The Local Christendom Podcast with Aaron Ventura

Sermon: The Supreme Court of Heaven (Mark 14:53-72)

The Supreme Court of HeavenSunday, August 11th, 2024Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA
Mark 14:53-72
53And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.
54And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.
55And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.
56For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.
57And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying,
58We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.
59But neither so did their witness agree together.
60And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
61But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
62And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
63Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?
64Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.
65And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.
66And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:
67And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.
68But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.
69And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.
70And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.
71But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.
72And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.
Prayer
Father, we thank you for the perfect and holy silence of Jesus, who held his peace before false accusations, and then was unashamed confess the truth, that He was and is ever shall be the great I AM. Grant us that same peace and courage as we bear witness to You in this hostile world. We ask this in Christ’s name, Amen.
Introduction
This morning, we come to the first of two trial scenes that will ultimately result in Christ’s crucifixion.
Here in our text Jesus is first tried and condemned by the highest Jewish authorities.
And then next week we will see Jesus tried and condemned by the highest Roman authorities.
And so the theme of this section in Mark is the contrast between justice and injustice, truth and falsity. And in Mark’s classic style, there is irony all the way through.
Last week we studied the contrast between the flesh and the spirit, and here that contrast continues as we see Jesus (full of the spirit) silent before his accusers, and then there is Peter (minding his flesh) who is loud and vehement in his denials of Christ.
So Mark tells this story in such a way as to contrast Jesus who stands firm before the highest earthly authorities, and Peter who wavers and cowers and hides before even the lowest servants, a young servant girl.
It says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” And here we see those two distinct spirits at work.
The carnal spirit of fear in Peter makes him afraid to lose his life.
Whereas in Christ, we behold the spirit of power and love and serenity in his face.
So that is the contrast Mark is drawing our attention to here. So let us walk through this text together and see how God might teach us to live unashamed of Christ and His Word.
Outline of the Text
There are three basic sections to our text:
1. In verses 53-59, Jesus is falsely accused.
2. In verses 60-65, Jesus speaks the truth and is condemned.
3. In verses 66-72, Peter denies knowing the Lord.
Verse 53
53And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.
Recall that Judas has just betrayed our Lord, and now they are escorting him from the garden of Gethsemane to the house of the high priest.
The high priest was Caiaphas, and we learn from John’s gospel that before going to Caiaphas’ house, they stop at Annas’ house, who was Caiaphas’ father-in-law.
It says in John 18:12-14, “Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.”
So whatever judicial proceedings may follow, the high priest as judge has already predetermined the verdict. Jesus is guilty. Jesus must die, and it’s just a matter of finding a charge that will stick.
Verse 54
54And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.
So Mark toggles back to Peter, and again we learn from John’s gospel that John himself (who personally knew Caiaphas) tells the maiden at the door to let Peter into the courtyard (John 18:16-17).
And where do we find Peter? Trying to blend in. Warming himself at the fire of the ungodly.
This is the hour of darkness, when the light of the world is going to be snuffed out, and instead of joining the true light, the true God, as he goes to the cross, Peter opts for the warmth and fellowship and fire of the wicked.
Bad company ruins good morals, and it is this fellowship with the world that too often precedes apostasy.
Returning now to the trial…
Verses 55-59
55And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.
56For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.
57And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying,
58We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.
59But neither so did their witness agree together.
So in spite of the council’s plans to manufacture a guilty verdict, they are unable to find two witnesses who can agree.
And this is typical of the self-righteous Pharisaic mindset, to attend closely to procedural details and the appearance of justice (having two witnesses), while at the same time ignoring the actual justice of the law.
This is the bureaucratic nanny state that we have made for ourselves in America. Suffocating and unjust laws, but all in the name of justice.
At the same time, because evil is ultimately unintelligible and irrational, it’s not surprising that these men who are plotting an unjust death sentence, are struggling to find witnesses that can agree.
It says in Proverbs 14:22, “Do not they err that devise evil?”
And in Proverbs 14:16-17, “the fool rageth, and is confident. He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly…”
So the Bible teaches that those who plan and devise evil make mistakes along the way. Even Satan, the ultimately criminal mastermind, destroyed his own kingdom by crucifying Christ.
This is why criminals get caught and thieves are fools. Because envy and anger blind the mind from thinking clearly. And so even the cleverest of the wicked is ultimately found out. Indeed “they err that devise evil.”
The closest they can come is to twisting the words of Jesus, where he says in John 2:19, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” They reinterpret what Jesus said of “the temple of his body” (John 2:21), and they apply it to their literal sanctuary.
But despite being united in their evil intentions, this council is unable to make anything stick. Whatever charge they send to Pontius Pilate needs to stand up to Roman law, not just Jewish law, and they know that.
Remember, the Jews did not have authority to carry out the death penalty themselves. This was a power Rome reserved for itself, and so it was one thing to condemn Jesus to die for sabbath breaking, or heresy, or some religious law, but if Rome was going to execute Jesus, it had to be for something more serious like treason or sedition or the destruction of the sanctuary.
How then do you convict a perfect man? All you can really do is lie. You have to make stuff up. Except here even their lies don’t agree. And in this instance, Rome is keeping them honest. The fact that there is a higher power above them, forces Caiaphas to confront Jesus directly.
Verses 60-61a
60And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
61But he held his peace, and answered nothing.
Why does Jesus hold his peace? For at least two reasons:
1. Because Jesus knows what time it is.
It says in Ecclesiastes 3, “There is a time to be born, and a time to die…A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.”
And in this instance, Jesus is the wise man who knows Proverbs 23:9 which says, “Speak not in the ears of a fool: For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.”
And Proverbs 26:4 which says, “Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou also be like unto him.”
What could Jesus even say to these fools? Their mind is already made up, they already know what they want to believe, they don’t have ears to hear, and therefore anything he says can and will be used against him.
False accusations that don’t agree are their own refutation. What more can be said?
There are times when silence is perfect wisdom, and Jesus knows the time for silence and suffering has come. He is the sheep silent before his shearers as Isaiah prophesied.
2. Jesus holds his peace to teach us to do the same.
It says in Proverbs 13:3, “He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.”
So we, like Jesus, must learn when to argue our case, when to defend ourselves, and when doing so would make us companions to fools. But how do you which situation is which?
As we said last week, these kinds of judgments cannot be made soberly if you are living according to the flesh, if you are governed by emotions and ego and carnal passions.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15, “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things…”
So to walk in the spirit is to imitate Christ, and there were times when Jesus had no problem starting arguments, ending arguments, offending his interlocutors, and refuting his opponents.
Jesus who is perfect love incarnate hurt people’s feelings for their good. There are times when giving offense is the best medicine. Faithful are the wounds of a friend.
And then there are other times when you should take a different course.
It says in Proverbs 11:17, “He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.”
Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:23, “foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do generate strifes.”
Summary: There is a time for teaching and arguing and defending oneself (a soft word turns away wrath), but then there is a timefor silence, and avoiding foolish controversies, and for patient endurance as you wait for God to vindicate you.
Jesus was facing a situation that is described well by Psalm 11:3 which asks,“If the foundations be destroyed, What can the righteous do?”
In other words, when the courts of human opinion and the foundations of earthly civil justice are filled with fools and criminals, what is there to say?
The answer is given in the next verses of the psalm: “The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.”
This is how Jesus and the saints live when the foundations are destroyed: They look to the supreme court of heaven, to the LORD who sits in his holy temple, and who promises to stand up and vindicate the righteous.
This is what allowed Jesus to remain silent in this instance: it was the knowledge that Truth and that Justice would win out in the end.
And this is the same reason why we don’t take vengeance into our own hands. Because God sees all, and God shall judge. And so while silent before our adversaries, before false accusations and persecution, our hearts cry out to God for vindication. And God promises to hear those cries.
So outward silence for the saints means fervent prayer on the inside.
When earthly courts are stacked against us, we appeal to God’s throne on high, to the supreme court of heaven that one day shall overturn every false opinion and false judgment ever rendered.
Returning to our text, Jesus finally breaks his silence. And what does he break his silence to do? To reveal his true identity as Son of God and Son of Man.
Verses 61b-64
Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
62And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
63Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?
64Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.
Here is the charge that will incriminate Jesus not only before the Jews but before Rome as well: Jesus claims to be king. Jesus claims to be God. Jesus is LORD. He is the great I AM.
That is the truth that gets Jesus crucified, because according to the laws of men, the very existence of such a person is both blasphemy and treason.
And in this sense, the Jews and Romans understood better than most American Christians the political implications of who Jesus is.
If Jesus is Lord, then Caesar is not.
If Jesus is God, then our laws must conform to His.
If Jesus is King and Creator, then we are his subjects whether we like it or not.
That is the claim that gets Jesus crucified, and it is that same claim that will continue to get us Christians in trouble with every wicked regime.
So how does the high priest respond to such a claim?
Verse 63 says, “the high priest rent his clothes,”
It’s interesting that Mark includes this detail because it says explicitly in Leviticus 21:10 that unlike the other priests, the high priest “shall not rend his clothes.”
And further, what does the rending of one’s garments signify?
For the king, to cut his garment was to cut up the kingdom.
For the priest, to tear his clothes was to tear up the priesthood.
Tearing of the clothes is a tearing of one’s office, station, and person.
And so what has the high-priest done? Unwittingly, he has spoken the truth that his office is going to be torn from him, just like the temple veil would be torn in two.
The high priests’ garments were like wearable version of the temple veil. God intended that the high-priest embody in himself the people of Israel in their priestly service before God’s throne.
And so this whole trial in the high priest’s house is a radical inversion of the Levitical priesthood.
The high priest was there to serve the Lord in the Lord’s house. And here the Lord incarnate is put on trial and accused of blasphemy in the high priest’s house.
So it is fitting that he tear his garments, for very soon his priesthood shall be deposed.
Continuing in verse 65 we see how the rest of the council treats him.
Verse 65
65And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.
Here is another one of those great ironies in Mark’s account.
Jesus is mocked and spit upon and told to prophesy, when this is very thing he prophesied earlier in the book.
It says in Mark 8:31, “And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”
This is also a fulfillment of various Old Testament prophecies which foretold the suffering of the Messiah.
It says in Lamentations 3:28-30, “He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.”
And then in Isaiah 50:6-7 says, “I gave my back to the smiters, And my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord God will help me; Therefore shall I not be confounded: Therefore have I set my face like a flint, And I know that I shall not be ashamed.”
So while these men mock Christ and tell him to prophesy, they are by those very actions fulfilling multiple prophesies from Christ and the old testament.
Finally in verses 66-72, we have Peter’s denial.
Verses 66-72
66And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:
67And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.
68But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.
69And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.
70And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.
71But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.
72And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.
So while Christ stands firm, Peter fails to live up to his name. And the reason he falters is because he still does not believe the words of Jesus. That he must die and rise again.
Before Peter ever denied knowing Christ, he first denied the truth that Christ had spoken. And this is how most of our fears and denials of Jesus before men come about.
We either forget or neglect or fail to believe the Word of God.
It is one thing to sing the words of Psalm 27, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” and it is another thing to not be afraid when an actual army encamps around you.
It was one thing to sing and pray Psalm 3:6, “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, That have set themselves against me round about,” and another thing to live it.
C.S. Lewis once said that “Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point.”
Courage/Fortitude is the resolve to persist in doing good when it is difficult. And it is that latter part, the difficulty, that makes our faith courageous.
Conclusion
How then can we grow in our courage and fortitude for Christ? How can we live more unashamed of Jesus and his words?
Well let me give you just one place to start.
1. Before anything else, you have to die to this world. And that means not caring what sinners think of you, and caring infinitely more about what God thinks of you.
Or to put it another way, you have to live as if heaven is watching, as if God is present in the room, because He is.
What did Jesus say to Caiaphas that made him tear his clothes? “Ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
That was a prophesy to Caiaphas and to the whole world, that after Christ’s resurrection and ascension, all would know the power and divinity of Jesus by his power at work in the saints.
What are the clouds upon which Christ comes? It is the church triumphant, alive and full of joy.
If you want to enter the hall of faith, if you want to become as Hebrews 11 describes, “of whom the world was not worthy” well then you have die to this world and live for the next.
You have to live as it says a few verse later in Hebrews 12:1, as “seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”
Courage and fortitude is hard when you are alone. But when you can see by faith, the power of Christ in this cloud of witnesses, in the lives of the saints gone ahead, and the saints next to you, then courage becomes a little bit easier. Because there is holy and heavenly peer pressure not to give in.
God is watching. Heaven is watching. Myriads of angels are watching and rooting for you. So do not be ashamed of God and His Word. For what did Jesus tell his disciples in Mark 8:38?
“Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
So die to the world, and live for God. That is where courage is born and nourished. May that spirit be given in greater measure unto all of us. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Sermon: The Sword & The Cross (Mark 14:43-52)

The Sword & The CrossSunday, August 4th, 2024Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA
Mark 14:43-52
43 And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely. 45 And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him. 46 And they laid their hands on him, and took him. 47 And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 48 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me? 49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled. 50 And they all forsook him, and fled. 51 And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: 52 And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.
Prayer
Your law O Lord is perfect, converting the soul. Your testimony is sure, making wise the simple. Teach us now the simplicity of Christ, that we might become wise, and attain unto that vision of God, wherein faith becomes sight. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Introduction
Well for the last two weeks we have been studying this most intimate scene in Gethsemane. And we have been doing so with an attentive eye to how we might imitate our Lord Jesus as he 1) prepares himself to suffer, 2) endures suffering, and then, 3) eventually dies in his suffering.
And the reason we are so interested in the death and sufferings of Christ, is first and foremost because it is the means of our salvation.
It says in 1 John 2:1-2, “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.”
So there is no forgiveness of sins apart from Jesus. There is no resurrection from the dead apart from Jesus. And therefore, the sufferings of Christ are the most beautiful and potent expression of God’s love.
For as Jesus Himself says in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
And also in Romans 5:7-8 the Apostle says, “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
So to suffer and die is the supreme purpose for which the Son of God took to himself a true humanity (a human soul, and human flesh).
And therefore, as a perfect man, full of grace and truth, Christ could become a once and for all sacrifice to cover all of our sins.
And furthermore, as one possessing our humanity, except without sin, the life of Jesus also becomes our life. Our sufferings become a participation in His sufferings. Our death becomes a participation in his death.
This is what the Apostle Paul means when he says in Colossians 3:3, “you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Likewise in Galatians 2:20 he says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
And so the reason this scene in Gethsemane and everything that follows is of utmost importance to us, is first 1) because it effects our salvation, but also 2) because we too are going to suffer and eventually die.
And therefore, we want to learn from Christ how to walk those same three steps. To 1) prepare ourselves for suffering, 2) to learn how to endure our suffering, and 3) finally, to be faithful in suffering unto death that we might receive the crown of life (Rev. 2:10).
This the Lord Jesus perfectly teaches us in the gospels.
Outline of the Text
Our sermon text this morning has three basic movements to it:
1. In verses 43-46, Jesus is betrayed and arrested.
2. In verses 47-49, there are two different responses to his arrest.
3. In verses 50-52, all the disciples forsake Jesus and run away (one of them naked!).
Now I want to look at this passage from two different perspectives:
1. First, from the perspective of flesh, and then
2. From the perspective of the spirit.
Recall that just before our text, Jesus told his very sleepy disciples, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And now here we have played out before our eyes, living illustrations of what flesh does and what the spirit does.
We have negative examples, cautionary tales from those who live according to the flesh (who are carnally minded), but then we also have a perfect and positive example of how to live by the spirit.
So let us consider this passage first by observing four portraits of the flesh.
Verses 43-46 – Flesh Betrays & Arrests God
43 And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely. 45 And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him. 46 And they laid their hands on him, and took him.
We have named here two different examples of those who live by the flesh. Judas, and the armed multitude sent from the Jews.
First, let us consider the chief priests, scribes, and elders who send this armed multitude.
This is the group we met earlier in Mark’s gospel, whom Jesus argued with and refuted in the Temple, and they are the highest Jewish authorities (also known as the Sanhedrin).
What was their motive for wanting Jesus’ dead?
In the next chapter Mark tells us explicitly, “Pilate knew that the chief priests had delivered him because of envy” (Mark 15:10).
What does flesh do when it sees someone else enjoying some good that it wants but does not presently have?
Sinful flesh becomes sad. Sinful flesh begins to covet. And while sinful flesh would be happy to have that thing for itself, sinful flesh would also be happy simply to see that person lose the good they have.
Envy in its most proper sense is sorrow at another’s good. Envy therefore despises all superiors, and only wants to have equals and inferiors. In this sense envy is form of pride.
Envy is one of the driving forces behind our modern spirit of egalitarianism, of socialism, of feminism, of transgenderism, and of the cult of victimhood.
It says in Proverbs 27:4, “Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; But who is able to stand before envy?”
The demonic spirit of our age is envy. And where does envy lead? Eventually to murder.
In Galatians 5 when Paul is enumerating all the works of the flesh, where does he place envy and murder? Right next to each other (Gal. 5:21). Envy and murder hold hands.
Envy is what drove Cain to murder his brother Abel. Envy is what drove Joseph’s brothers to attempt to murder him. Envy is what drove Haman to wipe out the entire Jewish nation. And envy is what motivated the Jews to crucify their own Messiah.
When envy discovers the power and opportunity to get it what it wants, murder is not far off. And so it is with these chief priests, scribes, and elders. Even Pontius Pilate “knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.”
So that is one ugly portrait of flesh that has to die in all of us. And if you can conquer envy, you can overcome just about every other sin. Because to crucify envy is to crucify your pride. And to crucify pride is to deny yourself, take up the cross, and follow Jesus.
So instead of envy, of sorrowing at another’s good fortune, or status, or skill, or looks, or whatever superior good we might want for ourselves, God would have us be content, and to rejoice with that person instead.
It says in Hebrews 13:5, “Let your lifestyle be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”
Summary: That is our first example of flesh, the envious Jews as represented by the chief priests, scribes, and elders. They are Cain, Christ is Abel.
Now the second negative example is that of Judas.
Judas is what we might call today an ex-vangelical pastor. Judas was not merely a follower of Jesus; he was an ordained apostle. Judas had authority, he had clout. He had been taught by the very mouth of God and yet his heart was hardened from love for money.
The case of Judas then is a most fearful warning to all those who profess faith, but especially to leaders in the church.
Judas is foremost amongst those Jesus describes in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
The life of Judas is a perpetual warning sign to those who hear the word but do not do it. It is a warning to those who teach the word, but do not do it.
It is also a warning to those who desire to be rich. For as Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:9-10, “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
Judas saw Christ as a mere steppingstone to earthly riches and earthly power. And he chose that in spite of hearing Jesus preach, “You cannot love God and money, you cannot serve two masters, for either you will hate the one and love the other.”
And so the kiss of Judas upon the face of Christ, was no kiss of love but of hatred. And because Christ is very life itself, by betraying Jesus with a kiss, Judas simultaneously betrays his own soul.
To give the “kiss of death” to another is really to wrap the noose around your own neck (as Judas would later literally do).
This is the insanity and irrationality of sin: It is always suicidal. “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).
God says in Proverbs 8:35-36, “Whoso findeth me findeth life, And shall obtain favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.”
To love money more than God is to love death.
To love any created good more than God is to harm your own soul.
And this is because God created you for Himself. Jesus says that life consists in knowing God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
So what kind of Christian are you going to be? The kind that uses God as a means to earthly gain? Or the kind the honors God as the beginning, middle, and end of all our existence?
Summary: Judas shows us that sinful flesh is ultimately unintelligible (it don’t make no sense). Sin is always myopic and shortsighted, because it latches on to what is temporal and fleeting and forsakes what is eternal.
Consider: Judas kissed the face of God and exchanged what is infinitely precious for 30 pieces of metal, and then he doesn’t even spend it, instead he goes and hangs himself. Does anything about that make sense?
This is what I mean by the irrationality of sin. And it is why Christ and the apostles, and the prophets are so insistent that you make zero provision for the flesh. And it is why the Lord Jesus taught us to pray regularly, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
You and I need to constant and regular deliverance from the evil that remains within us, and the myriad temptations to sin. No man on this side of glory ever graduates from praying the Lord’s Prayer.
Continuing in Verses 47-49, we behold a third portrait of flesh, which is the disciples’ response to Jesus’ arrest.
And while the disciples are far from the sin of Judas, and far from the sins of the Sanhedrin, they are still being merely carnal.
Verses 47-49 – Flesh Takes Up the Sword
47 And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 48 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me? 49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.
We are told in John’s gospel that it was Peter who cut off this man’s ear. And knowing Peter’s zeal, we aren’t really surprised.
And so while self-defense can be good and righteous in many cases, and Jesus himself approved of them taking two swords with them, nevertheless this was not one of those appropriate occasions.
For as Jesus himself will say to Peter, “all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (Matt. 26:52).
So we see in here in Peter’s actions the natural desire of our flesh when we suffer or witness injustice. When our flesh feels wronged, it desires to get even, it desires to defend itself and take vengeance on the evil doer. And that is actually a good and virtuous passion, but only when it is governed and regulated by the law of God.
Recall that earlier in Jesus’ ministry, James and John, two sons of thunder,were ready to call down fire upon the Samaritans for not welcoming them. But what did Jesus say to them?
It says in Luke 9:55-56, “But He turned and rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.’ And they went to another village.”
So Peter, like James and John, does not know what spirit he is of. And why? Because he still does not understand the way in which evil shall be overcome.
The flesh thinks that evil can be overcome by the sword, by horses and chariots and the strength of men.
But Christ teaches us that we overcome evil by doing good. For as it says in Romans 12:19, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”
So unless you are a civil magistrate, to whom the sword of vengeance has been given to punish the wicked on God’s behalf (Rom. 13), then the law of God requires you to do as Christ did, and to overcome evil by doing good.
There is a time to stand up and lawfully defend ourselves, and there is a time to turn the other cheek. But because Peter was thinking carnally, he could not discern the times.
Paul teaches us the ordinary way of calling down fire upon our enemies. He says in Romans 12:20, Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” That is how our God who is a consuming fire destroy the evil.
So the flesh wants to get even, it wants to hit back, and sometimes (like James and John) it even uses Bible verses to justify taking vengeance. But to those who from carnal passion take up the sword, Jesus says, by the sword they shall perish.
And at the same time, to those who deny their flesh, and take up the cross and follow Jesus, to them belongs eternal reward.
Summary: So there is the way of the sword, and there is the way of the cross. And remember how the saints in Revelation are said to defeat the devil?
It says in Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
If our war was with flesh and blood, then the sword would be our weapon. But because our warfare is with principalities, and powers, and the forces of darkness in high places, therefore our weapons are not carnal but spiritual. They are the weapons of faith, hope, and love. The same love the Lord Jesus used to conquer death itself.
Finally, in verses 50-52 we have a fourth portrait of flesh and we see what all flesh does when it is uncovered.
Verses 50-52
50 And they all forsook him, and fled. 51 And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: 52 And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.
Now there is endless speculation about who this young man was, and why Mark even includes this detail (none of the other gospels have it).
And of the many options put forth by the commentators, I think the most likely candidate for who this young man was is that he was either Mark, the author of this gospel, OR, it was just some anonymous disciple (not one of the twelve), who Mark uses to signify various spiritual realities.
In either case, the young man is said to be wearing linen around his naked body. And these are two curious details that have important resonance in the Old Testament.
Linen is the fabric associated with the priests, and nakedness recalls our first parents, who like this young man, were found naked and afraid in a garden with God.
So what is going on here?
Well for starters, we have signified in this naked young man the failure of Adam’s priesthood.
Recall that Adam’s first task was the priestly duty of guarding and keeping God’s sanctuary (The Garden of Eden).
But Adam allowed the serpent to creep in, and deceive his wife, and because Adam chose to serve his flesh instead of God, from that point onward, the human race has been dominated by fleshly desires that lead to death.
However, in God’s mercy, Adam and Eve were made to feel in their bodies a sense of shame. This is the universal feeling of nakedness, of being uncovered and exposed for what we really are. And so the grace of shame is that we all look for something to cover us.
When our flesh feels exposed, we (like this young man) run and hide and look for cover. And what we have here in this man, dressed in linen (the priestly garb), is a picture of the law’s failure to provide that covering.
Paul says in Romans 7:5, “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.”
In other words, the law of the old covenant was good and right and spiritual, but because we were fleshly, knowing the law only made things worse. It made us feel even more naked than before. And therefore, the linen cloth of Adam’s priesthood, of the Aaronic priesthood, had to be replaced by something better, the blood of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
So that is just one aspect of what I think is suggested here by the naked young man.
When our flesh is exposed, we look for cover, and the question is where will you find that covering?Or as Paul says in Romans 7:24, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
So those are four portraits of our flesh:
1. Flesh is envious and murderous like the chief priests, scribes and elders.
2. Flesh is irrational and suicidal like Judas who betrayed our Lord.
3. Flesh desires to take up the sword instead of the cross, like Peter in his misguided zeal.
4. And flesh fears being uncovered and when it is exposed, it runs and hides.
Now I want to close by considering this whole scene again but from the perspective of Christ in the spirit. How does the Lord Jesus teach us to walk?
