The Road to Calvary - Day 15: Divine Love on Display

He was pierced for our transgressions.

He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. On this Good Friday edition of Living on the Edge, we'll unpack the most heartbreaking yet pivotal moment in human history that the prophet Isaiah predicted centuries before. I'm Dave Gruhey, and we're nearing the end of our study in the Gospel of Mark, as the journey we've been on together has brought us to the foothills of Calvary. Today, our Bible teacher, Chip Ingram, will be in chapters 14 and 15 of Mark describing Christ's unfair trial and brutal crucifixion. There's a lot to get to, so grab your Bible and notes as we settle in for Chip's message, Divine Love, on display. Welcome to Day 15 of our Gospel study of the book of Mark. And first of all, thanks for hanging with me.

This has been a great time together. We actually started in verse 1 of chapter 1, and we've gone all the way through, and we're actually going to cover end of chapter 14 and most of chapter 15. And today's kind of a paradox. I remember as a kid, I didn't grow up as a Christian that knew Jesus personally, but you would go to a service sometimes on Good Friday. And you know, I'm just a kid, like I'm 10 years old, and it's like, okay, isn't this the day that Jesus got whipped and mocked and crucified? What part of this is good?

I couldn't figure it out, and we're going to talk about that. But speaking of paradox, I thought of this day, and I wrote down just for sort of context to ponder as you think about how you celebrate this Good Friday. This Friday, the innocent are found guilty. The lawkeepers, those religious leaders that were so upset about Jesus breaking their traditions, well, they break the law. The crowd who cheered, hey, you know, now they're jeering, crucify him.

The healer is wounded. The powerful, people who could make a difference stand silent. The weak shout. The giver of life is in a tomb.

The loyal flee. The sinless become sin on our behalf. And the instrument of death, the cross, becomes the springboard of life.

It really is a paradox, isn't it? I don't know your experience, and I don't know your sort of Good Friday traditions or how much you've studied the scripture. It's a pretty long passage, and what I find is it can get very confusing. So what I want to try and do is maybe something that would be helpful for you is I'm going to walk through sort of segment by segment and give you a context of what was happening because there's a number of different trials, and he gets tried by different people, and some are power brokers, and some are active high priests, and some are political figures. So what I'm going to do is section by section, and if you happen to be able to open your Bible, it'll really be helpful.

Or as you listen to this, follow along because I think it's really helpful. We pick it up where there's a trial beginning in verse 53 of chapter 14. It's an illegal trial that literally is a charade. So let me give you sort of what's really going on, and then we'll read the text so hopefully the lights will come on and you'll get, oh, this is what's going on. So first of all, there's what I would call like a preliminary hearing, and we're going to learn it's Annas' house, and he's a former high priest.

And the thing got super political. So he's a former high priest. He's a power broker. So they're taking Jesus to him because whether he's the actual high priest, think of some countries where maybe dictators have been ousted, and they're not the actual dictator, but what they do is they appoint a prime minister or a leader. This is Annas. He's a real power broker.

And then there's Caiaphas and son-in-law. It's probably about 1 a.m. by the time all these things are happening. Picture in your mind Jesus has been through this time with the disciples emotionally. You know, you can still smell some of the perfume, but there's sweat that has come out.

He's been emotionally exhausted. He has now watched people run for their lives, his loyal friends. And I would remind all of us, just knowing something is going to happen is not the same as it happens, right? You might know they're going to flee, but it's a little different emotional experience when you're being taken away and they flee, and the reality of that happens.

Then it's post-dawn a little bit later. They're going to reconvene the Sanhedrin, about 71 members, and after this mock trial, false evidence, these 71 members will confirm a sentence. Now, what you don't know is there was a list of regulations and traditions in a book called the Mishnah, and this is how the leaders were supposed to operate. Let me give you some of their rules that they broke. The Mishnah said you could only meet for a trial in the meeting room. Well, they didn't do that.

You could never do one at night or during a feast. If it was a capital crime, the guilty verdict must have one full day of delay. I mean, they were concerned about getting things right. So if it's a capital crime and you're going to sentence someone to death, then we need a full day to make sure all the evidence is in and we've made the right decision. And then separate witnesses and then individual verdicts and there can be no leading questions. Those were their rules about how you try someone to make sure it's fair.

