Games have a unique and interesting history. Take for example, the playing card. They were apparently invented in Ancient China, where they have been uncovered as early as the 9th century during the Tang Dynasty (618–907).  Playing cards first entered Europe in the late 14th century, probably from Mameluk Egypt (A complete pack of Mameluke playing cards was discovered by Leo Mayer in the Topkapı Palace, Istanbul, in 1939). The first documentary evidence is a ban on their use in 1367, Bern, Switzerland. Wide use of playing cards in Europe can, with some certainty, be traced from 1377 onwards. The earliest cards were made by hand. Printed woodcut decks appeared in the 15th century and from about 1425 professional card makers in Ulm, Nuremberg, and Augsburg created printed decks. Playing cards even competed with devotional images as the most common uses for woodcut in this period.

The four suits now used in most of the world — spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs —originated in France in approximately 1480. Also in the 15th century, Europeans changed the court cards to represent European royalty and attendants. In the early years, French playing-card makers  assigned to each of the “court cards” names taken from history:

• King of Spades: David (a biblical king)
• King of Hearts: Charles (presumably after Charlemagne)
• King of Diamonds: Caesar (presumably after Julius Caesar, dictator of the Roman Republic)
• King of Clubs: Alexander (king of Macedon)

The king of hearts is oft referred to as the “suicide king” because the figure appears to be sticking his sword into his head. Closer inspection of the cards of antiquity seem to indicate a hand holding it – perhaps someone else stabbed him. His youthful death is attested in that he is the only one of the kings without a moustache.

Today I want to look into the Word and trace a close picture of a King at the point of His death. It can be understood to be a suicide theologically (Jesus gave His life for us), but it certainly was a MURDER in the text. It is the death of the King of Kings, and it is graphically depicted in Mark 15.

Key Principle: Two kinds of people met Jesus at His Cross – the pride-filled powerful and the pain-filled prisoner. One was offered rescue, the other condemned by his hardness. That is ALWAYS how it is with Jesus.

The scene was early in the morning on a Friday, after Jesus had been taken into custody. He had been up most of the night, and badly treated by the Sanhedrin. He was marched from the western Hill, today called “Mt. Zion”, and was brought to the ancient Temple Mount. Mark shares:

Mark 15:1 Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate.

They took Him to the place where Pilate was staying in the city…

2 Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him, “It is as you say.” 3 The chief priests began to accuse Him harshly. 4 Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, “Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!” 5 But Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed.

A little while later, a crowd began to gather before Pilate…

6 Now at the feast he used to release for them any one prisoner whom they requested. 7 The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection. 8 The crowd went up and began asking him to do as he had been accustomed to do for them. 9 Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to ask him to release Barabbas for them instead. 12 Answering again, Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Crucify Him!” 14 But Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!” 15 Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Again, Jesus was led away, this time into the lair of a brutal band of discontented soldiers…

16 The soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort. 17 They dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; 18 and they began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 They kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him. 20 After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him. 21 They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross. 22 Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. 23 They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. 24 And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take. 25 It was the third hour when they crucified Him.

The cross was placed just outside the city as a reminder of “Roman sovereignty”….

26 The inscription of the charge against Him read, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 27 They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. 28 [And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with transgressors.”] 29 Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. 32 “Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.

Two kinds of people met Jesus at His Cross – the pride-filled powerful and the pain-filled prisoner. Let’s walk into the scene, and meet them. You won’t have any problem identifying who is in what role MOMENTS into their description. Let’s begin with the POWERFUL.

THE FIRST KIND: THE PRIDE FILLED POWERFUL PEOPLE

They stick out, and that is their intention. They dress for attention. They walk with a swagger, and expect you to move out of their way. Some of them take pride in their GOODNESS – that is the religious kind. Some take pride in their easy RECOGNITION – that is the fame oriented political kind. Some take pride in the FEAR they create in others – that is the earthy “raw power” kind you find in bars where soldiers back from the front gather. The scene today provides a look at all three of these:

Religion based Power – Elders and Scribes

Search the passage for all the times the Elders, Chief Priests and Scribes are mentioned and it will look something like this:

They felt POWERFUL:

Mark 15:1 Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate.

The verbs of verse one reveal a sense of power. Note words like “held consultation”, “binding”, “led away” and “delivered”. Jesus appears to be a victim, and they appear to be in control of everything. He is a docile rabbit, and they are the slaughterers. He is unarmed, and they are dominant.

They felt SELF-JUSTIFIED: Mark 15:3 The chief priests began to accuse Him harshly. 4 Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, “Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!” 5 But Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed.

The men raised accusations. The term “katagoreo” is the word here, a combination of two very well understood words in Greek. “Kata” is a modifying word that usually indicates intensity or direction. Sometimes it is translated “down”, but it is much more. The second part of the word is “agora” the word for the public forum, shopping mall, or public discourse center. In combination, the idea is the loud disputations one could hear in a market place. Read: LOUD, BRASH, HOSTILE, FRUSTRATED. Stand at a “customer service counter” at Christmas and you will get the idea. People complain loudly out of a sense that INJUSTICE has been done to them. They believe they must PRESS the idea to be heard. Someone said about there marriage to me the other day: “My wife was taught in her home that if someone didn’t agree, it must be a hearing problem – they can’t hear you. She learned that if she turned up the volume, you would agree. Often I do – simply because I want the volume back down!”

You can read of their self justified attitude a few verses later:

Mark 15:11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to ask him to release Barabbas for them instead.

Here are the leaders behind the scenes “agitating” (ana= by; seio=stir) the crowd to get what the leaders want. They are FINE with freeing a murderer and dissident, in exchange for getting rid of One who is much more popular. Their issue isn’t MORALITY or PUBLIC ORDER – their issue is CONTROL – and that is at the center of their works. Some religious people are about controlling others – but in the end all of them are about hoping they can CONTROL GOD and His reaction to their outward devotion.

I suspect that no teaching of the Bible is harder to swallow for people in our day than that of man’s utter depravity. Those words are the theological terms for the utter inability of man to earn God’s favor. That is at the heart of the religions made by men. Biblically, I can do NOTHING that will make myself acceptable to God – no attendance at mass or religious service, no prayer to a saint of yesteryear (no matter how great that saint was in their lifetime). Isaiah 64:6 reminds us that even our RIGHTEOUSNESS – that is, the things we do that we deem GOOD, are as “filthy rags” before God – because they are not what He accepts as our Judge.

Ray Prichard said it this way: “That doctrine teaches us that there is nothing we can contribute to our salvation. We are so lost in our sins that we have no idea how sinful we really are. When we look into our own souls and see ourselves, we see only the sin that lies on the surface, but God sees to the bottom – and what he sees is a foul pit of iniquity. We are so lost that unless God takes the initiative to save us we will never be saved at all.”

They are SELF SATISFIED: The religious powerful find evidence in the world that they are right in what they teach and believe. They are able to SHOUT DOWN the conscience that God placed within them with self made “ends justify means” dogma. Look at the behaviors they had toward the condemned Jesus at the cross: Mark 15:31 “In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. 32 “Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.”

