SERMON OUTLINE:
(A). The Plan (vs 32-34):
(1). The city (vs 33).
(2). The conspirators (vs 33b-44a).
(3). The conclusion (vs 34b).
(B). The Request (vs 35-45).
(1). It tells us something about Mark
(2). It tells us something about the disciples (vs 35-44)
(3). It tells us something about Jesus (vs 45)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• A secretary was leaving the office one Friday evening;
• When she encountered one of the bosses Mr. Jones,
• He was standing in front of a shredder;
• With a piece of paper in his hand.
• "Listen," said Mr. Jones,
• "This is important, and my secretary has already left. Can you make this thing work?"
• "Certainly," said the secretary.
• She turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button.
• "Excellent, excellent!" said Mr. Jones as his paper disappeared inside the machine.
• "I just need one copy!"
Transition: If you ever get things wrong or misunderstand someone;
• Then you are in good company.
• The disciples managed to do this with Jesus again and again and again!
• A perfect example of that is in our passage this morning.
(A). The Plan (vs 32-34):
• In our passage this morning Jesus announces his death for a third time;
• In the first two announcements (chapter 8 verse 31 & chapter 9 verse 31);
• Jesus had told them WHAT would happen.
• But now he tells them WHERE it will happen (verse 33);
• It will happen in the holy city of Jerusalem.
There are three things to note in this section (verses 32-34).
(1). The city (vs 33).
“We are going up to Jerusalem, he said, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles”.
Question: Why Jerusalem? Why not somewhere else?
Answer:
• King David of Israel first established Jerusalem as the capital city 3,000 yrs ago,
• So politically it soon became very important.
• Then David’s son Solomon commissioned the building of the First Temple in the city;
• This made Jerusalem the centre of Jewish spiritual life.
Ill:
• Ambition usually progresses through the following stages:
• To be like Dad…to be famous…to be a millionaire……
• To make enough to pay the bills; to hang on long enough to draw a pension.
Every Jew had one ambition and that was to visit Jerusalem:
• If possible, to visit Jerusalem at Passover time.
• Even today, when Passover is celebrated by a modern Jew.
• The last official prayer of their ceremony performed in the home,
• Ends with these words; “NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!”
• Jewish people already living in Jerusalem would instead say;
• “NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM REBUILT!”
• At Passover during the time of Christ:
• A constant stream of humanity made its way towards Jerusalem.
• Devout Jews poured in from all corners of the world;
• To worship God “in the mountain of His holiness”.
• Every male Jew who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem had to attend 3 times a year:
• At Passover, at Pentecost, and at the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles.
• But for many others who lived very far from Jerusalem,
• The lengthy pilgrimage at Passover was the fulfilment of a once-in-a-lifetime dream.
So Jerusalem was the political & more importantly the spiritual capitol of the Jewish people:
• It was the place that housed the temple;
• Where each day sacrifices were made.
• It was the place where an innocent lamb became the substitute for a guilty human being;
• The innocent lamb was slain that the guilty person may be forgiven.
Ill:
• You may recall the words of John the Baptist;
• In John’s gospel chapter 1 verse 29 when he saw Jesus – he said:
• “Look (stare, behold, gaze), the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
Note:
• Every human being was born to live!
• Well every human being except one!
• Jesus Christ was born to die!
• His coming into the world was all part of God’s plan of salvation.
• ill: Baby he was given three gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh;
• Gold for a king, incense for a priest.
• But why myrrh (a burial spice)?
• Given to signify here was one born to die!
• He was the perfect innocent lamb of God;
• Who on the cross would become the substitute for a world of guilty human beings;
• His blood was spilled that guilty men & women may be forgiven.
Ill:
In 1927, in West Africa,
• A blood specimen was taken from a native man named Asibi,
• Who was sick with yellow fever.
• A vaccine was made from the original strain of virus obtained from this man.
• In fact,
• All the vaccine manufactured since 1927 by the Rockefeller Foundation and health agencies,
• Derives from the original strain of virus obtained from this one man.
