Jesus - Willing to die for you

Welcome to God's Word for You, a ministry of Sharon R.P. Church in Morning Sun, Iowa. Check us out online at www.sharonrpc.org. We pray that this message will be a blessing to you and that the Lord will use it to transform your faith and your life. Well, you turn in your Bibles with me now to Mark Chapter 2, or no, Mark Chapter 10. Mark chapter 10, and we'll be reading together verses 28 through 34. Mark chapter 10, beginning at verse 28. You can find that on page 894 of the provided pew bibles. You're now God's perfect word.

Then Peter began to say to him, See, we have left all and followed you. So Jesus answered and said, Assuredly, I say to you, There is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospels, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time. Houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions. And in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them, and they were amazed. And as they followed, they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him. Behold, We are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes. And they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles. And they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day, He will rise again. Thus ends this portion of the reading of God's perfect word.

Prayer for Illumination

The grass withers and the flower fades, but brothers and sisters, the word of our God endures forever. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word. And we pray that your Holy Spirit would be active and moving in our hearts, that you would teach us that You would rebuke us, that You would correct us, and that You would train us up in righteousness. Lord, we pray that Your Holy Spirit might work in our hearts by Your Word, that You might let us love You and walk in Your ways. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Sermon

But one of the things I have found to enjoy since coming to Sharon is getting to meet someone in the congregation who I call our local evangelist. And if you spend enough time with this guy, with Devin, what you'll find out is he loves to ask questions that people don't expect. They just kind of come in at the side and you're like, well, you kind of are caught off guard and you have to scratch your head. And one of the questions I've heard him ask time and again when we go and we talk to people, he'll say, who chose for Jesus to die? Whose choice was it for Jesus to die?

And it's just a way for religious people, especially people who have been raised in the church, to start answering questions and dialogue this way. And it's a fun way that I've noticed to kind of spur-on conversation. But I think that question is answered in the text for us today. I think the answer to that question is found in the Bible itself, not just our theologizing of the text.

And you need to know, when we look through this passage, that Jesus knowingly sacrificed his own life. Jesus knowingly sacrificed His own life. And Jesus did this, knowing that cost, because He loved you. Jesus chose to die because He loved His people.

First Point

So first, notice, count the cost. Count the cost, verses 29 through 31. Jesus has just had this interaction with this young rich ruler who came to Jesus and said, what must I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said, go sell everything you have and give it to the poor.

And then come and follow me. It goes away sad. Why? Because he had many possessions. But Jesus loved this man. I think Jesus was challenging him on purpose. That's what the text said. Jesus looked at him and loved him. And here, his disciples answer in verse 28.

They say, we've left everything. Right? Zebedee and son's fishing company is in shambles at home. Our dad has to hire other people to help. Right? Peter's left his business. He's left his boat sitting there on the shore. It's getting barnacles on it. Its nets are falling apart. We've left everything to follow you.

What about us, Jesus? And notice what Jesus says. Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and for the good news sake, who shall not receive a hundredfold in this time houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands with persecutions. And in the age to come, eternal life."

Jesus makes three promises to them here. Three promises He tells them if they will leave everything they know. If they are willing to love Him more than everything that they know, everything that they love in this life. He makes them three promises. One, they'll receive back a hundredfold. They will receive back a hundredfold. The second promise He makes them is not what they would expect. They will receive persecutions. They will receive persecution. Now remember, who is writing this gospel? It is Mark. And Mark is writing down the sermons of Peter. Where is Peter preaching at this time? Most likely in Rome. For him to point out especially, and persecutions. They could taste that in their mouths. They can feel it as they walk down the streets. They know the danger that's on their shoulders if they're actually willing to do this.

But then promise number three. And you will have eternal life in the age to come. There is a promise for eternal life. This is not some get rich quick scheme. This is not health, wealth, and prosperity gospel. This is Jesus laying it out on the line for them. This is Jesus telling them. But it's more than just that. Because the grammar between this passage and the next passage dovetail together. When the disciples hear what Jesus says to the rich young man, they are amazed. They are amazed at this teaching.

