SERMON TITLE: Humility in Death
TEXT: Mark 15:1-47 (ESV)
SPEAKER: Josh Hanson
DATE: 4-14-22
Watch the sermon here.
Take notes here.
It’s a joy to be with all of you — especially for this evening’s Maundy Thursday service. And — as always — there’s one thing I want you to know — know that God loves you and that I love you too.
Later — in the service — we’ll be taking communion together. You’ll be coming forward by rows — to receive the bread and the cup. Ushers will be dismissing you — and if you’re unable to come forward — but would like to take communion — let the usher know as they dismiss your row and they’ll make sure you’re served in your seat.
As you come forward — you’ll take both the bread and cup before returning to your seat — there’s a basket for you to put your empty cup in. There are also baskets — at the tables — if you’d like to give to our benevolence offering. This offering goes to helping take care of the needs of folks who are part of this church family. If you miss the baskets — you can put your offering in the black boxes by the doors as you exit.
For the past few months we’ve been nearing the end of Mark’s gospel. Seeing the events take place that lead up to tonight’s passage — where we come to the end of Jesus’ life. And — given that this will be a passage familiar to many of us — this sermon will be a bit different than usual. We’re going to work our way through the events leading up to Jesus’ death. And then — just before his death — we’ll pause and take communion together. Then — after communion and a time of worship — we’ll return to our text in Mark — returning to Jesus’ final moments of life — his final breath — leading to his death and burial. And then we’ll do something that’s meant to help us all immerse ourselves into these verses which — again — may be so familiar to us that we lose the emotion of the moment we’re reading about. So what are we going to do?
We’re going to end the service in silence — complete silence. We know that resurrection Sunday is coming — but to help feel the emotions of the disciples — as they see Christ buried and the tomb sealed — we’ll end the service and leave this room in complete silence. Not a word until you’re out the lobby. I want us to feel the silence — the hopelessness of the disciples — who’ve just witnessed the end of Jesus’ life. Feel their uncertainty. Feel the darkness. Feel the seeming victory of Jesus’ opponents and of death itself.
So — are you with me? I’ll remind you again — about leaving in silence — before you’re dismissed. But let’s turn to our passage for this evening.
If you have your Bible please turn with me to Mark chapter 15. We’ll be looking at the entire chapter today.
And — while you’re finding Mark chapter 15 — what we’re going to see tonight — is the humiliation of Christ. He’s been falsely accused. But — now — he’ll be mocked. Whipped. Spit on. Hung on a cross. Jeered at by onlookers. Humiliated.
Humiliation is powerful, isn’t it? Humiliating your opponents has always been a tactic used between people and groups who disagree with one another — it’s still a popular tactic today. Some of us have a hard enough time dealing with the guilt, shame, and embarrassment we already feel about ourselves. Then humiliation comes along and shifts our guilt, shame, and embarrassment from a private affair to a public one.
It’s the difference between tripping and falling down — when you’re all alone — versus doing so in the presence of others. I mean — have you ever tripped? Assuming you’re not badly hurt — what’s the first thing you do when you trip and fall? You look around to see if anyone saw you, right? Why? Because it’s embarrassing to be the clumsy fool who can’t keep straight “left foot right foot left foot right foot.” If no one sees you, you get over the ordeal. But — if someone sees you trip and fall — the humiliation factor skyrockets.
So back to humiliation as a power tactic in our culture. Cancel culture has dominated our society for years now. We live in a culture that offers no forgiveness. As soon as it’s been discovered that you’ve said or done something that society — at least for today — deems unpardonable — well — let the public humiliation begin. When this happens — I often think of Jesus’ words, “Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.” (John 8:7b NLT) The religious leaders all walked away — in John’s gospel — but — in our day and age — it seems as if no one walks away and instead sees it as a race as to who’ll be the first to throw a stone. We live in a “humiliate others before others humiliate you” kind of culture.
And all of this should make what we read tonight — about Christ’s humiliation — all the more astounding. Why? Well we’re going to witness the humiliation of God. The one “through whom all things were created” (John 1:3) — humiliated. The one who “existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation” (Colossians 1:15b NLT) — humiliated. The one who “holds all creation together” (Colossians 1:17b NLT) — humiliated. In our verses we see Jesus Christ — God in the flesh — humiliated by his creation — and this should shock us.
