6/20/13

From Jim McGuiggan... The True God and The True Gospel


The True God and The True Gospel

It's true that there's more to be said about the gospel than what Paul revealed in 2 Corinthians but what he revealed in that letter is red-hot theology and it's as relevant to our modern situation as it was to his own. It isn't hard to see that when Paul speaks to people he keeps their culture in mind so that he can more effectively proclaim the gospel. It's also easy to see that Paul didn't shape his gospel to the culture but only his way of putting it across.
Who knows for certain what kind of god those ancient Corinthians believed in? We can make educated guesses but at this distance with as little information as we have maybe a large dose of modesty is in order. (You'll remember how we all knew what Jews in general believed in the Palestine of Jesus' day and then came Sanders with his Paul and Palestinian Judaism to shake our confidence.)
Whatever the general populace believed (and it was probably as mosaic of ideas) Paul knew what he believed. He called a restless Corinthian church (and a restless world) to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20). For others there might be many gods and many lords but for Paul there was only one God and he didn't look nor sound like Aristotle's. He preached: "Be reconciled to the God whose history embraces a humiliating death at the hands of his creation and his elect people. Be reconciled to God whose death was only possible because he became weak and vulnerable, and a God whose glory is expressed through a young man dying in the dark and expressing some sense of abandonment."
It's inevitable I suppose that God will be rejected by tens of millions of us in every generation but at least when Paul preached we knew which one we were rejecting. Wouldn't it be terrible to find out that the tame god we rejected through life (when we thought we were being bravely rebellious) wasn't the real God at all? Wouldn't it be equally terrible to discover in the end that the god we embraced was an overly-sweet creation in our own image? Our ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman ancestors made up their minds about how God must show himself and then Paul tells us that he came dragging his cross behind him to that awful place. But he's not like that now is he? He's not like that now...is he? All that cross dragging and dying wasn't glory, was it?

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... Jesus Condemned And Mocked (Mk. 15:2-20)


                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                  Jesus Condemned And Mocked (15:2-20)

INTRODUCTION

1. As mentioned previously, Jesus faced two trials prior to His
   execution...
   a. The ecclesiastical trial, in three stages
      1) The preliminary hearing before Annas - cf. Jn 18:12-14,19-24
      2) The midnight trial before Caiaphas and the council - Mk 14:53-65
      3) The morning consultation of the council - Mk 15:1
   b. The civil trial, also in three stages
      1) Before Pilate, the Roman governor - Mk 15:2-5
      2) Before Herod, the tetrarch over Galilee - cf. Lk 23:6-12
      3) Before Pilate again - Mk 15:6-15

2. We turn our attention to events related to the civil trial as found
   in Mark’s gospel...
   a. Jesus before Pilate - Mk 15:2-15
   b. Jesus mocked by Roman soldiers - Mk 15:16-20

[Beginning with Mk 15:2, let’s direct our attention to the details of
the trial, starting with...]

I. THE PARTICIPANTS

   A. PILATE THE ROMAN GOVERNOR...
      1. Pontius Pilate, the 5th Roman governor of Judea (26-36 A.D.)
         - Mk 15:2
      2. Often harsh, Jewish sources charge him with greed and cruelty
         - cf. Lk 13:1

   B. CHIEF PRIESTS...
      1. Who had plotted to kill Jesus, and sent to arrest Him - Mk 14:1,43
      2. Who had tried Jesus at the home of Caiaphas - Mk 14:53
      3. Who had delivered Jesus to Pilate - Mk 15:1-3

   C. BARABBAS...
      1. The prisoner released in Jesus’ stead - Mk 15:6-15
      2. A rebel guilty of murder, and a robber - Mk 15:7; cf. Jn 18:40

   D. THE MULTITUDE...
      1. A crowd who had gathered to ask for the release of a prisoner
         - Mk 15:8
      2. Prompted by the chief priests to clamor for Barabbas instead of
         Jesus - Mk 15:11
      3. Eventually crying out, "Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!" - Mk 15:13-14

   E. THE SOLDIERS...
      1. Who mocked Jesus (see below) - Mk 15:16-20
      2. Who ultimately crucified Him - Mk 15:20

[With such a review of those present during the civil trial before
Pilate, let’s now consider...]

II. THE CHARGES

   A. MADE BY CHIEF PRIESTS...
      1. He perverts the nation - Lk 23:2
      2. He forbids to pay taxes to Caesar - Lk 23:2; yet cf. Lk 20:22-25
      3. He claims to be Christ, a King - Lk 23:2
      4. He stirs up the people, teaching throughout Judea and Galilee
         - Lk 23:5

   B. CONSIDERED BY PILATE...
      1. Who asked Jesus, "Are You the King of the Jews?" - Mk 15:2
         a. To which Jesus admitted - Mk 15:2
         b. Though His kingdom was spiritual - cf. Jn 18:36-38
      2. Who marveled at Jesus’ silence regarding the other charges - Mk 15:3-5
      3. Who ascertained that it was envy that motivated the chief
         priests - Mk 15:10
      4. Who did not think Jesus was guilty of death - Mk 15:14; cf. Lk23:13-15
      5. Whose wife wanted him to release Jesus - cf. Mt 27:19
      6. Who finally sought to gratify the crowd, to avoid a tumult - Mk
         15:15; Mt 27:24

[Though Pilate considered Jesus innocent, pressured by the crowd he
initiated actions that would lead to the crucifixion.  Such actions
included terrible abuse, which we will now survey...]

III. THE ABUSE

   A. JESUS WAS SCOURGED...
      1. By the instructions of Pilate - Mk 15:15; Jn 19:1
      2. This involved being "tied to a post and beaten with a leather
         whip that was interwoven with pieces of bone and metal, which
         tore through skin and tissue, often exposing bones and
         intestines. In many cases, the flogging itself was fatal."
         - ESVSB

   B. JESUS WAS MOCKED...
      1. By soldiers who led Jesus to the hall called Praetorium - Mk 15:16
      2. Who clothed Him with purple and a twisted crown of thorns on
         His head - Mk 15:17
      3. Who saluted Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" - Mk 15:18
      4. Who struck Him on the head with a reed - Mk 15:19
      5. Who spat on Him - Mk 15:19
      6. Who mockingly worshiped Him - Mk 15:19
      7. Who stripped Him and put back on Him His clothes - Mk 15:20

CONCLUSION

1. Again, the barbarous injustice at Jesus’ trials is evident...
   a. The false charges and physical abuse
   b. A cowardly governor acquiescing to a manipulated crowd

2. But lest we forget, this was in keeping with God’s Divine
   Providence...
   a. Which Jesus acknowledged in His predictions and prayers - 
      Mk 8:31-33; 14:36
   b. Which Peter proclaimed in his first sermon on Pentecost - Ac 2:22-24

All in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (Isa 53:4-12).  Shall we not
respond accordingly...? - Ac 8:30-38
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Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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