Isn’t it sort of obvious if you were standing on the that hill on that particular day, that you would see THEY WON. They got the One who called Himself “The Way” out of their way. The One who was called “The Truth” was listening to the taunts of those who shouted insults and LIES. The One who called Himself  “The Life” – was having His life drained away from Him – at the command of the taunting ones.

Men of religion can seem powerful because they can indicate GOOD WORKS and ACCOMPLISHMENTS they believe justify the way they do things. They can point to beautiful buildings and helpful philanthropy – and argue they had the right to plow under distractions on their way to doing God’s work. Ironically, when God put on skin and walked the earth, He chose to walk with people who were largely uncared for by these religious powerhouses.

Political based Power – Pontius Pilate

Beyond religious people, there was the political backdrop of the passage. Jesus was not only a religious problem, He had become a political liability.

Pilate thought Jesus was STUPID: Mark 15:2 Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him, “It is as you say.” 3 The chief priests began to accuse Him harshly. 4 Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, “Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!” 5 But Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed. To one who supremely prizes POWER, the argument to gain and keep power makes sense. When you are accused, you fire back. You hold your ground, because YOUR OPINION is worth hearing. You believe in yourself, and you ask people to believe in (and vote for) you and the ideas you bring to the table. Silence is a sign of inability to the political mind. Your skillful oratory is your ability to FIGHT – and that is what makes you powerful. There He stood, the Creator of all (Col. 1:16-17), embodied before a puny Prefect. (Wikipedia on the title: “The “Praefectus” was the formal title of many, fairly low to high-ranking, military or civil officials in the Roman Empire, whose authority was not embodied in their person (as it was with elected Magistrates) but conferred by delegation from a higher authority. They did have some authority in their prefecture such as controlling prisons and in civil administration.”) What an irony… Jesus before Pilate. The levels between the two in every way were staggering. Was Pilate more intelligent? He thought so. Was Pilate more important in human history? He thought so. Was Pilate more significant in governing the affairs of men? He thought so.

Both Pilate and Jesus died. One opened salvation to humanity, and saved the world. The other was apparently banished to Gaul and unable to die in his own home, discarded by his emperor and his spouse. In what appears to be the more reliable historical note on what happened to Pilate: Eusebius (Historia Ecclesiae book ii: 7), quotes some early apocryphal accounts that he does not name, which already relate that Pilate fell under misfortunes in the reign of Caligula (AD 37 – 41), was exiled to Gaul and eventually committed suicide there, in Vienne.

Pilate thought Jesus was a CAREER OPPORTUNITY: Mark 15:9 Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy…15 Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Pilate knew the charges were not real, they were based on ENVY. He frankly just didn’t CARE. He wanted to keep the people before him from causing a stir. In a way, he was like the parent of the child that is held hostage in the public setting by a child that threatens to SCREAM if the parent tries to curb any desire of the child. He was hoping this would help cement relationships in HIS JOB. Luke adds the detail: “Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other.” (Luke 23:12). Pilate no doubt saw the condemnation of Jesus as a great career move toward making important friends.

He thought Jesus was PATHETIC: Both before the Crucifixion and after, Pilate reflected a tiny bit of humanity in his demeanor. He seemed to argue to keep Jesus alive for a time: Mark 15:12 Answering again, Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Crucify Him!” 14 But Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!” After his bigger agenda of keeping the people happy took over and the Crucifixion was completed, he again showed a more human side: Mark 15:43 Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. 45 And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

I am not trying to make him into a good guy – he clearly was not. At the same time, he and his colleagues had dispensed such “justice” many times in their lives, and he certainly had no clue this day was any different. Jesus was, as far as he was concerned, a pathetic pawn trapped in His own popularity by envious and jealous religious stooges. He should, Pilate thought, be pitied for His misfortune.

Reputation based Power – Roman Soldiers

Beyond the echelons of power reached by public placement – like the priests and prefect – were the simpler but still powerful bearers of the Roman eagle standard… the cohort of Roman soldiers.

They saw Jesus as ENTERTAINMENT: Mark 15:16 The soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort. 17 They dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; 18 and they began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 They kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him. 20 After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him. The chief problem for Roman soldiers was BOREDOM. Those who have served “Uncle Sam” can understand. There is nothing like being transported far from home to a place where most people HATE you and don’t even KNOW you. Respect of such people can only be gained, they thought, by open displays of BRUTE STRENGTH. If they had to be brutal, so be it. At least Jesus offered a distraction from the mind numbing boredom of serving Rome in this backwash of the Empire.

They saw Jesus as a DUTY: Mark 15:21 They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross. 22 Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. The soldiers had no desire to build relationships – just get their job done. When Jesus couldn’t stand up and carry the cross beam of His cross – they found someone else. A Numidian African – a Roman of the Senatorial Province of Cyrene was pressed into service.

They saw Him as a way to GAIN: Mark 15:23 They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. 24 And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take. Beyond the distraction from boredom that Jesus provided, they could gain a small amount under Roman law, by getting the few meager pieces of cloth and leather that were taken from the condemned. It wasn’t much, but many duties offered no gain at all.

THE SECOND KIND: THE PAIN FILLED IMPRISONED PEOPLE

Just a single verse describes the criminals crucified on either side of Jesus in Mark’s account: Mark 15:27 They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. Ray Prichard notes: “When Christ died, he didn’t die alone. Two thieves died with him. We often focus on the thief who cried out, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” We know that man was saved because Jesus told him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). But don’t forget there was another man hanging beside Jesus. He cursed and swore and blasphemed the Son of God. He died as he had lived, a wretched sinner, unforgiven. ..The cross that saved the one doomed the other. The cross stands as a silent sentinel proclaiming that you have to come God’s way – or you won’t come at all! The same cross that offends the world and judges the world also saves the world…God has no other plan of salvation – and he doesn’t need one.

Paul acknowledged how our message looked to his world. He said: “But we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (I Corinthians 1:23) Our chief Christian symbol is the symbol of an EXECUTION. Today, a contemporary symbol might be a noose, an electric chair, or a small chamber with the machine for a lethal injection. Our message is the OUR LIFE COMES FROM HIS DEATH.

There is, however, a condition. I can KNOW that God accepts ME because of Jesus IF and ONLY IF we accept His Son’s sacrifice in the place of our own goodness, and our own works. 1 John 5:11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Hold up your left hand and let it represent you standing before God with your sins – in an unforgiven and guilty state. Now hold up your right hand and cover it with a cloth or a towel or a handkerchief. Let your right hand represent Jesus Christ and the cloth his perfect righteousness. As long as you (the left hand) stand before God with your sins uncovered, you cannot enter heaven. Now take both hands and clasp them together so that the cloth covers both hands. When God looks down from heaven, what does he see? He doesn’t see your sins because they are covered by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Now you can enter heaven because God sees you as having the righteousness of his Son. (Prichard)

Two kinds of people met Jesus at His Cross – the pride-filled powerful and the pain-filled prisoner. One was offered rescue, the other condemned by his hardness. That is ALWAYS how it is with Jesus.

Pete Souza was attributed with saying: “Every great moment deserves a photograph!” and he knows a great moment. He is the Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama; he is also the Director of the White House photo office. He is on an extended leave of absence from Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication where he is an assistant professor of photojournalism. He has a lot of experience as a “finder of great moments”  because he previously worked as an Official White House Photographer for President Reagan, a freelancer for National Geographic, and as the national photographer for the Chicago Tribune based in their Washington bureau.