Conclusion
Four Contrasts of Spirit to the Flesh
First, when Jesus is the object of envy from the chief priests, scribes, and elders, Jesus counters with brotherly love.
He does this first by rebuking the mob that arrests him. Love is willing to confront and rebuke sinners: “Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.”
So Jesus loves them by telling them their sin.
Second, Jesus shows brotherly love by using their evil actions to bring about their good. This is the same thing that Joseph did for his brothers, but in a more marvelous way.
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, but God used Joseph to save those same envious and murderous brothers, and the whole world from starvation. And so at the end of Genesis, we have this scene: “And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.” (Genesis 50:18-21).
How kindly has God treated us who have transgressed against him? How kindly does Christ treat those who envy and murder him?
Love and kindness are the fruit of the spirit. This is something the flesh cannot produce.
And so we also ought to love one another, even those who might are envious. As my pastor Doug Wilson taught me, “we ought to pray that God blesses our enemies with really cute grandkids.” If you can honestly pray for that, you are on your way to walking in the spirit of Christ.
Second, Jesus treats Judas with that same love and kindness.
Betrayal is one of the worst pains we can ever suffer. Worse than physical pain is the emotional and relational pain that betrayal can deal out. Adultery, divorce, abandonment, abuse, prodigal children. Betrayal can leave scars that only God can heal.
But that is exactly why Jesus went to the cross and suffered this betrayal from Judas. Because as it says in Isaiah 53:5, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.”
Where does the power to forgive our betrayers come from? It comes from the bleeding side of Christ, and from the acknowledgement that however badly we have been treated, we have treated God far worse. And if Jesus can forgive me, I can forgive anyone.
So Jesus overcomes betrayal by loving his enemies, even Judas.
Third, while Peter takes up the sword against the mob, Jesus restrains himself.
In Matthew’s version of this same scene, Jesus says, “Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?”
It was not that Jesus lacked the power, it was that Jesus uses his power for the greatest spiritual good, namely our salvation.
If Jesus had fought back, no cross and no redemption. But because he entrusted his soul to God, and was obedient unto to death, his death secured our everlasting life.
Fourth, and finally, whereas the young man ran away naked, Jesus stood his ground and was willing to be exposed on the cross in order to provide a permanent and perfect covering of our nakedness.
That is the hope of the gospel to all who trust in Christ, and so I close with words of Hebrews 12:2 which says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Look to Jesus and he will clothe you in resurrection glory. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Sermon: The Spirit Is Willing (Mark 14:26-42)

The Spirit Is WillingSunday, July 28th, 2024Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA
Mark 14:26-42
26 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. 28 But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. 29 But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. 30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. 31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
32 And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. 33 And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; 34 And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. 35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. 37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? 38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. 39 And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. 40 And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him. 41 And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.
Prayer
Father, we thank you for the example of Christ, who teaches us to learn obedience through the things we suffer. We ask now for an increase of grace that we might receive endurance to run and finish our course with joy. We pray all this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Introduction
For those of you who were here last Sunday, you may notice that we have the same sermon text all over again. And there are two reasons for that: One is because we only got through verse 36 in our exposition (so we’ve got a few more verses to get through), but second is because this scene and moment in Christ’s life is so significant and so dense with revelation, that I want to explore a little more how to apply these truths in our own lives and sufferings.
So the outline of my sermon is as follows:
1. First we will review what we covered last week in verses 26-36.
2. Then I’ll briefly expound verses 37-42,
3. And then third and finally we’ll consider the work of the spirit in our lives.
Review of Verses 26-36
We said last week that there is a kind of numerical symmetry in that just as God is three persons in one essence, so also Christ the God-man is three essences in one person.
The Triune God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons who are the One Divine Essence.
And Jesus Christ is the one Divine Person, The Son, who also joined to himself two other created essences, a human soul and a human body.
So who is Jesus? He is fully man and fully God. One Person, two natures (human and divine). One person with three distinct essences (human soul, human flesh, and divinity).
And so what Mark and the other gospel writers have given us in Gethsemane is a window into how Christ as a perfect man, subordinates his human flesh and human soul to God.
And therefore, we who have received the very Spirit of Christ, can learn from Jesus how to do the same.
In the words of the Apostle Paul, we are learning how to “walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, so that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us” (Rom. 8:4).
Now there were 3 distinct lessons we learned from Jesus that answer the question, “How do I walk with God through the valley of the shadow of death?” Or to put the question another way, “How do you suffer righteously?” “How do you endure pain and sorrow and the many griefs of this life, without sinning?” Jesus is your example par excellence and the first lesson we observed is that:
1. Christ prepares himself for suffering by singing and praying with his disciples.
It says in verse 26, “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.”
We could also go a few more verses back and observe that Christ eats and fellowships with his disciples as well.
So God gives us one another, and He gives us this corporate gathering of the saints around His table, to communicate grace to those who need it.
The Apostle James says, “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms…” (James 5:14).
Notice that phrase is any among you afflicted? The Apostle assumes that your afflictions are taking place within the context of the church.
All who are baptized are baptized into Christ’s body (the visible church), and as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:26, “if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”
So if you are a Christian, your individual sufferings and afflictions are never actually solitary, they are always as parts to the whole who is Christ. We often feel alone and feel abandoned and feel alienated from the life of the church, and indeed there are times when our infirmities prevent us from being physically present at the public gathering.
But remember the promise that Jesus gave to his disciples, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Now despite being an Apostle in the church, Paul found himself like Jesus, alone without any other Christians to help him. He says in 2 Timothy 4:16-18, “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!”
So although Jesus had the fellowship of his disciples, and although Paul had many companions and fellow ministers in the gospel, there usually comes a time in our life when we must face down our fears alone. And yet, because we are members of Christ’s body, we are never completely alone. The Lord stood by Paul and strengthened him. And in Jesus’ case, when all forsook him, His Father was His unbroken source of strength.
Summary: So the lesson for us is first, prepare yourself for suffering by being present among the body, by singing and praying and feasting together as we do, and that is how the majority of our trials become tolerable. We endure them together. We bear one another’s burdens together. We suffer and rejoice together. God intended that His grace be ordinarily communicated from one member to another united in Christ.
But then also remember that there are extra-ordinary times of crisis when God calls our number, and he permits affliction to so remove us from human society, so that all we have is Him. We might be stuck in the hospital, or stuck in our sickbed at home, or forsaken by all our friends and family. And that is what Jesus experiences here in Gethsemane, total alienation from those who are closest to Him. And yet ever and always, our Father is with us. The Lord will stand by you and never forsake you. It is to this truth that you must cling.
Now the second lesson we learn from Jesus is…
2. How to be fearful and sorrowful and yet without sin.
It says in verses 33-34, “And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; 34 And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death…”
So Jesus teaches us that it is natural to our bodies to fear pain and fear death for ourselves and others, and yet that fear of suffering can be so governed, and even overcome, when it is directed towards a greater purpose, namely the will of our Father in Heaven.
So contrary to the Stoics, who equated passions like sorrow with vice and moral weakness, for them there was no place for sorrow in the life of a wise man, Jesus on the other hands teaches that to be truly human and perfectly human requires us to be sorrowful at times.
It is actually a defect in our nature to not feel sadness when there is real evil in the world.
This is what Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 1:18, “For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.”
And so Christ who in his humanity possessed the fullness of wisdom and fullness of knowledge, also possessed a sorrow unto death.
And thus Isaiah 53:3 calls him “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,” for “Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows.”
So Jesus teaches us that sorrow accompanies knowledge, and grief accompanies wisdom. And yet these passions that can tend to debilitate us, or leave us despondent and depressed, need to not terminate there.
For as it says in Psalm 30:5, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
Here on the night of Passover, we behold a perfect man, the lamb of God, fearful and sorrowful unto death, but it does not derail his mission, his passions do not overcome his reason, but instead he governs them by his spirit and directs them to the work His Father sent him to do.
When God sends you on a mission, he does not expect you to be unaffected by the obstacles in your path, indeed He permits them to be there.And what He wants you to do is imitate the Lord Jesus and rule your passions like a Godly Emperor rules his kingdom.
That means there is a place for sadness and a place for joy. There is a place for hope and there is a place for fear.
We see in the Apostle Paul’s ministry that there is even a place for holy anxiety. The same one who says, “be anxious for nothing” (Phil. 4:6) also says, “I feel daily pressures and anxiety for all the churches” (2 Cor. 11:28). And he considers that anxiety appropriate and exemplary.
Summary: So a life of Christian perfection does not consist in a life without passions/emotions/feelings. But rather, the perfect humanity of Christ teaches us to govern and direct them to God.
The third lesson we learn from Christ is…
3. How to pray in suffering.
Jesus says in verse 36, “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”
We said that prayer is the ascent of the mind to God, and that there are three basics steps to prayer:
1. We acknowledge our Father’s infinite power to do all things.
2. We ask Him for what we presently desire.
3. We wait and wrestle and keep on asking, until our desire becomes one with the Father’s. That is what means to say, “not my will, but Yours be done.”
There is the excellent line from St. Jerome who says, “The good Lord frequently does not grant what we wish, in order to bestow what we should prefer.”
In other words, God always gives us what we would have asked for if we knew as much as He did.
So those are just three of the many lessons we might learn from this scene in Gethsemane, but let us turn now to consider a fourth lesson in verses 37-42. Recall, Jesus has just told his disciples to keep watch while he prays, and now he comes to check on them.
Verses 37-42
37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? 38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. 39 And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. 40 And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him. 41 And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.
Observe that the disciples fail to do all the things we just learned by example from Jesus.
Instead of supporting Jesus in his greatest hour of need, they fall asleep.
Instead of ruling their bodies and passions in accord with reason, they let their eyes grow heavy and dim.
Instead of praying fervently to the Father for strength to stand firm, they slumber.
Three times Jesus comes to them, three times they are found sleeping.
Now in the disciples’ defense, it’s the middle of the night. They’ve had a full day, a full meal, the wine is starting to have its effects, and so sleepiness is the most natural thing for them to feel here.
And this is why Jesus says, “The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.”
Earlier in his ministry he told them, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing” (John 6:63).
So there is a kind of double lesson in Jesus’ exhortation here.
1. As long as you are in the body, the flesh is going to weigh you down.
That is not to say that the body or matter is inherently evil, but rather that because of the sin nature we inherited from Adam, our bodies don’t work like they ought to.
In Adam before the Fall, and in Jesus’ perfect humanity, the lowers powers of the body worked in harmony with the higher powers of reason and will. But after the fall, that harmony was broken. The grace of original justice was removed, and that is why sin leads to death. We fell from grace and inherit from Adam flesh that must eventually die.
And this what provokes the Apostle Paul to say in Galatians 5:16-17, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
Likewise in Romans 7:23-24 he says, “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
Paul is describing in Himself the weakness of the flesh that Jesus is warning of. Even after we are baptized and united to Christ, so long as this flesh remains, it profits us nothing.
And therefore, the second half of this lesson is that…
2. The spirit is willing.
When we are born again, and God enlightens our mind, a new principle is implanted within us. This principle goes by many and various names in the New Testament:
In Romans 8, Paul calls it, “the law of the Spirit of life” or being “in the spirit” or being “spiritually minded.”
In Ephesians he calls it being “in Christ” or putting on, “the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
In Acts it is described as receiving power from on high or receiving the Holy Spirit, and in other places is simply called grace.
God graciously gives us His Spirit, so that what was disordered and broken by sin can be reordered and healed by Christ.
In this life, the war between flesh and spirit does not stop until death. Flesh will never ever profit us.
But in the life to come, that grace and Spirit we receive here, comes to full bloom in the resurrection. And then we too shall share in the perfect bliss of knowing God and loving God and walking in the joy and peace and love of the Spirit forever.
Summary: When God gives us His spirit, we are given a new power through which we can wage war and win against sinful flesh. This is the power of faith, hope, and love for God. And the more we exercise this power, and subdue our flesh, the easier it becomes to keep in step with Spirit.
So that is the fourth lesson, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Now I want to close by highlighting one aspect of the spirit’s work in us, which is to sanctify or make holy.
The Spirit Sanctifies
What happens when God sanctifies someone or something? First, he separates it, and then he purifies it for His own use.
We see this exemplified in the consecration of the high priest.
First, God took Israel out from all the other nations. He sanctified them from the world.
Then, God took the tribe of Levi out from all the other tribes and set the Levites apart to be His firstborn son.
And then God took the sons of Aaron, out from the tribe of Levi to be his holy priests.
And then God took one of those priests, out from the rest, to be High Priest, and he alone could enter the holy of holies.
Now how did all of those sanctifications take place?
It says in Hebrews 9:22, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”
The blood of Passover sanctified Israel from the world.
