Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon Mark 14:53-65 Testimony
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
March 22, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
We are now at the fourth week of Lent. The Gospel of Mark has taken us on quite a journey: an anointing in Bethany, a Passover meal in Jerusalem, prayers in the garden of Gethsemane and the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. Jesus’ freedom has been curtailed. He can no longer travel freely about Jerusalem and has been taken to the palace of the High Priest for trial. Jesus’ end is near and it is time for us to pray.
Father in heaven, we have been following your son, Jesus, on his way to the cross. Keep us as faithful witnesses in this journey. Help us to see clearly who Jesus is and what he is doing. Help us to tell others what we have seen and heard. Bless our hearing of your word this day. And may the words that I speak truly be your words for this congregation. Amen.
Mark 14:53-65 53 They took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled. 54 Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire. 55 Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none. 56 For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree. 57 Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, 58 "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.'" 59 But even on this point their testimony did not agree. 60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?" 61 But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" 62 Jesus said, "I am; and 'you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,' and 'coming with the clouds of heaven.'" 63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "Why do we still need witnesses? 64 You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?" All of them condemned him as deserving death. 65 Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, "Prophesy!" The guards also took him over and beat him.
I have been a witness in a trial. Years ago a woman fell in our ice cream store and sued us. The insurance company handled everything, but I was needed as a witness because I was the store manager and knew our procedures for keeping the floor clean. I remember sitting in the hallway until I was needed. I also remember that the courtroom temperature was very cold, to keep everyone awake. I testified truthfully, but one of the lawyers tried to twist around something I had said. The whole experience was over in a few minutes.
Today I am called to give testimony of a different sort. I am called as a
witness of Jesus Christ to testify as to his identity. I have been trained in seminary, read books, and studied the Bible to learn exactly who Jesus is so that I cam proclaim his identity to you. I know how people identified Jesus throughout church history. But how should I testify about Jesus today?
Who do we say Jesus is? This is an important question. As followers of Jesus we are expected to know who Jesus is. Everyone has an opinion about Jesus’ identity. And it is Jesus’ identity that is on trial before the Sanhedrin, the council of chief priests, elders and scribes. So lets look at the trial.
At this trial some said that Jesus was a terrorist who was planning to destroy the temple. Jesus had prophesied that the temple would be destroyed, but was not planning to destroy it himself. In fact those who testified against Jesus could not agree on their testimony thus violating a principle of Hebrew law that two witnesses in agreement were necessary. Also it was clear that these witnesses were lying thus violating the ninth commandment. Therefore the charges against Jesus that he was some kind of terrorist were meaningless and the High Priest dropped this line of questioning. And Jesus did not comment on it.
What was of most interest to the High Priest were not the actions of Jesus, what he might have done, but the identity of Jesus which was the subject of rumor throughout Jerusalem. These rumors had caused great anxiety among the Jewish leaders. Some people were saying that Jesus was the anointed one, the messiah, the Christ that Jewish people had been waiting for, a descendant of David who would remove the yoke of Roman occupation and restore the theocratic nation that David had formed and ruled. Others were saying that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus had avoided acknowledging both of these identities knowing that either one would cause trouble for him with the Jewish authorities. But when asked by the High Priest if he was the Messiah and the Son of God, Jesus replied truthfully that he was.
But Jesus was not content simply to testify to this. Jesus wanted the High Priest and us to understand exactly who he though he was. Jesus believed that he was the Son of Man. This title, Son of Man, came from a vision of heaven by the prophet Daniel. Daniel saw God sitting on the throne in heaven. There Daniel saw a human being whom God was giving dominion, glory and kingship over all the people and nations on earth, forever. Jesus’ testimony was enough for the Sanhedrin. They knew that in Daniel’s vision the Son of Man would ultimately prevail, but must first suffer at the hand of one of the kingdoms of the earth. They feared that this Son of Man would incite the Romans to use force and possibly destroy the temple and the city. So they decided to sentence Jesus to death rather than risk a conflict between the Son of Man and Rome.
As Christians we are called to tell people who Jesus is. Of course people today are not longing for the coming of a messiah. And most people will not even recognize the title Son of Man. So what testimony do we give about who Jesus is?
For me Jesus is someone who has guided me. When I have been troubled, Jesus was there to comfort me. When I needed direction, Jesus led the way. Jesus was with me when I decided to go to seminary. Jesus was there calling me to this church. Jesus is the person I pray to and who I know is listening. Jesus understands my suffering because he too suffered. And Jesus intervenes on my behalf when I need forgiveness.
Another way of identifying Jesus comes from the Korean poet, Chi Ha Kim, wrote a play called The Gold-Crowned Jesus. This play takes place in a courtyard in front of a church. In this courtyard there was a statue of Jesus made from cement with a gold crown on his head. One cold day in the middle of winter a beggar was lying on the bench beneath the statue. The beggar wondered what good was a cement Jesus for someone like him. How could a cement Jesus understand what it is like to be cold? How could a cement Jesus understand what it is like to be hungry? How could a cement Jesus understand what it is like to be homeless? Just then the beggar felt a drop of water on his forehead. He looked up and saw the cement Jesus weeping and noticed the gold crown on his head. He decided that a cement Jesus might be of some value after all. So he reached up to take the crown when he heard Jesus’ voice. Jesus said, “Take it, please! For too long a time have I been imprisoned in this cement. Eventually you came and made me open my mouth. You have saved me. (Velli-Matti Karkkainen, Christology, A Global Introduction 2003)276
For too long Jesus has been imprisoned by the words of scripture and the interpretations of the church. It is time to liberate Jesus from these bonds by remembering that Jesus lived with the poor, the sick, and the women, healing them, casting out demons, feeding them, and protecting them from injustice. Jesus himself was transformed by talking with the marginalized people of his day and working to serve them and satisfy their needs. This is good news for all of us because it means that Jesus listens to our cries too and responds with God’s love.
For any of us who are poor, or homeless, or hungry, or alone, people whom Koreans call minjung, we must remember that Jesus was arrested, beaten and eventually killed. He already knows what suffering is all about. But Jesus defeated death. And now he can no longer be mutilated or crucified because he already has. Therefore Jesus can unite with those of us who are poor, mentally ill, or disabled, because Jesus is not a stature in front of a church. Rather he is one with us, shares our pain, and cares for us.
So Jesus admitted in his trail that he was the anointed one, the Christ, the messiah, and that he was God’s son. But Jesus knew in his heart that he was really the Son of Man whom God had sent to earth to suffer for the sake of his people. So we understand that Jesus is one with us in our suffering just as he is one with God in his incarnation. Jesus loves us and cares for us.