The incredibly part of his job is that he is often standing there at the moment great things in America are happening. He has a very special and very technical view of the scene. He is also virtually silent on his feelings about the events he is a witnessing. I wonder what IMPRESSION he could give of some of the key people in government today from HIS PERSPECTIVE. Does Mrs. Obama get involved in policy? Do Vice President Biden and President Obama like really each other? How does the current President stack up (in his estimation) with President Reagan? Is the White House a lot different now? These are just a few of many things I would like to ask him at a lunch. He has certainly seen much!

If great moments deserve attention, probably no one has had a better view than Peter the Disciple, who was (according to the early Christian writers) the source of the accounts in much of the Gospel according to Mark. Mark seems to have a great view of many of the pivotal moments in Jesus’ earth ministry. He wasn’t a photographer, but he did offer short, clear verbal snapshots of the people and places that mean everything to our record of Jesus’ provision of redemption and forgiveness. In fact, Mark offered twelve small snapshots of the last hours before the arrest of Jesus.

In these twelve short snaps, we see can observe kinds of people that surrounded the event, and if we examine it more closely, we will observe the same three kinds are with us to this day. The three kinds of people are: 1) Religious but spiritually dead; 2) Obedient but seemingly unimportant; 3) Disobedient but loudly self righteous.

Key Principle: God uses people who are ready to commit to Him within, and anxious to live His truths without!

There are twelve snapshot scenes in Mark 14, each with one of three kinds of people:

Religious But LOST

The first kind are what I’d call the “Religious but lost” – they are physically in tune, spiritually dead. Last time we spent our study primarily looking at people that fit into this category, so we will only briefly mention them. There are four snapshots that offer examples.

Snapshot One: The Scribes seeking to kill Him (Mark 14:1-2): We saw the pious men in their elegant religious attire, conspiring to kill the Prince of Life. They had the trappings of godly men, but the hearts of ungodly ones! Do you recall: Mark 14:1 “… the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him.” Mark carefully showed the men knew what they wanted to do, but fear of the loss of control over the crowd shut them down – at least for the moment. In some ways, it appears they were afraid to lose STANDING in the eyes of the crowd. Remember, we made note that: “When we try to desperately hold on to the position or power that we have, we tip our hand to our real belief – that we EARNED the place we have.”

Snapshot Two: Judas, offering help to plotters (Mark 14:10-11): Our eyes drifted to the man under the cloak that was skirting the light on the edges of a dark forest. He had been in the meeting with Jesus, but heard the most painful thing Jesus ever shared about an individual. Do you recall? Jesus said of him: “It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” (Mark 14:21). Judas went out broken, but Jesus didn’t say this until Judas had already promised to TRAP JESUS. God didn’t bring judgment on him until he decided he didn’t want Jesus. That is STILL the way it works.

Snapshot Three: Judas and his Temple mob (Mark 14:43-50). The next snapshot of him was in the Garden of Gethsemane kissing Jesus and betraying Him (Mark 14:42-46). Do you recall what we learned about the POWER trap Judas was in? He was disappointed because Jesus didn’t measure up to his lofty expectations…When we try to hold God to our standard, we forget who He really is, and who we really are. Certainly Judas was guilty of that… and some of us are as well.

Snapshot Four: Jesus in questionings (Mark 14:53-65). We didn’t get to this one last time…but we should not miss this snapshot. Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane, and was led back across the Kidron Valley onto the upper hill to the west, a hill today called “modern Mt. Zion”. The hill offers a bird’s eye view of the most ancient part of Jerusalem, and follows the line of a stair like street that has been archaeologically uncovered in the twentieth century from the Pool of Siloam westward. Go up the steps with me as we read:

Mark 14:53 “They led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together. 54 Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire. 55 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and they were not finding any. 56 For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent. 57 Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, 58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’” 59 Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent. 60 The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” 61 But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.” 63 Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 “You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. 65 Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slaps in the face.

By now, it should be an easy journey to see between LIES and FLAGRANT MISTREATMENT of God. Don’t just see these men and check them off the list of people who were wrong! Ask yourself this question: “How could they behave like this?” Then ask a more important question: “Could that be ME?” “No!” You object. I would not have treated Jesus with such disrespect! Really?

Look at the short distance between lies and a cool disregard for God and His Word. Look at it carefully. We keep hearing that God wants us to give our hearts to Him. One day we decide that God doesn’t really have the right to a surrendered heart. He doesn’t really deserve my life, or my deliberate obedience. We swallow a LIE that we can run our own lives well enough. We postpone obedience and say, “God, someday I will think about really following You, but today I am too busy!” On and on it goes, and our hardness allows us to flagrantly mistreat God inside. Maybe your best friend or your spouse doesn’t see it, but YOU DO. You are NOT GOD’S PROPERTY. You may be religious, but you are not in a relationship with Jesus.

Is that really different than slapping Him in the face? Imagine the feeling of the soldier that returned after serving his country with distinction, only to be spat upon by someone in the airport and called “baby killer”! This is the feeling the rebellious, self willed believer evokes in the heart of a Father who has sent His Son to die when we decide to walk away on our own. A short distance from that hardness and we begin to become cynical about His Word. “Prophesy!” We yell, as we demand that God jump through our hoops because our self willed life isn’t working as well as we had planned…Those men BEGAN as followers of God, hoping to make a difference. By accepting lies and promoting SELF, they displaced a holy ambition and began to rail against the God they had earlier hoped to serve.

Let me very clear here. This first set of snapshots (above) were people who had decided to live for themselves and not for God – because they don’t know God. They may have had a tender moment that sparked a religious sentiment at one time earlier, but it was not a true and real surrender based relationship. They began RELIGIOUS life, but did not walk in RELATIONSHIP with God. God knows the difference. There are two kinds of people in this world – those who KNOW God personally and have a relationship, and those who DON’T but need to. The people we have seen, for the most part, were a part of the DON’T group.

Let’s switch gears to the ones who KNOW God. There are two kinds – those who are walking with God, and those who aren’t – but know they should be….and it is entirely up to them to choose which they will be. Let’s look quickly at both:

Obedient but EASILY MISSED

First, we see the “Obedient but seemingly unimportant” – lot of believers that seem more like set props – until you recognize that their surrender and obedience made a real difference in the way God told His story!

Snapshot One: Mary and the anointing (Mark 14:3, 6-9): This little snapshot is found in the earliest part of the chapter. We skipped over a woman (John 12 suggests it was Mary of Magdala) who was sacrificing to Jesus by pouring an expensive and cherished ointment on His feet, to allow her story to linger in our hearts as the final part of the teaching from Mark 14. Look briefly at her story: Mark 14:3 While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. Jesus was pleased with the sacrifice of a woman who FELT SMALL, but gave what she had to be used for His purposes! She BROKE the vase of what she had to offer, and gave every drop to His use. There can be no more complete snapshot of surrender. She is in this story what the woman with the last coin of her home was in the earlier study – one who gave all. I want to say more about how Jesus reacted to her, but let’s pick up the other snapshots that fit into this section first.

