V is for Victory
Mark 15:1-8
You cannot fully understand Jesus and Easter until first you have been to the cross. You cannot understand this day until you have been in a dark place, experienced tragedy or seen the supposed triumph of evil and sin and even the triumph of death. Once you fully understand the power of evil, sin and darkness in this world, only then can you experience the power and joy of Easter. We as Christians understand Jesus’ death and resurrection like this: God, the author of all creation, chose to visit our planet. He came to walk among us, disguised as one of us. He was born into the world just like us, grew up, learned a trade and then at the age of 30 began his teaching ministry, proclaiming the good news that God’s kingdom was upon us so we should repent and believe the Good News. Jesus taught what God was like, showed us God’s heart and God’s desires for us and called us to live a life worthy of following Him. He healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind and even raised the dead. He loved sinners and broken people, the outcast, eating with them and spending time with them; people like drunks, drug dealers, prostitutes and lepers. No matter how far they had strayed, God longed for him to come back to Him. This is the picture Jesus painted for the people.
But he also challenged the believers of his day to live for something more, to choose a different, more holy path. Hundreds if not thousands came to hear the new rabbi. Some who heard Jesus thought he was so radical that he was a lunatic. Others thought he was liar and blasphemed, spoke untruths about God. But there were many who heard him teach with an authority that no other religious leader, prophet or teacher had of his day. Picture: Sanhedrin And the religious leaders began to feel threatened by his growing popularity and they determined that he had to die. Picture of Judas One of his disciples betrayed him, allowing him to be arrested. Another denied him and every one of them fell away from him that night. Picture: witnesses against Jesus Jesus was given an illegal trial, had false witnesses brought against him and was charged with blasphemy, (what a joke, God speaking untruths about himself!) and then given the death penalty. Picture: Barrabas freed. The crowd had a chance to save him but they chose to free a murderer instead. Picture: Pilate washing hands Pontius Pilate knew he was innocent but he sent him to die nonetheless to satisfy the crowd. Picture: Jesus whipped He was beaten, had the flesh ripped from his back, legs and buttocks, was brought to an inch of his life. He was mocked and spit upon. Picture: Jesus mocked Then they forced him to carry his own cross and Picture: Jesus crucified then crucified him, God became man, the very one who had come to save them from themselves. Do you see the violence, the hate, the insecurity, the fear, the ugliness and the sin that is the cross? You can’t understand the resurrection without it. All the things we associate with evil were embodied in Jesus’ beating, crucifixion and death.
Image: Jesus burial. When someone died on the cross, they were left up for days as animals picked at their flesh until the bodies or bones were finally heaped on a trash dump. But Joseph and Nicodemus, two wealthy men who had been afraid to speak up for Jesus at his trial, asked Pilate for his body so that he might have a descent burial. They wrapped it in linens, placed it in the tomb and rolled a stone in front of it. Do you know how many people attended the funeral of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Four: Two women and these two men, Joseph and Nicodemus. The rest of the disciples were hiding in fear for lives that someone would come arrest and crucify them too. And for them, this next two days was a very dark time. All of their hopes dreams had been penned on Jesus. They had heard him teach, seen him heal and spent 3 years with him and everything inside them told them that he was the one, the Messiah, the long awaited Savior. But now was it all a fraud or worse, maybe there was no God after all? Slide: C.H. Dodd, New Testament scholar says, “Anyone standing there watching the things unfold at the cross would have been tempted to say there cannot be a God when things like this happens. Perhaps that was what the disciples were thinking. They were afraid, left in an utter state of shock, questioning everything they had known and experienced.Their lives were threatened, their Messiah was gone, their hopes were dashed and their faith was crushed.” This is what they were experiencing from the moment of Jesus death to Sunday morning before sunrise.
We all know what that is like, times in our lives when we have lived between Good Friday and Easter, when things have been so dark and so grim that all hope is lost and God seems to be nowhere around. All of us have had moments where we have been living between Good Friday and Easter. Divorce where everything is coming apart at the seems and what once was love is now filled with bitterness, anger and betrayal. The loss of your job and suddenly you are on the brink of financial ruin. Creditors are calling and the home you have worked so hard to build or own is now slipping through your fingers. Or maybe it’s through the untimely and maybe even tragic death of a child or a loved one. You know that dark place where evil seems to triumph, where hope is lost and where there seems to be no God at all. That’s where the disciples were and until you understand this and the magnitude of the evil that took place on Good Friday, you cannot fully understand or experience the joy of Easter.
Picture: Women at the tomb. In the darkness which surrounded them, Mary Magdalene and the other of the women who had followed Jesus went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus and finish the burial preparation which was cut short due to the Sabbath laws which stated you couldn’t touch a dead body until after the Sabbath had begun. So a quick burial was made even though the body was not prepared for burial. They arrived with their oils to finish preparing the body for burial and when they got to the tomb, they saw the stone had already been rolled away. They gasped and no doubt ran to the tomb afraid that someone might have stolen the body or worse yet, desecrated it. But when they walked into the tomb, they found a man dressed in white, John tells us he was an angel. Bear in mind that the Greek word for angel means messenger and he said, “Don’t be afraid. Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here! He is risen!” Now these two women didn’t know what to make of this. They were stunned. Is it true? Is it possible? Even in their wildest dreams they couldn’t have imagined it. You see people in the first century don’t raise from the dead any more frequently than they do today.