• They have been carried down to the present day;
• From one laboratory to another,
• Through repeated cultures and by enormous multiplication,
• It has offered immunity to yellow fever to millions of people in many countries.
• Through the creative imagination of science,
• The blood of this one man in the West Africa;
• Has been made available to serve the whole human race.
• On the cross the blood of Jesus Christ;
• Would be made available to serve the whole human race.
(2). The conspirators (vs 33b-44a).
“We are going up to Jerusalem, he said, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles,
34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him..”
• In this announcement of his death Jesus again adds something new;
• He mentions the part that the Gentiles (non-Jews) would play in his trial and death.
• Remember the Jews did not have the power to put someone to death;
• They were subject to the rules of their Romans oppressors.
• So the Jewish leaders had to come up with false charges against Jesus;
• To force the Romans to execute him.
• And this they did!
• Although they did it very poorly;
• Three times Pilot declared Jesus to be innocent and wanted to release him;
• But ‘for fear of crowds’ stirred up by the Jewish leaders;
• He took the cowards way out and condemned him to death!
Question: Who killed Jesus Christ?
Answer: is actually fourfold!
Ill:
Think of a cross and the four pieces that grow out of the centre.
• Let the first horizontal piece represent the Jewish people.
• They handed Jesus over for execution.
• Let the second horizontal piece represent the Romans.
• They did the actual act of crucifying Jesus Christ.
• Let the bottom vertical piece represent human beings;
• For the Bible says “it was our sins that he bore in his body on the cross”
• Let the top vertical piece represent God;
• Because the Old Testament teaches i.e. Isaiah chapter 53 verse 10:
• “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
• and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin,”
Every time we see a cross it is a reminder that:
• No-one race or group of people killed Jesus Christ;
• Humanities sin is what caused the death of Christ;
• And his death was part of God’s had a plan of salvation.
(3). The conclusion (vs 34b).
“…who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him.
Three days later he will rise.”
• This is the fourth time in Mark’s gospel that he mentions the resurrection;
• Verse 34b: He will “rise to life” on the third day.
Ill:
• At All Saints Church, Hordle, Nr Lymington in Hampshire UK:
• The put on a musical performance of Stainer’s Crucifixion
• After the performance the choirmaster put up a notice in the choir vestry:
• It read: ‘The Crucifixion well done everybody!’
• Somebody else added some extra words:
• They added: ‘The Resurrection well done God!’
• As we have noted on many occasions;
• Jesus never mentioned his death without also mentioning the resurrection!
• ill: They are Siamese twins – they always go together!
• The resurrection is the ultimate proof that the death of Jesus was part of God’s plan!
(B). The Request (vs 35-45).
Ill:
• A Frenchman was walking along the beach found an old oil lamp;
• He polished it and to his amazement out popped a Genie and granted him one request.
• The man said he would a bridge joining England to France;
• This way he could easily return home to visit his family whenever he wanted to.
• The Genie said,
• "Your request is an enormous challenge for me to complete;
• Just think of the supports required to reach the bottom of the sea!
• The enormous amounts of concrete and steel it would take!
• It will nearly exhaust several natural resources.
• I can do it, but why not take a little more time;
• And think of something else you might want me to do for you"
• The man thought about it for a long time. Finally he said,
• "I wish that I could understand my wife.
• I want to know how she feels inside,
• what she’s thinking when she gives me the silent treatment,
• why she cries, what she means when she says nothing’s wrong,
• and how I can make a woman truly happy."
• The Genie replied,
• "Do you want two lanes or four on that bridge?"
When you remember the context of what Jesus has said concerning his death:
• It is a bit embarrassing and maybe shameful;
• That all James and John can do is think about themselves at this time!
• This is the second time we find the disciples arguing over ‘who will be the greatest’.
• The first time was in Mark chapter 9 verses 30-34)
• Which they again asked him after he has spoken about his approaching death!
I guess this incident tells us a few revealing truths.
(1). It tells us something about Mark.
• This story shows us the honesty of Mark and his gospel;
• He could easily have not included these incidents and so make the disciples look ‘better’.
• More spiritual, more worthy of their calling.