Let’s turn — now — to our text. We’re in verse 1 of Mark chapter 15.
“And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. (Though the Son of God is bound — right now — his binding is temporary. Satan, sin, death, and Hell — because of what Christ is accomplishing — in his humiliation — will be bound for all eternity.) 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. (Mark 15:1-5 ESV)
The first thing we see is that — in humiliation — Jesus allowed us to deny his identity.
The religious leaders hand Jesus over to Pilate — the local government authority. And Pilate asks Jesus if he’s the King of the Jews — which he is — by the way. Yet the religious leaders, Pilate, and the false witnesses all deny who Jesus is. They refuse to acknowledge his identity.
Now — we live in a cultural moment where there’s a demand — put on us — to acknowledge others according to their self-proclaimed identity — while — in this same cultural moment — we’re told to ignore Christ’s identity. We’re offended when others don’t acknowledge our identity while we assume Jesus isn’t offended when we don’t acknowledge who he says he is — the Son of God — the King of kings — Lord — Master — Savior — the Way, the Truth, and the Life. “The Way” not “a way.” “The Truth” not “a truth.” “The Life” not “one of many options for us to choose from.” We demand others to acknowledge our self-proclaimed identity and yet deny Jesus his identity.
Yet — in his humiliation — Jesus has allowed us to deny him his identity. I mean — can you imagine the humiliation Jesus suffered — in knowing the truth of his identity while being rejected by those he created — including you and me? Yet this is exactly what happens. In humiliation Jesus allowed us to deny his identity.
The next thing we see is that — in humiliation — Jesus allowed us to find him guilty though he was innocent. We’re in verse 6.
6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” (Mark 15:6-14 ESV)
In humiliation Jesus allowed us to find him guilty though he was innocent. Pilate lets the Jews decide Jesus’ fate. Now we know that — though their acts are evil and wicked — they’re acting according to God’s eternal plan. The Jews are given the option of choosing — allow Jesus to be released or Barabbas. And — part of the humiliation Christ experiences — is that the Jews choose Barabbas to be released. A man who’s actually guilty of participating in an insurrection — who’s guilty of an actual crime — is released instead of Jesus who is innocent.
And Jesus is humiliated as he’s used as a political pawn by Pilate. (Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001), 392.) What do I mean? Well Pilate has had a strained relationship with the Jewish people. But — being a shrewd politician — he knows that allowing them to do what they want with Jesus — even though Pilate knows that Jesus is innocent — he knows letting the Jews do what they want will win him favor with the Jewish people. Yet — as said earlier — this is all according to God’s eternal plan. But — in humiliation — Jesus allowed us to find him guilty though he was innocent.
Additionally — in humiliation — Jesus allowed us to abuse and mock him.
15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. 16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. (Mark 15:15-20 ESV)
In humiliation Jesus allowed us to abuse and mock him. Pilate has Jesus scourged — flogged with a lead-tipped whip. One Bible scholar notes, “[A] normal prelude to Roman execution...flogging itself could produce death, for it was with the dreaded flagellum, which had bits of lead and bone tied to it, or even hooks which could tear the flesh off the bone of the victim. Since such torture could go on indefinitely, many a criminal died from the flogging…The point was to inflict pain and further humiliate the victim.” (Witherington, The Gospel of Mark, 392.)
Then — after flogging him — the soldiers take Jesus into the palace where a whole battalion of soldiers drop to their knees in mock worship. We’re talking about 200 to 600 soldiers being present as they put a purple robe on him — purple being the sign of royalty — the robe is another sign of their mockery. And they’re making fun of him — humiliating him. They put a crown of twisted thorns on his head. And they call out “Hail the King of the Jews!” It was common to hear “Hail Caesar” — for he was king of the Roman Empire. (Robert H. Stein, Mark (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008), 708.) Thus “Hail, the King of the Jews” was just mockery — a good laugh among the soldiers.
Then they began to strike him on the head — they hit him on his head with a club. They spit in his face. Not only a sign of their disgust towards Jesus — but these soldiers had a disgust and hatred towards all Jews — and they were taking it all out on Jesus. And — again — hundreds of soldiers — individually bowing down before him, striking him on the head, and spitting in his face. How humiliating.
