“Christ’s Passion: His Church Trial” Mark 14:53-65 May 25, 2008

SI: In our study of Mark we are in that portion of the Gospels that the church

has called the Passion of Christ. Passion means suffering.

Jesus’ suffering for our sins began in the Gethsemane and culminated on the cross.

Every part of his suffering was uniquely painful,

and it revealed both our great sin and his greater love for us.

Last week we looked at his arrest. How he was arrested like a rebel and robber.

The humiliation of that arrest was what we deserved.

We are all rebels and robbers—but Jesus took our place.

After Jesus’ arrest he was taken to a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

The Sanhedrin was the highest court of the Jewish church—

there he suffered a trial by the church itself that condemned him to death.

Let’s read about Christ’s passion before the Sanhedrin.

INTRO: In the summer of 1980, there was a question that was on everyone’s lips.

Do you remember what it was? Who shot J.R.?

For those of you who do not remember that question.

J.R. was one of the main characters in the TV series Dallas.

At the end of the season he was shot by an unknown assailant.

So all summer long that was the question on billboards and t-shirts.

We didn’t watch Dallas, in fact, our family as so backwards

we didn’t even have a TV at the time, but even I wondered who shot J.R.

One of the historical controversies of Christianity has been:

Who killed Jesus?

Some have said it was the Jews. The Jews were Christ-killers.

You may know that throughout the middle ages into modern times,

that claim has been used to stir up anti-Semitic hatred.

In modern times it is more politically correct to say that the Romans killed Jesus.

After all, it was Pilate and the Roman authorities who crucified him.

Most Christians though would say that the real answer is not the Jews or Romans.

Our sins killed Jesus.

I have heard that in Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion,

there is a close-up of the soldier’s hands that are nailing Jesus to the cross.

Those hands are actually Mel Gibson’s hands.

He is making the point artistically that all Christians understand—I killed Jesus.

Of course that is true, our sins did kill him, he died for our guilt.

But that’s not the whole answer to the question: Who killed Jesus?

This passage shows us that the church killed Jesus.

That is exactly what the Sanhedrin was—the highest court of the church.

In Presbyterian terminology this was the General Assembly.

It was made up of elders, priests, and teachers of Israel.

The guardians of the Scriptures, the custodians of the worship God commanded.

They gave the final word on all matters of faith and practice.

Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin is a vivid reminder that he suffered at the hands of

the church—with the High Priest himself denouncing him for blasphemy,

and all the elders of Israel shouting his condemnation,

and then showing their contempt by spitting in his face.

He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Yes, you killed Jesus with your sins.

And he willingly suffered for your sins because God the Father loved you,

and because Christ wants to save you, give you forgiveness and a new life.

And, as we learn from this passage, the church killed Jesus.

He willingly suffered and died at the hands of the church to save the church,

and to reform the church from its error so that it could become a true

messenger of the Gospel and a safe haven for faithful followers of Jesus.

Most of our study of Christ’s passion is intensely personal.

I ponder what it means for Jesus to suffer and die for my sins.

What does his suffering reveal about me, my sinfulness, my self-righteousness,

What does his suffering show me about him?

How he meets all my needs.

And how I need to trust him alone.

That’s good, that’s biblical. True Christian faith is intensely personal.

But as we meditate on Jesus’ passion today let’s consider what his suffering

at the hands of the church reveals about the church,

about the church’s sinfulness, self-righteousness.

In what ways does it show the church’s need to trust him more.

What warnings does it give us about the church.

And how do these things apply to our church?

So this will be a little different—not as intensely personal.

But there are times the Bible leads us to think about our corporate life.

And this is one of those passages.

Look at this subject under three points:

1. The history of the church’s hostility to Christ

2. The reason for the church’s hostility to Christ

3. The lesson from the church’s hostility to Christ

MP#1 The history of the church’s hostility to Christ

Historically, one of the frequent enemies of the Gospel has been the visible church.

The visible church has often not been a safe haven for faithful followers of Jesus.

Notice I said “visible church.”

That’s an important distinction—and one that the Bible makes.

Visible church is the church we can see.

The visible church is made up of everyone who has professed faith and children.

Or might say visible church everyone who has been baptized.

It was the same the OT church—everyone circumcised and families.

Baptism is the outward, visible sign of church membership, like circumcision.

Concept of visible church contrasted with the invisible church.

Invisible church is the church only God can see.

Made up of all of the elect—all God’s true children, all truly regenerate people.

Invisible church is completely pure.

Bible shows by teaching and example that the visible church is not pure.

It’s a mixture of elect and non-elect people.

There are people who are baptized, even make professions of faith—

not truly regenerate and born again.

Jesus used the parable of weeds mixed with the wheat.

Sometimes the visible church is more pure and sometimes it is less pure.

