Father in heaven, we come before you this morning about to open your word to a very difficult passage.
In fact, the remainder of Mark's account of Jesus' earthly ministry, the rest of it is very difficult.
But Lord, in it, well, number one, you gave it to us so that we could read it.
And in it, there are many instructions on how to live like Christ.
But more than that, it is an account of Christ himself that we get to behold him.
And Lord, beholding him, we are changed.
Help us this morning to behold Christ for who he truly is.
And by your Holy Spirit, we ask that we would be changed.
And we pray this in Christ's name. Amen.
If you have your Bibles, we'll be going through the portion of Mark's Gospel that I read, Mark 15, 1 to 15.
By the way, if you want to grab a Bible at the back, please feel free to do so.
Before we get into the text, just a bit of a story.
In 1970, a 17-year-old teen from Winnipeg named David Milgard was sentenced to life in prison
for the rape and murder of Gail Miller that took place in Saskatoon.
Milgard, he was traveling across the prairies, and he denied that he committed the crime.
But under duress from police who were themselves pressured to solve the crime,
David Milgard's friends changed their testimony, which led to his wrongful conviction.
And he was incarcerated for 22, just over 22 years, until DNA evidence exonerated him, and he was released.
David Milgard served 22-plus years for a crime he didn't commit.
And some six years or so later, maybe seven years later,
he settled with the Saskatchewan government and the federal government for $10 million.
$10 million for 22 years.
Now, if you haven't heard of David Milgard before, that's okay.
You might have heard of him if you're a fan of the Tragically Hip.
The song Wheat Kings references him.
But it's a Canadian story, and it's a terrible blot on our recent history.
It's an injustice of the first degree.
A terrible stain on the justice system.
There's something incredibly unsettling about injustice, isn't there?
When justice is expected, but injustice is what we get.
Justice, and those tasked with safeguarding it,
is very foundational to an orderly, safe, and stable society.
Take away justice, things unravel awfully quick.
Society begins to crumble.
In our text this morning, Jesus will be subjected to the second unjust trial in 12 hours.
He is before Pilate.
He's already had the ridiculous charge levied against him that he was a blasphemer.
It was drummed up by the chief priests and the whole council of the Sanhedrin.
And now, he's quite literally dragged in front of Pontius Pilate and accused again.
And they are seeking, not life in prison, not 22 years,
but the death penalty and crucifixion at that.
Jesus will be unjustly condemned, ultimately.
We'll see in the weeks to come leading up to Easter,
as we wrap up our time in Mark's Gospel.
And we will see this morning the conviction of Jesus,
which will be the most unjust act in human history.
The sinless, perfect Savior,
who is condemned to death for something that he 100% did not do.
So,
how does this unjust sentence go down?
And what does it teach us about human nature?
And what injustice does to us and to our society?
So, we'll look at this scene,
and we'll go through the whole text,
but what we're going to do is we're going to break it up
in terms of specific characters
and taking a look,
doing a bit of a deep dive in three characters that are featured here.
The first one,
I'd say character as it's singular,
but really the chief priests.
We're going to take a look at them.
The second group,
or the second person rather,
so that's the first group.
The second person is Pontius Pilate.
And the third and final one is Jesus himself.
So, let's get right into it.
We'll take a look at the chief priests.
The chief priests,
they have been engaged in
a plot to destroy Jesus
all the way back from Mark chapter 3.
Jesus,
he is proclaiming the gospel,
he is healing the sick,
he is casting out demons,
he's doing miracles,
and people are being
blessed
in ways that they've never been blessed before.
And by doing that,
Jesus is
showing
the religious establishment
to be wanting.
And since chapter 3,
they have hated him.
And it says
in chapter 3,
verse 6,
that they sought
a way to destroy Jesus.
They have been plotting
and scheming
since chapter 3.
And here,
we're going to see
three ways
they engage in
injustice.
The first way
is their strategy.
they're engaged
in a very
unjust strategy
to get Jesus
eliminated.
The second is
they will engage
in deception.
And the third,
we'll see their motivation
in all of this,
which is envy.
So if you have your Bible,
we're going to look
at verses 1 to 5
of chapter 15.
It says this,
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.
I'll pause really quickly there.
The chief priests,
I mean,
they're incredibly calculated
with their strategy
and their plan
to destroy Jesus.
Like I mentioned,
it's a culmination
of some three years
of planning
Jesus' downfall.