But that day the story and identity of Jesus was set straight. Slide: Jesus’ resurrection is his vindication. To be vindicated means one who was thought to be wrong or had committed a crime, now is proved to be right and not guilty. Jesus was vindicated in three ways. Slide: First, Jesus’ identity was vindicated. You remember the things Jesus said about himself, the lofty claims he made about himself. I am the bread of life. “Those who eat of me will never hunger and those who drink of me will never thirst again.” He said, I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will never die.” He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” He claimed to be the Messiah, the son of the living God. He claimed to be the son of man, the representative of all the human race. And so much more. He was Lord of Lords and King of Kings. His resurrection vindicated those claims.
Slide: Second, His ministry was vindicated. Jesus also had a ministry unlike any other in his day before or after him. He ministered to broken people living on the edges of society. In fact, one of the things the religious leaders were upset about was the fact that Jesus sat down and ate with drunkards, that he associated with prostitutes, that he allowed them to be a part of his ministry, that he seemed focused on the lowest of the low. And yet he taught that God was like a father of a runaway rebel who never stopped loving and never stopped longing for his son to return. And Jesus embodied that in his own life and ministry, reaching out, calling, inviting and encouraging people to return to a relationship with God, no matter who they are or what they had done. Nothing was so horrible that God could not forgive it and welcome you home. And that part of his ministry was vindicated by his resurrection because this in fact is what God is like.
Slide: And finally his message was vindicated. Jesus’ message was so countercultural. Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the hungry. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the lowly. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are you when you are persecuted for my name’s sake. Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. Don’t forgive someone just once or even seven times but 70 times 7. He seemed to teach that which was the utter opposite of our own inclinations. How could anyone live that way? Yet what he taught was vindicated by his resurrection. When Jesus was on the cross and looked at those who had beaten, betrayed, denied and crucified him, the very prayer he offered up was this, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Image: Mohammed Ali. Mohammed Ali who was known for his boxing prowess in the ring as much as what he said outside the ring. Things like, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. You cannot hit what you cannot see.” Or what he said to Joe Frazier, “If you even dream of beating me, you better wake up and apologize.” Or “It’s hard to be humble when you’re as great as I am. I am the greatest.” But listen, he had a point when he said, “It’s not bragging if you can back it up.” In the resurrection, Jesus backed up what he had said. In the resurrection, Jesus backed up what he had done. In the resurrection, he was vindicated.
Picture: resurrected Jesus. Ultimately, the resurrection of Jesus is the sign of God’s victory over all that is evil in this world. This is the powerful moment we are meant to recognize in the resurrection. Christians believe that through his death on the cross, God was saving the world. This is the understanding that Jesus is the victor through the resurrection. The idea is this: there are many things which separate us from God, our own sin, our self-centeredness, our propensity toward evil, our hate, our injustice, our pride, our fears, our jealousies, our betrayals and denials. All of these things came to a head in the cross. And God came in human flesh to teach us and call us back into relationship with him by taking upon himself all of that evil. It is in that moment on the cross and the next 36 hours that it appeared and felt like evil had won. It seems like all had been lost. But while Satan and evil seemed to be reigning in that moment, on the third day Jesus arose from the dead and shattered all of those things. It was the victory of the resurrection which said God in his suffering and his resurrection will have the final word always. That sin will not have the final power over us. That evil will not triumph and that death, darkness and pain will give way to the power of God. God is more powerful than any of these things. God is stronger than our denial, stronger than our betrayal and stronger than our weakness. God is stronger than our hate, stronger than our fears, stronger than our jealousies. And ultimately God is stronger than our death. This is the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Through the resurrection, God is saving us from our sin, God is saving us from our fears, God is saving us from our weaknesses, and God is saving us from ourselves. This is the watershed story of Jesus. It is meant to define your lives and to define everything else in life in light of this particular story. No matter what you’re facing whether it be divorce or betrayal or bankruptcy or crime or global warming or the loss of a job or even the death of a loved one, that will not be the final word. Jesus will be the final word. And that gives us hope. That gives us courage to face with confidence whatever we’re facing. As Christians who believe and claim the power of the resurrection, we face life and all of its failures, tragedies, pain and disappointment different than those who do not,
Picture: Don Piper in Suit Jacket. Don Piper tells the story of a man driving his little Ford Escort and crossing a bridge on a rainy day when suddenly an 18 wheeler cross the lanes and crashed head on into his car and pinning it against the railing of the bridge and crushing it. Several other cars were involved in the accident. The police and paramedics arrived. They tended to those who were injured and got to the car of the man driving the Escort, checked his vital signs and found that he had died instantly. They covered him in a tarp. Some time went by and there was a pastor who was stuck in the ensuing traffic jam. He made his way to the scene of the accident on foot and asked if there was anyone who needed prayer. They said, we have taken care of these folks but there is one fatality and if you’d like to pray for his family. He went back to the car and seeing this car which now looked like an accordian. The man’s body had not been sitting in the car for 90 minutes. The pastor reached into the broken window and placed his hand under the tarp and began to pray or him and his family. And then he began to sing, What a Friend We have in Jesus. As he was singing that song, the man under the tarp started singing with him. He jumped abck and ran to the paramedics and said, Listen, this guy’s alive. “No, he’s not alive, he’s dead. We checked his vital signs and he’s dead.” The pastor said, He’s singing with me! And suddenly Don Piper said he realized he was alive.
