HEADING TO THE FINISH
Mark 11:1-25
S: Celebrate Jesus
Th: Courage
Pr: JESUS COURAGEOUSLY COMPLETED HIS ASSIGNED MISSION.
?: How? How did He do it?
KW: Priorities
TS: We will find in Mark 1:1-25 three priorities that enabled
Jesus to courageously complete His assigned mission.
The ____ priority that enabled Jesus to complete His assigned mission is He had the courage to…
I. PERSEVERE (1-10)
II. PURIFY HIS HOUSE (11-19)
III. PLACE HIS CONFIDENCE IN GOD (20-25)
Inductive approach
RMBC 3/5/00 AM
Mt. Ararat 4/16/00 AM
INTRODUCTION:
1. What motivates you?
ILL Notebook: Motivation (dog & rabbit)
There is a fable about a dog that loved to chase animals. He bragged about His great running skill and said he could catch anything. Well, it wasn’t long until his boastful claims were put to the test by a certain rabbit. With ease the little creature outran his barking pursuer. The other animals, watching with glee, began to laugh. The dog excused himself, however, by saying, “You forget, I was only running for fun. He was running for his life!”
Motivation certainly makes a difference, doesn’t it?
Motivation makes a difference in how we live.
But it does make me wonder: are you motivated to make a difference?
2. Does your life matter in the grand scheme of things?
Do you have a mission in life?
Jesus had a mission.
He knew what had to be done, and He had a sense on how it was to be accomplished.
For…
3. Jesus knew His priorities (Mark 8:31).
After Peter rightly identified Jesus, the gospel writer tells us that…
He [Jesus] then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
Jesus had a direction.
He had a compass.
And it was the cross!
But this was news that was hard for Peter to accept.
He frankly said to Jesus that He needed a new compass.
For Peter felt the scandal of the cross.
No one should go to a cross.
No one should die without a fight.
No one should yield his or her rights willingly.
No one should suffer innocently.
No one should be meekly used, abused or rejected.
Yet, the very thing that Peter tried to talk Jesus out of was about to happen!
OUR STUDY:
You see…
I. Jesus had a priority to PERSEVERE (1-10).
He went to Jerusalem with a focus on the cross…
(1) As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, (2) saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. (3) If anyone asks you, `Why are you doing this?’ tell him, `The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’" (4) They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, (5) some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" (6) They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. (7) When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. (8) Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. (9) Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" (10) "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" “Hosanna in the highest!"
1. Jesus came to fulfill what was said in the past.
Jesus came to fulfill Messianic prophecy.
It was 500 years before that the prophet Zechariah had said that God’s King would enter the kingdom by riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey.
And Jesus does this very thing.
But realize that this was no small feat.
These animals do not welcome such an experience!
Even at a year’s age, they are quite capable of dumping you along the wayside.
So here is an animal that no one had ever sat on.
But Jesus sat on him, and he was quiet, responsive, and obedient, and carried him through the streets of the city.
The people of Jerusalem were quite aware of the meaning of Jesus’ ride.
Many of them had been waiting for Jesus to make such a move.
They had an expectation that a king would deliver them.
There was an expectation that the coming King would smash the Roman oppressors and restore Israel to its rightful place in the sun.
But there was a problem with this line of thinking.
Other conquering kings came into cities on mighty stallions, but Jesus came on a donkey.
You see, although people were looking for the overthrow of Rome, Jesus had not come for that.
He had come, not for war, but for peace.
Nevertheless, the people were full of expectation.
They were reminded of 150 years earlier, when Simon Maccabaeus had delivered Jerusalem.
On that occasion, known as the Second Maccabaen Revolt, a great celebration was held with praise, palm branches and musical instruments.
Now they believed they would be delivered once again.
And they were right…
2. Jesus came to bring deliverance.
The people were literally shouting and screaming, “Hosanna!”
It was fervent and passionate.
And this was no short activity.
It was a raucous, loud, and sustained celebration.
“Hosanna” literally meant, “Save, please!”
It was a cry to God for help.
“Help, save me!”
But in time, it had become a shout of hope and exultation.