Well, who then can inherit the kingdom of God? And then Jesus sets his eyes, like Flint, towards Jerusalem. And what we're going to find is that Jesus was willing to pay the ultimate cost for the kingdom of God. Jesus is not just going to tell them, you give up everything, and you'll have the kingdom, Jesus is willing to say, I am going to give up everything to secure for you the kingdom. Jesus is willing to pay the ultimate price, and this is where things turn in verse 32. Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them, and they were amazed. And as they followed, they were afraid. Isaiah chapter 50 says that, "...and his face was set like flint."

Right? Jesus has a purpose in mind. Jesus is determined to go to Jerusalem. He has a type of resolve, a type of ominous about him, a type of gravity to the way in which he's going. This is not like the other times they've gone up to Jerusalem. Something is changing. Jesus' tone is different. The way He's walking is different. His stride is probably a little faster. His tone is a little bit more somber. He's got to get to Jerusalem. And the disciples are amazed at this. Something's changing in Jesus and they don't understand what's about to happen. They don't understand what's going to transpire in front of them. They're amazed. And what's going on right here, right?

Jesus is going up to Jerusalem. He's crossing over the Jordan River, going from Jericho up the mountain to Jerusalem. And as He's going, there are throngs of people around Him. See, this is the time of year when people would be singing glad songs. They're going to Jerusalem for the Passover. As they were going, there's a whole body of songs, of hymns in the Psalter that are songs of ascent. They would be, as everybody else was around Jesus singing, I was glad to hear them singing. You know, they're all happy going up to Jerusalem. And Jesus knows what awaits Him in Jerusalem, at the gates of David, in the thrones of judgment. He knows what's going to happen when He sees the elders face to face. It seems as if people catch this. There's a sense of seriousness.

Is this about to happen? Is He going to go in and is He going to conquer Jerusalem? Is He finally going to go and stand in the midst of the Sanhedrin and say, yes, I am the Messiah, this is my kingdom, that throne is mine and I'm taking over, we're getting the Romans out of here. Is it coming to that head? Is it coming to that pregnant moment? Is that what's going on?

Jesus tells them, takes his 12 disciples to the side. He wants to talk to the 12 disciples alone. He's going to care for them and let them know what's about to really happen. Now Luke in his gospel tells us that even though he tells them this, they don't understand any of it. Luke chapter 18, you can look it up yourself at home later, but they're not going to get this, but I think Jesus is priming the pump here. Jesus is teaching them, so when it does happen, they're not left scratching their heads. They're not left without hope. And He warns them what's going to happen in Jerusalem. Look with me at verses 33 through 34, as we marvel at Jesus' determined love. Jesus says, We are going up to Jerusalem.

And the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes. And they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles. And they will mock Him and scourge Him and spit on Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.

Six things, Jesus says, are about to happen in Jerusalem. Six things that He warns them are ahead of them as they're going to see with their eyes things that they never thought would happen. He's going to be betrayed. Right? The Son of Man, Jesus is talking about Himself. He's going to be betrayed. One of the twelve, one of their own, one whom they trust, one whom they've traveled with, one whom they have eaten meals with and cared with and gone and preached with, is going to determine he loves money more than he loves Jesus. He's going to betray Him.

He's going to hand Him over to the chief priests and to the scribes. We've ran into the scribes all over the place. As they've tried to trap Jesus, as they've fought with Jesus, as they've gone and tried to undercut His ministry, as they said that He was casting out demons by the power of the devil. Yeah, Jesus is going to hand Jesus over to them. But He's not just going to be betrayed when He's handed over to the chief priests and to the scribes and He gets before that body of the Sanhedrin of the elders. He says, they're going to condemn me.

I'm going to stand on trial. I'm going to stand before a body of 70 elders with the chief priests, and as they're all surrounded around me, they are each going to say, he's guilty. Guilty of what? Guilty of what? They have to trump up charges to make that up. He says, they're going to condemn me. And it's not just going to be condemn me to try to get me to be quiet. They're going to condemn me to death. They're going to say that my charges are worthy enough that I should have capital punishment.