They have found
a willing accomplice
in Judas,
Jesus' own disciple
who betrays him
and they take him away.
And notice with me
the strategy
in verse 1.
They held a consultation
first thing in the morning.
This is, by the way,
on top of what happens
at the end of chapter 14
where Jesus is,
he is before the whole council,
a bit of a rump court.
We looked at that last week.
And he has the charges
levied at him.
They don't stick.
And finally,
he's asked a question
about his identity
and he answers
in the affirmative.
The chief priest
rips his garment
and he cries out blasphemy.
Death penalty it is.
But in the morning,
it continues.
Because you have to understand,
at this point,
the sovereign power
is not the Sanhedrin.
It's not the religious elites.
It's Rome.
Judea is a colony of Rome
and they do not have
the ability
to sentence Jesus
to death,
but specifically
a crucifixion.
Sure,
maybe they could just
have a hired hand
to take Jesus out.
I mean,
they've had three years
to do that.
But they want it
to be crucifixion.
Because crucifixion is public
and it's embarrassing.
And we'll see
for the rest of chapter 15
that the emphasis
of the crucifixion
and the death of Jesus
is not in the brutality of it.
And I mean,
the other gospel writers,
they'll talk about
the brutality
of their crucifixion.
But Mark emphasizes
its humiliation.
How do you rehab
somebody's reputation
after they have hung
on the cross
as a naked,
beaten criminal
to die
so that the body,
this is the way
it works in crucifixions,
the body rots off
and falls down.
It is the most shameful
thing that could happen
in a shame-based society.
The Sanhedrin
can't do that.
Rome can.
So they meet
in the early morning
to figure out a way
to meet with Pontius Pilate
so that Jesus
gets the stamp
of death
by crucifixion.
It is remarkable
their strategy
in place in all this.
It's completely unjust
and they're going
in the early morning.
Why?
I mean,
quite the gig.
If you're a Roman official,
you wake up super early,
you deal with
the business of the day,
9, 10 o'clock,
it's leisure time
for the day.
Not too bad.
So it has to be
early morning
because there's going
to be a lineup
of people
to try to get
their issues
or their cases
or their disagreements
dealt with
by Pontius Pilate.
So there is
incredible planning
that is happening here,
incredible strategy,
but it needs deception
and this is the other part
of it.
And if you continue
on with me
in verse 2
and following,
Pilate asked Jesus,
are you the king
of the Jews?
And he answered him,
you have said so.
And the chief priests
accused him
of many things.
We'll pause
really quickly there.
If you remember,
in chapter 14,
Jesus is condemned
by the religious
establishment
for being king
of the Jews,
for being the Messiah.
King of the Jews
is like another term
for the Messiah.
No,
but for blasphemy.
For Jesus saying
that he will be
at the right hand
of the Father.
Essentially equating
that he and the Father
are one.
Now,
there's a lot
of overlap
of what Jesus said
and him claiming
to be the Messiah,
but they're very
different things.
But here,
the chief priests
and the religious
establishment,
they know that
blasphemy is not
a charge that sticks
in Rome.
Especially among
the Jewish people.
I mean,
people had to worship
the Roman gods
and especially
Caesar himself,
but the Jewish people
had a bit of
an agreement
with Rome.
They could worship
their gods,
their God,
as long as it
didn't interfere
with the Roman god.
But if somebody
blasphemes their god,
who cares?
If it's Rome,
who cares?
Who gives a rip?
I mean,
it's a backwater
Judeans who believe
in God,
but it's a false god.
Let them have their thing.
Who cares if it's
blasphemy?
So what do they do?
The religious
establishment,
the chief priest,
what do they do?
They say,
this man is claiming
to be the king
of the Jews.
Who's the king
of the Jews right now?
It's Caesar.
It's not Jesus.
And if they're,
all of a sudden
shows up
a rival king,
now that's a problem.
Now that's something
to crucify somebody for.
And since
about 30-ish,
40 years
before Jesus
comes on the scene,
this idea of the Messiah
started to take
a political,
um,
era,
like it started
to transform
into like a political
position,
a political office
so that the Messiah
would be understood
as the one
that would liberate us
from our oppressors.
So,
how do they make
the charges stick?
They cook.
They cook the charges.
They're going to come up
with something crappy,
something that's really
going to get Rome's attention.
And they do.