The blood of circumcision sanctified the seed of Abraham from the rest.
The blood of bulls and goats sanctified the priests and tabernacle and holy vessels.
Where there is a cutting off, a separation from what is common and unclean, there is blood.
So when God wants to sanctify you, what should you expect? You should expect to see blood. You should expect to see things cut out of your life that are of no use. You should expect to be alienated from the world, because you died to that world.
This is what the spirit wills against the weakness of our flesh, to say with the Apostle Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).
It was by the severing of Christ’s body from his soul, that the blood of the New Testament was ratified.
It is by the sprinkling of that same blood upon us that our sins are washed away.
And it is on the basis of that most precious blood, that the spirit of eternal life is given unto us.
May God give you that spirit in greater measure. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Sermon: Spirit, Flesh, & Divinity (Mark 14:26-42)

Spirit, Flesh, and DivinitySunday, July 21st, 2024Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA
Mark 14:26-42
26 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. 28 But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. 29 But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. 30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. 31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
32 And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. 33 And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; 34 And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. 35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. 37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? 38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. 39 And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. 40 And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him. 41 And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.
Prayer
Father, we thank you for the glory of the Incarnation, and that Your Son, the Eternal Word, took himself a true humanity, a rational soul and a passible body, in order to die and rise again impassible, incorruptible, never to die again. We thank you for this eternal life that is offered to us in Christ. Join us to Him more deeply by Your Spirit, for we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Introduction
There is a famous saying amongst the theologians that just as in God three persons are one essence, so also in the Incarnate Son, three essences are one person.
I’ll say that again in more explicit terms: Just as in God three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) are the one Divine Essence, so also in the Incarnate Son, three essences (the human soul, the human body, and the divine nature) are one person, namely the God-man Jesus Christ.
There is a kind of numerical symmetry between who God is as Trinity, and who Jesus is as the God-man (three persons in one essence, three essences in one person). And what we have here in our sermon text this morning is one of the clearest windows into that ineffable mystery of who Christ is.
We know that Jesus is fully God, he is the eternal Word and Image of the Father.
We know that Jesus is fully man, he has a rational nature, a body, and soul, and yet he is perfect and without sin.
We know that Jesus is one divine person and not two different persons. In the incarnation, the eternal Son joined to Himself a real humanity. He is one person with two distinct natures, fully man, and fully God.
But how do these three distinct essences of a human spirit and human flesh (with together constitute human nature), and the divine nature of the Son all interact with one another?
Well here in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before Jesus is arrested and crucified, we have one of the greatest revelations of that mystery. And so while you may not think of yourself as a theologian (and indeed very few are called to be theologians in the professional sense), all of us who profess to know Christ ought to desire to know Him as He actually is, and not merely as we might want him or imagine him to be.
So there is really a twofold purpose for God giving us the gospels and more specifically for giving us this scene in Gethsemane that opens to us the interior life of the God-man Christ Jesus.
1. The first reason is stated in John 17:3, where Jesus himself says, “this is eternal life, that they might know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
There is only one God and one Christ, and eternal life consists in knowing him. And that means that any other Jesus than the one revealed in Holy Scripture is a fake and alternative Jesus that cannot save.
Many heretics have tried to refashion a Christ according to their own vain imaginations.
Arius rejected the full divinity of the Son and fashioned for himself a Jesus who was something less than God. And for this obstinate error he was rejected by the orthodox, and the Nicene Creed was drawn up to guard against such errors.
The Manichees and Docetists rejected the full humanity of Christ and fashioned for themselves a more spiritual Jesus who only appeared to do the things he is said to do in the gospels. That God would become man was too absurd for them to handle because matter itself was tainted in their view.
These are just two of innumerable examples of people making Jesus to be something other than God has revealed. They either diminish his full divinity, or diminish his full humanity, or more popular in our day, they make Jesus to be the poster-boy for whatever new social issue they are pushing. And so now we’ve got socialist Jesus, black Jesus, woke Jesus, gay-affirming Jesus, and all manner of absurd and blasphemous idolatry. None of these are the actual Jesus of Scripture, and therefore to put your faith in them is to trust an idol that cannot save.
So to summarize, the first and primary purpose for God giving us this revelation of Christ’s interior life is so that we might know the true Jesus and find salvation in Him.
2. Now secondarily and more practically, God has given us this revelation of Christ’s sorrow and anguish and real humanity, in order to teach us how to walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
Or to put it another way, Jesus shows us what is inside of him, his emotions and passions and thoughts, and the conformity of his will to the Father’s, in order to teach us how to do the same.
How do you cope with the threat of pain, and the knowledge of your inevitable death?How do you endure sorrow, and the fear of losing what you love? Or perhaps you aren’t sure how are you supposed to feel when you suffer. Is it okay to be sorrowful unto death, or is that a lack of faith?
Well here in this most beautiful and intimate passage, Christ gives us answers to those kinds of questions. And so as we walk through this text together, let us take heed to how we might imitate our blessed Lord.
The Context
Remember the context of our passage. It is the night of Passover, and Jesus and the disciples are in Jerusalem. They have just eaten and partook of the Last Supper, the bread and the wine, and Judas has now exited with plans to betray him. Jesus has also taken a kind of Nazarite vow saying in verse 25, “I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” And immediately following this, we read in verse 26…
Verse 26
26 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
How does Jesus prepare himself to go to the cross? He sings together with his disciples.
Tradition holds that after the Passover meal, it was customary to sing Psalms 115-118. And while Mark does not tell us exactly what they sang (the text simply says “having hymned”), it is a most probable conclusion that the words of the Psalms were upon the lips of Christ as he readied himself for his ultimate suffering.
If you remember Psalm 118, that is the Psalm that says, “The stone which the builders refused Is become the head stone of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing; It is marvellous in our eyes… Bind the sacrifice with cords, Even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: Thou art my God, I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: For his mercy endureth for ever.”
Here we are instructed by Christ’s example. How should you prepare yourself for walking through the valley of the shadow of death? You should sing and pray the Psalms together with the church. You should thank and praise God for His everlasting mercy.
And this is of course what God would have us do in all circumstances, good and bad.
For as it says in Psalm 34, “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
And in Psalm 119:164-164, “Seven times a day do I praise thee Because of thy righteous judgments. Great peace have they which love thy law: And nothing shall offend them.”
And in James 5:13, “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.”
So singing the Psalms and praying the Psalms is Christ’s weapon of choice in his moment of greatest distress. And as we will see later when Jesus is hanging upon the cross, it is the words of Psalm 22 and Psalm 31 that he utters.
“My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?” (Ps. 22:1).
And “Into thy hands I commit my spirit” (Ps. 31:5).
So if singing and praying the Psalms was necessary for the God-man, how much more necessary for us who are not God?!
After this corporate hymning, they leave the upper room, it’s the middle of the night, and they go out to the Mount of Olives. And it is here that Jesus foretells the scattering of the disciples, his resurrection from the dead, and Peter’s denial of knowing Jesus.
Verses 27-31
27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. 28 But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. 29 But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. 30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. 31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
Jesus begins with a quotation from Zechariah 13, and he identifies the disciples as the sheep who are scattered, “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, Saith the Lord of hosts: Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: And I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.”
Now if the disciples knew the Scriptures more thoroughly, they would have known that this scattering in Zechariah is followed by a remnant being preserved and refined through fire, and eventually being regathered as a people for God.
Zechariah 13:9 says, “And I will bring the third part through the fire, And will refine them as silver is refined, And will try them as gold is tried: They shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: And they shall say, The Lord is my God.”
So Jesus is foretelling how this scattering and regathering, this exile and return, of the new Israel shall take place. It is through his death and resurrection. He is the shepherd who shall be smitten, but that is not the end. He says, “But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.”
And yet in spite of this clear testimony to his resurrection, the disciples protest that they shall not be offended or scattered. Peter, speaking most boldly says, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all said likewise.
Well Jesus knows all things, and he knows that these bold words shall quickly be proved hallow. And so Jesus keeps in step with the words of Psalm 118, which perhaps they had just sung, which says, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” And “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: What can man do unto me?”
Likewise in Jeremiah 17:5 it says, “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm…”
So Jesus entrusts himself to no man, for he knows all men and he knows men are a vain hope (John 2:24-25). Instead, he entrusts Himself wholly to the Father.
Verses 32-36
32 And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. 33 And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; 34 And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. 35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
Here is that window into Christ’s soul that I spoke of earlier. So let me draw your attention to three aspects of Christ’s person that show forth his true, real, and perfect humanity.
1. He “began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy.” The sense of this amazement and heaviness is that Jesus is anxious, he is disturbed, he is troubled in his soul. Properly speaking Jesus is experiencing something of the passion of fear.
Now how is it that Jesus could be afraid of anything, when He is God, and He knows that He is going to rise again from the dead?
The answer is that Jesus had a real humanity which includes what we call more technically, the sensitive soul, or the sensitive appetite. This is that part of our being that naturally desires and tends towards what feels good and avoids what doesn’t feel good.
For example, we naturally desire what is physically comfortable: a good meal, clean water, clothes that fit us, temperature that suits us, a bed we can sleep in, and so forth. These are bodily goods that our sensitive appetite desires, and Jesus Christ had those natural bodily desires and yet they were always perfectly regulated by his higher reason, or what we call the spirit, or intellect and will.
So whereas you and I, because of sin, struggle to rule our bodily appetites, we struggle to get up in the morning, or we overeat, or we let our bodily discomfort rule our reason and we say hurtful things in a moment of anger, Jesus Christ had constant and perfect rule over his sensitive soul.
Remember that right after his baptism, he fasted for 40 days and was tempted in the wilderness. That was not merely an act of his divinity, it was an act of his human nature wherein his bodily desires were made subject to reason.
The devil tempted him, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
So Jesus began his public ministry be ruling over his bodily appetites, and he concludes his ministry by doing the same, and that includes ruling over the natural fear of death and pain that is common to our humanity.
Now let us consider for a moment the nature of fear. Where does fear arise from? What makes us afraid? Fear arises in us when there is some future evil or pain that we would like to avoid. And because fear is increased by our own imagination, the more detail and the more knowledge we have of the pain that we may have to undergo, the worse that fear becomes. So much so that sometimes people have panic attacks, or nervous sweats, or PTSD, or we say, “they psyched themselves out.”
And so this is one of those places where Jesus knowing all things, actually increases his suffering.
If you were going to be crucified, would you like to know in advance and in great detail just how painful it will be to have nails banged through your wrists and ankles?
Would you like to experience ahead of time in your own imagination the shame of being stripped naked in front of the world, beaten and mocked, treated as a fraud, and hung up to die between two criminals?
Fear is increased by the amount of knowledge we have of future pain, and Jesus knew from the beginning of his life the excruciating suffering that he would one day have to undergo, and not only the physical pain of being crucified, but also the spiritual pain of having to sever his own body from his soul.
So Jesus Christ was and is true man, and he proves this by showing forth this part of him that is common to all humanity. We dislike pain and we don’t want to suffer. The same was true for Jesus in the sensitive part of his soul.
Now if fear regards a future evil. Sorrow arises when evil becomes present to us. And insofar as our mind and imagination and our senses are united to that evil (afflicted), so also sorrow is increased. And so the second thing we see in Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane is stated in verse 34…
2. “My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death…”
It is as if Jesus is dying before he actually dies. If you know sorrow or disappointment or the death of what you love, you know it is like having your heart turned into wax or being punched in the gut.
Set aside for a moment the threat of any physical pain, and just consider how the knowledge of losing what you love, a spouse, a child, a parent, your home, the knowledge of that loss can so debilitate your body with sorrow, that is as if you are dead while still breathing.
We call this consequence of sorrow despondency. We lose our appetite. The world turns from color to black and white. We say, “a part of us has died,” or “we are dead inside,” when that sorrow of loss pierces us cold.
Well Jesus feels in his soul a sorrow unto death, but unlike you and I who might be frozen or debilitated or made despondent by grief, Jesus endures it with a heart that burns with love. He does not let sorrow prevent him from praying or going to the cross, instead he allows it to increase the devotion of his prayers.
It says of Jesus in Isaiah 53:3-5, “He is despised and rejected of men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: And we hid as it were our faces from him; He was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.
What made Jesus sorrowful unto death? He was carrying the sorrows of the world in his heart. He was bearing in his body the uncountable griefs of humanity.
The person who loves little or loves no-one, feels only sorrow for himself. But when you start to truly love other people, their pain becomes your pain. Their troubles become your troubles. Love is a unitive force that enlarges our heart so that you begin to feel in yourself other people’s pains and joys. This is how you rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, love makes that possible.
How many people did Jesus’ love? And how much love did he have for them?