And he says the third thing that's going to happen is I'm going to be betrayed a second time. The New King James translates this, but it's the same word. He says to them, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes. But then He says, and they will condemn Him to death, and where it says, and deliver Him to the Gentiles, the same word for betray is the word for deliver there. And He will be betrayed, handed over to the Gentiles. His own people, Jesus Christ, A Jew of Jews by birth would be handed over by Jewish rulers to go be put to death by pagan Romans. His own people would turn their back on him.

Now it's true in Jerusalem and in all the Jewish areas, they aren't actually allowed to put anyone to death legally. There's plenty of times that they do it illegally, They're not allowed to condemn someone to death. They're allowed to condemn them, but then they have to hand them over to the Romans. And they wouldn't normally do this unless it was something of grave, grave offense.

And then he talks about what's going to happen to him. The fourth thing that's going to happen to him is his suffering. They're going to mock him. They're going to scourge him. They're going to spit on him. Think about this. This is Emmanuel. This is God with us. This is the one who was there at the beginning, by whom and through whom all things were created. By Him, all things hold together.

And He's saying, I am going to let them hand me over to unclean hands. And I'm going to let them make fun of me. And in this body that you see that I have taken upon myself, They're going to scourge me with a whip of nine tails. And to show their utter disgust, they're going to spit on me.

Whose choice was it for this to happen? But it wouldn't stop there. Humiliating Him wouldn't be enough. Punishing Him wouldn't be enough. They had condemned Him to die. And Jesus prophetically tells them, I am going to die. They are going to kill the Son of Man. Put Him to death. And they're going to think the story's over. They're going to think the problem was solved. They're going to think that they were able to cancel Him out. But it's not going to be so.

Because after that death, the Holy One will not be allowed to see decay. He says, the Son of Man will rise again from the dead. There will be a resurrection, but I have to ask you, how does Jesus know any of this is going to happen? How does Jesus know these things?

If you talk to a skeptic, by the way, I just need to warn you, there are people who don't believe the Bible, study the Bible, and write books about the Bible. I never understand that. It seems like a futile exercise. When I read unconverted commentaries, and they'll say, oh, this is just the church after Jesus was crucified, they just make up this stuff and say that Jesus said this. You have to have more faith in people lying than you have to have in who Jesus says He is.

Right? Jesus, if He truly is the Son of the Living God, is here with full purpose and foreknowledge, knowing God's plan, is willing to go to the cross, knowing that the other side is resurrection. Jesus is willing to lay down His life for His friends. Jesus knows the cost of inheriting the kingdom of God. And here he tells his disciples, I've signed the check. I'm going to do it. What gave Jesus the resiliency and the resolve to walk this death march? to set His eyes towards Jerusalem, knowing what awaited Him. What motivated Jesus? What kept Him marching step by step, knowing what was ahead of Him?

First Point

First, He loved His Father in heaven. He loved to do the will of His Father. He trusted His Father's plan. But secondly, He loved His disciples.

He was speaking to his 12 here and he was telling them this because he knew what he was doing for them. Later on in the week, John will record that Jesus taught them, saying, love has none greater than this, that a man would lay down his life for his friends. Jesus is telling them, I'm willing to do this. This is what's going to happen. But I think he's also I think Jesus is also finding resilience knowing that there is a resurrection to come. It's easy to imagine. The disciples are able to kind of maybe grasp steps one through five in what Jesus said.

It's going to be betrayed. He's going to be handed over. He's going to be judged. He's going to be condemned. He's going to be mocked. He's going to be flogged. He's going to be spat on. He's going to be killed. These things are all like human stuff. But the resurrection... The resurrection is something you don't see every day. The resurrection is something they're still trying to wrap their heads around. They've seen this by this time. We know from the Gospel of John. They've seen this happen with Lazarus. But is Lazarus going to live forever?

What is Jesus talking about? What is He getting at? I think Jesus isn't clueless here. Jesus knows what the resurrection is. Jesus knows that the resurrection gives them life. It's 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 17 that tells us, if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is futile. You are still in your sins. Because Jesus knew. Jesus knew that when He would raise again from the dead, that He would justify His people.