So, it was more that people were shouting, “Hooray for salvation!”
“He’s here!”
“He’s finally come!”
“Salvation! Salvation! We are saved!”
And they were speaking the truth.
He had come to save.
This was the direction He was going.
For…
3. Jesus came to establish kingdom living.
He had come to set up a kingdom, but not the kind they were looking for.
For the compass Jesus was following was not a crown.
It was the cross.
So the kingdom was much different that what was expected or hoped for.
But it was needed all the more.
For it is a kingdom about wholeness.
It is a kingdom that ultimately heals the sickness of spirit, emotion, and body.
It repairs relational breakdowns.
It releases us from societal oppression.
It turns tragedy into joy.
It defeats the power and grip of death.
This kingdom was much better than what they had expected and hoped for.
So Jesus entered into Jerusalem determined to finish what He had started.
With an eye on the cross…
II. Jesus had a priority to PURIFY HIS HOUSE (11-19).
ILL Notebook: Frustration (oil)
While deployed in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm, Sgt. Michael Butts was helping one of the reserve soldiers get a generator running to power a work tent. After assembling the generator, they had to add one quart of regular 30-weight oil, so the soldier went to get it. He returned, very disgruntled, following a trip in 100 degree heat to the motor pool, a Saudi Convenience store and two Saudi gas stations. "Well, I guess I’m a failure," he said. "I’ve been all over Saudi Arabia and I can’t find a quart of oil.”
I can’t help but wonder if Jesus did not feel the same frustration.
He goes to the temple to look for sincerity of worship, that which should have been in abundance, and finds none.
(11) Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. (12) The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. (13) Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. (14) Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it. (15) On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those selling doves, (16) and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. (17) And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "`My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it `a den of robbers.’" (18) The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. (19) When evening came, they went out of the city.
1. Jesus daringly inspected the heart of the nation.
Going into the temple, Jesus conducts an inspection tour of the heart of the nation.
This is where the very heartbeat of the nation was throbbing, represented in the worship that was lifted up to God.
He looked at everything.
And what did He see?
He saw commercialism, moneychangers, exploitation, corruption, and injustice.
He saw dirt, filth, and squalor, pride, hypocrisy, and haughtiness.
He saw that religious ceremonies were being carried on without any meaning whatsoever.
But he did not say a word.
Not yet anyway.
And He left.
This official tour of inspection by the King had been completed.
But we do find out His evaluation.
For…
2. Jesus concluded that which looked good was actually barren.
Jesus examines a fig tree outside of Bethany.
From a distance, this tree looked really good.
For the life of the tree had been spent producing luxurious foliage.
It looked like a healthy tree, but it was not.
The task of a fig tree is to produce figs, not leaves.
So this fig tree became an illustration to His disciples that the nation of Israel had all the necessary things to bear spiritual fruit, but did not.
There was a lot of religious activity, but it wasn’t making a difference.
They weren’t bearing fruit.
They were not worshipping.
They were not showing the light of God to those that were in darkness.
ILL Notebook: Identification (Dundas)
Joyce Dundas was married in the summer. When she returned to teaching in September, she informed her first-graders, most of whom she had taught in kinder-garten, that they were now to call her Mrs. Dundas rather than Miss Dolan. That afternoon, the mother of one of her pupils asked her daughter her teacher’s name. "She says her name is Mrs. Dundas," the child replied. "But she sure looks like Miss Dolan to me."
While we chuckle at that, what Jesus found was no laughing matter.
He was hoping that he would not find such wickedness in the temple.
But even though it pretended to be righteous, it was still wicked.
The name may have changed, but the result was the same.
You see…
3. Jesus was passionately disgusted with wickedness that claimed to be righteous.
The irony of this sequence of events is striking.
The grandiose expectations of the multitudes would have inclined them to expect Jesus to muster His forces and launch an all-out attack on the military garrison in Jerusalem.
Instead, Jesus marched into the temple and launched a surprise attack against the religious establishment.
The Jews hoped for an attack against Rome.
Jesus waged war against “religion.”
The temple became a place for thieves.
