Innocent Blood
Mark 15:15-41
• As we have worked our way through the gospel of Mark, we have learned many things. It has been more than a little interesting how we have “stumbled” on to the perfect text for the perfect day. It is no accident that we are where we are today! I’ve entitled this message “Innocent Blood”. What comes to your mind when you hear that phrase? Candidly for me, those 2 words have an expansive meaning in today’s culture. Certainly little babies being aborted will come to our mind because there is no one more innocent than a little unborn baby. They’ve done nothing to anyone and their only crime is existing. This is truly innocent blood.
• Next, because I have been so closely related to military bases over my ministry, I am reminded of the men and women in uniform whose lives have been cut short not because of anything they’ve done except defend this nation, you, me, and our right to be free. The cost of our civil freedom (ultimately the cost of all freedom) comes in a high price of this thing we call innocent blood. In recent years a movie came out which did quite well at the box office. It was entitled “Saving Private Ryan.” This week I read much about Normandy beach and this movie only to be reminded that close to 10,000 young allied soldiers were wounded or killed at the beach. On YouTube, I saw the opening 14 minutes and am still stunned at the ultimate price which was paid by so many. I must confess to a little anger reading comments from some who undervalued & underappreciated the sacrifices which so many made. Soldiers shedding innocent blood at Normandy, in Korea, Vietnam, and now Iraq & Afghanistan. (I am so sensitive to the commitment of service personnel that last week in the Apple store, I sat next to a young man in the Army & just had to thank him.)
• Without the shedding of innocent blood, you wouldn’t be able to be here today. In fact, you might be “TOLD” where to, how to, and to whom you were to offer your worship. You might well, like in the old 3rd world countries, be told that you cannot worship or make money or live like you want. We should acknowledge and appreciate those who have paid the ultimate cost for our freedom.
• But never lose sight of this fact: Just as surely as men and women have died to secure our civil freedom, Jesus died to secure our spiritual freedom. Can I offer you one difference? Our civil freedom is not being protected and may, one day soon, be taken away because we have not been diligent to protect what people died to provide. However, in Jesus – your spiritual freedom has been purchased for time and eternity – and according to Holy Scripture – can never be lost.
• Now, as we begin in our text, “How exactly did this happen?” We remember that the betrayer, Judas, used his relationship with Jesus to hand Him over to the soldiers & their religious leaders who wanted Jesus to die. Those leaders had turned Jesus over to Pilate demanding death.
• To see the full impact of Jesus’ sacrifice & how it could happen – let’s pick up in verse 15.
1. The Setup – Read the verse…The shedding of Innocent blood seems to always begin & end in the same way – this verse is a great outline to see this.
a. A Man – The man in the story is Pilate. He is a normal man, put in place to keep the peace at all cost, and possessed the authority stop the entire event. He actually knew Jesus was innocent of the charges, but he wasn’t strong enough to stand for what was right. He was the man or mouse.
b. A Motivation – Now we discover Pilate’s problem, which is a common problem that leads to all kinds difficulties. His wanted to “Please the crowd”. Honestly, I cannot think of one instance in God’s word where the ‘crowd’ gets it right! When your motivation becomes what ‘they think’ or trying to please ‘a lot of people’, more often than not, you’ll get it wrong. Do you know why? Here’s a secret: You’ll never please a crowd! Watch how this works for Pilate.
c. A Mistake – While I say, “A Mistake” – the single mistake is Pilate’s motivation of “TRYING” to please the crowd. This single mistake led him to do the opposite of what he should have done. The Bible says that he release Barabbas and scourged Jesus. In effect, to please the crowd, he chose wrong over right, evil over good, and unrighteous over righteous. I offer you this: Trying to please the crowd will ALWAYS bring this kind of outcome or result.
d. A Murder – As far as I can tell from scripture, every time innocent blood is shed – a murder of some kind occurs. The applications are too far-reaching to make but here is the obvious outcome to Pilate’s inability to discern and do what he knew to be right. That last phrase says it all, “He delivered Jesus to be crucified.” Even though Pilate knew Jesus to be innocent and had declared that truth 3 times in those infamous words, “I find no fault in him.” This verse makes me wonder as how many times we deliver Jesus up to be crucified by giving in to the crowd? Given the opportunity to speak a reason for the hope in us, we chose to remain silent. Given the opening to tell about Christ love, we say nothing. Given the chance to show a crowd his heart, we determine it’s too risky – so we go along to get along – & in the process, we deliver Jesus up to be crucified.
