Pilate squared off with Jesus he did not realize that one day the tables would be turned. One day there will be a heavenly inquisition with Jesus as Lord and Judge and Pilate as condemned subject. I am sure that Pilate did not wake up that morning and say; Today I will make the most important decision of my petty bureaucratic career. Pilate will have his moment in history. We all do. We each have moments when the choice we make have eternal consequences. 3. We must each make a decision about Jesus. We must render a judgment and embrace the consequences of that judgment. 4. There is always danger of great evil when truth is placed in the hands of wicked men and ignored. 5. Resisting and rejecting the truth leaves a person without purpose or direction. The Accusations Of The Religious Leaders (vv.1-2) Mark 15:1 (NKJV) 1 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate. 1

2 John 18:28; Then they led Jesus from Caiphas to the Praetorium and it was very early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. The trial, the accusations, the inquiry and the scourging all take place in a very short time. In chapter 19 of John s Gospel he records the actual hour using Roman time; in verse 14 John writes; Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, Behold your king! This would make it about 6:00 A.M. Jesus will be placed on the cross about 9:00 A.M. The Jews had lost the right to inflict capital punishment. That was Rome s prerogative. Guilty verdicts in Capital crimes were very difficult in Jewish Law. Roman Law was excellent as measured in the comprehensiveness of its coverage. The Romans had made Law an art form. There were elaborate rights and rules and punishments. It was said in the ancient world that the Jews gave us religion, the Greeks culture; and the Romans Law. The legal system of Rome provided the basis of law for all of Western Civilization. Roman trials always included four elements; (1) A formal indictment or accusation; (2) The Examination by the presiding Officer or Judge; (3) The Defense of the accused in the matter. During the defense the accused was allowed to petition or summon witnesses or advocates on the accused s behalf; (4) and the Verdict. The Accusation is found in John 18:29-30; interesting note: John Ryland Fragment dates to AD ; found on a little girl s grave as part of her grave wrapping; oldest known fragment of the Greek New Testament. 2 Then Pilate asked Him, Are You the King of the Jews? He answered and said to him, It is as you say. Following the accusation; the examination; this is an idiom or phrase unique in ancient Roman trials; Jesus is in effect saying Yes--I am a king--but not like the kings you know or understand. The answer is also Jesus defense. He will basically not answer any further questions. The Attitude Of The Lord (vv.3-5) 3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. 2

3 The accusations continue and are met with silence. Jesus does not dignify their accusations with a response. Why was Jesus silent? Several suggestions have been offered. We know from Luke s gospel that Jesus was accused of perverting the people; forbidding them to give tribute to Caesar and calling Himself a King. It is that charge that concerns Pilate. When Jesus says; It is as you say --Jesus affirms His identity as King. Could Jesus silence be contempt or fear or anger? Tragedy? No. Again Jesus fulfills prophecy; Isaiah 53:7; He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers are silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment. 4Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You! 5But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled. We are given a glimpse into the majesty and meekness of the Savior. Pilate marvels. He is blown away! What does Pilate really think of Jesus? John 18:33-34; Who was Pilate? Secular history paints a grim picture. He was Spanish from Seville. He joined the legions of Germanicus in the wars in the Rhineland. Germanicus was the younger brother of Tiberius the Emperor. When Pilate left the army he went to Rome to seek his fortune. There he met and married a girl named Claudia Proculla. She was the youngest daughter of Julia--the only daughter of the Emperor Augustus! Julia was a disgrace and embarrassment to her father the Emperor Augustus. When Tiberius ascended the throne, one of his first official acts was to order Julia to be starved to death (Pilate s mother in law). Pilate s track record with the Jews has been filled with controversy. When he was appointed Procurator the first thing Pilate did was to put images of Tiberius in the Palace made of gold and silver (they were votive shields). The Jews pleaded with Pilate to remove them. Pilate responded by ordering dozens of people into the arena to be put to death. Those who wished to continue to protest would also be put to death. The Jews bared their necks rather than endure the images. Pilate stole money from the Temple treasury in order to finance an aqueduct and water system for Jerusalem. Pilate was hated and despised by the Jews. Jesus knew all this about Pilate (John 18:34-38). The accusation has been made. Pilate has examined the prisoner. Jesus has presented his defense. Pilate renders his verdict; I find no fault in Him at all. At this point Jesus should have been released. By Roman Law Jesus has been acquitted. In Roman as well as modern jurisprudence Pilate has issued what is known as summary judgment. Jesus defense: No defense. Jesus stood in front of a mortal judge so you can stand in front of an immortal judge and obtain mercy and eternal life! 3