Snapshot Two: Peter and John preparing Passover (Mark 14:12-16):  Another quick look, and we see two disciples responding to Jesus’ command to go set up a room. At first glance it doesn’t look that essential, but in restrospect, the setting would become one of the most important of any – with one third of the Gospel of John recalling the events of that evening, and many coming from inside that very prepared room!  Mark 14:13 And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; 14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’  Not to beat the point, but let’s quickly recall that obedience creates a platform for God’s work to grow and expand. What God calls a man or woman to do may seem insignificant to them at the time– but that is only because we don’t know the whole plan!

Snapshot Three: The man with the water pot (Mark 14:13): When we read Mark 14:13 above we found a matching story in the account of the room preparation  — another obedient man, who only gets the stage mention of “man with water pot”. We don’t know his name, or his family. We don’t know how God communicated to him to be there at the Siloam Pool at that specific time – we only know that he was there, and that the man was working in concert with the plan of God. Do you think the enemy didn’t work a bit to slow down that guy? Is it possible that he was fighting to be obedient in that hour to do what God called him to do. His most important moment in life may well have been this one – and I am willing to wager that it was not convenient, and that it felt hard to do – because I know the adversary of Jesus.

Snapshot Four: The owner of the upper room (Mark 14:14-16): Barely a “blip” on the radar screen of history, this man knew what Jesus wanted, and had it furnished and ready. The Gospel offers only this: Mark 14:14 “and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 15“And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.” 16The disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.” I am certain the man had no idea how important his obedience was to Jesus’ plan – believers HARDLY EVER see that.

Each of these snapshots are obedient people that could almost be skipped in the passage. They are almost wall flowers – but God used their obedience dramatically. They offer us critical truths that we should not ignore or glance over…Go back to Mark 14:4 and look at the woman with the ointment. In that aromatic room you will see God’s truths:

Mark 14:4 But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 “For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her.6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. 7 “For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. 8 “She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. 9 “Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

First, there is a truth that is expressed in the Bible many times – even those one the team don’t always get what you are doing when you surrender and sacrifice at God’s command. Some well meaning believers were SCOLDING her, when she was being supremely obedient to the call of Christ. Truth: Measure life by God’s approval, not everyone else’s. They don’t always get it right.

Second, note that Jesus rebuffed those who criticized her action for their own cloaked motives and self righteousness, protecting her with His words. “Let her alone” (6a). Truth: Let God be your defense when you know you are walking in surrender to Him. Self justification isn’t necessary – God is big enough to protect you while you work out His call on your life.

Third, Jesus noted that her sacrifice was “a good deed” to His standard (6b)! Judas complained because it looked like a waste. Even some believing Disciples joined the chorus of complaints. Truth, nothing given to Jesus in surrender is a waste. Your boss may simply shake his head when you leave a lucrative position to go work in the third world – but nothing truly given in response to God’s call is a waste – no matter who believes it is.

Fourth, Jesus identified her insights and priorities as the CORRECT ones (14:7). Jesus alone is the judge. Truth: the court of public opinion is often at odds with the court of ETERNITY. Don’t get caught deeming something ok because of the popular sentiment. It is only RIGHT if Jesus says it is right.

Fifth, Jesus again showed the size of the sacrifice was the true gauge of her heart (14:8a). You can see this in every one of the four snapshots. The individual acts of our life may seem utterly tiny against the backdrop of history. Truth, obedience – like disobedience  – has enormous consequence.

Sixth, Jesus carefully identified that her work fit with God’s plan (14:8b). Truth: our best moment is the one we are doing to advance God’s plan – no matter what it looks like at that moment. You share Christ with a neighbor who seems to pay little heed to your words, but you do not know that a year later in a coma, that testimony is the one they recall before meeting Jesus. When you get to Heaven, you’ll realize the importance of that day – not today.

Seventh, Jesus promised that her act would be ever recalled by followers of Jesus in times to come (14:9). Truth: Nothing given in sacrifice to Jesus is forgotten by Him. More people see what you sacrifice than you know. Angels are watching the children of God! Other young believers are watching the children of God.

Mary came to Jesus out of a broken heart and a failed life. His words set her free. His love unlocked the deep pain of her heart, and empowered her to serve by surrender and sacrifice. She understood the meekness Jesus called for – because her only hope of eternal life was found in His grace. She saw no goodness in herself. She had little, but she was unwilling to keep any of it for herself! When we recognize our own deep sinfulness, we are ready to thankfully surrender to the One who gave all for us! This is the SURRENDER KEY– the key that opens us to be used of God for powerful tasks that last for the ages to come! The SURRENDER KEY allows Jesus access to all that we have, and all that we hope to accomplish. It is the gift God most wants. It smells of perfume, but is really not about the physical world – it is a spiritually open heart.

It seems like we could end our study there, but we would miss the third group that needs little more than a mention to be totally understood. They are the believers that have decided to walk without obedience to God.

Disobedient but NOISY

Last, we see the “Disobedient but loudly self righteous”  – a bunch ready to preach truth to the lost world, but not ready to live truth when it comes to their own choices.

• Snapshot One: The disciples in the upper room with Jesus (Mk. 14:17-26): Can’t you hear them shouting to Jesus: “Surely it is not I that will betray You!”

• Snapshot Two: The sleepy disciples at Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-42): Can’t you hear the snoring in the midst of the prayer meeting Jesus called in the minutes before His arrest?

• Snapshot Three: Peter declaring allegiance to Jesus (Mark 14:27-31; 66-72): You surely grasp the whole scene of Peter making grand gestures that he would DIE before DENY! Yeah, right.

• Snapshot Four: The young man who ran away uncovered (Mark 14:51-52): John Mark (traditionally) is so desperate to stand until death with his Lord, he fled into the night immodestly.

Can you see the connection of these snapshots? Believers that decide to go at the walk with God in their strength “doth protest too much” but live to little. In the end, God uses people who are ready to commit to Him within, and anxious to live His truths without!

Because I get around a good bit in travel, I often am sitting in places where travelers gripe about the things that go wrong on trips. There is the usual fare of “This airline is never on time!” or “I can’t believe the poor service I got in the restaurant last night!” Occasionally, the complaints slip over to hotel rooms. One of the most common complaints with luxury travelers arises when they book an expensive room in a hotel at some exotic destination, and are deeply disappointed with their view of a trash dumpster instead of the beautiful surroundings! They understandably feel robbed! Even though little time is spent in the room during the day, the inspiring views of the morning sunrise can enliven the whole day’s itinerary!

Imagine being with Jesus during the last week of His ministry. We cannot know how disappointed He was at the response – not only of the Jewish leadership in the Temple – but even of His own Disciples. He had to shake His holy head at least a few times and wonder if the boys were ever going to understand what He was doing. Because He knew the hearts of men (as John reminded), I am quite sure He concluded that the only hope was the indwelling of God’s Spirit to get our hard hearts and equally stubborn spirits to yield and understand. Our text today seems to present one of the most enduring problems Jesus had with the Disciples. They could SEE with their physical eyes, but their SPIRITUAL SIGHT was quite limited. They could measure buildings, budgets and bodies in the physical world, but seemed unable to recognize that wasn’t a gauge of obedience and surrender.