And they broke every single one of them. In fact, listen, verse 53, they took Jesus to the high priest and all the chief priests, elders, and teachers of the law came together. Peter followed him at a distance right into the courtyard of the high priest.

There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin, that's that council, were looking for evidence against Jesus so they could put him to death. But they didn't find any. He was innocent. Many testified falsely against him, but their statements didn't agree. Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him.

We heard him say, I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another not made by man. Yet even then their testimony did not agree. Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you? But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again, the high priest asked him, are you the Christ, the son of the blessed one? Answer, I am. And you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the mighty one coming on the clouds of heaven.

The high priest tore his clothes. Why do we need any more evidence? He asked. You have heard the blasphemy.

What do you think? They all condemned him as worthy of death. Then some began to, think of this, spit at him and they blindfolded him and they struck him with their fists and they said, prophesy. And the guards took him and they beat him. How many of their own laws, how much of everything they've taught other people, what is it about the fear inside of people losing control, this demand, this fear as he brought the truth to their life, this is the response.

This trial was a complete manufactured charade. Now, if that wasn't challenging enough, I want you to picture what Jesus is experiencing. These are priests spitting at him.

This is vile behavior. They're mocking him. And then he's going to have an experience with, I think, his closest disciple. I mean, even later on when he's resurrected, he tells the women, go tell the disciples and Peter. He knows Peter is really struggling after he'll betray him. And here we find Jesus actually witnesses Peter betraying him. Scholars tell us that the way the buildings were arranged and the way the courtyard is, in all likelihood, Jesus was on a second story and there was a window and all this interrogation and things were happening. And outside the window would be servants and there would be a fire.

And Peter kind of was pretty courageous that at least he followed Jesus. Everyone else just completely ran away and he, you know, wants to see what's happening. And I'm sure in his heart he, you know, is there anything I can do? And I don't know what to do and I'm really afraid. And you ever been there?

You know, where you're really struggling? Well, let's find out what happens with Peter. He's brave enough to follow. While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. You also were with the Nazarene Jesus, she said, but he denied it. Denial number one.

I don't know or understand what you're talking about, he said. And he went out into the entryway. When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, this fellow is one of them. And again, he denied it.

Denial number two. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, surely you are one of them for your Galilean. He began to call down curses and he swore to them, I don't know this man you're talking about. Immediately, the rooster crowed the second time. And then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him. Before the rooster crows twice, you will disown me three times.

And he broke down and he wept. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. You ever at work, had a conversation with a coworker and one of those controversial topics that's going on right now about sexual lifestyles or political issues or all kinds of things that are happening and someone brings something up and it's very clear, you're one of those Christians, right?

Aren't you? And well, or you're silent. The door opens, there's a window, you're prompted by the spirit. It's clear, you're supposed to step up. Here's the moment and you just, I've been on airplanes with people and you all think just because I'm a pastor that, you know, I have some super pee on my chest that when anyone asks me about Jesus I'm just, I'm bold as a lion. I always come through. Praise God, I've had a number of kind of neat experiences, but I will tell you, I've had times where I've sat next to someone and they're very powerful or very rich or very powerful and rich and very intelligent and they start talking in a certain way and I feel like God wants me to say something and I've chickened out. I mean, and those are just words. It wasn't like they're going to throw me off the plane. It wasn't like someone was going to hurt me. I, in that moment, in that window, I betrayed Christ, as we all do.

Notice, now what happens? They can't legally kill him and so what they have to do is they've got to come up with an arrangement with a corrupt Roman official and they've got to play their cards just right to get this corrupt Roman official to kill Jesus. What they know is that criminal trials, Pilate, this was his pattern, criminal trials that could end in terms of capital offense were done at dawn.