4 The Animosity Of The Crowd (vv.6-9) 6Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. 7And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. 8Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. 9But Pilate answered them, saying, Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews? Pilate has found Jesus not guilty. But the crowd will have no part of it. This is Pilate s first attempt to release Jesus (a verdict of Not Guilty). Now Pilate will try a new tactic. They have a ritual of releasing a prisoner during their feast day. Pilate thought that he would appeal to the people to secure the release of Jesus. But the Chief Priest s stirred up the crowd (v.11) to release Barabbas. We know very little about Barabbas. He is called a thief and a murderer (a notorious ) prisoner. He had been involved in some kind of revolt and had been caught. I am sure the cross that had been hewn and shaped was fitted for Barabbas. Can you imagine? The cross that was literally intended for Barabbas now becomes the cross that Jesus must hang from. Tradition does give us his first name; Yeshua-Jesus. Barabbas. The son of his father. Two men named Jesus. One cross. Who will die? Pilate would have the rebel and killer of his countrymen die on the cross. Barabbas--the son of His Father becomes a type--a picture of all father s and sons born into this world. We are all of Adam s race. We have been bound over for our sedition against God. We are robbers of his glory. We are murderers of our souls and the souls of others. We find ourselves bound in the darksome prison house of sin. We feel in our hearts that we merit the sentence that has been announced to us and we wait in trembling for the time of judgment (Barnhouse). I understand that condemned prisoners in the past would often practice breathing exercises; holding their breath for as long as possible in order to not inhale the fatal fumes from the gas chamber. A person condemned to death by hanging would often rub their necks in anticipation of the rope. We will go to extraordinary lengths to avoid our own death. The Appeasement Of Pilate 10For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy. 11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. 4

5 The people choose Barabbas: Of course the world chooses Barabbas. Barabbas is the guy who was going to destroy the system. Barabbas was going to burn them out. Barabbas was going to kill them. Why would they want Barabbas? It s very simple. If you let Barabbas go and he starts another disturbance or another riot, you can always call out the national guard, the federal troops or the Marines to put this thing down. All you have to do is push a few tanks into his neighborhood and you can squash whatever he s up to. You can find out where s he s keeping his guns and raid his apartment. You can always stop Barabbas. But the question is; How do you stop Jesus? How do you stop a man who has no guns, no tanks, no ammunition but is still shaking the whole Roman Empire? Why do people choose Barabbas? Barabbas would never really ask to run your life. Barabbas would exploit you, but he wouldn t ask to run your life. Jesus would ask for the right to rule over your life. And that s the problem. Men would rather be enslaved to tyranny than let Jesus rule their lives. They would rather be exploited than let Christ determine their lives. So they said give us Barabbas (Barnhouse). Do you hear your own voice mingled with the crowd? They are calling for a different Jesus. A Jesus who won t require suffering, pain, persecution or a cross. A call for Barabbas is a call to ignore the demands of the cross. The cross given to Jesus was intended for Barabbas. 12Pilate answered and said to them again, What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews? 13So they cried out again, Crucify Him! 14Then Pilate said to them, Why, what evil has He done? But they cried out all the more, Crucify Him! 15So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified. Pilate s plan backfires. The crowd would rather have a controllable criminal. He scourges Jesus in an attempt to illicit sympathy. The further delay fulfills yet another prophecy; By His stripes we are healed. Mercifully Mark s Gospel spares us the gory details. The readers in Rome were all to familiar with this brutal punishment. The crowd is not gratified. One last attempt. Pilate s wife (Claudia Proculla--daughter of Julia-- grand-daughter of the Emperor) sends a messenger to the Judgment Seat. Matthew 19:27; While he was sitting on the Judgment Seat, his wife sent to him saying, Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him. Pilate found Jesus innocent. His wife warns him. Do what s right. Pilate s conscience begs him; do what s right. But Pilate caves in to the mob. Pilate resists the truth. And when Pilate resists the truth he is left without purpose or direction. 5

