Explore the Bible Lesson Preview April 20, 2014 Be Amazed by the Resurrection Background: Mark 14:32-16:8 Lesson: Mark 15:16-20, 33-34, 37-39; 16:1-8

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1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview April 20, 2014 Be Amazed by the Resurrection Background: Mark 14:32-16:8 Lesson: Mark 15:16-20, 33-34, 37-39; 16:1-8 Motivation: In our study of John s gospel, we taught the Easter story on February 16 th of this year. While much of this content is similar, we are able through Mark s gospel to see Peter s perspective on events. I. Betrayed (14:32-15:15) A. When You Face Temptation (14:32-50) 1. The Supplication Sit here while I pray (32) Jesus life is a model of prayer. His disciples were so impressed that they asked Him to teach them to pray as He did (Luke 11:1; Matt. 6:9-13). a. Jesus Prayer Life Reveals His Dedication - He did not just pray at convenient times. (Mark 1:35) Now at the time of His supreme trial, He quite naturally turns to His father for strength. (Rom. 8:26; Phil. 4:13) b. Jesus Prayer Life Reveals His Relationship - In verse 36, Jesus begins His prayer with Abba, Father. This would be the term of endearment of a young child roughly equivalent to daddy. c. Jesus Prayer Life Reveals His Trust - Whereas Peter depended on his own ability, Jesus depended upon God. If anyone ever lived on earth who should have been able to cope 1 / 14

2 in His own strength, that person was Jesus. His example of prayer should teach us dependence upon God. (II Cor. 3:5, 9:8, 12:9) 2. The Sorrow My soul is swallowed up in sorrow, to the point of death (34). Why was Jesus sorrowful? His sorrow was not for fear of the unknown or even for the painful death He must face. I think we re seeing an intense glimpse into Jesus humanity: a. He Was In Agony Over The Sin He Must Bear b. He Was In Agony Over Separation - Placed within our humanity is an intense aversion to death. In His incarnation, Jesus was specially linked to His friends and disciples. We see friends giving Him the donkey (11:6), the upper room (13) and now the garden (32). It should comfort us in the loss of a loved one to know that Jesus struggled with some of the very issues of sorrow and separation that we face. (Ps. 22:1) c. He Was In Agony Over His Servants. The only reason Jesus interrupted His prayer was to check on His disciples. Here were eleven men who were to carry the message across the world. With all His prayer, teaching and equipping Jesus certainly expected more from them in His hour of need (40-41). 3. The Sentence Take this cup away from Me (36) This cup represents exposure to God s wrath for sin (Rom. 1:18, 3:20). For He made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 4. The Struggle Stay awake and pray so that you won t enter into temptation (38) a. The Struggle for Jesus - Take this cup away from Me (36) Jesus prayer teaches us much about how we should approach our Father. He was honest about His concerns and fears. Although He knew what was in store for His future (resurrection, ascension, glorification), He was in agony over present circumstances. Jesus also expressed His desires clearly. Sometimes we wonder if God s will is being accomplished in our circumstances. Jesus had absolute trust in His Father s will. (To read Jesus High Priestly prayer, see John 17) 2 / 14

3 b. The Struggle for the Disciples Couldn t you stay awake one hour? (37). Peter s three naps (41) foreshadow his three denials (66-72) and Jesus three redemptive entreaties by the seashore (John 21:15-17). 5. The Submission not what I will but what You will (36). Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. The hymn says, Trust and Obey. Jesus submission to His Father s will is the ultimate evidence of His faith. When we submit to God s will, especially when it is contrary to our desires, we glorify Him (I Peter 2:11-12). Peter learned this lesson! Many of us learned as children that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. 6. The Sleep Are you still sleeping and resting? the time has come (41) Here is a powerful word picture; as Jesus is in agony, engaged in spiritual warfare, His disciples are peacefully dozing nearby. Why? a. Lack of Sacrifice - Jesus was prepared to offer the ultimate sacrifice (John 15:13) yet, the disciples would not stay awake one hour The flesh constantly wars with our spiritual desires. (Romans 6:6-14) We must be willing to crucify our desires and replace them with God s (Romans 12:1-2). b. Lack of Obedience - Jesus clearly told the disciples His expectations: stay awake and pray (38) Yet, even after two reminders, the disciples chose to follow their own desires. Before we are too hard on the disciples, let s be reminded that this is a picture of all our sin too. Sin is not a problem of ignorance; it s a problem of rebellion. We clearly know of Christ s expectations, but we choose to follow our own selfish wants. (Romans 7:24-25; Gal. 5:16-21) c. Lack of Urgency - It s ironic that so many of Jesus recent teachings had to do with watching for the Master (13:32-37). Now, when the disciples had opportunity to put the teaching into practice, they failed to do so. We need to remind each other: the test of discipleship should not be knowledge, but rather should be action. Jesus was able to sleep in 3 / 14