Basically because it's mostly criminals, it was mostly slaves. At one point in time, if you want to know a little history, one of the emperors actually had 30,000 slaves crucified and another time, the Appian Way, it's kind of a main road that went into Rome, it was lined with crosses and just hundreds of people crucified and they would leave them on the crosses to hang and even let the body decay as a warning to others. You need to remember that Rome was a really, really cruel place and so this trial is going to be a mockery but it's one trial but it has about three parts. The charges will come before Pilate and they're going to range from he's a subversive to the nation, they're going to tell him, you know, hey, he doesn't pay taxes to Caesar which is a lie, he's the king of the Jews so this is treason. He's saying that he's a king and what we know is we all worship Caesar and then the charges come before Pilate, then Pilate sort of in a political move sends him to Herod. He knows Herod always wanted to meet Jesus and the other gospel writers tell us a little bit more about that. Then he comes back to Pilate and then Pilate gets a warning. He gets a warning from his wife, I had a dream about this man, don't go there Pilate, I'm just telling you, be careful with this and all those things are happening in the background and so as a hypocrite, what he knows the Jews have an agenda, he knows they're jealous, he wants to appease them. One of the scripture writers tell us that he and Herod were at odds until this event so he's saving face, saving political career and he doesn't really care what happens but he makes a show but part of the show that is important, legally he washes his hands and says I find no evidence which really matters.

He still flogs him, he still gives in but he tries to flip in and says what do you want me to do with him? In other words, the culpability isn't mine, the culpability is going to be yours and of course the crowds instigated by the religious leaders crucify him, crucify him, crucify him. Well, chapter 15 verse 1, very early in the morning the chief priests with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin reach a decision.

Hey, it's unanimous. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate starts to interrogate.

Are you the king of the Jews? asked Pilate. Yes, it's as you say Jesus replied. The chief priest accused him of many things. So again, Pilate asked him aren't you going to answer?

See how many things they're accusing you of? But Jesus still made no reply and Pilate was amazed. Now it was the custom at the feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested.

A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. So he says, do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews? asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy the chief priest had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priest stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

What shall I do then with the one you call the king of the Jews? Pilate asked. Crucify him, they shouted.

Why? What crime has he committed? asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder. Crucify him.

Get this, underline this. Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus logged and handed him over to be crucified.

Boy, this is, you know the applications. I like to think that I'm a disciple when I read the text, but unfortunately sometimes I read it and realize there's a lot of Pilate in me. You know, I want to please everybody. Sometimes we want to please people and we violate the truth. Sometimes we are unwilling to step up because we want to please people. And Pilate says wanting to satisfy the crowd. He made a show.

He washed his hands. And so he turns him over to the soldiers and notice to be crucified and he has him flogged. And you know, if you've seen the Passion of the Christ, they accurately depict what flogging was like.

And it would be a bar about this long and then they would have various length leather and tied into it would be balls of steel or pieces of bone and it would cause contusions and would wrap around the body and then they would pull it out and would rip the flesh. People would be almost near death by the time they got crucified. Well, what happens next is these soldiers are going to just do to Jesus what they did to criminals and they know King of the Jews. Well, why don't we have some fun with this? The soldiers led Jesus away in the palace, that is the Praetorium, and called together the whole company of soldiers.

A company was about three to six hundred soldiers. In other words, hey, hey, there's going to be a show. You guys got to see this. They put a purple robe on him and they wove a crown of thorns and set it upon him and they begin to call out to him, Hail King of the Jews. Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and they spit on him. Falling on their knees, they worshipped him and when they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put on his own clothes and they led him out to be crucified. Verse 21, a certain man from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way from the country and they forced him to carry the cross.

Normally, when the cross is carried, the vertical beam is already there but the horizontal beam, sometimes between six and nine feet long, weighed probably thirty pounds, sometimes a little bit more, and the criminal would carry that cross and he would be escorted by four soldiers in sort of a diamond formation. They're coming through the crowds and unfortunately, like hangings in the Old West, when people were being crucified, crowds came. They brought Jesus to the place of Golgotha, which means the place of the skull. Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh but he did not take it and they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. It was the third hour when they crucified him.

That's about 9 a.m. The written notice of the charge against him read, the King of the Jews. They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who hurled insults at him, shaking their heads saying, so you're going to destroy the temple and build it in three days?

Come down from the cross and save yourself. In the same way, the chief priest and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. He saved others, they said.

He can't save himself. Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe. Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. We learned from other Gospel writers that both of them may have started with insults but one of them had a moment.