Let me put it this way: When believers measure success or impact in ministry by “buildings, budgets and bodies” they miss what God is really all about – spiritually surrendered hearts that show up in mundane daily choices made in holy ways. The same can be said of how God views rewards. When believers have eyes set on the rewards of the physical world and not on God’s way of seeing reward, we may feel disappointed when we see the truth. The problem isn’t that God won’t take care of us – it is that we focus on the wrong part of the coming events in prophetic rewards. God has rewards planned for those who surrender their heart to Him – but the rewards are set in the context of God telling His story – not just affirming us and making us feel good.

Key Principle: Jesus changes the way I view impact, success and reward. Sometimes what the world will call LOSS is actually a spiritual GAIN.

The Problem: Two Examples of the “Wrong View” (Mark 12:41-13:2)

There is a logic behind placing the story of the widow’s mite just ahead of the celebration of the Temple – both focused on the wrong view. Both emphasized the physical and outward appearances of worship, but missed the spiritual realities behind those appearances. Very often the view that we see is not the one we anticipated. We don’t see things the way they are, and we aren’t quick to notice that we don’t see the way things really are!

Look carefully at the two settings in these familiar stories:

Example One: “The poor woman with the coin” (Mark 12:41-44):

Mark 12: 41 And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. 43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

Note that Jesus was sitting where it was possible to watch people offer their tithes in the Women’s Court of the Temple (12:41). Jesus began watching HOW MUCH people were giving (12:41b). Along came a “poor widow”, the words likely denoting a woman without a male heir – the Hebrew equivalent for DESTITUTE with the implication of HOPELESSNESS (though this woman was still worshipping and looking forward). Jesus was clear that the woman gave “All that she had to live on.” (12:44). What an act of deep passion. It was not a slight thing – it was a powerful pouring out of the last cent to God. This was a “Hagar moment”, where she was placing the baby to die, giving to God all that she had to give (Genesis 21:15). This was a “woman of Zarephath” story – collecting her sticks to make a fire for a final meal (1 Kings 17:12). This was a powerful story of deep surrender, barely noticed by the rulers of the Temple, overlooked by the Disciples of Jesus – and focused on by God in human skin. God saw it. He recognized the surrendered heart – it cried out to worship and trust Him against all human odds.

The unnamed widow wasn’t like me today. I gave to the Lord in my regular giving – but I kept MOST of what I was given by God to fill my daily requirements. He got SOME, but I got MOST. Look at her offering – He GOT IT ALL! Can you imagine giving the last of your checking, the last of your savings, the last of your retirement, the last of your stocks and bonds, the last of your IRA… ALL of it? Here is a truth I want you to really think about… All of it IS HIS, and all of it MUST BE GIVEN – even if He decides to let us use it in this life. If it is NOT HIS, than I have no right to say that He is my Lord. He is NOT.

What does GIVING ALL look like in contemporary Christian practice? Do I sell all and give it away, living as a pauper? Maybe, but not likely. What it truly means is that you begin to allow the Spirit of God to answer the question, “Lord, since this is all yours, how can I best use these things to honor You?” The Spirit does not remain silent when a surrendered heart asks such a question. Don’t do it if you don’t want the answer – because God will meet those who say they want to meet Him. God will answer with clarity as you grow in faith (i.e. seeing the world as God says it is in His Word.)

Conversely, the Temple authorities were no doubt more impressed by the people of means. Even the Disciples probably barely noticed her until Jesus pointed out that the AMOUNT GIVEN was less significant than the AMOUNT SACRIFICED. Who says God doesn’t keep track? God is much less impressed with the amount that we give, than He is with the amount we keep for ourselves – that makes an impression on Him. Now look at the way this story links to the next…

Example Two: The disciples impressed with the Temple buildings (Mark 13:1-2):

Mark 13:1 As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”

Look at how excited the Disciples were with the PHYSICAL example of THEIR OWN WORK and sacrifice. They were truly impressed with the human expression of love for God so eloquently offered by the work of a generation of Jews at the Second Temple. The pride exuded from their mouths fell flat in front of the Master. He saw an end to the glory of the Temple. He saw a coming day of destruction and it made Him sad. The same view that made the Disciple excited made the Savior sad – and therein is a significant lesson. We don’t see things the way God does much of the time. Years of sacrifice to build a great edifice was not the impressive thing to God. Offering all of what a poor woman had to live on was. God was on a different page than His followers.

When you step back and look at both of these stories – the woman at the treasury and the proud pilgrim disciples – it isn’t hard to see that men see things differently than God does. We get excited about BIGGER gifts – but God gets excited about more SACRIFICIAL gifts. We get excited by MONUMENTS to our God. He gets more excited about SURRENDERED HEARTS.

The Correction: Resetting the Focus (13:3-37)

When our crew is out shooting video, there is a need to constantly check both white balance and focus. If these are not corrected, the final product will either be unfocused (inaccurate) or off colored (shaded and jaded). Jesus knew that if He did not offer corrective refocus to the Disciples, they would be off focus and not recognize how God was going to move ahead in the coming days with the children of Israel.

Jesus was the consummate teacher. He just kept teaching and correcting, patiently explaining “Surrender 101” to the elite corps of future leaders – even when it seemed hopeless. How patient He was with them! He could at least in some small way, take solace that the coming of the Spirit into His followers would sort out the jumble that held their confused minds. He reset the truth in the story by correcting the view. Things for the Jewish people were about to change dramatically. A judicial blindness was about to fall on them. They were about to be spiritually spanked for a time, pass through a horrendous time, and eventually enjoy a national redemption (that is still on the way).

The Question: (Mark 13:3-4)

Mark 13:3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?”

Privately, John and Andrew sat beside the Master and wanted to know the answer to a question that was on the minds of Jewish people through the ages – “WHEN will the Jewish people gain the promises God has made to her?” This isn’t the only time the question came up. After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared on the same mountain to the Disciples in Acts 1, and the question was phrased this way: (Acts 1:6) “So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

There was no question that the disciples thought anything other than the idea that God was not done with Israel, and that God WOULD LITERALLY FULFILL His promises to Israel at some point. They just wanted to know how long the wait was going to take. Paul spent considerable time addressing that same question in Romans 9-11. It was a central issue on the minds of Jewish believers of the early church. Those who argue that “the sons of Abraham by faith” are now a replacement for the “physical sons of Israel by Abraham’s loins” are not in sync with what the Disciples knew to be true – even after the Resurrection.

Note they asked two questions: WHEN and BY WHAT SIGN they will be exposed. The Disciples wanted to know more than a time line, they wanted a description of events. Jesus obliged and gave them a description of a future, in the context of the Jewish people.

The Description: (Mark 13:5-32)

Mark 13:5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6 “Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many.

Jewish witnesses:

One of the difficulties of this passage is the simple word “YOU”. Is Jesus speaking to the Disciples as His followers, or as Jews? Replacement theologians (those who think God is DONE with genetic Israel and has replaced her with “spiritual Israel” after she “rejected her Messiah”) would argue that Jesus was warning believers of end times event. A careful look at Mark doesn’t really offer the necessary pieces to make a conclusion.