King of the Jews,
that's a big problem.
Their strategy
is,
uh,
is,
is by any means
necessary.
And that's exactly
what they're doing.
But what's,
what's so interesting here
is that we see
a great irony.
The chief priests
in trying to condemn
Jesus to death,
they will affirm
who he truly is.
The king of the Jews.
The Messiah was always
supposed to be
the king of the Jews.
Not the king
that, um,
would come
to just defeat
Rome
and install,
um,
a new
throne of David
that would be
passed down
kind of from
generation to generation.
But that David's throne
would be reestablished.
King David's throne
would be reestablished
in Israel
forever.
That,
that,
that the Messiah
would come
and he truly would
reign over his people.
Not just the Jewish people.
The Bible talks about
all people.
And in trying to get
charges to stick to Jesus,
they affirm
who he truly is.
He is.
It's incredible.
They don't believe it,
but the words
come out of their mouths.
We'll see that
when Jesus is hung
on the cross,
it will say
king of the Jews
above him.
Mark doesn't record this,
but in another gospel,
um,
another gospel account,
the Jewish leaders
will say,
take that down,
that sign.
He is no king of ours.
Pilate says,
I've done what I've done.
It is so interesting
that,
the irony,
that it's just,
it's all over the page here.
Wicked men
often fulfill
God's prophecy
at their own ruin.
And we're seeing
this happen.
So not only
do they participate
in this injustice
with their scheming
and their deception,
but we see
that their motivation
is rooted
in envy.
Where do we see this?
Look with me,
verses 9 to 11.
And Pilate answered them,
saying,
do you want me
to release for you
the king of the Jews?
For he perceived,
verse 10,
for he perceived
that it was out of envy
that the chief priests
had delivered him up.
But the chief priests
stirred up the crowd
to have him release
for them Barabbas instead.
Verse 10,
for he,
Pilate,
perceived that it was
out of envy
that the chief priests
had delivered him up.
They're envious of Jesus.
Pilate put words
to what we have been witnessing
throughout the Gospels
and especially
in chapters 11 and 12
where Jesus has
the triumphal entry
and he
condemns
the temple,
but really
the religious establishment
of the day
that did not seek
to serve the people
of God
but instead
to be served
by the people
of God.
He exposed them
and he has had
a following
and he has fruit
in his ministry
where they have none
and they're envious.
What's the result
of their self-exaltation?
they become blind
to God himself
who came not to
be served
but to serve
and give his life
as a ransom
for many.
That's
chapter 10
verse 45.
To not be served
but to serve
and give his life
as a ransom
for many.
The religious establishment
minus the one guy
in
who comes up to Jesus,
the one scribe
who Jesus
commends for his faith,
but the entirety
of the religious establishment
is looking
to be served
and to give their lives
as a ransom
for ours.
It's the complete opposite.
Not only have they
become spiritually blind
but their envy
has led to a dehumanization
of Jesus
and their people.
They desire
something
that somebody else has
and by doing so
they dehumanize them.
Envy always
reduces a person
to what they possess
or what they can do
for you
or what they have
their life
the image
that they project
it reduces somebody
to that
and elevates desire
to an eternal end.
An unquenchable
thirst for more.
And what's the result?
Jesus is going
to his death.
No longer do people
have intrinsic value
as reflective of God's image
but are merely
a sum of their stuff.
It's a problem.
It's what envy
reduces people to.
And it's hard
because we want
to be better
and we want more things.
And we want good things
but we elevate them
to ultimate things.
And we look past
the fact that
in front of us
is an image bearer
of God himself.
We dehumanize people.
That's what envy does.
But it goes further.
Their envy
doesn't just send
Jesus to the cross
but they foment
the crowd.
Remember
it's hard to really
hammer this home
enough.
These people
are there
to serve
those people
to open their eyes
to the scriptures
to the way of God
that the people
of Israel
God's people
are supposed to be
light to the nations.
And because
of their envy
they stir up
the crowd
so that the crowd
really is only
a means
to achieve their end.
They
lead the crowd
astray.
The same crowd
that chanted
Hosanna
in the highest
blessed is he
who comes
in the name
of the Lord
in the triumphal entry.
The same crowd.
And now
they're stirred up
to say
crucify him.
There's power
in leadership.
And when leadership
goes awry
people suffer.
And it's not
to somehow
to take the blame
away
but it's to show
the power
of leadership
both good
and bad.