Historically have been times when visible church so impure,

true believers reduced to such a small remnant, that the church itself has

become an enemy of Christ, Gospel, and true believers.

This is one of the major themes of the Bible.

The first time there was an institutional church organized around

priests and elders was during the Exodus.

Right away that church began to slide into compromise.

Aaron, first high priest, made a golden calf as an aid to worship Lord.

Again and again the same thing happened.

Pure worship and church life God had instituted under Moses corrupted

by compromise with the idolatry and immorality of surrounding nations.

Priests, temple worship some of worst offenders.

Who did God send over and over to reform the church? Call back to Him?

The prophets—Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah. Preached same message.

People—turn back to Lord who brought out of Egypt and blessed you.

Priests—corrupted pure worship God commanded, proud of them, turn back.

Over and over again the prophets suffered ridicule, abuse, death from church.

When Jesus, the great Prophet called the church back from legalism, ritualism,

worldliness—rose up against him through Sanhedrin and killed him.

But it’s different now, right? That was the OT church, we’re the NT church.

That was before resurrection and Pentecost—this is after.

Look at the past 2000 years of church history and you will see same story.

Visible church at various times fallen into idolatry, compromise, pride,

legalism, ritualism so thick that simple Gospel message is covered up.

You will also see that through the past 2000 years God has sent prophets—

not inspired prophets like Isaiah—raised up sons and daughters to call church

back to Christ and the Gospel. What has church done to these people?

Too many stories to tell—just mention two of them.

1415 John Hus, Bohemian minister said that Christians ought to be able to read

Bible themselves—for this council of the church had him burned at stake.

1498 Savonarola, Italian priest condemned immorality of priesthood, pope.

Before he was hung, church ordered him tortured.

Church would have done same to Luther—didn’t want to break away from church,

just wanted to stop practice of selling indulgences people though forgave sins.

Church threw him out because wanted to bring back to simple Gospel.

But that’s the Catholic church. Those bad Catholics. Protestant church doesn’t.

In 1935 one of the greatest Presbyterian theologians Gresham Machen.

He said it was wrong to take tithes of God’s people give to so called missionaries

who were not sharing Gospel but promoting Communism in Central.

For that, was excommunicated from Northern Presbyterian Church.

Have a high school friend, Episcopal minister.

Loves Episcopal church, faithful preaching Gospel,

outspoken concerning moral decay of that church.

He’s become a target. Days are numbered in the Episcopal church.

Bishop does not like his message.

But those are liberal denominations, those nasty liberals.

We are evangelicals.

We would never cast out those God raises up to call back to Gospel.

We can’t be proud and self-assured that we wouldn’t.

Look at the Bible. Look at church history.

Every branch and every era of church capable hostility to Christ and Gospel.

Most sobering thing about this history is that the

guilty parties thought they were actually serving God.

MP#2 The reason for the church’s hostility to Christ

Let’s consider the reason for the church’s hostility to Christ.

Why has the visible church so often in history opposed the Gospel,

and the prophets and reformers who call her back to grace of God and Jesus?

Answer that question by considering why Sanhedrin hostile to Jesus.

Sanhedrin was the highest court of Jewish church.

72 member priests, elders, teachers—leading men of the church

Divided between two parties—Pharisees and Sadducees.

Most of priests, including Caiaphas were Sadducees.

Most of elders, teachers of law Pharisees.

Parties had tremendous differences theologically and politically,

but completely unanimous in condemning Jesus.

Pharisees devoted to the study of Scripture, careful keeping all laws of God.

They were sincere and zealous in these pursuits.

But they were legalists. Believed law-keeping would earn merit from God.

Jesus message to Pharisees over and over again was:

God’s law is good, but salvation doesn’t come from keeping God’ law.

You don’t understand the first thing about God’s law.

You’ve reduced it to a long list of external rules and regulations

you are proudly keeping and trying to impose on everybody else.

The heart of God’s law is to love Him with all heart and neighbor as yourself.

And the standard of God’s law is perfection.

Before that law all people stand condemned.

Your only hope is to repent of your legalism and accept God’s grace to you through

his Son the Messiah who has kept the law perfectly and will give

that righteous record to all who believe.

Sadducees devoted to the rituals of the Temple.

Just as sincere. Saw ritualism as their source of spiritual identity.

Jesus message to Sadducees over and over was:

God’s rituals for worship good, but salvation doesn’t come from Temple rituals.

You don’t understand the first thing about them—

A person comes to God through sacrifice of Messiah, not through rituals.

“If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”

All the God-given rituals of worship are means of grace

intended to point to free gift of God, salvation through Messiah.

But you have corrupted them by using them as a means to get power over people

and to get rich, consequently, actually keeping people away from God.

Repent and come to God through Christ.

Jesus said legalism doesn’t save. Saved by God’s grace through Son. Free.