Now it is time for you to go out into the world and tell others who Jesus is and how you have experienced him. Think about all that Jesus has done for you, how Jesus has blessed you so richly. And spread the word around that Jesus was with you in your time of suffering and need and in your time or joy and celebration. You are the witnesses of Jesus Christ to the world we live in. The world desperately needs to hear your testimony.
Lord Jesus, we praise you and thank you for all you have done for us. We know that in your suffering you know about our suffering. We know that in your experience of joy you know about our joy. So when we pray you know what we need and are asking for, and you can express this to the Father. Help us to liberate you from the church as we help the poor and disadvantaged in our community. And we pray this in your glorious name. Amen
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Lenten Vesper Homily – Mark 14:43-52 Running Naked
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Lenten Vesper Homily – Mark 14:43-52- Running Naked
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
March 19, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Good evening everyone and welcome to our first Lenten Vesper Service of the season. We will be gathering here for the next three weeks to prepare ourselves for the great celebration of Easter. These vespers are times for us to be quiet and contemplative. Remember that Jesus is with us and we are joining him on his way to the cross.
Our Scripture for tonight comes from the 14th chapter of Mark, verses 43-52. Listen to the word of God.
Mark 14:43-52 43 Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard." 45 So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him. 46 Then they laid hands on him and arrested him. 47 But one of those who stood near drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 48 Then Jesus said to them, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? 49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled." 50 All of them deserted him and fled. 51 A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, 52 but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.
I guess that woke you up. Mark did say that a young man ran off naked. What could that possibly mean? I have been wondering all week why Mark included this story about a man in linen underwear running off naked. So I looked in the other gospels, Matthew, Luke and John for clues as to what this is all about.
In Matthew the emphasis is on Jesus’ power. Jesus said that he could call down twelve legions of angels to deal with situation. But Jesus has chosen not to use this power and proceed to the cross.
In Luke the emphasis is on Jesus’ compassion. After the slave’s ear is cut off Jesus healed the slave and his ear was restored. But Jesus has chosen not to use a miracle to save himself from the cross.
In John the emphasis is on Jesus’ divinity. When asked if he was Jesus of Nazareth he replied with the words “I am”, an echo of the words God spoke to Moses in the burning bush. But Jesus has chosen not to use his equality with God to avoid suffering and death.
And in Mark the emphasis is on a naked man running away. This still does not make any sense. So I started to look through the Old Testament to try to figure out what Mark was talking about. And I remembered a chapter in Leviticus concerning the Day of Atonement.
The Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, is the day when Jews believe their sins are washed away by God. In ancient times the High Priest would make a sacrifice for the sins of himself and his family. Then he would go into the congregation and get a steer and two goats. The steer would be sacrificed for the sins of the people. One of the goats, chosen by lot, would also be sacrificed. But the other goat would be set free in the wilderness carrying all the sins of the people away with it. The person who took the goat into the wilderness would then strip of his linen underwear and bathe before returning to the camp.
I believe that the young man who lost his linen underwear and ran off into the night symbolically represented the escaped goat, the scapegoat. All of our sins where placed on his head and he carried them off into the night where they will never be seen again. So Mark’s emphasis in his account of the arrest of Jesus is not Jesus’ power, nor his compassion, nor his divinity. Rather. Mark’s emphasis is in the atoning nature of Jesus’ sacrifice which removes all sin from us and restores us to a right relationship with God.
So that is why we came here tonight. We are gathering around this table with Jesus to eat the Passover meal. We are praying with Jesus in the garden. Now we are with Jesus at his betrayal and arrest and experiencing the cleansing of our sins. And of course I expect you all to get naked and run into the night. Amen.
Lenten Vesper Homily – Mark 14:43-52- Running Naked
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
March 19, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Good evening everyone and welcome to our first Lenten Vesper Service of the season. We will be gathering here for the next three weeks to prepare ourselves for the great celebration of Easter. These vespers are times for us to be quiet and contemplative. Remember that Jesus is with us and we are joining him on his way to the cross.
Our Scripture for tonight comes from the 14th chapter of Mark, verses 43-52. Listen to the word of God.
Mark 14:43-52 43 Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard." 45 So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him. 46 Then they laid hands on him and arrested him. 47 But one of those who stood near drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 48 Then Jesus said to them, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? 49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled." 50 All of them deserted him and fled. 51 A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, 52 but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.
I guess that woke you up. Mark did say that a young man ran off naked. What could that possibly mean? I have been wondering all week why Mark included this story about a man in linen underwear running off naked. So I looked in the other gospels, Matthew, Luke and John for clues as to what this is all about.
In Matthew the emphasis is on Jesus’ power. Jesus said that he could call down twelve legions of angels to deal with situation. But Jesus has chosen not to use this power and proceed to the cross.
In Luke the emphasis is on Jesus’ compassion. After the slave’s ear is cut off Jesus healed the slave and his ear was restored. But Jesus has chosen not to use a miracle to save himself from the cross.
In John the emphasis is on Jesus’ divinity. When asked if he was Jesus of Nazareth he replied with the words “I am”, an echo of the words God spoke to Moses in the burning bush. But Jesus has chosen not to use his equality with God to avoid suffering and death.
And in Mark the emphasis is on a naked man running away. This still does not make any sense. So I started to look through the Old Testament to try to figure out what Mark was talking about. And I remembered a chapter in Leviticus concerning the Day of Atonement.
The Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, is the day when Jews believe their sins are washed away by God. In ancient times the High Priest would make a sacrifice for the sins of himself and his family. Then he would go into the congregation and get a steer and two goats. The steer would be sacrificed for the sins of the people. One of the goats, chosen by lot, would also be sacrificed. But the other goat would be set free in the wilderness carrying all the sins of the people away with it. The person who took the goat into the wilderness would then strip of his linen underwear and bathe before returning to the camp.
I believe that the young man who lost his linen underwear and ran off into the night symbolically represented the escaped goat, the scapegoat. All of our sins where placed on his head and he carried them off into the night where they will never be seen again. So Mark’s emphasis in his account of the arrest of Jesus is not Jesus’ power, nor his compassion, nor his divinity. Rather. Mark’s emphasis is in the atoning nature of Jesus’ sacrifice which removes all sin from us and restores us to a right relationship with God.
So that is why we came here tonight. We are gathering around this table with Jesus to eat the Passover meal. We are praying with Jesus in the garden. Now we are with Jesus at his betrayal and arrest and experiencing the cleansing of our sins. And of course I expect you all to get naked and run into the night. Amen.
Sermon Mark 14:32-41 Prayer in the Garden
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon Mark 14:32-41 Prayer in the Garden
March 15, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Today we have reached the third Sunday of Lent. Our guide through this period has been the Gospel of Mark. We have watched with Judas as the Jesus was anointed for death. And we have sat with the disciples and Jesus around a Passover meal. Today we will accompany Jesus, Peter, James and John to a garden on the Mount of Olives for prayer.