The reason that Jesus was sorrowful unto death was because he loved so many so greatly. He loved the world, he loved Israel, he loved the disciples, he loved Judas, he loves you. And so although God does not love everyone in the exact same way, the love of God is such that the death of Christ has the power to atone for all.
It says in 1 Timothy 2:4, “God desires all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
And in 1 John 2:2, “he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
And so according to Christ’s true humanity, he was sorrowful unto death, and this was because of the great love with which he loved us. Jesus was not stoic or unaffected by the work His Father called him to do.
It says in Hebrews 5:7-9, which is an inspired commentary on this scene. That Christ, “who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”
3. This brings us to the third aspect of Christ’s person that is revealed in his prayer, and that is the presence of two distinct wills in Christ, a human will that chooses to submit to the divine will.
Verses 35-36
35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
Notice first that in calling upon God as “Abba, Father,” Christ reveals himself as a true and obedient Son.
As God, Jesus is eternally begotten of the Father, co-equal and co-eternal with him.
But as regards the human nature joined to His person, it says in Philippians 2:5-8, “he made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
So here in Gethsemane we have the revelation of two distinct wills in Christ. And this is essential to maintaining his true humanity.
If Jesus had only a divine will, then he would not be fully man, because it is essential to human nature to have a free will from which we choose to do either right or wrong.
And if Jesus lacked that ability, then he could not be said to have truly obeyed and fulfilled the law of God on our behalf.
And further, if he had no human will, then none of his actions would be a real example for us to imitate.
But because Jesus has a true human will, we can learn from him how to rule our passions, we can learn from him how to keep our own fear and sorrow within the bounds of reason, and most importantly, we can learn how to pray and conform our will to the will of God.
Conclusion
So let us close by observing how Jesus conquers his own fear and sorrow unto death.
1. Notice first that Jesus acknowledges the power that His Father has to remove the cause of his suffering:“Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee…”
So when you pray, pray in faith. Pray with the knowledge of the truth that God is omnipotent and sovereign and does all things well. Our God is Creator, and Governor, and the Worker of wonders. And it is within this context of God’s infinite power and love that we offer all our prayers to Him.
Moreover, he is not a distant God, aloof or absent, but rather an ever-present help in time of need (Ps. 46:1).
And so Jesus taught us to address God in prayer the same way that he did, as “Father.”
Paul says in Romans 8, that because we have received the spirit of Christ, the spirit of and sonship and adoption, that we also cry, “Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Rom. 8:16-18).
So when you are fearful or sad or hurting, do not forget the power of God, and the nearness of your Father, and the Spirit of adoption that was given unto you.
2. Because “all things are possible unto thee,” Jesus asks His Father to “take away this cup from me.”
In other words, if there is some other way to save the world that does not include Jesus dying on the cross, Jesus, according to his humanity, would prefer that way instead.
And yet, because he desires something greater than the mere avoidance of pain and death, namely, to satisfy divine justice, to glorify His Father and save the world, Jesus subordinates his natural human will to the divine will that He shares with the Father. And indeed, that is the whole purpose of prayer. Prayer is the ascent of the mind into God so that our will can be conformed to His.
We see this same pattern in the life of Paul. In 2 Corinthians 12. Paul knows that God has the power to remove the thorn in his flesh, and he says, “I besought the Lord three times, that it might depart from me. [He asks God to remove the cup]. And how does God respond? “And he said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’”
So this is how we pray:
1. We acknowledge our Father’s power to do all things.
2. Then we appeal to that power and ask Him to act on our behalf.
3. And then we wait, and listen, and observe, and sometimes we pray again and again and again, we wrestle like Jacob with the angel, and insodoing we are saying to God, here’s what I want, but make me to want what You want. Not my will, but yours be done.
And you’ll know that your will is aligned with God, when you can say what the Apostle Paul said when God told him no, the thorn is good for you.
2 Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
This is the way of Christ, the way of the cross, the way that we conquer fear and death. May God teach us to pray, even as our Lord did.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Sermon: A New Year's Meal (Mark 14:12-25)

A New Year’s MealSunday, July 14th, 2024Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA
Mark 14:12-25
12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? 13 And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. 14 And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 15 And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us. 16 And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.
17 And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. 18 And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. 19 And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I? 20 And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish. 21 The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.
22 And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. 23 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. 24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. 25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
Prayer
Father, we thank you that what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, You have done, by sending Your own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, You condemned sin in the flesh: so that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. We ask for that same Spirit now, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Introduction
When God was about to deliver Israel out of Egypt, it says in Exodus 12:1-2 that, “the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” The text then goes on to describe the Passover meal and the feast of unleavened bread, which carried the regulation that “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.”
So starting on the night of Passover, all the old leaven was to be purged from the house. And anyone who did not purge out that old leaven, or who partook of leavened bread during that week, was excommunicated (cut off) from the priestly nation.
And so the New Year festival for the Jews began with a literal spring cleaning (Passover was in late March/early April), and this was a hard reset on everyone’s daily bread. Nobody’s leaven was allowed to continue for more than one year. Now why is this?
Leaven in Scripture can be either a positive symbol or a negative symbol, but in both cases, leaven is a principle of growth and of transformation. Leaven is contagious and depending on whether your leaven is good or bad, so also the spreading of it can be either good or bad.
For example, in Matthew 13:33, Jesus says that “The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.”
How did God’s kingdom grow? He took a handful of Jews from the old Israel, gave them His spirit, hid them in the world, and today there are millions of Christians across the globe. And eventually, the whole world shall be leavened.
We see leaven also in the law for the peace offering, it says in Leviticus 7:13, “Besides the cakes, as his offering he shall offer leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offering.”
So leaven here is connected with the person’s gratitude, and works, and their desire to share a meal with God.
So leaven can have this very positive and salvific connotation in Scripture.
However, in the context of the Passover, leaven signifies sin.  Leaven signifies the old ways, of the old man, in the old land of Egypt.
For as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:8, “let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
And so Passover and the subsequent feast of unleavened bread, was a way for the nation of Israel to press reset on their soul. They were meant to take inventory at the beginning of the harvest year, before the crops were planted, and recall all that God had done for them in bringing them out of Egypt into a land of their own.
So Passover is this kind of New Year Festival in which we leave behind the old and look ahead to the new. And it was at this same festival that Jesus Christ chose to transform the whole world through his death and resurrection. So here in our text we have the end of the law, the final Passover meal, and also the establishment of a new covenant, a new creation, and a new festival for the people of God.
So with that in mind let me give you the outline of our passage and then we’ll walk through it together.
Overview of the Text
In verses 12-16, Jesus prepares a room for Passover.
In verses 17-21, Jesus prophesies that he will be betrayed.
In verses 22-25, Jesus establishes the new covenant in his blood.
Verse 12
12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?
Mark gives us this timestamp which places these events on the 14th of Nisan in the Jewish Calendar (the first month of the ecclesiastical year). And because the Passover had to be celebrated within the city walls of Jerusalem, the disciples ask Jesus where they might go and prepare for him.
Verses 13-16
13 And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. 14 And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 15 And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us. 16 And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.
So remember that Jesus is a marked man. The chief priests and scribes are looking for any opportunity to take him by craft, and so while Jesus is residing in Bethany, perhaps still at Simon the Leper’s house, he sends two disciples into the city to make final preparations.
And what these two disciples find is that Jesus has already made provisions for them. There is a man carrying a pitcher of water, and they follow him. And then they meet the master of the house, and he shows them a large upper room furnished and already prepared. And all they have to do is “make ready.” Perhaps gather the final ingredients for the meal itself. Some bread, some wine, some herbs, and the lamb.
There are echoes here of Abraham and Isaac going up to Mount Moriah.
Isaac says, “’Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’ And Abraham said, ‘My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together’” (Genesis 22:7-8).
According to 2 Chronicles 3:1, Mount Moriah was where Solomon built the temple. And so every time the Jews went up to Jerusalem for Passover, they were walking in the literal footsteps of Father Abraham.
And now, 2,000 years after Abraham and Isaac walked up that mountain, and came back down, these two disciples go up as well, and they find that the words of Jesus are as true as the words of Abraham in Genesis 22:14, “Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
So Jesus has provided for himself and his people, a place to dine. The disciples go up into the city, “and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.”
Where is the lamb? The true lamb is coming.
Verse 17
17 And in the evening he cometh with the twelve.
Here is the new Israel, the new leaven of God’s kingdom, coming into Jerusalem (which has become a new Egypt). And yet there is secret malice and hidden wickedness among them that has yet to be purged. And so Jesus warns that one of them is going to be cut off, not only from Israel, but from the land of the living.
Verses 18-21
18 And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. 19 And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I? 20 And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish. 21 The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.
It is better to never have been born, than to betray the Lord Jesus. For whenever someone betrays Christ, and forsakes their allegiance to Him, they are in reality betraying their own soul and forsaking life eternal.
What endless sorrow and regret awaits those who die in their sins. To begin to follow Jesus and then to betray him, is to have the gates of heaven wide open before you, only to turn back and dive into hellfire instead. “Woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.” These are haunting and fearful words.
Why does Jesus give this warning?
Because he loves the disciples (including Judas) and wants them to examine themselves to see whether they be in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5).For all of them shall each in their own way, betray Christ. Judas for money, and the rest for fear of death. Peter will deny knowing Christ three times. And as Mark shall record a few verses later, “And they all forsook him, and fled.”
These are the twelve men Jesus chose as his ambassadors. He has invested years in teaching them and showing them the way of faith, and yet in the moment of his greatest earthly need, He is betrayed by one, and forsaken by them all. A leadership success story indeed.
But notice the calm resolution in Christ’s voice when he says, “The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him.” Meaning, what Judas shall do of his own free will, inspired by Satan, is by no means outside of God’s plan and control. And because Jesus is God, as he says in John 10:17-18, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”
Jesus wants them to know that in every detail that follows, in every tragedy that proceeds, from his betrayal, to his arrest, to his unjust trial and beating, to his last breath on the cross and descent into the grave, all of it is His loving plan to bring salvation to the ends of the world.
This is the mystery of God’s providence and power. That man and the devil does what he does freely and is judged personally responsible for his actions, and yet God so governs, orders, and directs these events, so that they work together for our good and His glory. Do you believe this?
God intended for His church to read this gospel and to behold His power and His wisdom and His words of warning, so that we also should take heed to what is growing inside of us. Is there faith or unbelief?
Is there within you the leaven of sin and malice and envy? Is there ingratitude and discontent that is blinding you, like Judas, from the infinitely precious gift that is the knowledge of God?
Or perhaps we are more like the other eleven? Fearful, anxious, and self-preserving.Like Peter we talk a big game about loyalty and love for God, until it costs us something, then we run and hide.
Jesus says in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
Unless we live by the Spirit, and keep in step with the Spirit, and cling to the words of Jesus which are spirit, our end shall be no different than Judas and the long line of ex-Christians, the formerly faithful.
And because Jesus knows what is in man, and He knows the frailty of flesh, and how fearful and forgetful we are, He also has made provision for our restoration and nourishment. And this is the Lord’s Supper.
Verses 22-25
22 And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. 23 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. 24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. 25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
Notice first that Jesus takes bread, gives a blessing of thanks, and then breaks it.
This is a reversal and undoing of the curse upon Adam, who was told in Genesis 3, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
The bread that some man had toiled and sweated for in order to produce, Jesus takes and give thanks for. This is an affirmation of the goodness of creation in spite of the fall. And it is also teaches us that God accepts our works, when we offer them to Him with thanksgiving through the hands of Christ.
But most importantly, this bread is broken and identified with Jesus’ body. How shall the curse of death be overturned?
Through the work and labor of the Last Adam on our behalf. Through his toil and sweat upon the cross, and through his eating the curse into himself so that death might be swallowed up once and for all.
Now what happens when you break open Christ’s body? Blood starts to flow. And so next it says, “he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.”
Notice again that Jesus is giving thanks for his immanent death. How does Jesus prepare himself for pain? He thanks His Father that through the shedding of his blood, a new testament shall go into effect.
For as it says in Hebrews 9:16-17, “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”
The inheritance that is eternal life can only be had if our sins are forgiven. “And without the shedding of blood there is no remission” (Heb. 9:22). So someone’s blood must be shed, and that person must have the power and authority to deliver on that promise. And therefore Christ alone is the mediator of this covenant, for as God he has the power of eternal life, the power to forgive sins, and as perfect man he can offer his life a pleasing sacrifice to make atonement for sin.
This is the blood of the new testament. It is God’s signature on the dotted line of His last will and testament, that seals our inheritance.