4 the middle of a storm at sea (4:38). He was awake and praying because of the urgency of the hour. For all His teaching, the disciples still didn t get it. (2 Tim. 4:8; Titus 2:11-14) 7. The Seizure They took hold of Him and arrested Him. (46) Jesus rose from His knees to face the challenges of life. Prayer does not take away all our problems; it does fortify us to face them. Mark makes a cameo appearance in B. When Your Loyalty is Challenged (51-72) 1. The Council chief priests, the elders, and the scribes (53) The Sanhedrin consisted of seventy-one members including the high priest who presided. 2. The Charge were looking for testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but they could find none (55) The Sanhedrin violated many of its own rules: the arrest, the conflicting witnesses (56), and the sudden sentence. 3. The Confession Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? (61) Since in their minds the Messiah was a warrior-king, such a declaration would be a direct threat to Roman rule (Luke 23:2, 5). For those who believe that Jesus never claimed to be the Messiah, He replies I am (62) cf. John 8: The Chastisement Then some began to spit on Him, to blindfold Him and to beat Him (65) 5. The Crows of the Rooster Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times (72). Peter s three denials mirror the three lapses into sleep in Gethsemane and the three questions, Do you love me? by Galilee (John 21:15-19). Peter s self-confidence (29) foreshadows his failure in the flesh. In his first epistle Peter admonishes always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15). 4 / 14

5 C. When You Face Trials (15:1-15) The flip-flops of Pilate during Jesus three separate civil hearings have long puzzled historians. In every other account of Pilate and the Jews, he comes across as a resolute somewhat authoritarian former soldier, and not easily swayed once he had made a decision. 1. The Timeline - Frank Morison (Who Moved the Stone) suggests the following series of events in order: a. The Last Supper b. Judas betrayal to the Sanhedrin c. *Caiaphas meets with Pilate to gain approval d. Jesus arrest e. The trials *Morrison believes that such a meeting, not recorded in scripture, would explain several strange events: 1) Prior approval by Pilate to rubberstamp the Sanhedrin s verdict guaranteed a fast track trial and execution allowing them to hurriedly arrest Jesus, 2) Such a meeting planted the seed for the disturbing dreams by Pilate s wife, 3) The foreknowledge of Pilate s approval allowed the Sanhedrin to get by with a shoddy case (55-59), 4) The shock of the priests (John 18:30) when challenged by Pilate leads one to believe that they were briefed to expect a pro-forma approval, 5) the strong language used by Pilate s wife ( Have nothing to do with that just man ) indicates that she desired to change Pilate s decision, and 6) Pilate s extreme attempts to rid himself of blame 5 / 14

6 indicate a previous deal on which he tried to renege. 2. The Trial Again, Morrison provides a harmony of the four gospels: RECONSTRUCTED NARRATIVE OF THE OPENING OF THE ROMAN TRIAL Presentation of the Prisoner to Pilate They led Jesus therefore from Caiaphas into the palace: and it was early; and they themselves ente Pilate s demand for the Accusatio: Pilate therefore when out unto them, and saith, What accusation bring ye against this man? (John 1 The priests obvious reluctance to produce a charge: Pilate s rejoinder: They answered and said unto him, If this man were not an evil-doer, we should not have delivered h The priest s reply with an improvised charge: And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to g 6 / 14

7 Pilate s question to the Prisoner: Pilate therefore entered again into the palace, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King 3. The Test (Matt 27:19) On Claudia s dream and warning: Have nothing to do with that righteous man. However we construe the words, they could have been written only by a woman who was anxious to avert something she was afraid was going to happen. The facts seem to point to one conclusion, viz., that Claudia had reason to believe that Pilate intended to ratify the finding of the Jewish tribunal without rehearing, or at any rate with a bare minimum of official formality. In other words, that he had practically decided to confirm the Jewish decision, and had probably already given assurances to that effect overnight. Morrison, p The Trade-Off: Pilate tried to shift responsibility in three ways: a. He sent the trial to Herod (Luke 23:6) b. He tried to substitute Barabbas (6-12) Barabbas means son of the Father, Satan s counterfeit who lived temporarily and died for eternity; Jesus died temporarily and lives eternally. c. He washed his hands, attempting to transfer guilt (Matt. 27:23-25) II. Be Humbled (15:16-32) A. Scorning clothed him with purple crown of thorns Hail, King of the Jews (17-18) The Game of Kings has other historical precedents. It was rough mockery by professional soldiers. 7 / 14