This morning I will be talking about prayer. Prayer is something that we do all the time. We pray every Sunday in worship. We pray every day at 6AM. We pray to bless meals. My mother taught me to pray before going to sleep at night. I can remember my grandmother kneeling beside the bed every evening. So we are very familiar with prayer. But what is prayer exactly?
Prayer has something to do with communicating with God. The Bible is filled with stories of people talking with God, seeing visions, wrestling with God, hearing from God’s messengers, the angels, and so forth. But prayer is something more that just being with God. So let’s look at people praying in the Bible.
The first time prayer occurs in the Bible comes when Abimelech, the king of Gerar, took Abraham’s wife Sarah supposing her to be Abraham’s sister. That night, in a dream, God came to Abimelech telling him he was about to die. But Abimelech had done nothing wrong, had not slept with Sarah because God did not permit in. So God told Abimelech to ask Abraham to pray for him, to pray for forgiveness so that the death sentence would be pardoned. A prayer therefore is a form of pleading, asking God for something or asking God to intervene in some way.
Moses established prayer as an important role for the prophets. When fire threatened the whole camp, or when poisonous snakes appeared, or when the priests made a golden calf, Moses prayed to God for forgiveness and deliverance for all the people. And God listened to Moses’ petitions.
The first person in scripture to pray for herself was Hannah. Hannah desperately wanted children. She wept bitterly. And we are told she prayed, pleaded with God to give her a child. The priest saw Hannah’s mouth moving but heard no words coming out of her it. She was praying silently for a son. Hannah was the first prayer woman of the Bible.
Hannah conceived and bore a son named Samuel who established that prophets should pray for nation at important occasions. So Samuel prayed for success as the Israelites prepared for battle with the Philistines. And when the people asked for a king, Samuel prayed to God asking if this should happen.
David was the first king to pray. His prayer came after God’s promise of an everlasting dynasty. David said prayers of joy and thanksgiving for all the blessings God had done for him. And David continued praying his joy throughout the book of Psalms.
The temple that Solomon built for God was to be a house of prayer. It was a place where people could come to offer their petitions to God for forgiveness and intercession. Prayers were to be offered there for rain, end to famine, and success in battle.
It was the prophet Elijah who first showed the healing power of prayer when he and a grieving mother prayed that her son would come back to life. God heard this prayer and gave her son new life.
King Hezekiah established that prayer could be used to protect his nation from calamity. He prayed that God would intercede on Judah’s behalf as the army of the Assyrians approached Jerusalem. And it was none other than the prophet Isaiah who assured Hezekiah that his prayers had been heard by God and Jerusalem was safe.
Later when the Babylonians came, God told the prophet Jeremiah not to bother praying because Jerusalem, this time, would not be spared destruction. But after the people were exiled to Babylon God told Jeremiah to have the people pray for the welfare of the city they were living in.
When the exiles were returning from Babylon to Jerusalem the prophet Ezra led the people in prayers of confession. The prophet Nehemiah prayed for his people day and night. And, of course, the prophet Jonah prayed from the belly of a fish.
And that brings us to a very important prayer, the prayer between the Son and the Father as Jesus was on the way to the cross.
Mark 14:32-42 32 They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." 33 He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. 34 And he said to them, "I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake." 35 And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 He said, "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want." 37 He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? 38 Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. 41 He came a third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand."
According to the Gospel of Mark Jesus liked to pray alone in the early morning hours. He would go to the top of a small mountain where he could be alone with God. Jesus taught that we should pray believing that God not only hears what we ask for but also responds. And he cautioned us against saying long prayers trying to impress other people.
While praying in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus gave us a model for our own prayers to God. First he addressed God as abba, daddy. In prayer we develop a personal relationship with God. God is a loving parent who longs to hear from us through prayer. I call my dad once a week just to chat. Prayer is the same thing. It is a time to chat with our creator.
Prayer is also a time for us to acknowledge who God is and who we are. Through prayer we realize that we are finite and God is infinite. This creates in us a sense of humility and prepares us for confession. We realize that by chatting with the creator of the universe anything is possible. Of course not everything is beneficial to us. So we ask for what we want and need and God gives us what God wants us to have. We can set our expectations very high, but we must also realize that God loves us and wants the best for us. So as we pray we bring our petitions to God and trust that God will respond in the appropriate way.
Jesus wanted to be spared the agony of crucifixion. So he asked his father if it was possible for this upcoming misery to go away. Certainly he knew that with God everything is possible. But not everything is according to God’s plan. And it was God’s plan that Jesus would go all the way to the cross in payment for the sin of the world. So Jesus realized that what were important were not his own earthly desires but the Father’s desires for reconciliation with us. So Jesus used prayer to mold his own will around the Father’s will. That is the way prayer works: In prayer our desires our shaped around what God wants.
Although Jesus usually prayed alone in this instance he wanted his disciples around him and was annoyed when they kept falling asleep. This is really good news for us. It means that Jesus wants to pray with us too. And this is what happens here in worship. Jesus is praying and we, through our prayers, get to listen in and participate. Every time we gather in prayer here in this sanctuary Jesus is with us, praying with us and for us. So we need to stay awake and keep praying with him every Sunday.
Have you ever wondered how the author of the Gospel of Mark knew what Jesus was praying when everyone around Jesus had fallen asleep? The author must have heard this from Jesus somehow. I think that the author must have heard from Jesus while praying. If that happens to the author of Mark, then it can happen to us too. In prayer, if we just remain silent for a while, Jesus can speak to us. In this way we can develop a relationship with him and come to know God’s plan for our lives.
So I urge you to pray with ceasing. Pray in the morning and in the evening. Pray whenever you go out and whenever you come in. Always maintain an open line of communication with Jesus. Chat with Jesus about every little thing in your life. Confess to Jesus anything you have done wrong. Ask Jesus for whatever you need. And pray that your desires will be molded around God’s desires and that you will be an instrument of God’s plan for our world.
Will you pray with me? Abba, Father we join with Jesus and other disciples around the world to pray to you this day. Hear our prayers. We pray that you will heal our loved ones. We pray that you will grow the church. We pray that the economy will improve and that people will find homes and jobs. We pray with those grieve losses. We pray prayers of joy and thanksgiving for our blessings. We ask that you mold us, shape us, into your image so that what we want is what you want for us. We pray all of this with Jesus who prays for us. Amen.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon Mark 14:32-41 Prayer in the Garden
March 15, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Today we have reached the third Sunday of Lent. Our guide through this period has been the Gospel of Mark. We have watched with Judas as the Jesus was anointed for death. And we have sat with the disciples and Jesus around a Passover meal. Today we will accompany Jesus, Peter, James and John to a garden on the Mount of Olives for prayer.