Fortunately, Matthew included more detail to this sermon, and offered this note in Matthew 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. …20 “But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.” Both Matthew and Mark speak of Daniel’s prophetic announcement of the Abomination of Desolation, and we could show that the whole latter section of Daniel was written to explain to Daniel “what will be for YOUR PEOPLE” and “YOUR CITY” (Daniel 9:24-27), but that isn’t perhaps as clear as the simple statement, “..pray your flight is not on Sabbath.” – which seems to clearly indicate that Jesus was speaking to the men as JEWS.

Who will be tempted to defect:

Where did Jesus begin in his answer to the SIGNS they should watch out for? He started with concern that Jews would be MISLEAD by many other spiritual sounding promises. He warned them repeatedly (cp. Mk. 13:21-22) to be careful about following false redeemers and messiahs instead of staying on course when they found Him. Follow the description Jesus gave:

Mark 13:7 “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. 8 “For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

Jesus opened the subject of FEAR based on NEWS COVERAGE. They would HEAR ABOUT wars and the possibility of coming conflict. He moved from the coverage, to the actual description of real CONFLICTS. The first ones appear to be ETHNIC STRIFE related – as He said “nations” would rise against “nations – the term “ethnos” can refer to ethnic identities in the classical sense of nation. He then moved to a form of the word “basilea” – a “king” to denote strife between legal national entities. Jesus said Jews would HEAR of trouble, then see ETHNIC strife, and then NATIONAL BATTLES.

Mark 13:9 “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. 10 “The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11 “When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. 12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 13 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

At a specific time in the future:

If the message Jesus was offering was to Jewish people, how could it be that THEY became witnesses to Jesus and were hated because of that message? How could that fit the secular and largely agnostic Jewish society that we see today? How could Orthodox Jews, fervent in their faith but resolutely against any discussion about Jesus, end up as witnesses to Him? The TIMING of this event seems to be the key to understanding what Jesus was saying. Bear in mind, we are studying this in the context of Daniel’s prophecy, and Daniel was clear that God spoke concerning Jerusalem, the Jewish people and THEIR COLLECTIVE future. The timing of these events are set in Daniel 9. We cannot avoid it because the verses recall Daniel’s words:

Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.

Daniel was told that the prophecy he was being given would end all other prophecy, and settle the account of sin for Israel, once and for all. It was clearly to Jews and referred to both Jerusalem and the Temple – any other reading strains the text. Keep reading:

Daniel 9:25 “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26 “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.

No literal reading of the text can miss the fact that Daniel was offered the truth that Jerusalem would be rebuilt, and that would “start the clock” on the coming of Messiah. That coming would bring the Messiah’s DOWNFALL – He would be “cut off”. That “cut off” was linked in time to Jerusalem’s destruction. That destruction was linked to pain, suffering and desolation of the Jewish people and Jerusalem. Keep reading:

Daniel 9:27 “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

A “prince to come” is the “he” of verse 27 according to grammatical rules of the antecedent, and Daniel was informed that some future deceptive and temporary prince was coming that would give a respite to Jews for a time, then cause the Temple sacrifices to cease and will offer some open abomination to the Temple precincts – as he attempts to decimate Jewry yet again.

For the sake of time, let’s identify this period based on previous studies we have made in the Word. In 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5, we have previously studied an event that has been popularly named “The Rapture”. The text simply offers that at a time chosen by God, the believers of this time (we call them the church) will be “snatched away” by Jesus when He comes in the clouds – not to the earth – but to call His betrothed to her wedding. We noted that when this event takes place, God will turn His eyes back to His estranged wife, put away for a time to bring the spiritual “harvest of Gentiles” to completion (Luke 21:24; Romans 11:25-26). The times of Tribulation are well documented in Revelation 6-19, and we have studied them in detail, and will begin doing so again in the coming days this winter, Lord willing (stay tuned). The point is this: when the church is removed for her BEMA judgment (another subject we have discussed in 1 and 2 Corinthians) and her wedding feast, God will mark JEWISH PEOPLE that will know Jesus as Savior to share that message with the earth (see Rev. 7 and Rev. 14).  Listen to the description of these witnesses as John offers it in Revelation:

Marked for witness to the lost world in the Tribulation:

Revelation 7:4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 5 from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, 6 from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, 7 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.

I simply mention this passage to show that those who believe God is done with Israel are forced to spiritualize even the clearest references to all things JEWISH: note “Israel” and the names of many sons. Revelation 14 offered a further description:

Revelation 14:1 “Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. … 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. 4 … These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.”

For those not sure it was an actual and specific time, note the character of Jesus’ words:

Mark 13:19 “For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. 20 “Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

What we can see from our study is simply this: The signs that Jesus gave to the Jewish men who were His Disciples – Peter, James and John – were clear. A group of Jewish men and women in some generation would be placed into a time of INTENSE persecution – worse than any previous event on earth. They would possess the belief in Messiah and be given a very special and intimate relationship with God during the earth’s darkest days. They would see the pummeling of the earth of a Tribulation Period, and would experience His protection for the first half of that time. They would be tempted to follow other voices, but God will use them to reach out to His estranged wife when the days of Gentile salvation were completed. Some would be martyred in their faith. Others would endure to the end, believing in the coming of the Son to save them. When He breaks through the clouds, they will see Him, and be saved.

The terror of the Tribulation will APPEAR to be Christ’s message overturned. It will appear as though Jews will be annihilated. It will appear as though the message of the witnesses is false. The Temple will be restored, but then overturned and defiled – and the nations will see it as just another false religion and hopeless God. THEY WILL BE WRONG because they have a physical view of the spiritual world – and it cannot be clearly seen in that way!

The Command: (Mark 13:33-37)

Mark 13:33 “Take heed, keep on the alert; … 35 “Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, .. 37 “What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’”

Jesus called on the men to shout down through the ages – stay alert! Don’t give in! Don’t look at life by the physical appearances. Don’t judge the truth with physical eyes! My message is TRUE in the darkest hour. I will prevail. I will not leave My people – no matter how forsaken they feel or how rebellious they have become. See it the way I say it will be! Jesus changes the way I view impact, success and reward. Sometimes what the world will call LOSS is actually a spiritual GAIN.

A few years ago, a new museum at the Natzweiler Memorial Site in the Alsace region of France was dedicated to the heroes of the French resistance for their valiant efforts to defeat the Nazis and liberate Europe. By the time of the Allied invasion of Europe in the Summer of 1944, there were perhaps nine resistance networks fighting as guerrillas armies against the German occupation of France. Crucial to the effort was the radio. Broadcasts, including those sent by Charles de Gaulle from the BBC in England, offered CODES that informed and aided the guerillas. The codes were painstakingly developed and spread, changing regularly to keep the German occupiers and Vichy sympathizers off balance. The words often made little sense in the broadcast, but they communicated clearly to those who had the code. Funny as it sounds, not everyone wanted to hear the words of the liberators when they were under occupation. Some preferred the darker forces of occupation – afraid to lose the benefits they illegally obtained through offering favors to dark agents.