8 B. Simon Simon a Cyrenian (21) We read that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus (21); obviously, his sons were well known to the church, indicating that Simon s heart was touched by this incident. Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone? and Gladly the Cross I d Bear are well known hymns based on this account. (Matt. 16:24; II Cor. 4:10) C. Site the place Golgotha (22) Two traditional sites are pointed out to pilgrims: Gordon s Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. D. Sedative wine mingled with myrrh (23) William Barclay quotes a Jewish writing as saying, When a man is going out to be killed, they allow him to drink a grain of frankincense in a cup of wine to deaden his senses (Ps. 69:21) Wealthy women of Jerusalem used to contribute these things and bring them. ( Matth ew, vol. 2, p. 366) Having submitted to God s will (14:36), Jesus is willing to endure the full punishment for sin. E. Speculation and divided His garments, casting lots (24) Jesus didn t own property (Matt. 8:20); perhaps His only possession of value was His outer robe. The prophecy is in Psalm 22:18. F. Sign the inscription of His accusation (26) The Jewish leaders argued for a different charge (John 19:21) Pilate s last act of defiance was to place this placard. Colossians 2:14,...having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Just as Jesus had a written charge against Him, nailed to the cross; so, we have all accusation and charges against us, forgiven by His blood, nailed to His cross. (Hymn: Jesus Paid It All ) 8 / 14

9 G. Sinners They also crucified two robbers (27) Even in death, Jesus upheld His reputation of keeping company with sinners (9:10-13). Luke records that one of the criminals turned in faith to Jesus (Luke 23:39-43) and would be in Paradise that night, which Jesus moved to the third heaven on the third day (Eph. 4:8-10) H. Scoffers And those who passed by blasphemed Him (29-32) 1. Scoffing by the Passers-by - Save yourself, come down from the cross. (30) This is the same type of temptation faced by Jesus at the beginning of His public ministry (1:12-13) 2. Scoffing by the Priests He saved others; Himself He cannot save. (31) The temptation is short-term satisfaction which sacrifices long-term objectives. Jesus had the ability to come down from the cross and make a mighty display. However, He made a prior decision to accomplish God s will. III. Believe (15:33-47) A. Jesus Death (15:33-41) 1. Jesus Travail (33-34) a. Darkness darkness came over all the whole land (33) The sixth hour would be 12:00 noon. The darkness symbolized Christ s isolation from His Father in taking the world s punishment for sin. b. Despair My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me? (34) (Ps. 22:1) At the point that the man who knew no sin became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), Holy God had to turn away. We may take comfort in the fact that Jesus, even though He knew victory was inevitable, (Rev. 13:8) felt a terrible loneliness and 9 / 14

10 abandonment. At times our feelings may be at odds with what we knew to be true. 2. Jesus Triumph But Jesus let out a loud cry (37) Throughout the narrative, Jesus is passive: He was mocked, beaten and hung on a cross to die. The crowd must have been shocked when He cried out with a loud voice: Tetelestai (John 19:30) Tetelestai was used in a commercial sense: The debt has been paid or paid in full. It was also written across a prisoner s sentence when it was served or commuted. 3. Jesus Testimony (15:38-41) a. The Testimony of the Veil the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom (38) The veil that divided the Holy Place and Holy of Holies was almost forty feet wide and 80 feet high. This veil was probably about six inches thick. That it was torn from top to bottom was a reminder that God was at work tearing down barriers between Him and us. (Hebrews 6:19-20, 10:19-21; Eph. 2:14-15). As it turns out, the charge against Jesus I am able to destroy the temple of God (14:58), contained an element of truth. By His death, Jesus ushered in the new covenant in which the temple was no longer needed b. The Testimony of the Centurion This man really was God s Son (39) c. The Testimony of the Women (40-41) The bravery of these women to be present at the crucifixion cannot be overstated. It s significant that the ones brave enough to witness His death were granted the privilege of first announcing His resurrection (John 20:18). B. Jesus Burial (42-47) Frank Morison was a rationalistic London journalist who set out at the turn of the century to disprove Christ s resurrection once and for all. Instead, his extensive research led him to faith in Jesus Christ; his classic book, Who Moved the Stone has led many to faith in his Jesus. The testimony of the Roman centurion (44-45) confirms in 10 / 14