This morning I will be talking about prayer. Prayer is something that we do all the time. We pray every Sunday in worship. We pray every day at 6AM. We pray to bless meals. My mother taught me to pray before going to sleep at night. I can remember my grandmother kneeling beside the bed every evening. So we are very familiar with prayer. But what is prayer exactly?
Prayer has something to do with communicating with God. The Bible is filled with stories of people talking with God, seeing visions, wrestling with God, hearing from God’s messengers, the angels, and so forth. But prayer is something more that just being with God. So let’s look at people praying in the Bible.
The first time prayer occurs in the Bible comes when Abimelech, the king of Gerar, took Abraham’s wife Sarah supposing her to be Abraham’s sister. That night, in a dream, God came to Abimelech telling him he was about to die. But Abimelech had done nothing wrong, had not slept with Sarah because God did not permit in. So God told Abimelech to ask Abraham to pray for him, to pray for forgiveness so that the death sentence would be pardoned. A prayer therefore is a form of pleading, asking God for something or asking God to intervene in some way.
Moses established prayer as an important role for the prophets. When fire threatened the whole camp, or when poisonous snakes appeared, or when the priests made a golden calf, Moses prayed to God for forgiveness and deliverance for all the people. And God listened to Moses’ petitions.
The first person in scripture to pray for herself was Hannah. Hannah desperately wanted children. She wept bitterly. And we are told she prayed, pleaded with God to give her a child. The priest saw Hannah’s mouth moving but heard no words coming out of her it. She was praying silently for a son. Hannah was the first prayer woman of the Bible.
Hannah conceived and bore a son named Samuel who established that prophets should pray for nation at important occasions. So Samuel prayed for success as the Israelites prepared for battle with the Philistines. And when the people asked for a king, Samuel prayed to God asking if this should happen.
David was the first king to pray. His prayer came after God’s promise of an everlasting dynasty. David said prayers of joy and thanksgiving for all the blessings God had done for him. And David continued praying his joy throughout the book of Psalms.
The temple that Solomon built for God was to be a house of prayer. It was a place where people could come to offer their petitions to God for forgiveness and intercession. Prayers were to be offered there for rain, end to famine, and success in battle.
It was the prophet Elijah who first showed the healing power of prayer when he and a grieving mother prayed that her son would come back to life. God heard this prayer and gave her son new life.
King Hezekiah established that prayer could be used to protect his nation from calamity. He prayed that God would intercede on Judah’s behalf as the army of the Assyrians approached Jerusalem. And it was none other than the prophet Isaiah who assured Hezekiah that his prayers had been heard by God and Jerusalem was safe.
Later when the Babylonians came, God told the prophet Jeremiah not to bother praying because Jerusalem, this time, would not be spared destruction. But after the people were exiled to Babylon God told Jeremiah to have the people pray for the welfare of the city they were living in.
When the exiles were returning from Babylon to Jerusalem the prophet Ezra led the people in prayers of confession. The prophet Nehemiah prayed for his people day and night. And, of course, the prophet Jonah prayed from the belly of a fish.
And that brings us to a very important prayer, the prayer between the Son and the Father as Jesus was on the way to the cross.
Mark 14:32-42 32 They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." 33 He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. 34 And he said to them, "I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake." 35 And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 He said, "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want." 37 He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? 38 Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. 41 He came a third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand."
According to the Gospel of Mark Jesus liked to pray alone in the early morning hours. He would go to the top of a small mountain where he could be alone with God. Jesus taught that we should pray believing that God not only hears what we ask for but also responds. And he cautioned us against saying long prayers trying to impress other people.
While praying in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus gave us a model for our own prayers to God. First he addressed God as abba, daddy. In prayer we develop a personal relationship with God. God is a loving parent who longs to hear from us through prayer. I call my dad once a week just to chat. Prayer is the same thing. It is a time to chat with our creator.
Prayer is also a time for us to acknowledge who God is and who we are. Through prayer we realize that we are finite and God is infinite. This creates in us a sense of humility and prepares us for confession. We realize that by chatting with the creator of the universe anything is possible. Of course not everything is beneficial to us. So we ask for what we want and need and God gives us what God wants us to have. We can set our expectations very high, but we must also realize that God loves us and wants the best for us. So as we pray we bring our petitions to God and trust that God will respond in the appropriate way.
Jesus wanted to be spared the agony of crucifixion. So he asked his father if it was possible for this upcoming misery to go away. Certainly he knew that with God everything is possible. But not everything is according to God’s plan. And it was God’s plan that Jesus would go all the way to the cross in payment for the sin of the world. So Jesus realized that what were important were not his own earthly desires but the Father’s desires for reconciliation with us. So Jesus used prayer to mold his own will around the Father’s will. That is the way prayer works: In prayer our desires our shaped around what God wants.
Although Jesus usually prayed alone in this instance he wanted his disciples around him and was annoyed when they kept falling asleep. This is really good news for us. It means that Jesus wants to pray with us too. And this is what happens here in worship. Jesus is praying and we, through our prayers, get to listen in and participate. Every time we gather in prayer here in this sanctuary Jesus is with us, praying with us and for us. So we need to stay awake and keep praying with him every Sunday.
Have you ever wondered how the author of the Gospel of Mark knew what Jesus was praying when everyone around Jesus had fallen asleep? The author must have heard this from Jesus somehow. I think that the author must have heard from Jesus while praying. If that happens to the author of Mark, then it can happen to us too. In prayer, if we just remain silent for a while, Jesus can speak to us. In this way we can develop a relationship with him and come to know God’s plan for our lives.
So I urge you to pray with ceasing. Pray in the morning and in the evening. Pray whenever you go out and whenever you come in. Always maintain an open line of communication with Jesus. Chat with Jesus about every little thing in your life. Confess to Jesus anything you have done wrong. Ask Jesus for whatever you need. And pray that your desires will be molded around God’s desires and that you will be an instrument of God’s plan for our world.
Will you pray with me? Abba, Father we join with Jesus and other disciples around the world to pray to you this day. Hear our prayers. We pray that you will heal our loved ones. We pray that you will grow the church. We pray that the economy will improve and that people will find homes and jobs. We pray with those grieve losses. We pray prayers of joy and thanksgiving for our blessings. We ask that you mold us, shape us, into your image so that what we want is what you want for us. We pray all of this with Jesus who prays for us. Amen.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Sermon Mark 14:12-25 - The Law of God
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon Mark 14:12-25 - The Law of God
March 8, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Today is the second Sunday in the season of Lent and we have already started on our way with Jesus to the cross with the Gospel of Mark leading us. We saw last week how the High Priests and scribes wanted to arrest and kill Jesus, and how one of Jesus’ followers, Judas, decided to help them after being disillusioned with Jesus who had started on the road to the cross after being anointed for death in Bethany. Today we will gather with the 12 as they eat a last supper with Jesus and our confronted with the reality of Jesus’ upcoming death.