Their envy
has shipwrecked
the people
of Israel.
And what's
interesting
in all of this
is that
that same
mentality
that same
fomenting
aggression
towards Rome
will ultimately
get Israel
raised to the ground
and Jerusalem
destroyed.
The temple
completely
toppled over.
Friends
we need to be
violent
in our fight
against envy
in our lives
and especially
in a day
when image
is truly
everything.
It truly
is.
It is
everything.
And in a day
where image
is everything
envy
it is like
fertilizer
and the
envy
just continues
to grow
and grow
and grow.
We need to be
violent
in how we
attack it.
It's very hard
and we can't
do it alone.
We ask
the good Lord
for help.
We cry out
to him
maybe literally.
you know
in a time
of Lent
we strip
away
some of
the
image
some of
the things
that we
hold on
to as
dear to
us
and we
realize
that we're
actually more
frail than we
think
and that we
need God
a lot more
than we'd like
to admit.
We also
worship together
in a church
and
I've said this
in the past
I'll say it
again
confess your
sins to
one another
and pray
so that you
may be healed.
We come to
the faith
one by one
but we walk
it out
side by side
and I'm not
sure you can
walk out
the faith
any other
way.
How do you
fight against
envy?
By God's
strength
and by the
help of
your brothers
and sisters.
God's word
as well
washing over
us.
So that's
a chief
priest.
How about
Pontius Pilate?
Pontius Pilate
was a
prefect
a Roman
prefect
in Judea.
He was the
ultimate
sovereign
in the
land.
Ultimate
power to
wield the
sword.
And he
wielded the
sword.
Pilate did.
He was
bloody.
He would
kill hundreds
and hundreds
of people
and yet
at the
same time
there's
historical
proof that
he would
placate the
crowds to
avoid
rebellion.
Apart from
what we
see here
in chapter
15.
So he
used brutality
and political
expediency to
keep the
peace and
to keep
order.
And here
is an
example of
that in
verse 6
and to
the end
of our
section
verse 15.
Now at
the feast
that is
the Passover
Pilate used
to release
for them
one prisoner
for whom
they asked.
and among
the rebels
in prison
who had
committed
murder
in the
insurrection
there was
a man
called
Barabbas.
And the
crowd came
up and
began to
ask Pilate
to do
as he
usually did
for them
and he
answered
them
do you
want me
to release
for you
the king
of the
Jews?
For he
perceived
that it
was out
of envy
that the
chief
priest
had
delivered
him up.
But the
chief
priest
stirred up
the crowd
to have
him release
for them
Barabbas
instead.
And Pilate
again said
to them
then what
shall I
do with
the man
you call
the king
of the
Jews?
They cried
out again
crucify him
and Pilate
said to
them why
what evil
has he
done?
But they
shouted all
the more
crucify him
so Pilate
verse 15
wishing to
satisfy the
crowd
released for
them
Barabbas
and having
scourged
Jesus
he delivered
him to be
crucified.
What a
sham of a
trial.
Pilate
uses Jesus
to secure
political
favor
for the
crowd.
There is
at the
Passover
year by
year
there
was
a
heightened
kind of
political
fervor
in the
land.
There was
rebellion
always
kind of
in the
air
during
the
feast
the
Passover
feast.
And he
sees
here
an
innocent
man
but a
very useful
man.
Somebody
that he
could use
to get
through one
more year.
To deal
with this
crazy crowd
in front of
me.
I mean
it's almost
nine o'clock
I have
things to
do.
Who knows?
It's very
easy to
kind of
speculate
what Pontius
Pilate was
thinking.
The scripture
doesn't say
that at
all.
But we
know
it seems
that Pilate
thinks Jesus
is innocent
at the very
least.
He thinks
he's
innocent.
Now
whether
or not
Pilate
has
a conscience
in all
of this
or whether
it's been
seared
from years
of being
a Roman
governor
we're not
sure.
He knows
that
Jesus
is
innocent
but does
he think
it's
wrong?
Not
sure.
Maybe
maybe
not.
The
scripture
doesn't
say
Mark
doesn't
record
any
of
Pilate's
kind
of
inner
thinking.
But
nevertheless
it's
instructive
for us
to see
how the
desire
to
appease
rather
than
do
what
is
just
results
in
not
peace
now
and
peace
later
a little
bit
of
peace
now
and
calamity
for
everybody.