Key Principle: NOT EVERYONE RESPONDS WELL TO THE WORDS THAT WERE GIVEN TO HELP SET THEM FREE.

Did you ever have a conversation with someone that seemed to speak in code? I am not talking about the “secret spy ring and decoder set” that we got from a Crackerjack box in our childhood; I am referring to the person who constantly has a subtext to everything they are saying. It is frustrating to many of us when we are working with people who use language to communicate filth below an innocent conversation – but the fact is that we all live with CODE everyday. The web operates on a code. Television signals and radio signals are translated code. Our very bodies are reproduced DNA code material on display. Today, we understand as those in occupied France long ago, that code is essential. Words matter. Communication is the necessary forerunner of transformation. Fortunately, God is a communicator. He wants to share Himself with us – His Word says so. Unfortunately, not everyone wants to hear God’s Word – or respond as we should.

Here is a day from the life of Jesus that serves to illustrate that principle. Our story picked up on the visit to the Temple from our last study in Mark 11:27-33. That passage reminded us that Jesus “was walking in the temple” when “the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to Him” (11:27). They challenged Jesus’ authority to have cleared the tables earlier in the week (11:28) and were embarrassed when Jesus forced them into an impossible situation with a question about John the Baptizer (Mark 11:29-33).  Jesus  confounded them, and then refused to help them with an answer to their query.

Some are Antagonized by His Word (12:1-12)

As He continued, Jesus told a story to the crowd about the guilt of men who lead the nation of Israel (12:1-12). The chief priests, scribes and elders were still before Him, though they were no doubt upset that He publicly embarrassed them. Jesus’ words must have seemed like taunting to them! He said:

Mark 12:1 And He began to speak to them in parables: “A man PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT, AND DUG A VAT UNDER THE WINE PRESS AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. 2 “At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. 3 “They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 “Again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5 “And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. 6 “He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 “But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ 8 “They took him, and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others. 10 “Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; 11 THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’?”

Look more closely at what Jesus told the Temple crowd:

Ownership established: First, the owner of the vineyard did a work to responsibly build a property. He planted vines, erected terraces, and built a wine press and watchtower. He owned the property and developed it, so it was now possible to rent it out (Gr. exedeto: out, to let) and leave it in the hands of other men while he attended to other business (12:1). Surely the Elders would have recalled the words of Jeremiah concerning the Temple:

Jeremiah 12:7 God says: “I have forsaken My house,  I have abandoned My inheritance;  I have given the beloved of My soul  Into the hand of her enemies….10 “Many shepherds have ruined My vineyard,  They have trampled down My field;  They have made My pleasant field a desolate wilderness.” The words of Jesus in the Temple stung – but the point was clear: God did much to separate, cultivate and plan for the people of Israel – and they had not become what He intended.

Payment refused: The payment for the use of the vineyard was to be paid by allowing the owner benefits from the harvest (12:2), but the renters refused the rights of the owner (12:3), even becoming violent toward the servants of the owner, sent to collect the goods for payment (12:3b-5). Soon the son of the owner was sent and they reasoned among themselves that killing the son and dumping his body would free them to take the land for themselves (12:6-8). The renters wanted the benefits of another’s property, but didn’t want to offer just payment! Jesus was, no doubt, letting the men knew that He was aware of their desire to eliminate Him – an uncomfortable admission. The very next verse reveals: 12 And they were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the people, for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so they left Him and went away.

Judgment Initiated: The focus of the story is found in 12:9 in the phrase: “What will the owner of the vineyard do?” The primary point Jesus was making in the story was about the OWNER’S REACTION to their trickery and insubordinate behavior. The judgment that Jesus promised was three-fold: He was going to COME, He was going to DESTROY the wicked rebellious and he would REPLACE them with other workers (12:9) – a later group of elders of the Jewish people that would be prepared to bow their stubborn neck. Zechariah promises that one day (Zechariah 12:10) “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” John later identified that one other than Jesus Himself at the time and place of His piercing (in John 19:37).

Essentially, their ANTAGONISM over the Words opened the door for an indictment on four specific infractions: squandering God’s gifts to them,  rejecting messengers instead of following His directions, violence against the messengers of their land owner, and finally murder of the owner’s son. They squandered God’s special provision given to His people – and squandering always leads to something bad. Judgment comes when we squander God’s gifts. We dare not forget that what God gives, He desires accounted. Time, talent and treasure all His to give, and our to use well.

Some people really are ANTAGONIZED by the Word of God…

Boy Suspended for Bringing Bible To School Files Suit

March 31, 2011 by Jonathon M. Seidl

“A San Diego-area teen suspended for bringing his Bible to school and talking about his faith has filed a lawsuit against the school district, the superintendent, an assistant principal, and a teacher. In January 2010, 16-year-old Kenneth Dominguez was suspended for two days from Gateway East High School for violating a teacher’s order not to bring his Bible to school and not to discuss his faith with others. Dominguez’s Bible was even confiscated by that teacher, who said Dominguez’s actions violated “separation of church and state:” “He didn’t give any sermons or yell or scream… just sharing his faith with other students. That was it,” Brad Dacus, Dominguez’s attorney, told KGTV, adding that we don’t live in communist China. Even the ACLU is calling the case a “clear” free-speech violation….”

Lawsuit claims students not allowed to carry Bibles

23 May 2000 by Harvey Rice (for the Houston Chronicle)

WILLIS – “School officials were silent Tuesday about a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of three pupils, accusing the Willis school district of refusing to allow children to carry or read the Bible. The lawsuit, filed in Houston, alleges that a teacher at Lynn Lucas Middle School pulled two sisters from class after discovering that they were carrying Bibles and threatened to have them picked up by child-welfare authorities. Another teacher told a pupil he was not allowed to read the Bible during free reading time and forced him to put it away, the lawsuit alleges. The boy also was required to remove a Ten Commandments book cover from another book, the lawsuit states. School district officials did not respond to requests for comment. Mathew Staver, a lawyer whose Liberty Counsel legal defense organization filed the lawsuit Friday on behalf of the three pupils and their parents, said the district was served with the lawsuit Monday. Liberty Counsel is based in Orlando, Fla….”

My point is not to validate either case, I don’t have the facts sufficient to do so. What I do know is this: The Bible is becoming more and more offensive. Not everyone is open to seeing the “Good Book” as all that Good anymore. Some people are ANTAGONIZED by the Word – it that makes them agitated.

Some People are Surprised by His Word (Mark 12:13-17)

The Pharisees and “Herodians”, in a forced alliance from the council, were called on to launch into Jesus. They already decided He wasn’t healthy for Israel, because they came with a trap already set. They brought a question carefully devised to discredit or imperil Jesus before the Romans and the crowds.

Mark 12:13 Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. 14 They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? 15 “Shall we pay or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” 16 They brought one. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 17 And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.

Jesus was presented with a taxation question. Look at the men’s approach to Jesus: We know you are truthful. We know you “defer” to no one – an impartial teacher. We know you teach the way of God in truth. REALLY? Was that truly their belief? Not at all. People who plant a snare with their heart, set the trap with lying and flattering lips. They betray their guilt by feeling the need to hide behind false compliments. Beware of those who tell you how good you are before they ask you a question!