Jesus said ritualism doesn’t save. Saved by God’s grace through Son. Free.

Pharisees and Sadducees, fought over so many things,

recognized that Jesus message of salvation by God’s free grace alone

would destroy the systems they were relying on and proclaiming as way

of salvation and righteousness. Couldn’t bear that.

They believed in those systems of self-righteousness, wanted others to believe.

Reason the visible church has often been hostile to Christ does not have

anything to do with the visible church, per se.

It’s because the human heart is fond of creating systems to make itself feel good

and righteous before God and other people.

I’ve told you before about my seminary friend Charlie Baldini.

In one of the oldest churches on Staten Island. Very respectable church.

Last time I saw him, year and a half ago when you gave us New York trip,

told me that very day powerful people in church told him sick of hearing about

sin and Jesus, better change his message or he was going to be out.

And the most powerful systems, most blinding and enslaving ones are religious,

especially when they are baptized by Bible and Christian ritual.

Those systems come in a variety of forms—

some add to Gospel, some take away.

Some result in extreme legalism, some result in loose living,

some are inseparable from orthodox theology, some are unorthodox.

Inevitably, when Jesus Christ comes to the church through his prophets,

through godly men and women raises up—

calls church back to the pure Gospel, back to grace, back to obedience of faith,

to repent of its systems of self-righteousness—

The visible church, the institutional church is hostile to Christ.

MP#3 The lessons from the church’s hostility to Christ

Let’s consider lessons from the church’s hostility to Christ. Not all.

1. Pray for your church. Pray for Christ Covenant, congregation, officers, me

As you look at this story you see the two big temptations we face—

to take away from the Gospel or to add to it.

The Sadducees tended to take away—Parts of the Bible, teachings offensive.

They wanted to be respectable. Liked the comfort of church.

I think that’s something that could happen to Christ Covenant—

we could take away from the message of grace by refusing to confront sin.

Because that’s uncomfortable, we’re afraid it makes people mad,

gives a bad reputation in community—church that practices church discipline.

But Titus 2 says:

“For the grace of God . . . teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to

live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”

Grace does not ignore or defend sin or downplay the demands of God’s law.

The other big temptation is to add to the Gospel.

That’s what the Pharisees did. Taught that it’s grace plus obeying the law.

Once again, that could become a temptation for Christ Covenant.

Honestly, I don’t see any particular warning signs—but always lurking.

Legalism feels good. Makes you feel secure. Pray that message will always be:

Ephesians 2 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from

yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

We see later in the book of Acts that the Jewish church, led by Sanhedrin

bypassed by the Holy Spirit, and God began to do his work among the Gentiles.

We don’t want that to happen to Christ Covenant.

So pray that the Lord would preserve us and keep us true to the Gospel.

2. Be humble about apparent strengths of your church.

The strengths of the Jewish church were its incredible dedication to study of

Scripture and the antiquity and beauty of its public worship.

But pride in those strengths led to hostility to Christ.

Their very strengths were their downfall.

Churches have different strengths:

for some strong in evangelism, some in prayer, some in worship,

some in mercy, some in fellowship, some in teaching.

Warning, when those strengths become a source of pride,

the church can become hostile to Christ and Gospel.

That strength is elevated to a standard of righteousness.

Makes us feel good that we do this, feels good to condemn those who don’t.

Historical tendency in Presbyterian churches—emphasize strong teaching,

emphasize the doctrines of grace.

That’s a good, but pride in doctrinal correctness is hostile to Christ.

Remember few years ago conversation with minister in a hyper-charismatic church.

I had some serious differences in theology with this man.

Telling me about this church they had planted in another city.

We got a word from the Lord that we needed to plant a church in the Devil’s front

yard so we picked the worst, neighborhood, place with most crime, place with

least possibility of success.

That’s where we planted. I thought: Presbyterians would have set up a study

committee, and ruled out that location for demographic and economic reasons. .

3. Praise God for his amazing grace to your church.

Why didn’t he strike these proud, self-righteous ministers dead?

Why did he patiently endure their lies and blasphemy?

Why did he allow them to hit him, slap him, spit in his face?

Why did he allow the church to condemn him to death?

Because he is our amazing, gracious Savior.

He came to suffer at the hands of the church,

so that he could save the church, reform her, cause her to be a true messenger

of salvation and a safe haven for his true children.

Every time you do see the church accomplishing these good things—

when it proclaims the Gospel and nurtures the faithful,

whenever there is joy in fellowship, and service to the needy, answered prayer—

Praise God for them. It’s his amazing grace to us.

We would be no different from these Pharisees and Sadducees

were it not for his grace and Spirit.

Who killed Jesus? The church did. The church condemned him to death.

But he died for that church, so that through his amazing grace

we could become the beautiful bride of Christ.