But before we do these things please pray with me. Father in heaven, show us how we have offended you by breaking your law. Convict us of the seriousness of our actions and omissions. Wash us clean by the blood of Jesus. And teach us to live our lives as forgiven sinners. And may the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, our Lord, our rock, and our redeemer.
You have probably noticed that we have been saying the Ten Commandments in worship each week during Lent. And some of you have been wondering why we say them after the Prayer of Confession and the Assurance of Pardon. Wouldn’t the Ten Commandments make more sense if we said them before the Prayer of Confession to convict ourselves as sinners with our need for forgiveness? Of shouldn’t we place the Ten Commandments at the end of the service where they would be a warning to us that if we did not keep them in the coming week we could expect God’s wrath to come upon us? Why worry about the law after we have confessed and have been forgiven; isn’t that too late? Others may be wondering why we say the Ten Commandments at all. Aren’t they in the Old Testament? We are not a people of the law anymore. We are a people of the new covenant of grace; graciously forgiven by God. So why are we worrying about God’s law anyway?
All of these questions are reasonable. And they can be answered with the understanding of how God’s law is used. Accord to John Calvin (Institutes II-VII-6-12) there are three uses of the law. First, the law exhibits God’s righteousness and by comparison we fall short. Through this we realize that we are sinners in need of forgiving God. With this use we are convicted of our sin and humbled ready to confess and receive the grace of God. To use the law in this way in worship we would say the Ten Commandments before the Prayer of Confession so that we would realize the reality of our sinful nature and willingly fall on our knees in prayer.
The second use of the law, according to Calvin, is to teach people what God requires and the consequences of disobedience. This is especially useful when teaching children so that they learn what God expects and develop appropriate attitudes and behaviors. It also helps us to repent, amend our lives, and cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit in restoring God’s image within us. To use the law in this way I would preach on the Ten Commandment telling you concrete ways that you could live lives pleasing to God.
The third and final use of the law is that it helps to enable the forgiven and restored believers to have knowledge of what the will of God is for them each day. This helps believers to conform their lives to the wishes of God. In this way the law becomes an instrument of God’s grace helping believers to lead holy lives. To use the law in this way we would recite it with joy after hearing of how God has graciously forgiven our sins and offers us the opportunity to start over with new lives. This is why I have put the Ten Commandments after the Assurance of Pardon to help you to know what God expects of you as his forgiven children.
Jesus used the law in all three of these ways in today scripture.
Mark 14:12-25 12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?" 13 So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." 16 So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.
17 When it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me." 19 They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, "Surely, not I?" 20 He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the bowl with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born."
22 While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." 23 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. 24 He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Today’s reading is divided into three episodes. In the first episode Jesus commands two of his disciples to go into Jerusalem, find a man with a water jar, follow him into a house, ask the owner a question, find the room, and prepare the Passover meal. Jesus is using law as a way of teaching the disciple what he wants them to do. The disciples now know what Jesus wants and can either obey or disobey the law. In this instance they obeyed the law by doing exactly what Jesus wanted them to do. Jesus was using the law as a teaching tool, Calvin’s second use of the law.
But in the second episode the scene shifts to the Passover dinner and there Jesus uses the law in a very different way. During dinner Jesus informed his disciples that one of them was going to betray him. Of course we have already heard of Judas’ decision to betray Jesus to the authorities. Certainly this was what Jesus was talking about. But only Jesus and Judas knew that. All of the others began a self examination to determine if they too were capable of betraying Jesus. Each one was worried that Jesus was talking about him. So Jesus was using the law to convict each of his disciples of their sin, humbling them to the point of confession and repentance in preparation for what was to follow. Jesus was convicting the disciples of their sin, Calvin’s first use of the law.
The third episode is a scene most familiar to us. We repeat it each month as we gather around this table for the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. The twelve disciples have gathered around the table with Jesus. Here Jesus explained his death. Just as bread can be torn in two so too will Jesus’ body be torn in his crucifixion. And just as wine is poured from a pitcher into a cup, so too will Jesus’ blood be poured on the ground in his death. And just as the bread and wine our symbols of the death of Jesus Christ, so too will his death be a symbol of the covenant between God and us. In this covenant God promises to forgive us all of our sins though the death of his son, and give us new life in the kingdom of God. It is in this new life, free from sin, where we have the strong desire to obey God. God’s law for us is a great blessing because it tells us how to lead our new, forgiven, and restored lives; the way God wants us to live them. Therefore the covenant that Jesus proclaimed at the Lord’s Supper paved the way for Calvin’s third use of the law as a joyous response to the grace of God.
So where do we fit in all of this? We need to use God’s law in all three ways. The law should humble us because it shows us how far we fall short of what God expects of us. We were created in the image of God, free from sin and enjoying the fruits of the tree of life, but as a result of sin our very nature has been corrupted; the image of God in us has been defaced. We deserve punishment for our disobedience. We therefore have a need to approach God and ask for forgiveness. And we satisfy this need by coming to church and confessing our sins before God. In church, while truly sorry for what we have done, we humbly open ourselves to God’s instructions teaching us what God expects of us. Then when we received God’s grace and the full forgiveness of sin through the death of Jesus Christ, we express our great joy by desiring to obey God and by living according to God’s laws.
Lord Jesus we are grateful for the sacrifice you made for us. In your death on the cross, your body was broken and your blood spilled to the ground. Through this all of our sins have been forgiven. You have offered us new lives in your kingdom, which we joyfully accept. And we now desire to follow you and obey God will. So we thank you for the law which blesses us with the knowledge of what God requires of us. In great joy we praise you! Amen.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon Mark 14:12-25 - The Law of God
March 8, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Today is the second Sunday in the season of Lent and we have already started on our way with Jesus to the cross with the Gospel of Mark leading us. We saw last week how the High Priests and scribes wanted to arrest and kill Jesus, and how one of Jesus’ followers, Judas, decided to help them after being disillusioned with Jesus who had started on the road to the cross after being anointed for death in Bethany. Today we will gather with the 12 as they eat a last supper with Jesus and our confronted with the reality of Jesus’ upcoming death.
But before we do these things please pray with me. Father in heaven, show us how we have offended you by breaking your law. Convict us of the seriousness of our actions and omissions. Wash us clean by the blood of Jesus. And teach us to live our lives as forgiven sinners. And may the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, our Lord, our rock, and our redeemer.