In
this
case
an
innocent
man
is
sent
to
his
death
and
a
crowd
is
merely
appeased
but
nothing
more.
The
Bible
is
crystal
clear
on
the
evil
of
political
corruption
and
injustice
and
this
is
where
the
scriptures
help
us
in a
sense
to
understand
I
guess
I'll
say it
this way
the
scriptures
has
formed
western
civilization
it
has
formed
Canada
it
has
formed
the
US
it
has
formed
the
West
and
we
take
it
for
granted
that
governments
should
not
be
corrupt
and
governments
should
be
just
and
politics
should
be
there
should
be
a
general
desire
to
bless
the
people
and
not
use
the
office
for
gain
checks and
balances
we take
that for
granted
but that's not the
case in ancient Rome
and it's
scripture verses
like this
that help
us
to see
our eyes
to the
deep
impact
and the
lasting
impact
of the
scriptures
on our
society
it's
remarkable
something
like this
we see
and we
say
yeah
Pilate
he's
corrupt
in the
first century
that wasn't
the case
we've
had the
scriptures
wash
over us
for
centuries
and
centuries
and
centuries
and we
take it
for
granted
but
our
standard
for
political
life
is
in a
big way
formed
by the
scriptures
we
revolt
rightly
at
political
cover ups
and political
decisions
that only
benefit
the elite
few
because we
have an
innate
sense
that
injustice
is
unfair
and
dangerous
and so
it is
because
God
has
created
the
world
with
order
he's
created
the
world
to
reflect
his
goodness
injustice
is
neither
orderly
or
good
is
it
I mean
the
story
of
David
Milgard
it
testifies
to
that
we
recoil
at
that
story
it's
a
tragedy
earlier
in Mark
we saw
something
very
similar
didn't
we
with
Herod
John
the
Baptist
is
a
problem
for
Herod
but
Herod
is
intrigued
by
him
but
his
brother's
wife
whom
he
shouldn't
have
married
and
John
the
Baptist
calls
it
out
wants
John
the
Baptist's
head
and
Herod
gets
himself
into
a
pickle
and
off
comes
John's
head
again
another
example
of
weak
leadership
doing
something
that's
wrong
to
placate
the
crowd
injustice
may
take
different
forms
but
it
never
ever
results
in
human
flourishing
or
blessing
never
does
again
peace
now
but
it
will
be
problems
later
injustice
never
results
in
human
flourishing
or
human
blessing
but
back to
Pontius Pilate
here
again
we see
an irony
in the
text
because
Pontius Pilate
is the
sovereign
over
everything
and yet
he is
manipulated
by the
crowd
and in a
sense
he bends
a knee
to the
crowd
and he
sacrifices
Jesus
like an
animal
on the
altar
of political
success
and expediency
and yet
the Lord
uses it
to fulfill
the prophecy
that Jesus
will be
he will
be
crucified
like a
lamb
led
silently
to the
slaughter
and it's
unmistakable
that this
is an
image
from
Isaiah
53
the
suffering
servant
who
is
sacrificed
for the
sins
of many
Pontius
Pilate
what does
he do
he attempts
to satisfy
the injustice
of the
chief priests
and the
mob
they've
worked up
they've
stirred
up
but
Jesus
will
satisfy
the
justice
of
God
all
because
Pontius
Pilate
is
trying to
do
what is
politically
expedient
for him
again
just like
with the
chief priests
we see
that
wicked
men
fall
into
doing
the
will
of
God
but
why
does
this
injustice
have
to
happen
why
couldn't
there
be
another
way
why
does
Jesus
have
to
go
through
this
injustice
why
would
God
deliver
Jesus
over
to
unjust
men
we see
that
both
the
chief
priest
delivered
Jesus
over
to
Pontius
Pilate
and
Pontius
Pilate
delivers
Jesus
over
to be
crucified
why
would
God
in a
sense
deliver
Jesus
over
to
unjust
men
and let's
look at
the
third
and final
character
of this
completely
farcical
unjust
trial
look at
Jesus
go back
with me
verses
one
to
five
and as
soon as
it was
morning
the chief
priest
held a
council
with the
elders
and scribes
and the whole
council
we'll go down to
verse two
and Pilate
asked Jesus
are you the
king of the
Jews
Jesus answered
him
you have
said so
and the chief
priest accused
him of many
things
and Pilate
asked him
have you
no answer
to make