Jesus was asked about the “poll-tax” (Gr. kḗnsos, a word from which we get CENSUS) was literally, ‘the current coin of tribute,’ which was paid strictly in Roman currency – never local minted money (12:14). Look at His reply! “Why are you TESTING Me?” The crowd smiled as Jesus spoke out what everyone but the dullards in the crowd had already figured out. “Looking for trouble boys? You are going to need to be a bit more slick than that!”

Now watch Jesus untangle their twisted hearts with a simple statement. “Whose coin is it? If you look at the image, you will know who owns it!” They saw Tiberius Caesar’s face and knew that Jesus was not telling them to withhold the tax. At the same time, the end of His answer was much more powerful and troubling! What belongs to God? What bears HIS image? If you think for a moment, it will become clearer…Man does….We do! WE belong to God. If we give ourselves to Him, the coins don’t become such a big problem. Rome’s power fades when our love for God eclipses our love for the coin.

During President Clinton’s run for the White House, a staffer hung the declaration of a statement that characterized the campaign. The motto: “It’s the economy STUPID!” Perhaps the church should put a saying on our wall….” It’s the Lord STUPID….but that would not sound nice!

Some of us are like the two men that decided to split everything three ways, giving the Lord His due. They drew a circle on the ground. They decided that whatever fell inside the circle would belong to one of them. Whatever fell outside the circle would belong to the other of them. Whatever stayed up in the air and did not land was God’s…

Look at the end of the passage in Mark 12:17. It closes with “And they were amazed at Him.” The term AMAZED (exothumadzo was from thaúma, “a wonder, marvel”) – they were literally “outwardly dumbstruck”.  The passage doesn’t say the CROWD was dumbstruck. The context argues the questioners were! Some people are AMAZED at the Word – but that doesn’t make them believers.

Some People are Mistaken about His Word (Mark 12:18-27)

Now off the bench come the Sadducees, attempting to divide the audience by posing a complicated sounding question to see if they could get Jesus to lose popular support.

Mark 12:18 Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN’S BROTHER DIES and leaves behind a wife AND LEAVES NO CHILD, HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO HIS BROTHER. 20 “There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children. 21 “The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise; 22 and so all seven left no children. Last of all the woman died also. 23 “In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had married her.” 24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 “For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 “But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, and the God of Jacob’? 27 “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.”

Pastor Clark Tanner wrote: “Faulty religion is a strong prison and a deceptive one. The walls are invisible making them feel they are free but they are blind and deaf and ignorant and unable even to ask the right questions. — I was once part of a church that seemed to have a great deal of good going for it. It was founded about 10 years before I came there, by a group of men who had all attended the same prestigious Baptist seminary but wanted to start an independent church. They were sincere and dedicated men, but early in their association they had decided on a certain point of doctrine that was based on a skewed understanding of one passage of scripture, and it became a main point of focus for them … I do not know how many others were hurt by this stubborn exclusivity among this church’s leaders but I do know that much potential for service and glory to God was lost to that assembly as a result.” (sermon central illustrations). I especially noted the part where he said “it became a main point of focus for them.” That was true of the Sadducean party for sure.

Don’t leave the story until you note that Jesus’ argument was based on the accuracy of the Word of the Torah. The seed God spread on Israel’s ground was not the problem – the soil was the problem (cp. Mt. 13). Jesus simply told them “YOU ARE MISTAKEN!” Some people are MISTAKE about the Word – and their confusion keeps them from the truth.

Some People Reaching out toward His Word (Mark 12:28-32)

Mark 12:28 One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31 “The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 33 AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

The most promising story of the whole chapter is the one about the scribe above. This man was CLOSE to understanding the Word as God intended it. The man answered correctly, and intelligent and accurate answer. I always find it funny when we sound smart simply because we are mimicking the Word of God! The Psalmist exclaimed: (119:100) “I understand more than the aged,  Because I have observed Your precepts.” Some people are REACHING TOWARD the Word – but that isn’t enough to get them to believe yet.

Some People are ENTERTAINED by His Word (Mark 12:35-37)

Mark 12:35 And Jesus began to say, as He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 “David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET.”’ 37 “David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him.

Sitting on the sidelines of the theological debates between Jesus and the theologians of the Temple was ENTERTAINING! The crowd enjoyed watching the sparring – especially when it cost them nothing in commitment, surrender or attitude! Some people ENJOY hearing the Word – but that doesn’t make them followers.

Some People Like Imitating the Sound of His Word (Mark 12:38-40)

Mark 12:38 In His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, 39 and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, 40 who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.” 

Men of great prayers, the scribes Jesus referred to could quote the Word and include it in long and lofty prayers. Sadly, the prayers weren’t addressing God – they were to impress men. Some people CAN QUOTE the Word – but that doesn’t make them godly.

Not everyone responds correctly to the truth when it is given to them. The right response is NOT to QUOTE it, NOT to ENJOY it, NOT to REACH TOWARD it, NOT to be CONFUSED by it, ANTAGONIZED or AMAZED by it. The right response it to be CHANGED by it – that is where surrender comes in.

The playlet entitled ‘The Long Silence’ offers a compelling case for our surrender:

At the end of time, billions of people were scattered on a great plain before God’s throne. Most shrank back from the brilliant light before them. But some groups near the front talked heatedly – not with cringing shame, but with belligerence. ‘Can God judge us? How can he know about suffering?’ snapped a pert young brunette. She ripped open a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a Nazi concentration camp. ‘We endured terror … beatings … torture … death!” In another group an African-American boy lowered his collar. ‘What about this?’ he demanded, showing an ugly rope burn. ‘Lynched … for no crime but being black!’ In another crowd, a pregnant schoolgirl with sullen eyes. ‘Why should I suffer’ she murmured, ‘It wasn’t my fault.’ Far out across the plain there were hundreds of such groups. Each had a complaint against God for the evil and suffering he permitted in his world. How lucky God was to live in heaven where all was sweetness and light, where there was no weeping or fear, no hunger or hatred. What did God know of all that man had been forced to endure in this world? For God leads a pretty sheltered life, they said. So each of these groups sent forth their leader, chosen because he had suffered the most. A Jew, an African-American, a person from Hiroshima, a horribly deformed arthritic, a thalidomide child. In the center of the plain they consulted with each other. At last they were ready to present their case. It was rather clever. Before God could be qualified to be their judge, he must endure what they had endured. Their decision was that God should be sentenced to live on earth – as a man!

‘Let him be born a Jew. Let the legitimacy of his birth be doubted. Give him a work so difficult that even his family will think him out of his mind when he tries to do it. Let him be betrayed by his closest friends. Let him face false charges, be tried by a prejudiced jury and convicted by a cowardly judge. Let him be tortured. At last, let him see what it means to be terribly alone. Then let him die. Let him die so that there can be no doubt that he died. Let there be a great host of witnesses to verify it.’

As each leader announced his portion of the sentence, loud murmurs of approval went up from the throng of people assembled. And when the last had finished pronouncing sentence, there was a long silence. No-one uttered another word. No-one moved. For suddenly all knew that God had already served his sentence. (Pastor Steven Chapman, Sermon Central illustrations)