• But Mark (and the rest of the Bible) does not do that;
• The gospels are honest, truthful accounts of the disciples and the life of Jesus.
Ill:
• A court painter once painted the portrait of Oliver Cromwell.
• Cromwell was afflicted with warts on his face.
• Thinking to please Cromwell;
• The painter omitted the warts in the painting.
• When Cromwell saw the portrait he is reported to have said:
• “Take it away! And paint me warts and all!”
• The gospels and the Bible always shows its heroes – warts and all!
• It never glosses over their faults and failings but show us the truth about them!
(2). It tells us something about the disciples.
Two things to note:
FIRST THEY HAD AMBITION:
• These disciples were motivated by ambition;
• If there was thrones in the kingdom to come;
• They wanted to make sure they got the best ones!
• Some ambition is good;
• But some ambition comes out of the wrong motivation.
• The disciples were making the mistake of following the wrong examples;
• They were modelling themselves on their society;
• Which like our society today tells us again and again;
• Look after number one!
So Jesus explains to them in verses 43-44:
“Jesus called them together and said, You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all”.
• The way to go up the ladder of success and greatness as a Christian;
• Is always contrary to the world - ‘you go up by going down’,
• That is we only become great in God’s estimation when we are found serving others!
• Greatness for the Christian is not measured by what you have;
• Or what you can do.
• It is not measured by who you are; or by where you are in life.
• Greatness for the Christian is more about;
• Why you do and who you do it for.
• In fact Jesus taught greatness flows out of giving not getting.
Ill:
• Leonard Bernstein the famous orchestra conductor;
• Was being interviewed on television;
• He was asked the question:
• “Mr Bernstein, what is the most difficult instrument to play?”
• He responded with quick wit:
• “Second fiddle. I can get plenty of first violinists,
• but to find one who plays second violin with much enthusiasm
• or second French horn or second flute, now that’s a problem.
• And yet if no one plays second, we have no harmony”.
• Greatness for the Christian is more about;
• Why you do and who you do it for.
• In fact Jesus taught greatness flows out of giving not getting.
• Quote:
• “When God measures a man, he puts the tape around the heart instead of the head.”
Two things to note: First they had ambition:
SECOND: THEY HAD MISUNDERSTOOD JESUS.
• In fact they had completely get the wrong idea of Jesus’ mission;
• And they failed to understand his reason for coming into this world.
• So caught up were they in a political Messiah;
• That no amount of words could rid them of that idea;
• It would take the reality of the cross and the gift of the Holy Spirit to do that!
Note: Verses 38-39:
“You don’t know what you are asking, Jesus said. Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptised with the baptism I am baptised with?
39 We can, they answered.”
Jesus compares his approaching suffering and death in two ways:
• (a). To drinking a cup.
• i.e. In ancient times the king would pass a cup to his guests.
• It became a metaphor for the life and experience that God handed out to people.
• (b). To being baptised (immersed - underwater).
• It is a metaphor of being submerged by something.
• i.e. A grief stricken person is said to be submerged in sorrow.
• i.e. A drunk person is said to be submerged in drink.
• Those metaphors remind us that it would be a devastating experience for Jesus;
• Yet James and John said they would go through it with Jesus.
• Little did they realise what they were saying.
• In the coming years they would have their share of the baptism and the cup;
• James became the first disciple to be martyred (Acts chapter 12 verses 1-2);
• John would experience great persecution and be exiled to the island of Patmos.
(3). It tells us something about Jesus.
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Throughout the passage notice that the answer is always Jesus!
• Who models for us true greatness?
• Answer: Jesus!
• Who models for us perfect servant hood?
• Answer: Jesus!
• Who practised what he preached?
• Answer: Jesus!
• Who alone could drink the cup of suffering?
• Answer: Jesus!
• Who alone could be baptised/submerged in suffering?
• Answer: Jesus!
• Who alone could “give his life as a ransom for many”?
• Answer: Jesus!
Punch line:
• Note those words:
• “He gave his life a ransom for many”
Question: Are you in ‘the many’?
Answer: If not why not?