And when they’d had their fun and were tired of mocking him — they put his clothes back on him — and led him out to be crucified. We’re in verse 21.
21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. (That’s nine in the morning.) 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. (Mark 15:21-32 ESV)
In humiliation Jesus allowed us to crucify him. His suffering — has been so great — that he can’t carry his cross to the site of his execution — adding to his humiliation. He doesn’t have the strength to proudly walk to the place where he will be killed — he needs help.
And once having nailed him to the cross — they humiliate him even further by gambling for his clothes. And they place him between two criminals who are guilty of crimes — yet these two also mock Jesus as they hang next to him. But Jesus is put in the middle — so he can be the star of the humiliation show. All eyes on him — the center of attention.
The people passing by humiliate him. They hurl insults at him — using his own words — which they misunderstood — against him. This must’ve been excruciatingly hard for Jesus to endure. He’s experiencing extreme physical pain while hearing the mockery of people — he loves — because they’ve misunderstood everything he’s said — everything that he’s come to accomplish — even what he’s accomplishing right before their very own eyes. In humiliation Jesus allowed us to crucify him.
Now — here’s where we need to remember something from verses we looked at weeks ago. Remember — all of what’s taking place — in our verses — is happening less than 24 hours after Jesus shared a meal with his disciples. Here’s what happened less than 24 hours prior to Jesus being crucified.
“And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Mark 14:22-26 ESV)
So — now — as we think of our Savior on the cross — we turn to his table — the Lord’s Table — where we’re reminded of his sacrifice for us. Now’s an appropriate time for us to remember that this meal demonstrates to us how God has loved us in the sacrifice of his Son — in the humiliation of his Son — which we’re reading about.
The apostle Paul reminds us that…on the night he was betrayed, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:24b-26 (ESV))
With these words we’re commanded to eat this bread and to drink this cup in true faith and in the confident hope of Jesus’ return in glory. In this meal, God graciously declares to us that our sins have been completely forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. (Adapted from the Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 75, 80) His sacrifice that we’re witnessing tonight in our verses.
At this time, I’d like to invite forward those who are going to be serving us. And — as they come forward — as we pause in our verses with Christ crucified on the cross — let’s pray before we to take his meal.
Father, as we’ve reminded ourselves of the humiliation that our Savior — your Son — experienced — we give you thanks for him. We thank you for Christ’s obedience and suffering during his life on earth, and for his giving up of his body and blood on the cross. Father we ask that you would graciously give us assurance that our sins are forgiven through his blood and we ask that your perfect love would drive out all fear in our lives. Fill our minds with your peace and unite us with each other through your Spirit so — together — we trust in you and live for you until our Savior returns. Humble us as we witness the humiliation of our Savior and receive the grace he offers to us in this meal. Amen.
As mentioned earlier — this evening you’ll be coming forward to take communion. You’ll take both the bread and cup before returning to your seat. We have baskets available — at the tables — if you’d like to give to our benevolence offering. And there are baskets available to put your empty cups in as you return to your seat. Additionally — in the trays with the bread — there’s a gluten free wafer option in the center of the trays. Finally, if you’re unable to come forward — but would like to take communion — please let the usher know when they reach your row and we’ll be sure to have someone serve you in your seat.
Come taste and see that the Lord is good.
We now return to our text in Mark chapter 15. Christ is crucified. He’s still alive — but the end of his life is near. We’re in verse 33.
33 And when the sixth hour had come (So Jesus has been on the cross for three hours now.), there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. (There was darkness over the land from noon until three in the afternoon.) 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:33-39 ESV)
In humiliation Jesus experienced his Father forsake him. This was likely the most difficult part of his humiliation. After an eternity of intimate union with his Father — the intimacy is broken as Christ becomes our sin. As it’s been said, Jesus now experienced “the horror of sin so deeply that for a time the closeness of his communion with the Father was obscured.” (Vincent Taylor, The Gospel According to St. Mark, 2nd ed. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1966), 594.)
Jesus quotes from the opening words of Psalm 22. A common practice — in this time period — was to — instead of quoting an entire psalm — to quote the opening words to indicate “This entire psalm is how I’m feeling right now.”