For the next 90 minutes, they worked to get his body free with the jaws of life. Don wrote about his experience when he died. He remembered right before the accident and the next thing he remembered was being surrounded by light. The next thing he saw was his favorite grandfather, Grandpa Joe who died when he was younger. Grandpa Joe came up to him and said, “Donny!” and he wrapped his arms around him and held him tight. And when they let go of one another, Don turned around and there was his best friend from childhood, Mike who died in a car accident when he was 19. He looked at Mike and they embraced and Mike smiled and he could tell there was such joy in Mike’s life. And all of these other people that he known through his life but who had died were now his welcoming committee. And then he heard what sounded like thousands and thousands of voices singing the most beautiful music. He said, I can still hear that music today. Time had no meaning and no bearing in that place. For the first time in my life, I felt perfect love and I was more alive than I had ever been. This is the victory of Jesus’ resurrection. When you believe in Jesus Christ, even death itself is not the end because Jesus will always have the final word. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, I not only believe it but I’m counting on it and you can too. It is the resurrection which is meant to change not only how you look at and understand what has happened to you but how you are to live to day.
But then the oldest and most reliable of the transcripts of Mark’s Gospel ends with these troubling words: “trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.” How could they do that? They have just witnessed the most significant event in all of history. They have just seen proof of the identity of Jesus and the vindication of his ministry and message and yet they leave that experience and say nothing. Without them, the proof of the resurrection would be lost. The Good News of Jesus’ rising from the dead would never get out. Each week in this series, I have asked you to identify with one of more of the characters of the Passion narrative. Today, Mark does the asking. He wants us to place ourselves in the story and in the persons of these women, confronted with the resurrection and the choice of what to do in response to it. Mark wants us to see the significance of this event not just for Jesus and the disciples but for all the world. And just like in a horror movie when the monster is sneaking up on the innocent victim and you want to scream, “Watch out!” Mark is wanting us to cry out and say, No. We have to tell someone. We have to let people know the story is not over, that evil has not won and that the Good News in all of this tragedy is that Jesus is Risen.
Picture: Crosses. Mark Wright tells the story of the Annual Easter Musical. Over 200 people were involved in the production. More than a 1000 would be coming to each of the 4 presentations. Orchestra, choir, actors and soloists were involved. A cross stood to the side of the stage. At the final rehearsal, a movie critic and a journalist both said they would score us 9.5 out of 10. However, we did not know that this musical would have a profound effect on one of the main characters in the presentation. Jay, an amateur actor and a bit arrogant, was asked to be the Roman Centurion who would flog Jesus. Of course, he did not mind. He loved acting. He bragged to friends that he would do a good job beating Jesus. The first presentation went well for Jay. He could distance himself from Jesus on the cross. That night, however, he could not sleep. Memories of the flogging he delivered rushed through his dreams. The next show was not easy for Jay to handle. It was hard to beat a man like Jesus in front of 1000’s of people. Guilt overcame him. The third presentation was more difficult yet. The audience, still thinking he was a professional actor, were shaken as he whipped Jesus. This time, however, as the blood dripped down from the cross, he suddenly realized that this blood was shed for him. Jay realized that this Jesus was dying on the cross for all the cruel acts he was doing. And Jesus was doing it out of love for His people. Jay almost broke down in front of the audience. It was hard for him to contain himself as Jesus was dragged by his fellow soldiers. The audience detected Jay’s voice crackle as he yelled, "Crucify him, hang the man!" He dabbed a tear from his eye. And then "Jesus" cried out, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" Then, "It is finished!" The lights cut, the roll of thunder could be heard and it grew very still. All could hear the sobs of the disciples and Mary, kneeling by the cross. Jay, too, was quietly crying out, "Jesus, you did this for me? You died on this old cross so I can have new life? I have been so cruel to you and you were so kind. The blood on my hands was a sacrifice for ME! I’m sorry for what I’ve done. Forgive me, please! I give you my heart and life. I am finished with my own struggles. I want you as my Savior and Lord!" It was like the lights went back on for Jay. He could scarcely believe it. He felt like a new man! God had heard his prayer. He had come to know Jesus, at the foot of the cross, in front of a 1,000 people or more. Jesus’ blood was meant for him. He wiped another tear and felt joy come over him. As the choir sang the last selection, "I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb" by Ray Boltz, he knew he had to go tell his friends and family and that is exactly what he did.
