Mark 15- We Are Barabbas

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Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them Mark 15:6-8

The trial of Jesus was such a sham, Pilate asked Israel to make a choice, either release a convicted murderer Barabbas or  release the Son of God Jesus Christ. You would think the decision would be easy, however because of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their eyes, Israel choose a convicted murderer over their Messiah. Oh how the mighty have fallen

Now when we look at this event, I want you to see this from a spiritual and symbolic perspective. You are Barabbas! You might say well “I’m not a convicted murderer” Yes however we are all sinners and deserve the wrath of God. However Jesus took our place! We should be up there getting the death sentence on the cross, however Christ the sinless Lamb of God, took our place on the cross! 

But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy. But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. Mark 15:9-11

Pilate in mockery called Jesus King, however he was correct! Jesus is the King of Kings, and by the evil Pilate and the religious leaders were performing, they were actually fulfilling prophecy. They were fulfilling scripture that Jesus the Messiah must be handed over to sinners and die for our sins. Notice the chief priests influenced the people to choose Barabbas, a convicted murderer! These men were supposed to be experts in the Law of God, but they were blinded and hardened by their own pride and arrogance.

And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. Mark 15:12-15

The same crowd that was shouting “Hosanna” a few days ago is now shouting “Crucify Him”  Israel turned on their own Messiah and killed him, Gods own people killed Gods Son, how the mighty have fallen!

Jesus willingly went to the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world Amen!

Mark 14- The Trial of Christ

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And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. But neither so did their witness agree together. Mark 14:55-59

The religious leaders were desperately looking for any evidence they could use against Jesus to legally put him to death, however they couldn’t find anything. Many false statements and accusations were made against Jesus, however none of their stories would line up. Finally one tried to quote Jesus by saying “I will destroy this temple in 3 days” , now we know that this is a reference to John 2:19 “Destroy this temple and I will raise it up in three days”

Obviously the religious leaders had no idea what Jesus was talking about, they took Christ’s statement out of context and twisted it to fit their agenda, does that sound familiar? We know that Jesus was prophesying about his own resurrection, Jesus was referring to his own physical body not the physical temple

And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But 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? And 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. Mark 14:60-62

Finally the religious leaders just ask Jesus straight out, “Are you the Messiah”? Jesus makes it clear by saying “I AM”, notice the reference to the Great I AM statement by God in Exodus 3. Jesus makes 7 “I AM” statements throughout the gospel of John demonstrating his deity

Jesus adds further that he is The Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Father, coming in the clouds! This is an obvious reference to Daniel 7, the religious leaders knew exactly what Jesus was talking about, he is the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecies

Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. And 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. Mark 14:63-65

The amazing thing is, even after Jesus revealed his deity to them, the religious leaders rejected all the evidence and sentenced him to death! The religious leaders killed their own Messiah! Just as Jesus predicted they would do in the Parable of the Wicked Tenants

All of this was to fulfill the mission that Jesus came to do, to do for the sins of the world. The time was coming for the Lamb of God to be the atonement for our sins, to be the suffering servant, to bear our curse on the tree, Amen!

What Is A Mother?

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What is a Mother? A mother to me is core and center of a family. Without the mother there would be no life, as only a womb and the love of a special woman can bring life into existence. As a Father I cant provide all the essential things that a Mother could. I cant provide the loving compassion of a Mother, I can try but always come up short. I cant provide the gentle soothing voice of a mother, I can try but will never sound right. I cant be the gentle place to fall , I can always try but probably the fall would still be rocky

The truth is we cant duplicate or replicate Mothers. Mothers are a special gift from God that provide every essential for human life. And yes woman can accomplish amazing feats just as men, but woman can never be replaced as a Mother because they have been chosen by God for this special purpose

So today I wanted to honor our Mothers and let them know that just as God highly chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus, he highly chose all of you to be the mother of your children. This is not a calling that should be taken and seen lightly. It’s a calling that only special woman can fulfill. And I just wanted to say that I respect and love all of you from the bottom of my heart!

Mark 14- The Garden

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And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. Mark 14:32-34

The Garden of Gethsemane was the location where the fulfillment of our sins began to take place. It’s interesting that Sin entered into the world at the Garden of Eden but atonement began at the Garden of Gethsemane. How was Jesus to begin this agonizing event where he crushed the head of the serpent, by prayer to the Father!

He asked his disciples to stay with him , however they didn’t understand the significance of this event and fell asleep. This seems like the Church today, we don’t understand the significance of what Christ did for us, and the Church has fallen asleep again! If we understand the importance of Christ for our salvation, we would be on every street corner preaching the gospel to every soul headed to Hell

And he went forward a little, 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 unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Mark 14:35-37

Jesus , being in human form, knew the punishment and suffering he was going to face to pay the penalty for our sins. However he was still obedient to the will of our Heavenly Father, even to the point of death on the cross! 

The cup which Jesus talks about is the cup of wrath. The wrath of God for the wages of our sins. Jesus took that cup in our place, God poured out his wrath on Christ to be our sacrificial lamb. The debt has been paid all because Jesus loves you!

Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him. 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. Mark 14:38-41

 The hour has come, for the Son of Man to be crucified in the hands of sinners! The Hour has come for Christ to pay the penalty for our sins! The Hour has Come for Jesus to rise on the 3rd day , defeating sin and death forever!

What were the discipes doing? Sleeping! What is the Church doing today? Sleeping! Wake up Brothers and Sisters in Christ! The Hour is coming when Jesus will return to rapture His Church and establish His eternal Kingdom Amen!

Mark 14- The Sheep Are Scattered

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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. But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. Mark 14:27-29

As Jesus predicted, once the Shepherd was removed the sheep were scattered. Even though Christ is still with us, the sheep are still scattered today. We see over 40,000 different Christian denominations, we see even a lot of Christians not even gathering together anymore. The sheep have been scattered, it’s time to listen to the voice of the Great Shepherd and come back home to the flock!

One man who said he would never flee is Peter, yet Jesus prophesied to him , not only will he flee, but he will also deny Christ three times. Peter believed his faith was strong and he would never deny The Lord, however when his life was on the line his faith failed him. I’m sure we can relate to Peter at times, I’m sure there was a time when our faith failed Jesus. Its good to know our Lord is merciful and loving!

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. 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. Mark 14:30-31

The night Jesus was arrested, Peter denied him three times as predicted. At that moment Peter felt like his life was over. He failed The Lord and he could never be redeemed again. However after Christ was Risen, he came looking for Peter and told him to “Feed His Sheep”! Jesus not only forgave Peter but gave him a calling!

Eventually Peter did lay down his life for The Lord, as he was crucified upside down on a cross for preaching the name of Jesus. Let Peter be an example for us all, that we are not perfect and even if we fail The Lord, its not over until God says its over!  Feed The Sheep in Jesus name Amen!

Mark 14- The Lords Supper

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And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish. 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. Mark 14:20-21

As we talked about yesterday, Judas was evil and sold out The Lord for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus is revealing this now to his disciples, that one of them will betray him. When Jesus made this statement, the disciples looked at each other, having no idea who the son of perdition was. Even Judas tried to cover it up by saying “Surely not I Rabbi” (Matthew 26:25) Judas was filled with Satan and as Jesus said “It would have been better if he was never born”

But God uses the evil of this world for his own good, the scripture told us the Messiah must die for the sins of the world. God used the evil in Judas heart to fulfill this requirement. Its just hard to imagine, Judas spent 3 years with The Lord and would betray him for some money. As Jesus said “What does it profit you to gain the whole world but to lose your soul”

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. And 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. Mark 14:22-24

Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper or known as the Eucharist or Communion. This is a fulfillment of the Passover Feast. As the Apostle Paul stated “Jesus is our Passover Lamb” (1 Corinthians 5:7) Jesus is the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world (John 1) The final sacrifice for sin is about to take place and Christ has fulfilled this. The Lords Supper is the remembrance of this event, where God has provided us salvation

As Jesus taught us, the bread is symbolic for his broken body on the cross. The cup is symbolic for the shedding of Christ’s blood which purifies our sins. The blood is a sign of the New Covenant Jesus established on the cross! The blood of the New Covenant that was shed for many not just Israel

Jesus also stated “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19) Jesus commanded the Lords Supper as a sacrament that shouldn’t be neglected. As Paul stated “As often you eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26) Proclaim Jesus as your Passover Lamb often, Do this in remembrance of Christ! Amen!

Mark 14- The Anointing

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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. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. Mark 14:3-5

Jesus came back to visit the town of Bethany, this was the hometown of Lazarus , whom Jesus raised from the dead. They were hosting a dinner in honor of Jesus, Mary who is Lazarus’ sister , took a pint of perfume and anointed Jesus’ head with it and washed his feet. Nobody realized it at the time but she was actually prophesying about the death of Christ, which was going to happen only a few days later.

Judas Iscariot, rebuked Mary for wasting the perfume on Jesus, and claimed they could have sold it to feed the poor. Obviously we know Judas is wicked and only wanted to sell the perfume for his own profit. Judas also didn’t love Jesus as he sold him for 30 pieces of silver. The time was coming for the Son of Man to be delivered to the wicked to die for the sins of the world

And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 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. Mark 14:6-9

Jesus openly rebuked Judas in front of everyone, this probably came as a shock to him and everyone there, as woman in the first century were typically treated as lower class citizens. For Jesus to defend a woman over a man, especially a disciple , made a statement! Of course Jesus knew the wickedness also of Judas heart, his other disciples did not realize that Judas would betray Christ and have him killed

As Jesus stated “She has come beforehand to anoint my body for burial” this act was a prophecy of the death and burial of Christ. Nobody understood it at this time, but Mary was performing a sacred act, and Jesus said “What she has done will be spoken of as a memorial of her” A simple act of a loving disciple will be remembered by The Lord forever!

The hour is coming, for Christ to go to the cross, and die for our sins. The hour is coming for Jesus to rise again on the 3rd day defeating sin and death forever! The hour is coming for Christ to return again, are you ready? Be a humble servant like Mary, lay down at the feet of Christ, for Jesus is Lord Amen!