Finally, after giving them this new creation meal of his body and blood, Jesus takes a Nazarite vow saying, “Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
A Nazarite is a holy warrior who voluntarily sets himself apart for some sacred work. Samson was a Nazarite, and he was set apart to deliver Israel as a judge. And now for Jesus, the true Samson, the true Bridegroom, he sets himself apart to deliver the whole world from sin and death and bondage to the devil.
Now when was this special and voluntary work of Christ accomplished? When did Christ drink wine anew in the kingdom of God? According to the gospel accounts, this took place upon the cross.
It says in Mark 15:22-23, “And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. 23 And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.”
So notice before he is crucified, they offer him wine, and he rejects it. He is still under the vow. But then at the ninth hour, after he cries “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” It says in verses 35-37, “And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. 36 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.”
John’s gospel makes this even more explicit when it says in John 10:28-30, “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”
Only after his work is accomplished, he says from the cross, “I thirst.” And what is Jesus thirsty for? What does he desire? To show forth that his vow as a holy warrior is complete. He is Samson choosing to die with the Philistines.
Conclusion
Are you prepared to dine with Jesus? Have you removed the old leaven of malice and wickedness from your soul, and become sincere and true in your love for God?
Your whole life on this earth is a mere preparation for judgment day. The day in which you will either be cast out like Judas into everlasting punishment, or granted entrance into the eternal feast where we shall eat and drink with Christ in the flesh.
Have you made yourself ready for God? This you must do if you would see eternal life.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, Amen.

Sermon: The Fragrance of Love (Mark 14:1-11)

The Fragrance of LoveSunday, July 7th, 2024Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA
Mark 14:1-11
After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. 2 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.
3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. 4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. 6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. 7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. 8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.
Prayer
Thy love O Lord is better than wine, Thy name is as ointment poured forth, Therefore do the virgins love thee. Open now unto us the gates of heaven, that we might behold in your Word, the exceeding riches of Your grace and kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. And Amen.
Introduction
This morning, we are picking back up in the Gospel of Mark. We began our study of Mark’s Gospel way back in April of 2023, so for over a year now we have been steadily plodding through this book, and finally we have come to the last movement of this symphony, and the final act of this gospel.
Chapters 14-16 record what is typically called “the Passion Narrative,” which begins with Christ’s body being anointed for burial and ends with the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord.
So these last three chapters are what the previous 13 chapters have been preparing us for. For three years Jesus has preached the gospel, he has healed the sick, he has performed miracles, he has cast out demons, he has taught and fed the multitudes, and now, two days before the great Passover feast, Jesus is himself prepared as a sheep for the slaughter.
Overview of the Text
Our text sets up a contrast between two kinds of people.
1. There is the unnamed woman, who from love and devotion, pours out precious ointment upon Jesus’ head, an amount valued at 300 denarii, or about 1 year of wages.
2. And then there is Judas, who from greed and self-interest, betrays Jesus for money. How much? Thirty pieces of silver.
And then we might also add a third group of people, which is the guests, the other disciples, those observing and judging the value or prudence of this woman’s actions. In their eyes this is anointing is wasteful, whereas in Jesus’ eyes it is meritorious and praiseworthy.
So, there are many lessons for us in this text, so let us walk through it and then make some applications from it.
Verses 1-2
After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. 2 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.
So it is two days before Passover, and in our reckoning this would likely be Wednesday of Passion Week. And Jesus has just finished his scorching condemnation of the Temple from the Mount of Olives, where he foretold the city’s destruction within one generation. That was Mark 13.
And now here we have the Jewish authorities (whom Jesus refuted in earlier chapters) plotting how they might take Jesus and kill him, without stirring up the crowds. Far from regarding the solemnity of the sabbath and the Passover festival, the chief priests and scribes treat it as a kind of inconvenience that must be factored into their plot of Jesus’ downfall. “Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.”
So notice the irony and divine wisdom in the timing of these events. Passover was the remembrance and reenactment of God delivering Israel from bondage in Egypt. And more specifically, remembering the night in which the angel of death passed over, and killed all the firstborn in the land who did not have the blood of the lamb to cover them.
And so in the middle of this great festival and memorial to God’s redeeming mercy, men are plotting God’s death. Mortal creatures are seeking to take by craft the omnipotent and all wise God. This is one of the many jokes that God tells in His Word.
So these opening verses of Mark 14 set the stage for a divine comedy. As it says in Psalm 2:4, “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh, The Lord shall have them in derision.”
While men may plot the destruction of the righteous, and while the enemies of Christ’s body may surround us like vultures, we serve the God of whom it says, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness,” and, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”
Seeing that this God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the lowly, we have now in verse 3 a stark contrast to the murderous high priests and scribes. For here in this unnamed woman, we have a portrait of true and humble devotion.
Verse 3
3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
The scene shifts from a murderous plot outside, to a feast inside in Bethany.
Bethany means house of obedience, and it was the last stop on one’s pilgrimage to Jerusalem, located just a couple miles from the city walls.
And it is here that Jesus dines at Simon the leper’s house, who was a former leper that Jesus had healed.
And then depending on how one harmonizes this story with the other three gospel accounts, this unnamed woman was likely the same woman that John’s gospel identifies as Mary, the sister of Martha. And if that is the case, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus would all be in attendance together with Jesus’ disciples as John 12 records.
So in the midst of this large gathering, of at least 15 men dining together (Jesus, the twelve, Simon, and Lazarus), it says, “there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.” What is the significance of this rather socially awkward interruption of the meal?
There are echoes here of the Song of Solomon, which is a love poem between Christ and the Church, between the Bride and the Bridegroom.In the voice of the Bride it says in Song of Solomon 1:12, “While the king sitteth at his table, My spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.”
And what do we have here in Bethany? We have King Jesus, sitting at the table, and the woman’s spikenard sending forth its smell.
In the voice of the Bridegroom it says in Song of Solomon 4:10, “How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! How much better is thy love than wine! And the smell of thine ointments than all spices!
And how does Jesus respond to this aroma of love? He says in verse 6, “she hath wrought a good work on me.”
So God has given us this scene to signify not just this individual woman’s devotion to Christ, but the devotion the church should have for Christ. The woman signifies the bride, and Christ is the greater Solomon, the Bridegroom. This is a common theme throughout all the gospels when Jesus interacts with women.
What about the significance of her gift?
When we consider this lavish gift of the woman, we discover that many biblical virtues are signified here.
By the ointment is signified joy and fellowship, healing and wholeness.
Proverbs 27:9 says, “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart.”
Ecclesiastes 9:8-9 says, “Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.”
Psalm 133 says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head…”
So ointment in Scripture signifies the Holy Spirit, who is the very bond of unity and love, and who gladdens our heart as we pour forth in generosity and charity to others.
One of the proper names of the Holy Spirit is Gift, for as we recite in the creed, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, and this procession is a pouring forth of the infinite love between Father and Son.
Recall the scene in Acts 5, where Ananias and Sapphira drop dead for lying to the Holy Spirit. Why was their sin of keeping back some of what they had promised to give to God, called “lying to the Holy Ghost?”
Because it is proper to the Holy Ghost to be freely given, and therefore to say you are going to freely give your possessions, but then to secretly keep them back, is to contradict the very Spirit in which the gift is to given.
So this woman’s gift of ointment is a fitting sign that the Holy Spirit indwells this woman. She has been moved by God to adore Christ in this way, and to prepare his body for burial.
What about the spikenard? By the spikenard, is signified a kind of purity or faithfulness. In Greek it is actually two words, (νάρδου πιστικῆς) which you could translate as nard of faithfulness, or genuine/unadulterated nard.
And then Mark tells us explicitly that this spikenard was “very precious.”
So this is an expensive and beautiful gift that is fit for a king. It exemplifies the giving to God of all that one considers most precious, and it so extravagant that it actually offends some of the disciples.
Verses 4-5
4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
Notice that in Mark’s account, it is not Judas alone who is indignant. Some of the other disciples join in the murmuring against her.
And what is their reasoning? It was wasteful. It was economically foolish and not the best allocation of capital. It could have been sold and given to the poor.
Now we know from elsewhere in the gospels that Judas’ motive was not care for the poor, but rather, the poor were his front/cover for his own thievery and self-interest. As treasurer, he used to help himself to the money bag. And while Judas’ motive was greed and self-interest, there are other disciples who join in the murmuring and indignation because they are moved by Judas argument, that this could have been given to the poor instead. And doesn’t Jesus tell us to care for the poor?
Notice how easily these disciples are manipulated by an emotional appeal to the poor. This is American identity politics 101. Wealthy thievesuse the poor as a cover and front for their own self-interest.They oppress the poor in the name of helping the poor, and it is well-meaning disciples who are easily steered by such appeals. Much more could be said about this, but let us see how Jesus responds?
Verses 6-9
6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. 7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. 8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
Jesus as the faithful bridegroom comes to the defense and vindication of his bride. What they considered wasteful and excessive, Jesus considers fitting and most appropriate to the occasion.
Despite Jesus telling his disciples in very clear and explicit terms, multiples times, that he is going to be arrested, crucified and rise the third day, still they don’t get it. But this woman does.
This woman knows what is fitting for the occasion, because she is full of the Holy Spirit. And so she does from love for Christ, what she will not ever have the opportunity to do later, namely anoint and perfume the body of Christ in preparation for his burial.
This is the logic of Jesus’ vindication and praise of her action.
The poor you have with you always, and you can do them good from your own resources anytime you want. And God will reward you richly for doing so!
Psalm 41 says, “Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, And he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.”
So Jesus is not discouraging helping the poor. And indeed as Paul says, we must remember the poor and be merciful unto them. 
But this is a special occasion, a once in a lifetime opportunity that will not come again, where you are gathered around the table with God incarnate. And it is just two days before his body will be crucified for the sins of the world. And so what could be more fitting, than to “waste” this most precious ointment, upon the body of God? To prepare his body for burial, and to prophesy by one’s offering that this same body shall perfume the whole world with the knowledge of God. That this same body shall be the aroma of salvation to the ends of the earth. What could be more fitting than this?
So Jesus lauds this woman’s devotion. And he declares that wherever this gospel shall be preached, and indeed it shall be preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.
How does this land with the disciples? Mark only tells us about the actions of Judas.
Verses 10-11
10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.
Notice the text began in verses 1-2 with the problem of how to catch Jesus by craft, and now here Judas offers himself as the solution. If they give him money, he will find a way to conveniently betray him.
So this is the contrast Mark draws our attention to.
The woman sacrifices something precious for love for Christ.
Judas sacrifices Christ for something he considers more precious, namely money.
Remember Jesus words in the Sermon on the Mount, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
Judas has chosen Mammon for his god, and the reward Mammon gives is death.
The woman has chosen Christ for God, and her reward is life everlasting.
Conclusion
Who is your Master? Who do you serve? Who or what receives your devotion and attention and desire? Who do you give your most precious ointment to? Do you even have the oil of the Holy Ghost to give?
In Matthew 16:25 Jesus says, “whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
This is the decision before us every day, every hour, every time we are tempted to settle for earthly goods over heavenly goods. And what the Bible teaches us is that every earthly good is a gracious gift from God, and yet those earthly goods must always be subordinated to and made servants of the Greatest Good, namely God.
This means being ready at all times like the Apostle Paul to count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:8).
It means that God leads in triumph through the trials of this life so that “through us He diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place” (2 Cor. 2:14).
It means that while Christ is absent from us in body, He is always present in the hearts of the faithful who love him, and because of this love, the King shall say to the righteous on judgment day, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me…Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”
So when you serve the body of Christ, those who Jesus calls “my brethren,” you are doing it as unto Christ Himself, and you shall by no means, lose your reward.
May God make us into a people that is zealous for good works, that is full of charity, that the fragrance of Christ would be known in our region. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, Amen.

Sermon: How Excellent Thy Name (Psalm 8)

How Excellent Thy NameSunday, June 23rd, 2024Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA
Psalm 8:1-9
To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord our Lord,
How excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength
Because of thine enemies,
That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
And the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,
And hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;
Thou hast put all things under his feet:
7 All sheep and oxen,
Yea, and the beasts of the field;
8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea,
And whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Prayer
Father, we thank you for the prophet David, and how you inspired Him to write this most excellent song of praise. Inscribe these words upon the tablet of our heart, that we might not sin against you, but rather praise you at all times, for you are the God who gives, and takes away, and then rewards us beyond all that we could ask or imagine. We pray all this in Christ’s name, Amen.
Introduction
One of the blessings of summertime in the Northwest, is that there are occasionally fewer clouds in the sky. And when the sky is clear, especially on a warm summer night, you can go outside, and look up, and behold the handiwork of God’s finger.
When the sky is clear you can see the moon, you can see more stars than you could ever count. And if you are ever able to get out of the city, away from the light pollution, and into the mountains or a high place, the views of God’s creation, the heavens above, are astonishing. They make us to wonder and to marvel that someone made all of that.