• Such was the setup & such is the setup for Jesus to be crucified. But then reality comes.
2. The Scene – We live in day of videos. In the last 20+ years, we have witnessed in real time things never thought possible. Last weekend a professional golfer was assessed a one-stroke penalty based on the phone video of an onlooker. In 1991 we witnessed first-hand the attack on Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. We watched it on CNN. In fact, in a news conference it was Sec of Defense, Dick Chaney, responded to a question by saying, “We seeing it just like you are on CNN.” On 911, video captured the attack on America the Twin Towers. The point is that we see enough that we can close our eyes and recreate those images in our minds. Reading Chapters 14 & 15, you can hear the music in the background building to a crescendo saying, “It’s about to happen.”
a. The Treatment – Verse 16 says, “They led Him INSIDE and CALLED the WHOLE battalion together.” In other words, Jesus had been declared innocent and yet sentenced as a one found guilty and now was being led inside for the punishment to begin. They got Him inside for control & called the soldiers for help. These Roman soldiers knew how to torture people, they knew how to exact pain, and they knew how to inflict death; they were experts at it. Get this scene in your mind’s eye; Jesus had been basically disrobed for His scourging (39 lashed with the cat of 9 tails – many people died at the scourging post). Now, with the fresh blood running down His back, they put a makeshift purple robe on Him. This was to mock His claim at King. They took about thorn bush and fashioned a makeshift hat of those thorns (calling it a crown) and jammed it down on His head. By now, you would think that Jesus had no more blood to give – but the scalp is the most vascular part of the body – so fresh blood appears. We must remember that no single gospel tells all the facts, but we can glean the events by the full body of scripture. Picture Jesus sitting there, his body a bloody mess, a purple robe on His back, & a crown made of thorns on His head, and one of the soldier hand Him a stick of some kind calling it a ‘staff’ (mocking again a Kingly staff). Then they begin a humiliating of mockingly bowing before Jesus, saluting Him, & calling Him their King. Can you get that picture in your mind? When you think it is as bad as it can get & the get bored with this game, one of them takes the stick from Jesus hands and begins hitting Him on the head. You remember what is on Jesus’ head. The thorns tears through more flesh, causing more fresh blood, and a renewed energy for abuse so someone rips the purple robe off of His back. Problem is, the material has been there so long that the blood has dried – now more fresh blood. Now by the way, Jesus was proclaimed innocent not once, not twice, but 3 times. He was & He is innocent but we’ll come back to that. Exacting all the pain possible, verse 20 ends with “They led Him out to be crucified.” He is so weak from loss of blood & dehydration & can’t carry the cross.
b. The Tragedy – Where would you like the tragedy to stop? Simon had to carry Jesus’ cross, the guards tore His garment into two pieces & gambled at the foot of the cross for it, they crucified Him between two thieves indicating their opinion of Jesus, & the people who watched to this sad travesty of justice (along with the church leaders) were still mocking Him as He hung on the cross (suspended between heaven & earth). As His life began to fade away & He quoted Psalm 22, those who watched still watched in sarcasm saying, “Maybe He’s calling Elijah.” Can I offer you a personal opinion? Perhaps the greatest tragedy was that the “Centurion” (the hard man with 100 soldiers under his charge, the man who might have been called the ‘chief executioner’) missed Jesus until it was seemingly too late. Around three that day Jesus breathed His last, an innocent man paying an ultimate cost. It was not lost on the centurion how heaven and earth had responded. The darkness, the earthquake, & probably lightning which accompanied Jesus’ death were enough for this hardened solder to say, “Truly this was the Son of God.” What a tragedy!
c. The Truth – Last week’s message told the graduates that in the matter of faith, “This time it’s personal.” The faith of your parents or grandparents will no longer be good enough. The truth about ‘innocent blood’ is the same, “This time, it’s personal.” Today we remember the fallen heroes in America. They have lost their lives (shed innocent blood) for our civil freedom. You couldn’t do what you will do today if they hadn’t taken a bullet, stepped on a landmine, or been shot down by the enemy for YOU. The harsh truth is this: Had Jesus not shed His innocent blood to pay for your sin, you would have to shed your guilty blood. The Bible tells us that we all sinners and that all sin has to be paid for by blood (“Without the Shedding of Blood”). If you had to pay the cost for your sin, you would spend all eternity doing so. This truth is the greatest truth of all times: Jesus Paid It All. He IS the way, the truth, & the life. Some might want a sad human interest story to end. This morning has entirely been a sad story, but one that can save!