11 no uncertain terms that Jesus was, in fact, dead when he was buried. (46) 1. The Sepulcher (40) The tomb was owned by a prominent citizen and had no other bodies in it. Both these facts argue against a mistaken tomb. Notice also that the two Mary s saw the burial take place. (47) (Isa 53:9) 2. The Stone (16:3) Several Georgia Tech engineers estimated the stone to be from 1 ½ to 2 tons in size. One notation on an ancient manuscript estimated that twenty men could not move it. ( The Resurrection Factor, p. 53). 3. The Guard (Matt. 27:62-66) Josh McDowell (The Resurrection Factor) argues strongly for the presence of a Roman Kustodia rather than a temple guard. a. The Roman seal was placed only in the presence of Roman guards. b. Have a Guard is the present imperative of the Greek verb and implies the granting rather than the dismissing of a request. c. Following the resurrection, the instructions and bribe by the High Priest (Matt. 28:11-12) imply other than local guards. 4. The Seal (Matt. 27:66) A seal s security was provided by the power of the entity behind it. No higher seal was available than the Roman seal. Interestingly, shortly after Jesus resurrection, a Roman decree was issued in Palestine making the tampering with a Roman seal on a grave an offense punishable by death. IV. Be Amazed (16:1-8) 11 / 14

12 A. First Witnesses When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome brought spices, so they could go and anoint Him. (1) These faithful women were also at the crucifixion (15:40). Note that no resurrection was anticipated. If there was some elaborate plot to steal the body or substitute a double, why were women used as the first witnesses, who could not even testify in court? B. First Day On the first day of the week (2) The early church quickly adopted Sunday as the day of worship. C. First Obstacle Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb for us? (3) This large stone across the opening of the tomb was aligned in an inclined trench. Agnostic investigator Frank Morrison considered the movement of the stone (2) to be such a significant argument for the resurrection that he entitled his famous book Who Moved the Stone? D. First Announcement Don t be alarmed, he told them, You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been resurrected! (6) The mystery of the moved stone is answered in Matthew s account; one of the angels rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it (Matt. 28:2). E. First Command But go, tell His disciples (7) Go and Tell has been Christ s consistent command to all Christians (16:15). F. First Barrier They said nothing to anyone, since they were afraid. (8) Ironically, the modern church is often plagued by this same fear. Application: 1. Jesus Crucifixion sets an example to every believer that short-term feelings must be 12 / 14

13 sacrificed to long-term goals (Rom. 12:1; Heb. 10:22-25) 2. Jesus Death provides a ransom and redemption for sinners. (Rom. 4:23-25, 5:8; Matt. 20:28) 3. Jesus Burial set the stage for a historically provable fact: The third day He rose again from the dead. (Acts 1:3). Leader Pack Item 14: Poster: Easter Outline; Illustrator: p. 48; Gethsemane, p. 16, The Role and Function of the High Priest, p. 25, Roman Soldiers in the New Testament. **You may access David s Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: Dates: 4/10 Summit Celebrates; 4/12 SPF Hippity Hoppin Easter - SPF; 4/12 - Deacon s Wives Brunch; 4/13 Palm Sunday; 4/13 AMP/Wired Sunday; 4/16 No Midlink; 4/17 Broken for you service childcare avail. 4 and under; 4/18 Good Friday, Church offices closed; 4/20 Easter Sunday/No LBS; 4/25 ReCreate Date Night; 4/25-26 Deacon s Retreat; 13 / 14

14 4/27 Peter Williams all campuses; 5/2-4 Summit Spring Retreat; 5/3 - CBS Graduation; 5/4 Houston 1:8 Kickoff/High 5 Concert/HS Senior Celebration; 5/4 Deacon s Meeting/Church Sienna; 5/11 Mother s Day Event SPF; 5/18 Parent Commitment; 5/26 Memorial Day Church offices closed; 5/27 - Daycation begins; 5/30 ReCreate Date Night/Next Gen Summer Kickoff Night. 14 / 14