What are stars in the night sky but God poking little holes of light into a blanket of darkness. Stars are little windows into the heaven beyond the heavens, beyond the firmament, where the beauty of God’s light dwells. From our perspective, down here on earth, looking up, the stars are shining portals into the place where God dwells. And they make us to marvel even as David did when he wrote this psalm.
The Apostle Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:15-16, that Jesus Christ is “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.”
The divinity of Christ is a light unapproachable. As it says in John 1:18, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” And again in John 1:4-5, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
So because God is up there in a light so bright it would blind us, the Son of God, took to Himself human flesh, and he veiled His infinite and divine glory, His uncreated light, so that one day we might see God as He is.
St. Ephrem the Syrian (died 373 AD), has this wonderful poem where he says, “God had seen that we worshipped creatures. [So] He put on a created body to catch us by our habit. Behold by this fashioned one [Christ] our Fashioner healed us, And by this creature [the Lord Jesus] our Creator revived us.”
God saw that idolatry was in the heart of man. We see something amazing like the moon or the stars or the galaxies far off, and we are tempted to worship them. But it is that temptation to transcendence, to adore and worship what is awe-inspiring, that God intended as a signpost of His glory and His beauty as the Creator.
God intended for us to be stirred to worship Him as we look at His creation, and what sin has done is severed that connection and turned us in on ourselves, to worship ourselves and even lifeless creatures.
So salvation is in its fullest sense is not merely the forgiveness of sins, it is not merely the resurrection of our body, the whole purpose of forgiveness and resurrection is so that we can see and enjoy God as He is. And because it was our bad habit to worship creatures, God became a creature in the man Christ Jesus, so that in beholding the perfection of his humanity, his life and death and resurrection, we might be brought to know and behold His divinity.
It is this hope of the beatific vision of God in Himself that is our highest and greatest good. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
Likewise, the Apostle John says in 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
To see God in his very essence, to enter that unapproachable light, and to be united to the Triune God in knowledge and love, is the highest and greatest good that any creature can attain to. And it is that grace of union with God, that Jesus Christ came to give us.
As it says in 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”
This is what Psalm 8 is all about. In these nine verses from David’s pen, are contained a summary of the Christian faith, Creation, Fall, Redemption and Consummation. Psalm 8 is like an Old Testament version of the Apostle’s Creed. And this is made possible because God is the ultimate Author of Scripture, and His divine authorship allows us to read the Psalms at multiple levels.
There is first what we call the literal or historical signification of the letters on the page. So the Hebrew word יָרֵ֥חַ signifies the mental concept moon, כוֹכָבִ֗ים signifies the mental concept of stars. Or in English, the word sheep, signifies our conception of the animal sheep. Written words signify our mental conceptions, and our mental conceptions are true when they correspond with the external realities of moon, stars, sheep, etc. So that’s the first level of reading, connecting letters on the page with things or historical events in reality.
But then there is the spiritual interpretation (sometimes called mystical, or figurative, or typological meaning), where the actual things themselves are signs of other things.
So the literal sense is where the words signify things.
And the spiritual sense is where those things signify other things.
For example, the word sheep means the animal sheep. And then spiritually, a sheep can signify a vulnerable Christian. Jesus says to his disciples in Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.”
Or to give another example. The word moon signifies the literal moon in the sky. And then that moon in the sky can signify the church, because the church like the moon, has no light of her own, but only that light she receives from Christ who is the sun of righteousness.
Thus, Song of Solomon 6:10 speaks of the church saying, “Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, And terrible as an army with banners?”
The church mirrors and reflects Christ, just like the moon mirrors and reflects the sun.
So the Psalms especially are full of this multi-layered meaning, and this is one of the reasons why God did notinspire the apostles to write a bunch of new songs for Christians after the incarnation. There is no new book of Psalms in the New Testament canon, but rather, the church sings the same 150 Hebrew Psalms but with a renewed understanding of them as they are fulfilled in Christ.
So following the example of Christ and the Apostles, in how they interpreted Psalm 8, we also can find here in these nine verses, a complete summary of the Christian faith. So let us consider this Psalm first at the literal level, and then as the New Testament applies it to Christ and the Church.
Exposition of Psalm 8
We read in the title of the Psalm, “To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.”
What does “upon Gittith” mean? Hard to say…
Some take Gittith as referring to a kind of instrument that David made in Gath that makes a joyful sound.
Some think Gittith is the specific tune this psalm was set to.
Others take Gittith as referring to the winepress, which is how the Greek LXX translates it (ὑπὲρ τῶν ληνῶν). And they say the occasion for singing this Psalm is the Feast of Tabernacles/Ingathering at the end of harvest season, when the wine was being pressed. This idea fits nicely with the theme in this Psalm of man being given dominion over the earth, and his duty to cultivate creation, turning grace into glory, grapes into wine.
Whatever the case, it is hard to know for certain.
What was the occasion for David writing this Psalm?
The occasion of this psalm is a clear and dark night, when David is able to look up and consider the heavens, the moon and the stars. We might think of this psalm as kind of midnight counterpart to Psalm 19.
In Psalm 19, David begins by saying, “the heavens declare the glory of God.” And then he meditates upon the motion of the sun which rises “as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race,His going forth is from the end of the heaven, And his circuit unto the ends of it: And there is nothing hid from the heat thereof” (vs. 5-6).
So Psalm 19 is David’s daytime meditation on the heavens, and Psalm 8 is his midnight meditation on those same heavens. As he says in Psalm 19:2, “Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night sheweth knowledge.” It is that nighttime knowledge David is wondering at in Psalm 8.
Now he begins the Psalm in verse 1 the same way he ends it in verse 9 by saying…
Verse 1a & 9
1 O Lord our Lord,
How excellent is thy name in all the earth!
David bookends this summary of our faith by extolling the name of God. According to the letter, this name was LORD, YHWH, Jehovah. And this of course is who the man Christ Jesus is.
Jesus Christ is LORD. He is Alpha and Omega, beginning and end. And as it says in Romans 11:36, “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”
Jesus Christ is the Author of life, He is the one in whom our whole life consists, and He is the telos, the end and purpose for our entire existence. As St. Augustine famously said, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in You.”
Therefore, from beginning to end, from creation to consummation, from womb to tomb, from the river to the ends of the earth, the name of God is to be extolled. “O Lord our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth!”
Is that the cry of your heart? Is that the banner that flies over your life? That to live is to magnify the name of Christ, and to die is gain. That was the cry of the psalmist and the apostles, and it is the longing of all true saints.
Continuing in verse 1 he says…
Verse 1b
Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
That is, the divine nature is beyond what your eyes can see. You can see the heavens and you can marvel at their grandeur, but the glory of God is even greater than this. It is above the created heavens.
However beautiful the stars and galaxies may be, and indeed they are stunning, the beauty of the One who created them far surpasses.
Verse 2
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength
Because of thine enemies,
That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
We move now from the glory of God above in the highest heavens, down to mankind in his most helpless state. There is a certain beauty and excellence to the celestial bodies, their vastness and splendor, but then there is a different an even more intricate beauty that is the image of God in man.
As David says in Psalm 139:13-14, “For thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.”
So God’s handiwork is seen in the midnight sky, his divine nature is infinitely above the heavens, and yet this infinite and glorious God is the one who said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:26-27).
And what is even more glorious than God’s image stamped upon human nature, is when that nature in its infancy praises its Maker, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength.”
God employs the cries of our nursing covenant children, and the songs of our toddlers singing the doxology, as his chosen weapon to silence and still the enemy and the avenger.
This is one of the many reasons we keep our children with us in the worship service. Because their praise is often more potent and genuine than ours. Their childlike faith and love for Jesus often puts ours to shame.
As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.”
The forces of darkness are confounded when our helpless and weak children give glory to God. God has ordained that the military might and strength of the church be exemplified “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings.”
So parents, teach your children, from the moment they are born, to love the Lord Jesus, to praise Him, and worship Him, and participate with us in the worship service. And yes that includes baptizing them and preparing them to eat from the Lord’s Table.
It says in 1 Corinthians 7:14, that God regards the children of at least one believing parent as holy, “else were your children unclean” (literally unbaptized/unwashed).
We baptize our infants because as it says in Acts 2:39, “the promise is unto you, and to your children,” and just as the covenant sign of circumcision was given to all of Abraham’s household (Isaac and Ishmael), so also the covenant sign of baptism is given to all those who are within the household of faith.
Do not underestimate what God can do in and through babies and nursing infants. This psalm is clear, God has ordained strength, He has established praise for Himself from their lips, and God uses their cries to silence the enemy and the avenger.
Verses 3-4
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
And the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Here David expresses that feeling we all have had when we encounter the vastness of the universe. What is man in comparison to the stars and the moon? And what am I, just a guy, amongst billions of other people on this planet?
John Piper once said, “Nobody goes to the Grand Canyon in order to build their self-esteem. Nobody goes to the Alps to feel big. But they go.” And the reason they go is because there is a certain joy and freedom in forgetting ourselves and being caught up in something infinitely bigger, namely God.
The 18th century pastor David Dickson once said, “To be occupied with our little selves is not God’s way of making us either healthy or happy.” Isn’t that the truth?
The paradox that David is expressing in this Psalm is the spiritual vertigo of looking out over the edge of the cosmos, into infinity, and then realizing God thinks about me. What is worse, I am sinner from the womb, and yet God cares for me.
To quote Psalm 139 again, David says, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee.”
Have you ever asked the LORD this question, “What am I that you are mindful of me?” Have you experienced the freedom of being utterly insignificant to the world, and yet so important to God that He would die for you? That is the joy and freedom the gospel brings.
In the remaining verses (5 through 8), David goes back to Genesis 1-2 and considers man’s place in the order of creation.
Verses 5-8
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,
And hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;
Thou hast put all things under his feet:
7 All sheep and oxen,
Yea, and the beasts of the field;
8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea,
And whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
On the great scale of created being, there are angels at the top, who are pure spirits, intellectual substances.
And then just below them is man, “a little lower than the angels” (or in Hebrew, Elohim, the gods/God). And so man has an intellectual nature like the angels, we call it the soul or spirit, and that soul is joined to a material body, and this body is what weighs us down now that sin and death has broken us.
Nevertheless, because man is in the image of God, he has a rational nature, an intellect and free will, God has “made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands.”
Notice here that man’s dominion extends to the animals on earth, birds in the air, and fish in the sea, which are called the works of God’s hands. But he was not yet given dominion over the celestial bodies (moon and stars) which are the works of God’s fingers.
So in the hierarchy of creation, there are angels, mankind, and then animals, and they are on a descending scale according to how spiritual they are. Angel are pure spirits, man is a body-soul compositive with a rational soul, animals are a body-soul composite with only a sensitive soul.
And then the psalmist concludes in verse 9, “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Summary
So that is Psalm 8 according to the first layer of meaning. And if we didn’t have the New Testament, we would likely stop here and just appreciate that this Psalm has thus far covered the existence of God, His glory and power, the creation of man, and the fall of man for which reason there is an enemy and avenger that must be silenced through praise.
But there are at least three key places where this Psalm is quoted in the New Testament, and those quotations reveal a second layer of meaning that completes what we call the “story of salvation,” or “redemptive history.” So let us briefly consider those three quotations.
The first is Matthew 21:15-16, where Jesus is making his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, 16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
So Jesus quotes Psalm 8 as finding a unique fulfillment in these children singing, “Hosanna to the Son of David” as he enters the temple. And so who is the enemy and the avenger in this context? It’s the chief priests and scribes who are silent in their praise of Jesus, but vocal in their blasphemy against him.
The chief priests and scribes want to silence these children, but as Jesus says elsewhere, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”
So here we have Jesus identifying himself as the LORD of Psalm 8 who is deserving of praise.
What is the most excellent name in all the earth? It is the name of Jesus. And so on our second reading of this Psalm, the new context becomes the week of Passover, the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and Jesus silencing the enemy and avenger with the singing of little children.
The second quotation is in Hebrews 2, where the Apostle Paul is explaining how Jesus is greater than the angels.
Hebrews 2:5-11
5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. 6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? 7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren…
So Paul gives a kind of running commentary on Psalm 8 as it applies to Jesus.
In answer to David’s question in verse 4, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?”
Paul answers that the Son of God took on human flesh and became a son of man, so that the sons of men could become sons of glory.
And he did this by becoming a little lower than the angels, not only by taking on human flesh, but by the suffering of death, and it was that death on the cross that crowned him with glory and honor.
Here we have the death, the crucifixion, the burial, and resurrection of Jesus, breathing new life into this Psalm.