6 Pilate screams; battle hardened and battle tested; indifferent Pilate--perhaps emboldened by his wife s superstition makes one last attempt. Is there any other way? Does this man have to die? In an earthly sense--jesus dies because of the hatred of the religious authorities. He came into his own and his own did not receive Him. The injustice and beatings and humiliation would not by themselves--atone for sin. We will never understand the death of Jesus until we grasp that God the Father allowed Jesus to be put to death. Did the Jews deliver the Servant to the Romans? Yes. Did Pilate cave into an angry mob in an appalling caricature of justice? Yes. Did Roman soldiers nail Jesus to a Roman cross? Yes. What is important? The Servant was delivered to fulfill the plan of God. In Luke s Gospel we read (Luke 23:25) He delivered Jesus to their will. Pilate has found Jesus not guilty. Pilate offers to free Jesus as a gesture of good-will. Pilate has Jesus scourged in the hope that the scourging will cause the crowd to have pity. Pilate wants to free Jesus. The crowd threatens him. If you let Jesus go you are no friend to Caesar. Blackmail! Why did Jesus die? (Isa.53:10) It was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief. Our sins were laid on Jesus by God himself to make His life a guilt offering that would justify many (Isaiah 53:10-11). Peter on the Day of Pentecost reminded his hearers that by the definite plan and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23) Jesus was delivered. Long before God created the heavens, the Sun, the Moon, the Stars; He planned the death of His own dear Son. He was the lamb slain from before the foundation of the world. Donald Grey Barnhouse: The Lord Jesus Christ did not come to the earth to set up a code of ethics or found a new religion. He came to fulfill the purpose that was ordained before the foundation of the world. When he came as a baby, He took on bodily form in order to die. The purpose of having hands was that they might be pierced. The purpose of having feet was that a spike might be driven through them. The purpose of the head was to have a crown of thorns thrust upon it. It was by Jesus death that the great tension within God Himself had to be resolved....god has just as much hatred for my sin as He has love for my soul, but how can God strike my sin without destroying me? The answer is in Jesus, who came so that God could take my sin and put it on another. Conclusion The Servant delivered is our deliverance. When Mark wrote these words to the Church in Rome; they were a group of people facing extinction. Mark himself would be killed by the Emperor 6

7 Nero. A short while after both Peter and Paul would be killed. Paul warned that those who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. At times we know what is right and what is wrong. We each have our moment in history. We must make our decision about Jesus. We must be careful when we resist the truth. It leaves us without purpose or direction. We must consider that suffering and persecution was the rule--and not the exception for the Christian in the early church. Voices compete for our attention. Like a puppy in a new home--being called by several masters. Pilate heard the voices. Four times he tried to release Jesus. Four times Pilate is convinced by the crowd to crucify Him. Max Lucado He tries to give the people Barabbas: but they want Jesus. He sends Jesus to the whipping post; they send him to Golgotha. He states he finds nothing against the man; they accuse Pilate of violating the law. Pilate afraid of who Jesus might be, tries one more time to release him; the Jews accuse him of betraying Caesar. So many voices. The voice of compromise. The voice of expedience. The voice of politics. The voice of conscience. And the soft firm voice of Christ: The only power you have over me is the power given to you by God. Jesus voice is distinct. Unique. He doesn t cajole or plead. He just states the case. Pilate thought he could avoid making the choice. He washed his hands of Jesus. He climbed on the fence and sat down. But in not making a choice, Pilate made a choice. Rather than ask for God s grace, he asked for a bowl. Rather than invite Jesus to stay, he sent Him away. Rather than hear Christ s voice, he heard the voice of the people. Legend has it that Pilate s wife became a believer. And legend has it that Pilate s eternal home is a mountain lake where he daily surfaces, still plunging his hands into the water seeking forgiveness. Forever trying to wash away his guilt...not for the evil he did, but for the kindness he didn t do. Pilate s role was to arrive at a just judgment based on the truth. Pilate made the decision based on what he perceived were in the best interest of peace. Peace at the expense of truth can never be a lasting peace. 7