Thus — though Jesus only quotes verse 1, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?” (Psalm 22:1 NLT) I can’t help but think he also had in mind, “Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, 8 “Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!”” (Psalm 22:7-8 NLT) And “My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. 17 I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. 18 They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing.” (Psalm 22:16-18 NLT) And even these words of the psalm. “For he (God) has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.” (Psalm 22:24 NLT) For Jesus knew that — though forsaken — God would hear his cry for help.
For his last cry was not that of an exhausted and defeated man — but of a Victor. For his last words were not “Why have you abandoned me” — his last words are “It is finished!” Then he took his last breath and died.
And — in humiliation — Jesus allowed us to silence him.
40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. 42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46 And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.” (Mark 15:40-47 ESV)
The religious leaders — along with the Roman government — have silenced another rebel. Jesus is dead. Some brave women are present — his disciples — they’ve all fled the scene — but not these brave women. And Jesus — being poor — had no place to be buried. Yet a man — Joseph of Arimathea — asks for Jesus’ body. And prepares his body for burial and places it in a tomb. And a stone is rolled in place to seal the entrance of the tomb.
Now — we know from Scripture — that Jesus had to die. This was the only way for sin to be reckoned with. But — have you ever wondered — did he have to die in such humiliation? I mean — what happened to him — in these final hours of his life — are in such opposition to what he deserved as the eternal Son of God. Yet all of this humiliation is what he endured — in love — for us. As someone has said, “Jesus Christ embodies the heights of exaltation, and the depths of humiliation. As the eternal Son, he is the most high God; as Son incarnate, he was meek and lowly of heart. As God, he does all things for his own glory; as man, he did all things for the glory of his Father. Christ is the eternal Son of God who [came from the heights of Heaven to] become [a] man who would be humiliated.” (Ryan M. McGraw, “What is Christ’s Humiliation and Why Is It Important?,” November 8, 2021. https://tabletalkmagazine.com/posts/what-is-christs-humiliation-and-why-is-it-important/.)
So what does this mean for us? Jesus’ humiliation shows us how far he was willing to go to demonstrate his love for us. If you ever wonder, “Does God love me?” — look to what Jesus has done for you — because there's no clearer sign of what it means to love others than what we’ve seen Jesus do for us this evening. For his humiliation is the means by which salvation is offered to the world. His humiliation helps us to know that — when we suffer and are humiliated — that we have a Savior who sympathizes with us — for he’s experienced what it means to be humiliated. And — it’s by looking to his humiliation — and how he responded in love towards those humiliating him — that we know what it means to not only be loved by God — but what it means to love others — even those who cause us humiliation.
And this is the hope for us — but this hope is yet to be realized — for the disciples. For — if we return to them — they’ve just witnessed their Teacher murdered. He’s dead and buried in a tomb. They’re confused. Hopeless. They don’t believe that resurrection Sunday is coming — like us — they’re thinking “this is the end!” So as we leave this Maundy Thursday service — let’s put ourselves in this moment with the disciples.
So — as we leave — after we pray — let’s leave this room in silence. Let’s leave here feeling the weight of what’s happened to Jesus in his humiliation. Feel the despair of the disciples because Jesus is buried in a tomb and — for now — they have no idea — nor expectation — that resurrection Sunday is coming.
Pastor Robert and his wife — Joy — will be available by the conference room — just outside of the worship center if you’d like prayer this evening. No prayer teams down front tonight. For — we’re putting ourselves in the disciple’s shoes — leaving here in silence — leaving here humbled by the humiliation of Christ.
And — may our leaving in silence — help us look forward to returning this Easter Sunday with great hope and joy because — though we humiliated Christ — on Sunday we will gather to celebrate his resurrection. Though we leave here having silenced God — we’ll return Easter morning to join in with the shouts and singing of all of God’s creation — that death did not have the final word — for Jesus is alive. May our leaving in silence increase our anticipation to return and praise our risen Savior on Easter. Let’s pray.
This evening, we’ve witnessed the humiliation of Christ. We denied him his identity. We found him guilty though he was innocent. We mocked him. We crucified him. We silenced him. I’m not sure which of these has spoken most directly to you — but let’s take a few moments — in silence — to individually pray to our humble Savior.
And — Father, Son, and Spirit — as we now leave this room in silence — may this help to remind us on Easter morning of how good the news is that Jesus — is not dead — but is alive. It’s in his name that we pray all of these things. Amen.
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