Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm19970514.htm

MARK: GOSPEL OF THE SERVICE OF CHRIST, GOD'S SERVANT
Part XIX: Learning To Yield To Awful, Relentless Injustices Against Us As God's Will
(Mark 15:1-41)
  1. Introduction
    1. The believer can face at time a seemingly relentless stream of noticeable, painful injustices, problems over which he not only has no control, but for which there seems to be no end.
    2. However, Romans 8:28 tells us that all things -- even such relentless injustices -- work for the good.
    3. Nowhere in Scripture is this truth more clearly seen than in the events recorded in Mark 15 as follows:
  2. Learning To Yield To Awful, Relentless Injustices Against Us As God's Will, Mark 15:1-41.
    1. Jesus faced a relentless onslaught of injustices in His trial before Pilate and on to His crucifixion and death:
      1. In His trial before Pilate, even godless Pilate's actions reveal a horde of vile injustices against Jesus:
        1. In other accounts, Pilate was known as a harsh governor who hated the Jews, cf. Luke 13:1-2.
        2. Yet, in questioning if Jesus was the king of the Jews, a title that implied insurrection against Roman Law, Jesus' response that He was such a king was met with no heartfelt wrath on Pilate's part: John's Gospel shows Jesus revealing His kingship not to be an insurrectionist one, something Pilate saw as nothing threatening to Roman rule that was wor thy of execution, Jn. 18:33-38.
        3. Pilate also marveled that Jesus did not try to defend Himself against the numerous accusations of the Jewish rulers, and thus saw their hatred and jealousy of Jesus, an obviously innocent man, 15:3-5, 9.
        4. In fact, thinking that since Jesus wouldn't defend Himself, he, Pilate would, Pilate tried to release Jesus via appealing to his usual practice of bestowing on Him amnesty by public acclaim, 15:6, 8-9.
        5. However, the people urged that Barabbas, a known murderous insurrectionist, be released, 15:7, 11.
        6. Incredulous at their choosing to let a known murderer go in place of an innocent man, Pilate naively asked what in the world he should then do with the innocent Jesus, Mark 15:12.
        7. Pilate was shocked to hear them cry, "Crucify him!", and replied, "Why, what evil has he done?" 14b.
        8. The violent, stirred crowd kept pleading for Christ's crucifixion to Pilate's chagrin, Mark 15:14c.
        9. Well, Pilate yielded to the will of the people to keep the peace, delivering Jesus over to them to be crucified while himself trying to wash his hands of Christ's blood-guilt, Mtt. 27:24; Mk. 15:15b.
      2. On top of the gross injustices done to Jesus at the trial, what followed was even more horrendous:
        1. Jesus was physically and verbally abused by the Roman soldiers, Mark 15:16.
        2. He was then led away to be crucified, and was so weakened from the mistreatment by the soldiers that another man was compelled to carry His cross, Mark 15:21-23.
        3. Then they crucified Jesus, divvying up His last earthly possessions, the clothes on His back, 15:24f.
        4. While on the cross, Jesus was mocked by His enemies, the religious leaders, Mk. 15:26-32.
        5. In suffering, Jesus cried out to God the Father about being forsaken by Him, Mk. 15:33-34.
        6. When He thus cried out, someone watching though He was crying for salvation from Elijah, and told the others to wait and see if Elijah would come and save Him, Mk. 15:35-36. Their darkness was so great they did not consider that He wa s quoting a well-known part of the 22nd psalm, Ps. 22:1.
        7. Finally, with a loud cry, Jesus gave up the spirit and died, Mk. 15:37.
    2. However, this terrible time of injustice was incredibly valuable to God, and was permitted to fulfill a plan:
      1. The vail of the temple was rent at Christ's death from top to bottom, signifying that God had opened the way into His presence for sinners through Christ's death for the sins of man, Mk. 15:38; He. 10:19-25.
      2. The witnessing centurion saw the supernatural way Jesus died with a shout, so uncharacteristic of other crucifixion victims who died in a comma, and believed in Christ for salvation, Mk. 15:39.
      3. Witnessing women saw these events as important witnesses of Christ's death for future testimonies, 40f.
Lesson: The onslaught of unjust treatment levelled at Jesus was used of God to (1) pay for the sins of the world, (2) to impress and thus save the centurion at the foot of the cross and (3) to set the stage for world-wide Gospel presentation with w itnesses of His death, Mk. 15:40-41; 1 Cor. 15:1-11.

Application: If facing unstoppable, voluminous injustices, ACCEPT this as God's permitted will and trust that He has a marvelous eternal purpose in it all. Case in point: the death of Jesus Christ!