You see, in those days, a temple tax had to be paid by everyone, and it was usually paid at the time of the Passover season.
People brought all sorts of coinage, because unlike today, all sorts of coinage were used for everyday purposes.
However, when you came to the temple, you had to pay your temple tax with coinage that did not have the king’s head on it, because to a Jew, a coin with the king’s head on it was a graven image.
So there were moneychangers that changed the coins, but they charged each pilgrim the equivalent of a day’s wages for exchanging the money.
In addition, you were to bring an offering.
Now, you could buy a dove outside the Temple, and that would be cheaper, but it was much more likely they would always find a flaw in any animal.
So instead, they said, "Just buy one from our temple stalls. They have already been inspected.”
All of this so infuriated Jesus.
So much so, that on this day, when Jesus came into the temple, He stopped it dead in its tracks.
He would not permit anyone “to carry any merchandise through the temple."
This meant that Jesus established Himself as the authority when it came to temple matters.
Can you imagine how the Jewish leaders responded to that?
Jesus did not care.
In fact, He knew that it put Him on a collision course that would lead to the cross.
But this nation had nothing but leaves.
It appeared to have life, but in reality, it did not.
It appeared to offer hope to men and women of the nations of earth.
From all over the earth, people were coming to the temple at Jerusalem, hoping to find an answer to the emptiness and the burden of their heart.
But they were finding no help there at all.
And Jesus had to, at least one more time, make that point to confirm the hearts of the Jewish leaders.
For…
III. Jesus had a priority to PLACE HIS CONFIDENCE IN GOD (20-25).
The Jewish leaders’ confidence was not in God.
Instead, their confidence was in their own standards.
(20) In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. (21) Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" (22) "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. (23) "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. (24) Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (25) And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
1. Jesus desires a heart of dependence.
Jesus communicates a very simple message to His disciples that they are not to miss.
“Have faith in God.”
This is the way to live!
This is the way to have life that is full, rich, and meaningful.
You must trust that the living God knows what He is doing, believe what He says, and obey what He commands.
It is then He will enrich us, flow through us, and make us a fruitful person.
“Have faith in God.”
Demonstrate the courage to trust God.
It can be done, for…
2. Jesus encourages us to let go of our pride.
They could remove a great mountain by faith, but they needed to know what that mountain was.
It is the mountain of pride.
And it blocks the flow of the life of God to your faith.
So Jesus encourages them to let go of their pride and forgive those that they harbor grudges against.
For life will flow from God when you are able to recognize that you, too, need forgiveness.
God has forgiven you.
Like the very person you are holding a grudge against, you need forgiveness also.
Since God has offered it freely to you, give it just as freely to them.
Have the courage to let go.
APPLICATION:
ILL 50-Day (Braveheart)
Several years ago Mel Gibson strayed from his typical role to play William Wallace, the great Scottish revolutionary in Randall Wallace’s epic adventure film, Braveheart. Even though the producer is a professed Christian and a distant rel-ative of the film’s hero, he does not shy away from graphic detail. Braveheart is one of the bloodiest and most violent films I have ever seen. In fact, it was so violent I had to watch it in bits and pieces. I could not take it in one sitting. But in this remarkable motion picture, Randall Wallace has woven unmistakable theological threads through the entire script. His portrayal of human redemption and political emancipation captures the essence of what Jesus accomplished on our behalf spiritually. While the townspeople gather to witness his execution, Wallace is unmercifully tortured before given an opportunity to pledge allegiance to his unjust king and deny his convictions. Because he refuses, the gut-wrenching routine is repeated. Once the king’s legates are convinced of Wallace’s determined defiance, they signal the hooded executioner. As he reaches for the sharpened sword with which he will sever Wallace’s head from his body, the victim cries, "Fre-e-e-e-dom!" And as the execution takes place, Wallace’s dying words ominously echo throughout the city walls.
That scene from Braveheart is a powerful picture of the courageous commitment that characterized Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.
Can you imagine the scene when He screamed at the cross, “It is finished!”
It must have echoed off the walls of the city and the hills that surrounded Jerusalem.