see how many
charges
they bring
against you
but Jesus
made no
further answer
so that
Pilate
was amazed
more than
the accusations
of the chief
priests
the roars
of the
the crowd
and the
sliminess
of Pilate
in all of
this
the silence
of Jesus
dominates
this portion
of scripture
I mean
what he
says
what
you have
said so
that's
in a sense
Jesus
simply saying
you would
do well
to consider
what you're
saying
but other
than that
he is
silent
and it
is deafening
his silence
I mean
who doesn't
defend
themselves
when they're
facing
the chair
in a sense
except that
it's not
the chair
it is
the most
gruesome
way to
die
how is
he silent
in all
of this
but he
is silent
he says
nothing
absolutely
nothing
the end
of verse
five
what does
it say
so that
Pilate
was
amazed
Pilate
has seen
criminals
in his
day
and it
I'm sure
it would
have taken
a lot
to amaze
Pilate
but here
he is
amazed
Jesus
doesn't
plead
his
case
he
doesn't
oppose
the
false
charges
he
says
nothing
and
Pilate
is
amazed
to be
clear
this isn't
weakness
it is
not a
sign
of
defeat
but rather
it's the
outworking
of
Jesus
who is
God
the son
of God
come down
in the
flesh
fully
man
and
fully
God
who in
a sense
left
all of
his
divine
prerogatives
all of
his
authority
in a
sense
when he
came to
earth
it is
him
submitting
to the
father's
will
it's
the
outworking
of what
we see
in the
garden
of
Gethsemane
not my
will be
done
but yours
and Jesus
is resolute
he knows
what's
happening
he is
silent
and it
is a
silence
of strength
not of
weakness
he is
completing
the
father's
will
and what
is the
will
of
God
that
both
justice
that
both
his
justice
will be
satisfied
both
his
justice
will be
satisfied
because of
the sin
and evil
that we
have
committed
and also
at the
same
time
that
the
human
race
may be
redeemed
from
the sin
and evil
that we
have
committed
the
justice
of
God
or the
will
of
God
is that
justice
and mercy
meets
in the
person
of
Jesus
Christ
and it
can only
be done
through the
death
and resurrection
of Jesus
who is
the
suffering
servant
the
lamb
who
goes
silently
to
the
slaughter
but why
does it
have to
be
an
unjust
trial
why
does
God
have to
deliver
Jesus
over
to
unjust
men
but
here's
the
thing
the
only
way
the
justice
of
God
and
the
mercy
of
God
could
ever
be
satisfied
is
with
a
perfect
substitute
in our
place
we're
not
perfect
you
think
you
have
a
good
day
excellent
the
next
day
or
the
next
week
the
wheels
fall
off
it's
kind
of
the
way
things
go
for
us
we're
not
perfect
so
in a
sense
if
we
are
punished
we
are
justly
punished
by
God
but
that's
not
God
showing
us
mercy
but
if
God
shows
us
mercy
where's
the
justice
and
God
has
to
have
his
justice
satisfied
so
only
in
Jesus
who
is
God
himself
God
the
son
of
God
but
also
fully
human
he
is
perfect
and
he
suffers
an
unjust
trial
because
what
other
trial
could
the
perfect
Jesus
suffer
under
there's
no
justice
just
way
to
punish
Jesus
he's
deserving
of no
punishment
and
yet
he is
punished
in
our
place
where
God's
justice
is
satisfied
and
his
mercy
extended
and
we see
this
we see
this
exchange
even
in
our
in
our
text
this
morning
Pilate
releases
Barabbas
for
Jesus
the
guilty
for
the
guiltless
and
it's
just
a
small
kind
of
picture
into
what
will
happen
on a
cosmic
level
of
Jesus
on
the
cross
friends
this
is
the
gospel
in
a
very
real
way
this
is
the
good
news
of
Christ
the
great
and
glorious
love
of
God
on
full
display
the
love
of
God
that
the
love
of
God
is
far
deeper
than
you
or
ever
like
to
admit
God
knows
us
and
he
loves
us
Christ
dies
in
our
place
unjustly
condemned
so that
we can
experience
the
mercy
and
love
of
God
but
there's
still
more
because
it's
not
that
Jesus
suffers
on
our
behalf
and
it
was
the
only
way
he
could
suffer
unjustly
but
Jesus
now
brings
meaning
to
suffering
and
this
life
is
full
of
it
is
full
of
suffering
and
a lot
of
that
suffering
is
unjust
that
you'll
experience
if you
turn to
1 Peter