You have probably noticed that we have been saying the Ten Commandments in worship each week during Lent. And some of you have been wondering why we say them after the Prayer of Confession and the Assurance of Pardon. Wouldn’t the Ten Commandments make more sense if we said them before the Prayer of Confession to convict ourselves as sinners with our need for forgiveness? Of shouldn’t we place the Ten Commandments at the end of the service where they would be a warning to us that if we did not keep them in the coming week we could expect God’s wrath to come upon us? Why worry about the law after we have confessed and have been forgiven; isn’t that too late? Others may be wondering why we say the Ten Commandments at all. Aren’t they in the Old Testament? We are not a people of the law anymore. We are a people of the new covenant of grace; graciously forgiven by God. So why are we worrying about God’s law anyway?
All of these questions are reasonable. And they can be answered with the understanding of how God’s law is used. Accord to John Calvin (Institutes II-VII-6-12) there are three uses of the law. First, the law exhibits God’s righteousness and by comparison we fall short. Through this we realize that we are sinners in need of forgiving God. With this use we are convicted of our sin and humbled ready to confess and receive the grace of God. To use the law in this way in worship we would say the Ten Commandments before the Prayer of Confession so that we would realize the reality of our sinful nature and willingly fall on our knees in prayer.
The second use of the law, according to Calvin, is to teach people what God requires and the consequences of disobedience. This is especially useful when teaching children so that they learn what God expects and develop appropriate attitudes and behaviors. It also helps us to repent, amend our lives, and cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit in restoring God’s image within us. To use the law in this way I would preach on the Ten Commandment telling you concrete ways that you could live lives pleasing to God.
The third and final use of the law is that it helps to enable the forgiven and restored believers to have knowledge of what the will of God is for them each day. This helps believers to conform their lives to the wishes of God. In this way the law becomes an instrument of God’s grace helping believers to lead holy lives. To use the law in this way we would recite it with joy after hearing of how God has graciously forgiven our sins and offers us the opportunity to start over with new lives. This is why I have put the Ten Commandments after the Assurance of Pardon to help you to know what God expects of you as his forgiven children.
Jesus used the law in all three of these ways in today scripture.
Mark 14:12-25 12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?" 13 So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." 16 So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.
17 When it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me." 19 They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, "Surely, not I?" 20 He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the bowl with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born."
22 While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." 23 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. 24 He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Today’s reading is divided into three episodes. In the first episode Jesus commands two of his disciples to go into Jerusalem, find a man with a water jar, follow him into a house, ask the owner a question, find the room, and prepare the Passover meal. Jesus is using law as a way of teaching the disciple what he wants them to do. The disciples now know what Jesus wants and can either obey or disobey the law. In this instance they obeyed the law by doing exactly what Jesus wanted them to do. Jesus was using the law as a teaching tool, Calvin’s second use of the law.
But in the second episode the scene shifts to the Passover dinner and there Jesus uses the law in a very different way. During dinner Jesus informed his disciples that one of them was going to betray him. Of course we have already heard of Judas’ decision to betray Jesus to the authorities. Certainly this was what Jesus was talking about. But only Jesus and Judas knew that. All of the others began a self examination to determine if they too were capable of betraying Jesus. Each one was worried that Jesus was talking about him. So Jesus was using the law to convict each of his disciples of their sin, humbling them to the point of confession and repentance in preparation for what was to follow. Jesus was convicting the disciples of their sin, Calvin’s first use of the law.
The third episode is a scene most familiar to us. We repeat it each month as we gather around this table for the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. The twelve disciples have gathered around the table with Jesus. Here Jesus explained his death. Just as bread can be torn in two so too will Jesus’ body be torn in his crucifixion. And just as wine is poured from a pitcher into a cup, so too will Jesus’ blood be poured on the ground in his death. And just as the bread and wine our symbols of the death of Jesus Christ, so too will his death be a symbol of the covenant between God and us. In this covenant God promises to forgive us all of our sins though the death of his son, and give us new life in the kingdom of God. It is in this new life, free from sin, where we have the strong desire to obey God. God’s law for us is a great blessing because it tells us how to lead our new, forgiven, and restored lives; the way God wants us to live them. Therefore the covenant that Jesus proclaimed at the Lord’s Supper paved the way for Calvin’s third use of the law as a joyous response to the grace of God.
So where do we fit in all of this? We need to use God’s law in all three ways. The law should humble us because it shows us how far we fall short of what God expects of us. We were created in the image of God, free from sin and enjoying the fruits of the tree of life, but as a result of sin our very nature has been corrupted; the image of God in us has been defaced. We deserve punishment for our disobedience. We therefore have a need to approach God and ask for forgiveness. And we satisfy this need by coming to church and confessing our sins before God. In church, while truly sorry for what we have done, we humbly open ourselves to God’s instructions teaching us what God expects of us. Then when we received God’s grace and the full forgiveness of sin through the death of Jesus Christ, we express our great joy by desiring to obey God and by living according to God’s laws.
Lord Jesus we are grateful for the sacrifice you made for us. In your death on the cross, your body was broken and your blood spilled to the ground. Through this all of our sins have been forgiven. You have offered us new lives in your kingdom, which we joyfully accept. And we now desire to follow you and obey God will. So we thank you for the law which blesses us with the knowledge of what God requires of us. In great joy we praise you! Amen.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Sermon Mark 14:1-11 Judas’ Confession
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon Mark 14:1-11 Judas’ Confession
March 1, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Today is the first Sunday of Lent. Lent is traditionally a time when we prepare ourselves for the great celebration of Easter which comes in 40 days excluding Sundays. For sinners this means that Lent is the time for confession and change of behavior in preparation for forgiveness of sin through the death of Jesus. For new believers it is a time of education in preparation for baptism. For all of us it is a time of realizing our own wandering in the wilderness, in preparation for our news lives we receive through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All of us are anticipating the joy of Easter, but first we must travel through Lent which leads us directly to the cross.
Today I am beginning a series of sermons that will take us on this journey to the cross and through it. Our guide for this journey is the Gospel of Mark. Mark will take us from the gathering of friends in Bethany, to a dinner in Jerusalem, to a sleepless night on the Mount of Olives, to a trial, to an execution on a cross, and finally to the amazement of an empty tomb. Today we begin with the familiar story of the woman anointing Jesus with fragrant oil.
But before we begin our journey, please pray with me. Lord Jesus, accept us as your disciples and let us join you as you make your final journey into Jerusalem and your confrontation with death. Through this help us to know exactly who you are. And as we realize your true identity forgive our sins and bless us with your Spirit. We pray this in your glorious name. Amen.