How is man crowned with glory and honor? Well now he is crowned by being united to Christ in his suffering and death. As Paul says in Philippians 3:10-11, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”
There is no crown or glory for the Christian except through the grave, exception though perseverance in suffering. That is how Christ received honor and glory, and that is also how we shall attain to the same.
Third and finally, the Apostle Paul quotes Psalm 8 in reference to the salvation of the world and the final judgment. He says in 1 Corinthians 15:25-28,
For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
So the dominion that Adam was given over birds and beasts and fish in the sea was itself a sign of Christ’s dominion over all the nations on earth.
Jesus himself said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” And unlike Adam who was not given dominion over the heavens, the man Christ Jesus now reigns from heaven, together with the saints, and he is in the business of making all things new, of fashioning for us a new heavens and new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
So in Jesus Psalm 8 is glorified. And so the next time you sing it, sing it twice. Sing it thrice! Sing it to extol God’s wisdom in creation, His grace in redemption, and His glory in making all things new. “O Lord our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth!”
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Sermon: This Generation Shall Not Pass (Mark 13:28-37)

This Generation Shall Not PassSunday, May 12th, 2024Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA
Mark 13:24-37
24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, 25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. 26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: 29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. 30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. 31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 34 It is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Prayer
Father, we ask that by the power of Your Word and Spirit, you would awaken those who are slumbering in the dark. Raise us up again to walk as children of the light, and to so let our light shine before men, that they might see our good works and glorify you O Father in heaven. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Introduction
Do you remember the very first words that came out of Jesus’ mouth when we began Mark’s gospel?
Within the opening 13 verses of Mark 1 we cover a lot of ground: Jesus is baptized by John, he is anointed by the Holy Spirit, he is driven into the wilderness, he is tempted by Satan and with the wild beasts, and then it says in Mark 1:14-15, “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
In these opening words from the mouth of Jesus he makes two definitive statements about timing. First, a certain “time is fulfilled,” and second, the kingdom of God is “at hand” (ἤγγικεν), or more literally the kingdom of God has approached/drawn nigh.
It is this same gospel of the kingdom that by the time we get to our text here in chapter 13, the disciples have also themselves preached. And yet still they have some lingering questions about how exactly this kingdom comes, and when exactly this kingdom comes.
As pious Jews they would have almost certainly known the prophecies of Daniel 2 and Daniel 7.
It says in Daniel 2:44 referring to the days of the Roman Empire, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”
Likewise, it says in Daniel 7:14, that when the one like the Son of Man ascends to the Ancient of Days, “And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
This is the kingdom the prophets foretold. This is the kingdom that the angel Gabriel announced to the virgin Mary in Luke 1:31-33 saying, “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
This is the kingdom that Jesus comes preaching from the very start of Mark’s gospel, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.”
Here in Mark 13, Jesus has been answering the disciples’ lingering questions about how and when this heavenly and everlasting kingdom of God shall arrive.
Just to remind you of the immediate context of our passage. It is the week of Passover. And as they leave the temple the disciples are admiring the stones, and Jesus says, “Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Mark 13:2).
They then go up to the Mount of Olives “over against the temple” (vs. 3), and the disciples ask in verse 4, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?”
And then starting in verse 5, Jesus foretells what will take place leading up to the kingdom’s arrival. Already we have covered verses 5-27 in great detail, but this morning we come to Jesus answering that original question of the disciples regarding timing. And so that will be our focus as we finish out this chapter.
Now the way in which Jesus answers this question about timing is curious. And so let me give you the basic outline of our text which contains his answer.
Outline of the Text
In verses 28-29, Jesus gives the disciples the parable of the fig tree.
In verses 30-32 Jesus gives them a direct and explicit time frame for the kingdom’s arrival but chooses not to tell them the exact day or hour.
And then in verses 33-37, he tells them how to live in the light of this immanent judgment on Jerusalem and arrival of the kingdom.
So with that let us turn to consider first the parable of the fig tree.
Verses 28-29
28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: 29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.
So Jesus starts with this analogy, that just as a fig tree blooms and signifies that summer is approaching,so also when they see “these things come to pass” they can know “the kingdom of God is nigh at hand” (Luke 21:31).
Now the question becomes, what are the “these things” Jesus is referring to. And the most natural and logical reference is to the cosmic signs that he just described in verses 24-27.
Remember that Jesus began his discourse by warning them of events that are not signs of the end. He said in verses 5-8, “Take heed lest any man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.”
So “wars and rumors of wars” are not the “these things” that signify the kingdom’s arrival. Famines and troubles are not the fig tree blooming in the spring, Jesus says they are just “the beginnings of the birth pains.”
We know from the book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament that these are all events that took place in the years starting with Pentecost in 30 AD up to around 62 AD (or whenever the abomination of desolation took place).
So Jesus spends a good deal of time warning the disciples that the kingdom shall not come until after certain events have taken place. For example, he says in verse 10, “the gospel must first be published among all nations.” And we know from Paul’s letters to the Romans and the Colossians, that by 60 AD that taske was completed.
Paul could say in Colossians 1:23, that the gospel “was preached to every creature which is under heaven…and was “bringing forth fruit in all the world” (Col. 1:6).
So Jesus gives in verses 5-27, a series of events that must happen prior to the kingdom’s arrival, and this includes the beginnings of the birth pains, the spread of the gospel to all nations, the great tribulation, the abomination of desolation, and then as we saw last time, after that tribulation, the powers of heaven would be shaken, the martyred saints would ascend to heaven, and as Revelation 11 describes, it is that sounding of the 6th trumpet that signifies the seventh trumpet is near. And what happens when the seventh trumpet sounds?
Revelation 11:15 says, “And the seventh angel trumpeted; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”
So the blooming of the fig tree I take as a reference to the events that take place after the great tribulation, and which are given under the various symbols and images we looked at in verses 24-27 (darkening of sun, moon, and stars, the coming of the Son of man, etc.).
By the way, it just so happened that Jesus’ prophecy about the temple being destroyed took place on August 4th, in 70 AD. So when Jesus gave this parable of the fig tree, it was a very literal sign about the season in which his words would be fulfilled, “When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near.”
So this parable establishes the general time and season for the kingdom’s arrival, and then in verses 30-31, Jesus puts a terminus or end point for when “all these things will be done.”
Verses 30-31
30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. 31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
So the time frame Jesus gives here is before “this generation” passes/dies. Jesus has already in Mark’s gospel talked about this generation (ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη), and has described them as a “faithless generation that seeks after a sign” (Mark 8:12, 9:19), and as an “adulterous and sinful generation” (Mark 8:38).
You recall in Matthew’s gospel when Jesus is pronouncing woes on the Pharisees he says, “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.”
So contrary to those who have tried to re-translate or re-interpret “this generation” (ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη), to refer to something other than that generation living in Jesus’ day, there is simply no way to take do so given the context, the Greek grammar, and the logic of the passage.
Jesus could not have been more clear. “Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.”
Contrary to many well-meaning Christians who punt the contents of this chapter into our future, Jesus was not a false prophet. Jesus was not lying. All these things were fulfilled before that generation died out, just like he said they would.
Recall also an earlier promise that Jesus gave to his disciples in Matthew 16:27-28, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.”
As I mentioned last week, John the Apostle was one such person standing there, who lived to see Jerusalem destroyed. And according to church history John lived for another 30ish years after and died around 100 AD.
So Jesus gives a definitive time frame for the kingdom’s arrival: before this generation passes. Jesus was 33 years old when he made that promise, and so the disciples could expect the kingdom to arrive almost anytime over the next 30-60 years, which is a quite a long time.
And in case they had any doubt about Jesus’ prophesy, he adds in verse 31, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”
We know from the rest of the New Testament, that there were doubters, there were false teachers, there were antichrists, and as 2 Peter 3:3-4 says, “there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”
And the Peter goes on to describe the immanent passing away of heaven and earth, and how they are to live as the day of the Lord approaches. He says in 2 Peter 3:13, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”
What promise is Peter referring to as he writes this letter around 64 AD? He’s referring to the promise Jesus gave them here in Mark 13, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”
Now after giving them that time frame of say 30-60 years. Jesus goes on to tell them how to live in the meantime.
Verses 32-33
32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
So Jesus intentionally does not specify the exact day and hour in which God’s kingdom shall arrive. This is not because he himself is ignorant of that day, for He is God and he knows all things, but rather, Jesus says, “neither the Son” to signify that He is choosing to not reveal that day and hour to them. The Son as revealer of God’s Word is concealing this from them. And the question then is, Why?
Well, for a few reasons:
First, because Jesus does not want the demons and powers of Satan to know the day of their doom. Just as he concealed his divine identity when he was born in Bethlehem, so also he is concealing the divine plan for Satan’s destruction. No good general in the army tells the enemy how and when he is going to attack them. And similarly with Christ who is even more crafty than the serpent. Jesus is the one who comes like a thief to catch and bind the great thief of this world: the devil.
The second reason for not revealing the exact day and hour of his coming, is because Jesus knows what is in man (John 2:25). Jesus knows human nature, and he knows how people would live if he told them the exact day and hour of his coming to destroy their world and usher in the new.
Just imagine for a moment that Jesus told you the exact day and hour that you were going to die. How would that affect you? We all know that we are going to die, and most of us within 30-60 years, some more some less. And yet if God told you told the exact day and hour of your death within that time frame, that is knowledge that would be hard to handle. It is also knowledge that could diminish the merit, reward, and motivation for your faithfulness.
If your death was scheduled for tomorrow, what would you be doing today? The true Christian would be fervent in prayer, confessing their sins, keeping watch, reading God’s word, and seeking assurance that they were ready to stand before God and give an account to Him for everything done in the body. When our death feels immanent, it clarifies what is really important. When death becomes immanent, it exposes this world and our worldly pursuits for the vanity it all is.
Now imagine that God told you your death was 40 years out. Would you feel the same urgency to get right with God? Would you feel the same necessity to be vigilant and watchful and faithful in the meantime?
Jesus knows human nature. And he knows that you are easily distracted, you procrastinate, you put things off until you really have to do them. And this is the test of living without knowing the day and hour of judgment. And it is this same test that Jesus was giving to that generation as they would undergo the greatest tribulation and time of testing this world has ever seen.
And therefore, like a good coach and teacher, Jesus tells them exactly how to pass the test. And what he says in essence, is that they must keep watch and be vigilant like a man who never sleeps. In verse 34 he gives them another parable/analogy.
Verses 34-37
34 It is like a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
So the years after Christ’s ascension to heaven, are like a man (the master of the house) taking a far journey. And the disciples, are the servants, the porters/doorkeepers, who take care of the master’s house (the church), while the master is away.
So the disciples have work to do in the master’s house. They are overseers/elders who must watch over God’s flock so that when the Chief Shepherd appears, they shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
And so Jesus charges them to be spiritually watchful like a man who never sleeps.
Or as Paul states more explicitly, they must “pray without ceasing.”
And so while no human being can survive very long without real physical sleep, it is the sleepless man who exemplifies spiritual wakefulness. And so the disciples must be vigilant to keep watch all throughout the master’s journey. He has promised to return, he has given them the general time frame, but the day and hour they know not.
And so Jesus gives this charge to spiritual wakefulness, not only the disciples, but as he says in verse 37, “what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”
This is the recurring and constant exhortation that Jesus gives all throughout Mark 13. And yet ironically, despite giving this repeated charge, we are going to see in the very next chapter, that the disciples fall asleep on the job.
Conclusion
In Mark 14, when Jesus is praying in Gethsemane he says, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.” He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
The disciples failed the Lord Jesus on the night of his passion. They failed to keep watch. They failed to stay awake. They succumbed to the weakness of their flesh. And yet what we see after Christ’s death, and resurrection, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, are eleven very different and very watchful disciples. When we read the book of Acts, and when we read their letters, we encounter disciples who are fervent in prayer, zealous for good works, genuine in love, and bold for the Lord Jesus.
It says in Acts 5:40-42, “And when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”
What we learn from the disciples’ example, is that the resurrection of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit make all the difference.
It is not easy to keep watch and pray without ceasing. It is as easy as gravity to fall into a spiritual slumber, to forget the gospel, to forget the promises of God, to forget the glorious and future hope that awaits us.
And so if you and I would pass the test that is this life, not knowing the day or hour of our death, then we need the same Holy Spirit and the same means of grace, that God gave to his apostles.
That means, we need the church. We need one another. We need the Word of God dwelling in us richly with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. We need baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We need constant and regular fellowship. We need as it says in Hebrews 3:13, “daily exhortation lest you become hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”
It says likewise in Hebrews 10:23-25, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
No man knows the day or hour of his death. But by the means of grace that Christ has given, we can be ready so that that day does not catch us unawares. May the Lord increase this grace among us.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.