Southside Forums

[Pastor Charles]

Life Group Lesson
October 21, 2007
Mike & Lisa Tarry

Mark 14 & 15

1 it was now two days before the Passover celebration and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and put Him to death. 2 "But not during the Passover," they agreed, "or there will be a riot." 3 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had leprosy. During supper, a woman came in with a beautiful jar of expensive perfume. She broke the seal and poured the perfume over His head. 4 Some of those at the table were indignant. "Why was this expensive perfume wasted?" they asked. 5 "She could have sold it for a small fortune and given the money to the poor!" And they scolded her harshly. 6 But Jesus replied, "Leave her alone. Why berate her for doing such a good thing to Me? 7 You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But I will not be here with you much longer. 8 She has done what she could and has anointed My body for burial ahead of time. 9 I assure you, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be talked about in her memory." Mark 14:1-9

In Matthew 26:8 and Mark 14:4 there is a reference to “some were indignant” to what the woman from Bethany had done when she poured the expensive perfume on Jesus head. In John 12:4, John specifically speaks of Judas Iscariot. He said the perfume could have been sold and the money been used to take care of the poor. Why do you think John specifically mentioned Judas? Do you think Judas was really concerned about the poor or that he wanted more money in the treasury because he was the treasurer?

What would you sacrifice to let Jesus know of your love for Him? This woman anointed Jesus with perfume that was worth about a years wages (hard to imagine isn’t it?). How would you express yourself in worship even though others were around? In these verses, this woman is expressing true worship to her Lord at both great personal expense and the expense of the disciples’ criticism. But look what Jesus said in Mark 14:6: “throughout the world, this woman's deed will be talked about in her memory." What are we doing now? We are talking about her. Jesus knows when our worship is true and He says that others will know too. Follow her heart of enthusiastic and extravagant worship. What or who is keeping you from worshiping God with all of your heart. Let your heart move you to WORSHIP.

Mark 15

1 Very early in the morning the leading priests, other leaders, and teachers of religious law – the entire high council met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus and took Him to Pilate, the Roman governor. 2 Pilate asked Jesus, "Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus replied, "Yes, it is as you say." 3 Then the leading priests accused Him of many crimes, 4 and Pilate asked Him, "Aren't You going to say something? What about all these charges against You?" 5 But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate's surprise. 6 Now it was the governor's custom to release one prisoner each year at Passover time – anyone the people requested. 7 One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, convicted along with others for murder during an insurrection. 8 The mob began to crowd in toward Pilate, asking him to release a prisoner as usual. 9 "Should I give you the King of the Jews?" Pilate asked. 10 (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) 11 But at this point the leading priests stirred up the mob to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. 12 "But if I release Barabbas," Pilate asked them, "what should I do with this Man you call the King of the Jews?" 13 They shouted back, "Crucify Him!" 14 "Why?" Pilate demanded. "What crime has he committed?"But the crowd only roared the louder, "Crucify Him!" 15 So Pilate, anxious to please the crowd, released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned Him over to the Roman soldiers to crucify Him. Mark 15:1-15

Do you find it interesting, yet disturbing, that the crowd chose a known criminal and murderer to be released instead of a man that loved, healed, and performed so many miracles to help others? I mean, who was this Barabbas? He committed the crime, yet Jesus died in His place. As Jesus said in Matthew 26:53 “Don't you realize that I could ask My Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and He would send them instantly?” He could have called down an army of angels and wiped the entire crowd off the face of the earth. But He didn’t. As it was prophesied in Isaiah 53:4-9 :

4 Yet it was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought hHs troubles were a punishment from God for His own sins! 5 But He was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! 6 All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on Him the guilt and sins of us all. 7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet He never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, He did not open His mouth. 8 From prison and trial they led Him away to His death. But who among the people realized that He was dying for their sins – that He was suffering their punishment? 9 He had done no wrong, and He never deceived anyone. But He was buried like a criminal; He was put in a rich man's grave.

Just like Barabbas, many of us take lightly the gruesome trial and crucifixion that Jesus suffered for our sin. We carelessly commit sin, yet He is the one that suffered our punishment. He was spit upon, flogged, mocked, ridiculed, crowned with a crown of thorns, and nailed to a cross. Yet we are the ones who are set free. Free from the bondage of sin. Free to worship unhindered. Free to do as we want. We are set free. What are you going to do with that freedom? Where will that freedom lead you? Barabbas didn’t deserve it and neither do we. Thank Him and tell some one else about the freedom in Christ.

[John and Melissa Simmons]

One thing my wife and I discuss from time to time is this very subject. It is a horrific and unwanted thought,possibility. But the truth is, the world has gone in a direction away from God in alot of areas, so much so, that in fact if Jesus were to have been born now, instead of 2000 years ago, there are those in the world that would crucify him even now. Some would go as far as wanting to re - crucify him. Makes one wonder sometimes, if we have progressed as far as we think as a culture.
Everytime we sin, we are just as guilty as the Roman Soldier of driving nails into his hands, piercing his flesh, and placing a crown of thorns on his head.
Scripture teaches we all sin and fall short of the Glory of God. In effect, we are born into sin. Jesus through his crucifiction, has made a way to avoid the benefits of sin. The scriptures teach us the end result of sin is death. Referring to eternal death. Seperation from God. Jesus took our punishment on the cross, and the hours preceding his death. So that we wouldnt have to. He made it so simply, all we have to do is accept him as our Lord, our Saviour." But he that beleiveth in me shall not perish, but have everlasting life...
We are only going to be here 1-110 years on average. Where will we spend eternity? How long will eternity be for? Well I have no numerical representation of infinity, but the closest one I can think of at this moment that would give our small human minds even a vague idea,would be something like- 10 x's 10 x's 10 to the 12th power x's the square root of pi x's infinity. How ever you figure it, its a long,long long forever.
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God Bless ! John and Melissa Simmons