Mark 14:1-11 It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him; 2 for they said, "Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people." 3 While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. 4 But some were there who said to one another in anger, "Why was the ointment wasted in this way? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor." And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her." 10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
My name is Judas, Judas the son of Simon, Judas Iscariot. I am a follower of Jesus, one of the inner core of disciples, one of the 12. When I first met Jesus, I couldn’t quite figure out who he was. But as I watched him teach in synagogues, heal the sick, and cast out demons I realized that Jesus was a great teacher and I decided to follow him wherever he went to learn as much as I could about him. I was astounded when he showed such compassion for the poor and taught that it was easier to a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. It was a real honor to be with a teacher like Jesus, whose heart was for the poor.
Then one day an amazing thing happened. We were all in a boat and got caught in terrible storm. As the boat was tossed up and down, we were afraid the boat might sink so we woke Jesus up. And do you know he did? He spoke to the wind and told it to stop blowing. And that is exactly what happened. Jesus speaks to the elements of nature and they obey him. I knew that no teacher, no matter how good, could do something like that. It was then that I realized that Jesus was far more than a teacher. Indeed, he was prophet, like Moses, who could command the elements of nature and they would obey. Since we had a prophet in our midst I wanted even more to follow him.
But the 12 of us soon realized that Jesus was far more that a prophet. A couple of times, large groups of people gathered to listen to Jesus. Once we estimated 5000 were on the hillside. Late that day they became hungry and all we had to feed them were five loves of bread and two fish. I thought that we should send them all home to eat, but Jesus told us to feed them with what we had. And amazingly, that was enough. As we watched this miraculous sight, we realized that Jesus cared for his people the way a shepherd cares for his sheep. They were hungry and he fed them. All the people of Israel have been waiting for shepherd like David to come. We are waiting for a Messiah. One day Jesus asked us who we thought he was, and Peter blurted out what we had all been thinking. He said that Jesus was the Messiah we had been waiting for.
But as we talked with Jesus we found out that his understanding of the Messiah was different from what we expected. We expected the Messiah to be a military leader who would liberate us from oppression. But Jesus called himself the Son of Man and said that the Messiah was to suffer and die. How could anyone make sense of that? How could a suffering messiah free us from the Romans?
We were thinking about these things one day when we were leaving Jericho and were confronted by a blind beggar sitting on the side of the road. This blind man kept calling Jesus the Son of David. Suddenly, we all knew what this meant. We knew exactly who Jesus was. He was a descendant of King David, the rightful heir to the throne of Israel. Jesus was the new king on his way to Jerusalem to overthrow the Romans and their Jewish puppets. The people on their way to the Passover celebration began lining the road with branches and cloaks, as Isaiah had prophesized, preparing a pathway in the desert for the rightful king to return to Jerusalem. We were all so excited by the time we entered the city gates and went to the temple because we knew the revolution was about to begin. With Jesus as king we would be able to overthrow the Roman Empire and reinstate our holy nation.
I was confident that I knew exactly who Jesus was. But now I am not so sure. I thought he was the Messiah, the new David, the new Moses who had come to free us from the Romans, but what I just saw has turned my stomach. I can’t follow this Jesus anymore. How could I have been so wrong about him? Let me tell you what just happened.
We all went to Bethany to the home Simon the Leper. His daughter was there and had an extremely expensive vial of ointment made from Indian nard. It must have cost more than a year’s salary for a common worker. Just imagine all the good we could do with that money. I expected Jesus to tell her to sell the ointment and give the money to the poor.
But that’s not what Jesus did. Jesus allowed her to use it to anoint his own body. At first I was angry. How could Jesus be so wasteful when the needs of the poor were so great? The money could have provided food and shelter for a needy family. How could Jesus be so insensitive to these needs?
Then I realized what Jesus was doing. If Jesus was really the new king like David and the new prophet like Moses then he had to be anointed. That’s what was happening, the anointing of the Messiah, the prophet and the king. But then Jesus said something I still don’t understand. He said that the woman was not anointing a new prophet or king; rather she was anointing his body for burial. Jesus had given up; he had decided to die. Jesus was not going to lead a revolution against Rome. Instead he was ready to give up his own life, for what? What good is a dead prophet? What good is a dead king? What good is a dead Messiah?
I couldn’t stay there with Jesus any longer so I left. I was so disappointed with him. He was such a great teacher and prophet. I was certain that he was the Messiah we had longed for. Yet rather than take his rightful place as the son of David on the throne of Israel this Jesus was just going to give up and be led like a lamb to slaughter.
Well I am not going with him. There is no way I am going to be arrested and tried like a common criminal. There is no way I will hang on a cross. So I have decided to leave Bethany and go alone back to Jerusalem.
I know that I am doing a terrible thing. I have been a follower of Jesus, one the 12. And now I am going to betray him. I am going to help the chief priests and scribes find Jesus so that he can be arrested. People who know Jesus will think that I am a monster for doing this. I have heard that a reward is being offered for information about Jesus’ whereabouts. Some will think that I am doing this for money. But that is not my motivation. Somehow I think that God is using me. God wants me to betray Jesus to the authorities for some divine purpose. Just as God had used that woman to anoint Jesus’ body for burial, God is now using me to start the process that will lead to Jesus’ death. Our ancestor Joseph once said that God uses evil for good. And that is what I think may be happening here. At least I hope so.
I am still wondering who Jesus is. I thought he was a teacher, a prophet, the Messiah, or maybe our new king. Now with Jesus going to his certain death I just don’t know who he is. But there is one thing still bothering me. While I and the others in the 12 were out casting out demons we heard some of the demons call Jesus the “Son of God”. I don’t know what this means. But I know Jesus, and I suspect that something surprising will happen this week that will demonstrate to all of us who Jesus really is. I am at least thankful that God has given me a part to play in the great drama.
Father in heaven, we thank you for Judas Iscariot. Even though he did a terrible thing by betraying your son he was still a part of your plan, and without Judas, Jesus would not have died for our sins. So we thank you for Judas and what he did for us. And as we pass through this season of Lent help us to learn who Jesus really is. Amen.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon Mark 14:1-11 Judas’ Confession
March 1, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Today is the first Sunday of Lent. Lent is traditionally a time when we prepare ourselves for the great celebration of Easter which comes in 40 days excluding Sundays. For sinners this means that Lent is the time for confession and change of behavior in preparation for forgiveness of sin through the death of Jesus. For new believers it is a time of education in preparation for baptism. For all of us it is a time of realizing our own wandering in the wilderness, in preparation for our news lives we receive through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All of us are anticipating the joy of Easter, but first we must travel through Lent which leads us directly to the cross.
