March 24, 2010, 6th Wednesday Lenten Service
Pastor Paul G. Eckert
Sermon text - Mark 15:16-20
16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.
17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.
18 And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!"
19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.
20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
Not too long ago waterboarding was in the news quite often. I have seen drawings of what apparently took place and reports about waterboarded people after the procedure was finished. No doubt being waterboarded was by no means fun. But in what I have seen I noticed no evidence of bruise marks or cuts or crippling or other visible physical results that waterboarding would have caused, nor have I heard of anyone being killed by this.
I need to leave up to the government some decisions as to what is proper and legal in order to protect people. I respect and am glad for the government’s responsibility of protecting its people. I as a citizen would be happy if information could be obtained so that our country could be spared from a 9-11 tragedy or other such horror. Again, I’ll have to leave decisions in this area up to people who have facts I don’t have and who have the responsibility to deal with them.
But now let’s move on to what can surely be spoken of as horrible physical abuse that led to visible scarring and to death, a horrible abuse that had to do not with saving maybe up to 3000 lives as on 9-11, but with saving a whole world full of lives. That brings us to today’s sixth and last portrait of our Wednesday Lenten services. What we see is
A PORTRAIT OF OUR SAVIOR
SUFFERING HORRIBLE ABUSE
I WHO WAS ABUSED? (16a,18,20b)
1. It was a man named Jesus (16a)
The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace ---.
a) He had grown up and looked like any other human being
b) we in faith know He was also more, the Son of God
2. It was someone charged as a criminal (20b)
Then they led him out to crucify him.
a) crucifixion was not for minor infractions
b) this form of execution was carried out by Roman officials
and was reserved for the category of major crime
3. It was someone mocked as a king (18)
And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" a) this was a charge picked up by the soldiers who had heard
the people bring this accusation against Jesus to Pontius Pilate
b) it makes you wonder: what if Pilate would have listened to Jesus when He said, "My kingdom is not of this world";
what if he would have researched this and found out that Jesus
was foretold as a descendant of David who would have an
eternal reign, not an earthly reign that threatened the Roman
Caesar?
4. Was what was happening valid?
a) any human court should have thrown this out
b) but is there another court that was involved?
c) before going on with that thought, let’s go from "who was
abused?" to "who did the abusing?"
II WHO DID THE ABUSING? (16-20)
1. At this point it was the soldiers (16-20)
The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
a) look at this scene; it clearly shows uncalled-for brutality
b) can you imagine what our evening news would do with this?
2. Before this it was the people
a) it had reached mob mentality dimensions, even total
unreasonableness in releasing Barabbas, a known criminal
b) and who was behind this? the real instigators were the
church leaders, religious people who should have been
proclaiming Jesus as the promised Messiah, not rejecting Him
3. It still is the world
a) yes, Jesus seems to be popular to many as a teacher, a model
b) but speak of Him as the only Savior and hope for heaven,
then slaps of rejection are clear: "How can you say that?!"
4. But was there more behind this?
a) we believe in God almighty
b) if He is in charge of all things - and we believe that He is
c) then could God Himself somehow be involved in all of this?
III WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED? (17-19,20b)
1. A quick answer is the crucifixion (20b)
Then they led him out to crucify him.
a) this was horrible physical abuse
b) while that is a fact, the Bible really downplays the physical
side of this, in contrast to the portrayal in "The Passion Of The
Christ," a 2004 movie by Mel Gibson many may remember
2. What really was accomplished was fulfillment
a) fulfillment of Scripture prophecy that said the Savior would
be pierced, no bone broken, forsaken because of our sins
(here was the real torture for Jesus), would die on a tree
b) fulfillment of a sacrifice, like the Passover lamb, that would
spare from death those who looked to the Lamb in faith
3. Here God’s love shone brightly
a) prophecy said, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
b) on Jesus our iniquities were placed; for us He was forsaken
and suffered the hell we deserved; for us He said His mission
to save us was finished, completed, fulfilled, done
4. And our salvation was accomplished (17-19)
They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.
a) Jesus was robed in mockery and abused and mocked as a king b) now He has robed us with His righteousness
c) now we sinners can stand before God and know that because
of what His Son accomplished "Therefore there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
IV WHAT IS OUR RESPONSE? (19b-20 )
1. The soldiers mocked and abused and crucified (19b-20)
Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
a) ignorance and "just doing my job" no doubt involved here
b) do you sometimes wonder what a later response was after
they heard Jesus pray for them and say, "Father, forgive
them, for they do not know what they are doing"?
2. Is our response always what it should be?
a) do we who have been forgiven really show love because God
first loved us, loved us so much that He gave His Son for us?
b) or do we abuse our Savior by slapping Him in the face with
some language we use, with some of our behavior and actions;
do we abuse Him by neglecting His invitations to His special
meal, the Lord’s Supper, and by not making time to worship
Him; do we abuse Him by hearing Him say He wants children
brought to Him, but then we don’t train them in regular church
attendance because sports and entertainment and other
activities are put first?
3. Let our response be thanks for what has happened
a) thanks to God for planning our salvation
b) thanks to His son for being stricken, smitten, afflicted and
horribly abused for us
4. And let our response be sincere worship (l9b)
Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.
a) the worship of the soldiers here was mockery and abuse
b) may ours never be that, never be outward only
c) instead may we worship in spirit, in truth, and in sincere
joy because Jesus willingly suffered horrible abuse so that
we might experience fullness of joy in glory in
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