1. JESUS COURAGEOUSLY COMPLETED HIS ASSIGNED MISSION.
He went to the cross…for you and for me.
I propose to you today that we are to be like Jesus.
Jesus completed His mission and so should we.
2. We need to complete our assigned mission.
ILL 50 Day (Finishers Wanted C.228)
At a floor covering business, there was a sign in the window: “Finishers Wanted.” Obviously they were advertising for employees who would finish hardwood floors.
In God’s kingdom the “Finishers Wanted” sign is always out. The one who endures to the end will be saved.
Is there a resolve in you to “stay the course,” to “finish the race”?
Are you a finisher or a quitter?
If you are a finisher, remember this…
2.1. We are witnesses.
We are called to give testimony to that which we know to be true.
We are to testify that Jesus is worth following.
And…
2.2 We are to be lighthouses.
In particular, this is where our adventure has guided us this year.
We are to be a neighborhood lighthouse.
In order to be part of something special this millennial year, we need to take heed of three small words…
PRAYER
CARE
SHARE
Pray for those around you.
Care for their needs.
And share the truth about Jesus.
PRAYER
CARE
SHARE
So…are you going to complete the assignment?
To do it well…
3. We need to clean our own house.
Just as Jesus cleared the temple of its sin, He can clear out the sin in your life.
For we need to understand that Jesus is passionately disgusted about the sin that we have allowed into this temple. [point to self]
Jesus is more interested about your spiritual renewal and your restoration than the debate about religion in politics.
So how do we see that happen?
We begin this way…
3.1 We start by inspecting our heart.
Just as Jesus inspected the temple, we need to take stock of our life.
Are there things in our life that are replacing what the Lord desires for us?
Is our heart more concerned about what we want over what God wants?
3.2 We continue by keeping evil away from our own heart.
Each of us needs to recognize that Satan has a goal for us.
He works to deceive us.
He attempts to manipulate us.
He manages our circumstances in order to detour us.
He desires to paralyze us.
He tempts us to sin.
He does all this so that we might have evil in our heart and be unsuccessful in accomplishing our mission.
Thirdly…
3.3 We must not allow Satan a foothold in our fellowship.
Our fellowship is vulnerable.
Did you know that?
We easily become concerned about everything except our mission.
We become concerned about politics.
We are anxious about moral issues.
We get uptight about those who boldly refute the truths of Christianity.
And in the meantime, the religious deceiver comes into our midst, and further distracts us from the mission.
And then we end up going through the motions of church.
It is then we are in trouble.
Perhaps you are already at this stage.
You come to worship, and all you find is meaningless.
Please be assured of this.
God is interested in you having more.
He is interested in your renewal and restoration.
Finally…
4. We need to trust God for the results.
4.1 We deliver the message.
For those around us, we must love people and demonstrate the gospel message.
And as the opportunity arises, we speak the gospel message.
And then…
4.2 We get out of the way.
And we need to recognize this, that if we are full of pride and prejudice, we are in the way.
If we are holding grudges against people, we are in the way.
If our heart is in a mess, we are in the way.
What we hope to communicate, will come out a confused and garbled mess.
So…
5. DO YOU HAVE THE COURAGE TO COMPLETE YOUR ASSIGNED MISSION?
Do you have the courage?
We all know that there is nothing attractive about giving up.
We all know that at times life is tough…real tough.
But God will give us the strength.
He will give us the courage.
But we must be willing to receive it.
And just as Jesus was, we must be determined to finish our assigned mission.
Are you ready?
BENEDICTION:
Have the courage to pray…and be a lighthouse; pray for God’s blessing on each household, neighbor, coworker or fellow student that God lays on your path; pray that they would be open to the truth about God and His love for them;
Have the courage to care…and be a lighthouse; care for those around you; offer practical help, offer conversation, offer friendship; be a person to them that they can count on in time of need; and,
Have the courage to share…and be a lighthouse; share the truth that made the difference to you and in you; share the overwhelming love of Jesus; share the value that is yours as a son and daughter of God; share the blessing of life that never ends that has no pain and no suffering—only joy, freedom and laughter!
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