chapter 2
I'll
just
read it
from
my
text
1 Peter
chapter 2
verses
18
to
25
and
I'll
read it
this
is
the
same
Peter
who
will
talk
about
suffering
well
the
same
Peter
that
did
not
suffer
well
that
bent
immediately
under
pressure
who
caved
under
pressure
this
is
a
redeemed
man
writing
this
letter
he
says
this
2 Peter
1 Peter
chapter 2
verses
18
servants
be subject
to your
masters
with all
respect
not only
to the
good
and gentle
but also
the unjust
for this
is a
gracious
thing
when mindful
of God
one endures
sorrows
while
suffering
unjustly
for what
credit
is it
if
when you
sin
and are
beaten
for it
you endure
for if
when you
do
good
and
suffer
for it
you
endure
this
for this
is a
gracious
thing
in the
sight
of God
for to
this
you
have
been
called
because
Christ
also
suffered
for you
leaving
you an
example
so that
you might
follow
his
steps
he
committed
no
sin
neither
was
deceit
found
in his
mouth
when he
was
reviled
he did
not
revile
in return
when he
suffered
he did
not
threaten
but continued
entrusting
himself
to him
who
judges
justly
he himself
bore
our sins
in his
body
on the
tree
that we
might die
to sin
and live
to righteousness
by his
wounds
you have
been
healed
for you
were
straying
like
sheep
but have
now
returned
to the
shepherd
and
overseer
of your
souls
when we
suffer
well
for
Christ's
sake
unjustly
looking
to him
for both
strength
and a
desire
to do
his
will
God
delights
in it
he
delights
in it
think
in your
head
of a
time
when
somebody
delighted
in something
you did
or for
who you
are
a parent
if it's
a distant
memory
it might
be hard
maybe
a part
of the
sting
is that
you can't
remember
but surely
it's good
if somebody
delights
in you
imagine
if God
in heaven
who created
everything
delights
in you
does that
not bring
great meaning
to suffering
all of a
sudden
is it
something that
we can
endure
by his
strength
knowing
that he
delights
in us
that it
brings him
great glory
and like
Christ
it will
ultimately
lead to
blessing
and it
might not
be our
physical
blessing
it might
be somebody
else
but we
will be
ultimately
blessed
because we
know the
delight of
God
in our
lives
what other
ideology
or philosophy
or religion
or whatever
it may be
can turn
suffering
into
ultimate
blessing
what can
when we
suffer
unjustly
let us
not
be angry
forever
there's a
time I guess
initially maybe
we react
we're human
beings
but let us
suffer
with the
mind of
Christ
remembering
what he
has done
he asks
you
to know
God's
eternal
blessing
it is
worth
everything
think about
David Milgard
he got
10 million
dollars
for 22
years in
prison
just under
what
I mean
I'm not
going to
do the
math
between
400 and
500
thousand
dollars
a year
in prison
is that
does that
bring meaning
to his
suffering
is that
worth it
no
he passed
away last
year
I'm sure
he would
if he was
here today
say
did not
bring meaning
to my
suffering
but imagine
the delight
of God
in our
lives
only the
unjust
suffering
of Jesus
can give
meaning
to
injustice
for through
the silent
suffering
of the
servant
of God
our eternal
salvation
was won
and that
is the
ultimate
meaning
through
Christ
and his
suffering
we
are a
part of
the family
of God
let's pray
Lord God
thank you
for
for your
son who
who didn't
cower
who didn't
back away
but was
brave and
resolute
and looked
to you
and drank
the cup
that he
was to
drink
and he
drank it
all the
way
empty
for us
and now
we
through
faith in
him
can know
what it's
like to
be
children
of
God
but also
it helps
us to
suffer
to suffer
well
when
unjust
suffering
comes our
way
so Lord
help us
to be
people
that are
just
really
about
your
business
really
looking
to have
you
delight
in us
Lord
we
have no
idea
what the
future
will bring
whether
they be
small
sufferings
or large
ones
but Lord
we pray
that you'll
prepare us
so that when
that time
comes we'll
be ready
and that we
will know
your delight
we pray
this in
Christ's
name
Amen