He had a moment, he realized, I deserve this but not this man. And we see the incredible love and compassion of God which is what the cross is all about. Remember me. Dependence, I don't deserve mercy, just remember me. He just brings his need before Jesus today. Today, you'll be with me in paradise. I meet people all the time that because of what I've done, Jesus could never forgive me. Jesus' work on the cross and his love is for everyone.

Whosoever would even come and say, oh, I don't deserve it. Please forgive me. Have mercy on me. The scripture says God delights to extend mercy. At the sixth hour, the darkness came over the whole earth.

It's noon until about the ninth hour, three hour block. At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, which means, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? When some of those standing near heard this, they said, listen, he's calling Elijah. One man ran and filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick and offered it up to Jesus to drink.

Leave him alone now. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down, he said. With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion who stood there in front of Jesus heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, surely this man was a son of God. And some women were watching from a distance and among them were Mary Magdalene, the one that he cast out seven demons. Mary, the mother of James, the younger, and of Joseph, and of Salome. In Galilee, these women had followed him and cared for his needs. And many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem were also there. The disciples have fled, these supporting women from a distance, they have their hearts broken. And Jesus chooses to die. He offers himself as a sin offering. And the question we have to ask, and we know the answer in terms of our story and our theology, but why? Why a trial that's a joke?

Why a friend who's fickle? Why a governor who's a coward? Why soldiers that were mindless beasts? And why a cross that should be reserved only for criminals? And the answer is, for even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and give his life a ransom for many. The writer of the Hebrews actually puts it a bit more clearly, if you can say it more clearly, as he describes some of the inner workings of Jesus at this moment. In Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2, it says, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author, literally the trailblazer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross. Joy, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Jesus died in our place and paid for our sin because he loves us. It was the joy set before him of what could happen when he died on the cross and he atoned or covered for our sin for every single person who would turn, repent from our sin, recognize our need, and in the empty hands of faith receive the free gift of God, his work in our place to cover and forgive us.

As many as received him, Jesus, to them he gives the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on his name. This Good Friday, could you appreciate, like never before, how much Jesus loves you. For those of you that have never received Jesus, I just encourage you, receive his forgiveness right now in your own words. And for those of us that have, Paul's words are, we no longer live for ourselves, but for him who died and rose again on our behalf.

This Friday, this very Good Friday for us and very hard and bad Friday for Jesus is a day to remember that you are loved more than you can possibly imagine. And God's plan and heart and desire for you is that you would turn and walk with him and surrender and follow his model the way he did with the father. And you will receive the life that's really life.

You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. I'm Dave Drewey, and if you just prayed to receive Christ as the teaching ended, we'd like to put a free resource in your hands. This tool will help you understand what it means to trust in Jesus and what to do next. Request this free resource by calling 888-333-6003 or visiting livingontheedge.org, then clicking the New Believers button.

That's livingontheedge.org or call 888-333-6003. Let us help you get started in your faith journey. Well, Chip's back with me in studio to share a powerful truth to wrap up this Good Friday message.

Thanks so much, Dave. You know, as we close today's program, there's a number of you that feel a lot like Peter. You've failed, or you've betrayed Christ, or maybe you've betrayed a mate, or you've done some things you feel like God could never forgive you. Today's teaching from our Lord wants to remind you that failure's never final. During this Easter season, come back home. He loves you.

Peter betrayed him, and he became the leader of the church. Don't let the enemy bombard you with the lies that you're too far gone, that what you've done is unforgivable. The fact of the matter is you are deeply, unconditionally loved, and as you run back to the Father, His arms are wide open. Can I encourage you today to text or call the greatest Christian you know and just say, I need to get back to the Lord. Will you help me? I think you'll be glad you did.

Great word, Chip. And let me give some final encouragement to those feeling unworthy right now. Read the story of the prodigal son in Luke chapter 15. You might feel like that rebellious son who wandered away, but God is that good Father who, like Chip said, is waiting with open arms to welcome you back home.

Read that parable and embrace your Heavenly Father's divine love for you. As we wrap up, I can't encourage you strongly enough to join us for our next broadcast. The story is not over. Today may be Friday, but Sunday is coming. So be sure to listen to the exciting conclusion of this new series, The Road to Calvary. Until then, I'm Dave Druey. Have a wonderful Easter weekend.