We think about the cross a lot. And we should. Right? Because on the cross, the price was paid with something more valuable than silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. But our salvation didn't end with the cross. It's in the resurrection that we are justified. It's in the resurrected body of Jesus Christ that we have hope. It's in the resurrection of Jesus Christ that we know that God's promises are true. And that if Jesus Christ raised from the dead, then we have hope even in our mortal flesh.

Jesus would be killed for the remission of sins, but He would also be raised for your justification. And so what does this mean to your life? How do you respond to Jesus' determined love? Well, Jesus was determined to die to save you. He was willing to forsake all so you might have eternal life. And so Jesus today is calling you, what he told his disciples previously.

Will you believe Him? Will you trust His words? Secondly, will you follow Him? Will you follow Him? Will you be like the disciples who went with Him into Jerusalem? And then after the resurrection continue to follow Him the rest of their lives? Will you trust in Him? And by trust in Him, I don't just mean believe His words, I mean actually live a living faith. Will you live like you actually believe in the resurrection? Will you live like He has actually paid for your sins? Will you live like He is actually the King, the Lord, who deserves your allegiance and obedience? out of love? If that's the case, then four, will you sacrifice for Him?

Many of you, you might think of yourselves as not too rich. You live middle class income, sometimes you have a hard time affording things, you have to budget tight, some of you are on retirement, Social Security only goes so far, and these things are true, but I'm telling you, you are rich people. Rich in time, rich in love, rich in attention that you can give to others, but also, I'm telling you, compared to many people I talk to throughout the world, you are rich even materially.

Would you be willing to sacrifice it? Would you be willing to trust Jesus in this regard? But Jesus tells us not just sacrificing things, but are you willing to suffer for Him? Are you willing to be persecuted for Him? I gotta tell you, this is something in my own heart, in my own life that I struggle with, right?

Because I don't want to be the guy who looks weird for talking about Jesus. I don't want to lose friendships. I know what it's like, I know what it's like to stand in your shoes and to be worried that if you tell this sister about Jesus, and by sister I mean your biological sister about Jesus, she might not talk to you for another six years. That if you bring up Jesus again to your parents, they might not want you to come home for Christmas. And if you tell your co-workers about Jesus, your boss might tell you, you need to just shut up. There's pastors for stuff like that.

Are you willing to suffer for Jesus? He tells us this is part of the cost of discipleship. Why would you do any of this? Why would you do any of this? Because of what he promises as the final application. Are you desiring to love him and live with him forever?

You see, God does not promise us eternal life in His kingdom so we can stare at the golden road underneath our feet. God doesn't tell us, oh, I'm going to give you fathers and mothers and brothers and wives and children and fields a hundredfold so we rejoice in those things. No, He's going to let us live on the new heavens and the new earth And we get to worship Him forever. This is the joy of the Christian life, that we get to join the myriad of the redeemed and worship the Lamb who was slain.

That we get to lift up our hands and to praise Him and to love Him forever. I'm telling you, if you do not love the idea of just learning from Jesus, sitting with Jesus, praising Jesus, talking with Jesus, you're going to hate heaven. Because in eternal life, our sole object, our love, is Jesus Christ. That is what's worth living for eternity, and that's what makes doing what Jesus calls us to today worth it. Jesus determined to love you. Are you determined to love Him and to walk in His ways?

Closing Prayer

Let's pray. Father, we thank you for the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. And we pray, Lord, that your Holy Spirit would teach us to die unto self and to live to love you. Lord, we pray that your Holy Spirit would do a miraculous work in our hearts. Father, I don't know I don't know where everybody's hearts are even this morning. I don't know who are the believers and who are the unbelievers, only You know their hearts. Father, I pray that even this morning, where it might be that time, that You would convict sinners of Your great love for them, and that You might stir up their hearts to love You and have eternal life.

We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen. We pray that the message would be used by God to transform your faith in your life this week. If you'd like to get more information about us, feel free to go to the website, SharonRPC.org. We'd love to invite you to worship with us. Our worship time is 10 a.m. every Sunday at 25204 160th Avenue, Morning Sun, Iowa, 52640. May God richly bless you this week.