Today I am beginning a series of sermons that will take us on this journey to the cross and through it. Our guide for this journey is the Gospel of Mark. Mark will take us from the gathering of friends in Bethany, to a dinner in Jerusalem, to a sleepless night on the Mount of Olives, to a trial, to an execution on a cross, and finally to the amazement of an empty tomb. Today we begin with the familiar story of the woman anointing Jesus with fragrant oil.
But before we begin our journey, please pray with me. Lord Jesus, accept us as your disciples and let us join you as you make your final journey into Jerusalem and your confrontation with death. Through this help us to know exactly who you are. And as we realize your true identity forgive our sins and bless us with your Spirit. We pray this in your glorious name. Amen.
Mark 14:1-11 It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him; 2 for they said, "Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people." 3 While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. 4 But some were there who said to one another in anger, "Why was the ointment wasted in this way? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor." And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her." 10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
My name is Judas, Judas the son of Simon, Judas Iscariot. I am a follower of Jesus, one of the inner core of disciples, one of the 12. When I first met Jesus, I couldn’t quite figure out who he was. But as I watched him teach in synagogues, heal the sick, and cast out demons I realized that Jesus was a great teacher and I decided to follow him wherever he went to learn as much as I could about him. I was astounded when he showed such compassion for the poor and taught that it was easier to a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. It was a real honor to be with a teacher like Jesus, whose heart was for the poor.
Then one day an amazing thing happened. We were all in a boat and got caught in terrible storm. As the boat was tossed up and down, we were afraid the boat might sink so we woke Jesus up. And do you know he did? He spoke to the wind and told it to stop blowing. And that is exactly what happened. Jesus speaks to the elements of nature and they obey him. I knew that no teacher, no matter how good, could do something like that. It was then that I realized that Jesus was far more than a teacher. Indeed, he was prophet, like Moses, who could command the elements of nature and they would obey. Since we had a prophet in our midst I wanted even more to follow him.
But the 12 of us soon realized that Jesus was far more that a prophet. A couple of times, large groups of people gathered to listen to Jesus. Once we estimated 5000 were on the hillside. Late that day they became hungry and all we had to feed them were five loves of bread and two fish. I thought that we should send them all home to eat, but Jesus told us to feed them with what we had. And amazingly, that was enough. As we watched this miraculous sight, we realized that Jesus cared for his people the way a shepherd cares for his sheep. They were hungry and he fed them. All the people of Israel have been waiting for shepherd like David to come. We are waiting for a Messiah. One day Jesus asked us who we thought he was, and Peter blurted out what we had all been thinking. He said that Jesus was the Messiah we had been waiting for.
But as we talked with Jesus we found out that his understanding of the Messiah was different from what we expected. We expected the Messiah to be a military leader who would liberate us from oppression. But Jesus called himself the Son of Man and said that the Messiah was to suffer and die. How could anyone make sense of that? How could a suffering messiah free us from the Romans?
We were thinking about these things one day when we were leaving Jericho and were confronted by a blind beggar sitting on the side of the road. This blind man kept calling Jesus the Son of David. Suddenly, we all knew what this meant. We knew exactly who Jesus was. He was a descendant of King David, the rightful heir to the throne of Israel. Jesus was the new king on his way to Jerusalem to overthrow the Romans and their Jewish puppets. The people on their way to the Passover celebration began lining the road with branches and cloaks, as Isaiah had prophesized, preparing a pathway in the desert for the rightful king to return to Jerusalem. We were all so excited by the time we entered the city gates and went to the temple because we knew the revolution was about to begin. With Jesus as king we would be able to overthrow the Roman Empire and reinstate our holy nation.
I was confident that I knew exactly who Jesus was. But now I am not so sure. I thought he was the Messiah, the new David, the new Moses who had come to free us from the Romans, but what I just saw has turned my stomach. I can’t follow this Jesus anymore. How could I have been so wrong about him? Let me tell you what just happened.
We all went to Bethany to the home Simon the Leper. His daughter was there and had an extremely expensive vial of ointment made from Indian nard. It must have cost more than a year’s salary for a common worker. Just imagine all the good we could do with that money. I expected Jesus to tell her to sell the ointment and give the money to the poor.
But that’s not what Jesus did. Jesus allowed her to use it to anoint his own body. At first I was angry. How could Jesus be so wasteful when the needs of the poor were so great? The money could have provided food and shelter for a needy family. How could Jesus be so insensitive to these needs?
Then I realized what Jesus was doing. If Jesus was really the new king like David and the new prophet like Moses then he had to be anointed. That’s what was happening, the anointing of the Messiah, the prophet and the king. But then Jesus said something I still don’t understand. He said that the woman was not anointing a new prophet or king; rather she was anointing his body for burial. Jesus had given up; he had decided to die. Jesus was not going to lead a revolution against Rome. Instead he was ready to give up his own life, for what? What good is a dead prophet? What good is a dead king? What good is a dead Messiah?
I couldn’t stay there with Jesus any longer so I left. I was so disappointed with him. He was such a great teacher and prophet. I was certain that he was the Messiah we had longed for. Yet rather than take his rightful place as the son of David on the throne of Israel this Jesus was just going to give up and be led like a lamb to slaughter.
Well I am not going with him. There is no way I am going to be arrested and tried like a common criminal. There is no way I will hang on a cross. So I have decided to leave Bethany and go alone back to Jerusalem.
I know that I am doing a terrible thing. I have been a follower of Jesus, one the 12. And now I am going to betray him. I am going to help the chief priests and scribes find Jesus so that he can be arrested. People who know Jesus will think that I am a monster for doing this. I have heard that a reward is being offered for information about Jesus’ whereabouts. Some will think that I am doing this for money. But that is not my motivation. Somehow I think that God is using me. God wants me to betray Jesus to the authorities for some divine purpose. Just as God had used that woman to anoint Jesus’ body for burial, God is now using me to start the process that will lead to Jesus’ death. Our ancestor Joseph once said that God uses evil for good. And that is what I think may be happening here. At least I hope so.
I am still wondering who Jesus is. I thought he was a teacher, a prophet, the Messiah, or maybe our new king. Now with Jesus going to his certain death I just don’t know who he is. But there is one thing still bothering me. While I and the others in the 12 were out casting out demons we heard some of the demons call Jesus the “Son of God”. I don’t know what this means. But I know Jesus, and I suspect that something surprising will happen this week that will demonstrate to all of us who Jesus really is. I am at least thankful that God has given me a part to play in the great drama.
Father in heaven, we thank you for Judas Iscariot. Even though he did a terrible thing by betraying your son he was still a part of your plan, and without Judas, Jesus would not have died for our sins. So we thank you for Judas and what he did for us. And as we pass through this season of Lent help us to learn who Jesus really is. Amen.
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