Sermon Cloud

I Am, Mark 14.53-65
THEME: Religion judges Jesus, but Jesus through death trumps religion
AIM: Experience of the freedom that Jesus brings from condemnation and judgment

*MISSION: Prayer & Work at the Hart’s; Anna Ogden with Cooley’s (men!); West Central Prayer

INTRO:  
An extended look at the death of Jesus: LENT and the PASSION of JESUS
    Without it, you don’t have Christianity: if you remove the CROSS, you have RELIGION, not Gospel
Every religion is built on what WE DO: it is INFORMATION, instructions, actions, etc
    Christianity is GOSPEL, GOOD NEWS: it has BEEN DONE, a great announcement
Martin Lloyd Jones: KING goes to battle – poorly, sends Generals – get ready to fight for your life
    If VICTORY: he sends “messengers” or “evangelists” – Good News Proclaimers: DANCE!
    It is NEWS… there is much to do, but it is done as response to victory, not to gain victory!
Theme for the next 7 weeks: WHY this message of agony, blood, betrayal, and murder is GOSPEL!
    Why did such a repulsive message change the world?

Literally, we have JESUS on TRIAL before RELIGIOUS LEADERS – a main theme of Mark
    The Judgment of Religion, the Death of Religion, and How to Be Free From Religion

THE JUDGMENT OF RELIGION
1.    Need to Understand the State of religion at the time of Jesus
a.    God’s good law, a guide for life for God’s chosen & redeemed people, turned into club
b.    Operated on the principle “if I obey, if I live up to God’s law, then I will be loved & accepted”
2.    ALL RELIGIONS essentially function on this same principle
a.    Hard religion: rules, regulations, practices – long list of specific requirements
b.    Soft religion: buffet-style – a little eastern philosophy, a few pop-psychology, Oprah guest, Olsteen
c.    My ID is based on my performance: It is the “default of the human heart” (Luther)

3.    Religion always results in condemnation and judgment: it turns the world into a courtroom!
a.    My sarcastic friends in high school – constantly on guard, trying to stay out of the hot seat
b.    Obeying well: you judge & condemn those who can’t keep up
i.    Religion always results in exclusion & judgment: nose up in the air b/c devoted!
ii.    Even soft: intolerant of anyone who makes absolute claims: b/c you’re more tolerant!
c.    Failing: You experience condemnation… deep sense of guilt, failure, shame, rejection
i.    Hypocrisy: you hide it until it explodes (why supposedly Christian pastors immoral)
ii.    Despondency: you wallow in your suckiness…

4.    Think this out: What are the rules by which you judge others?  We all do this, even non-religious!
a.    Some of mine: Mullets.  Men with emotions. Men who ride shotgun while wife drives.
b.    Think you’re not religious?  How many of you just judged me on my list?  EXACTLY.
c.    Religion is by nature judgmental and exclusive – because your ID is based on your performance!

5.    This passage is the culmination of Jesus’ ongoing battle with Religion – seem to have the upper-hand
i.    They are threatened by him – his popularity, his power, his goodness, his claims
ii.    And they are revealed as frauds by him – the temple accusations
b.    Religion is doing what it is BEST AT: Bringing Condemnation and Judgment!
c.    Religion is putting JESUS on TRIAL – this is a courtroom scene, Jesus on trial for his life!

SERIOUS PROBLEM: nothing sticks to him… they can’t find an accusation against him!  See that: v.59
    Nothing to condemn, nothing to judge, no honest testimony against him… GUILTLESS.
    So they put him in the WITNESS STAND: WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

THE DEATH OF RELIGION
1.    Answer: his confession: v.61-62
a.    I am the Messiah – not a crime; many had, others would; but doesn’t stop there: quotes Dan 7
b.    Dan 7 is a courtroom scene, the Son of Man is the DIVINE JUDGE over the nations; clouds
2.    One of the clearest statements by Jesus of his true identity: Messiah, and SO MUCH MORE!
a.    More than Messiah – he is Divine, the final JUDGE, he is GOD come to HUMANITY!
b.    This is the CLAIM sets them in a frenzy! They go nutty!  Rips his shirt off!  (v.62-65)
3.    A VERY HONEST RESPONSE, more honest than we, understand it better than we!
a.    You have to hate him, or you have to love him, but you can’t like, appreciate, think he’s nice
b.    If he’s just a gracious man, a good teacher, a good example of love in action, no big deal!
c.    But if he claims to be God, to be the FINAL JUDGE – that changes everything: Ruins Religion!
i.    Right and Wrong are Absolute, and that HE is the STANDARD of JUDGMENT!
ii.    He is OUR JUDGE, he will come to make all things Right, BRING JUSTICE
iii.    We are in TROUBLE – We’ll get Justice – which is bad news.
1.    Justice is great when you’re the victim; Justice is bad when you’re the criminal!
2.    We want justice, b/c we’ve been sinned against; We hate justice, b/c we’re sinners!

4.    Irony: they are judging & accusing him, but he is the REAL JUDGE; they’ve put GOD on TRIAL!
a.    They have nothing on him; But they broken no less than 9 separate laws in this trial!
b.    They are outraged by his claim; But it is the only true thing stated in the entire courtroom!

