SN - notes from 10/9/10
The Crucifixion of Jesus pt. 7 - Jesus gets questioned
Mark 15:1-20
Just prior to His death, Jesus encounters 6 different people/types of people - Pilate, the religious leaders, the crowd, Barabbas, Herod, and the soldiers. The goal tonight is to learn something from each person’s interaction with Jesus.
Pilate
Pilate questions Jesus primarily 4 X:
1. Are you the king of the Jews? We question the sovereignty of God.
2. Do you answer nothing? We question the timing of God.
3. What is truth? We question the word/promises of God.
4. What do you want me to do with this Jesus of Nazareth? We fail to seek God to reveal the unique and personal plan God has for each of us.
The religious leaders
The Sadducees, Pharisees, Scribes, and chief priests were simply envious of Jesus.
Mar 15:10 - For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy
We become envious of what God might be doing in the lives of other people around us.
See Psalm 73
The crowd
Recall the ancient command and warning:
Exd 23:2 “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.”
Proverbs 13:20
Whoever walks with the wise, becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm
The crowd was huge
Mark 2:4 - And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
The crowd sought Jesus for a time
Luk 4:42 - Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them;
The crowd followed Jesus for a time
Luke 7:9 - When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”
The crowd was easily misled
Mar 15:11
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.
The crowd demanded the death of Jesus
Mark 15:12
Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”
But Jesus loves the crowd
Matt 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
observation - regardless of how huge the crowd might be, if it doesn’t continue to seek and follow Jesus, it will soon trying to dictate His fate.
Herod
Luke 23:8 - When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him.
Beware of seeking Jesus only in hopes He will do some miracle for you or give you something you want
the soldiers
Mark 15:19 - And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him.
John 4:24 - God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Beware of not worshipping Jesus in Spirit and in Truth.
Barabbas -
His name means son of Abba or of a father - a notorious robber/rebel whom Pilate proposed to condemn to death instead of Jesus, whom he wished to release, in accordance with the Roman custom (John 18:40; Mark 15:7; Luke 23:19).
But the Jews were so bent on the death of Jesus that they demanded that Barabbas should be pardoned (Matt. 27:16–26; Acts 3:14).
Barabbas becomes a perfect example of why Jesus had to die - we are all guilty according to Romans 3:23 - and He needed to take our place - this alone makes it possible to be called a son of the Father”