5.    His CLAIM EXPOSES our INJUSTICE, our FRAUD: we’ve put ourselves in HIS PLACE!
a.    We’re running around in our courtroom, judging & be judged, condemning & being condemned
b.    Religion is like Genesis 3 Fig Leaves – it doesn’t cover up anything if Jesus is God

6.    This is OFFENSIVE NEWS for religious people: this is the most shattering claim ever made!
a.    The more committed to your own morality you are, the more offensive this message is
b.    The more you are certain that you are basically good, basically better than others, harder this is
c.    Religious leaders killed him; prostitutes and tax collectors loved him!

7.    BECAUSE HE IS GOD, because God has come to us, RELIGION is DEAD.

BUT THE REAL SURPRISE: if he is the judge, God, all-powerful, why do things go the way they do?!

HOW TO BE FREE FROM RELIGION – read v.62-65
1.    If this is true of Jesus, why doesn’t he DO SOMETHING?  Answer: He Does.
a.    He doesn’t set up a new religion; Doesn’t give a new list by which we judge each other…
b.    No.  He does something radically unheard of, something no other religious leader has ever done…
c.    He accepts the condemnation and judgment of religion, though his record is spotless

2.    It is his confession – a freely chosen confession – that leads to his condemnation by this court
a.    Are you the Messiah?  Could have just said YES… that’s not what got him condemned!
b.    They cannot find anything against him because there is literally nothing against him
c.    But he chooses condemnation anyway – he steps into it; BUT not as victim, but as victor

3.    He takes a condemnation that he did not earn or deserve; this is not His condemnation
a.    Begs the QUESTION: Whose is it?  If He is the Innocent Judge, why is he condemned to death?
i.    Gen 2: if you eat the tree, you will die – we chosen death by alienating ourselves from God
ii.    We rightly deserve judgment, condemnation, punishment
b.    It is ours – The wages of sin is death: we’ve EARNED THIS, BUT he CHOOSES IT!

4.    This is the only way out of RELIGION, and its called GRACE: he gets what you deserve.

Most of us have this view of God: LONG LIST, he stands, hands on his hips, shaking his head, disappointed.  He’s hurt.  You beg for mercy.  He thinks about it.  You wait.  You grovel.  You beg.  You make promises.  

But this is the Gospel: when you fail, Jesus says, “I already paid for that.  I already took the condemnation for that.  There is no condemnation for you left.  LOOK: I am the judge.  I have taken your condemnation.  You are free.” And when you try to argue with him, he says, “Don’t you see? Must you refuse to believe the Gospel? Haven’t you understood the cross? I was condemned for your sin.  It has already been done. You are free.”
Bridges: In the Gospel, consistently disobedient people are treated as if they were perfectly obedient
Practical Stuff:
1.  Settle with your ACCUSERS: if the TRUE JUDGE has taken your condemnation, it is GONE.
    He hasn’t done all this so that you can live under a cloud of condemnation (1 Cor 4.3-5)
        You are no longer subject to the judgment of others – they do not tell you who you are
        You are no longer subject to your own judgment – you cannot condemn or acquit yourself
        Jesus is the judge, and you will receive… COMMENDATION!  PRAISE!  APPLAUSE!

"It is Christ alone that can overcome our doubts and fears and evil forebodings. The devil tells me that I have sinned to deeply to ever be forgiven, and I tend to agree. But Christ tells me the story of the prodigal son and I know that all is well." -MLJ, Sermon on Mark 5:22ff, "Jairus-Complete Salvation."
Will you take JESUS as your DEFENSE ATTORNEY against the accusations of your own HEART?
    BELIEVE IT!  No condemnation for those who are IN CHRIST JESUS.

2.  Stop judging everyone else: what a relief to know that you don’t have to do that!
    Gospel is all about what JESUS has done, about GRACE: you’ve not earned his favor or friendship
        You aren’t a Christian because you are better, more obedient, more honest, good than others
        You are a Christian because of Grace – God has saved you, he’s done it all FOR YOU.
        And that ought to HUMBLE you…
Rather than arrogantly boast that you are a good Christian person
It ought to amaze you that you would ever be able to call yourself a Christian!
Jesus is the Judge who has given his life for the guilty – he doesn’t need you to judge anyone

3.  Trust God’s Heart towards you: suffering does not mean God hates you
Suffering reveals whether we believe the Gospel or if we are still functioning in a religious mode
    You are living religion: you’ve been good & obedient, so God owes you
        So you are mad at God – he isn’t keeping his end of the bargain
        Or you are mad at self – I must deserve this
    If religion, you’ll accuse God – put him on trial – that he doesn’t know what is best
    You’ll question his ability to lead your life, wonder if he even cares about you!
The CROSS invites a different perspective of suffering – God saved us by suffering, he entered into it
Can you trust that the one who did not spare his own SON from suffering
has reasons for your pain that you cannot even begin to imagine?
    That he gives suffering as a gift, a redemptive and intentional gift, w/purpose
    That it is not from condemnation or judgment – there is none left – but from love
    That he sees you as he sees his own SON, you are BELOVED, he is PLEASED WITH YOU?
GOSPEL declares that God has suffered with you
    He cares so much about you that he was willing to enter in to human suffering

“We have to learn to climb the hill called Calvary, and from that vantage-ground survey all life’s tragedies. The cross does not solve the problem of suffering, but it supplies the essential perspective from which to look at it,” (Stott, The Cross of Christ, p. 329).

4.  Get involved in the world
    Do you see what would happen if you stopped judging yourself, the world, and God?
    You’d have a lot of time on your hands, and much joy
        And you’d have a mission.