The lutheransermons's Podcast

Preparing for Worship - August 22, 2021

In the Old Testament lesson for this Sunday, Isaiah 29:11-19, God speaks of a sleep and blindness that have come upon His people (v.10). Their hearts are far away from the Lord. and they have turned things upside down. They think they are the “potter," not the “clay,” and they can do whatever they please They are unwise, following human ideas, and have no real understanding. They are in great danger and need to have their eyes and ears opened and find “fresh joy in the Lord.”

Jesus quotes from the Old Testament lesson in the Gospel reading from Mark 7:1-13. When he came to be the Savior, Jesus said that His own people were again following the “tradition of men” and were “making void the Word of God." Their hearts were far from what God really wanted for them, and they were missing the truth about God and His Word.

The Psalm for this Sunday, Psalm 14, is a very strong indictment of our human condition, left on our own. Some are so foolish as to say that “There is no God.” In fact, as God looks at the world, “There is none who does good, not even one,” according to God’s standards. “They have all turned aside," away from God in their hearts and are evildoers toward others. Paul quotes this passage in Romans 3:10-12, along with other Scriptures, and concludes, “By works of the Law, no human being will be justified in God’s sight.” Yet the Psalm writer, David, says that there is a “generation of the righteous” - people who receive salvation through the Lord.

How can we sinners become righteous? The Epistle lesson, from Ephesians 5:22-33, is about what God wants for wives and husbands in marriage; but right in the middle of that is the Good News we all need. “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” We are forgiven and counted righteous only through the sacrifice of Christ, in His love for us. Those blessings come to us in the Word connected with water in Holy Baptism. In response, husbands and wives are called also to love each other, with husbands carrying the biggest responsibility, as head of their family.

Bible Study on 1 Thessalonians - Part 1 Introduction

This study is an introduction to I Thessalonians. I chose this  portion of Scripture because I thought you might be ready for a shorter study than the long Mark study we just finished. This letter of Paul can also help us with some issues that seem very relevant to many these days. Some say that there is more persecution of Christians than ever before in some parts of the world - and more criticism of and attacks on Christian beliefs and morality. Because of this and other things going on, some also think that the second coming of Christ might also be soon. Paul deals with these concerns and others in I Thessalonians and how we can have hope and confidence in our Lord in spite of many challenges in our own lives.

We looked at the background of how Paul came to Thessalonica and why he wrote this letter later on to the church, the believers in that city. We looked especially at a portion of The Book of Acts, the history of the early church written by Luke, who also wrote the Gospel of Luke.

Paul was on his second missionary journey, sharing the Good News of Jesus with as many people as possible. Scholars date this as about 49-51 AD. Turn to Acts 16:6 and the verses that follow. Paul had plans for where he wanted to go, in the Roman province of Asia. (This is not Asia as we think of it today. Asia back then was a Roman province and a part of what is now the country of Turkey.) God directed Paul in a different direction, though, through His Holy Spirit and a vision of a man calling Paul to come farther west, into the Roman province of Macedonia, to help people there. This was the first time that Paul had gone to any part of what we now call Europe (Acts 16:6-10).

Paul then traveled by boat to Macedonia and soon to the city of Philippi. which is what we now call the country of Greece. You can read of the work there and people who came to faith and were baptized, including whole households. Paul also got in trouble there, by casting an evil spirit out of a slave girl and angering her owners. Paul and Silas, his co-worker, were beaten and thrown in prison. They befriended the jailer, and he and his whole household were baptized and became believers. City officials realized that they had badly mistreated Paul, who was a Jew, but also a Roman citizen. They asked Paul and Silas to leave their city, and they then moved on to Thessalonica (Acts 16:11-17:1).

Thessalonica was the largest city in Macedonia, about 200,000 people, and was the capital of that province. It was a busy seaport city. The Romans had also built an important highway through Thessalonica that linked them with Byzantium (later called Constantinople and now Istanbul) and places farther east, and with the Danube River to the North. The city was named for a relative of Alexander the Great. It seemed to be a good place for Paul and Silas to carry on their mission, even though they had been forced out of their previous work in Philippi.

For three Sabbath days, three weeks, Paul taught at a synagogue in the city. Though he was called to reach out to Gentiles, non-Jews, it was his custom to start out talking with fellow Jews, since they should have recognized the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures as the Word of God.

Paul taught from those Scriptures, showing that Jesus was the Christ, the promised Messiah and Savior, sent from God, who had to suffer and die and rise again to do His saving work. Some Jews believed in Jesus, but many more Greeks, both men and women, also came to believe in Jesus. They became the core group, the believers in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-4).

However, the Jewish majority rejected Paul and his message about Jesus and were jealous of people going away to follow Paul. These Jews created a riot against Paul and Silas and anyone who helped him in any way, including a man named Jason. They accused Paul and the Christians of being anti-Roman and against Caesar, the Roman emperor (Acts 17:5-9).

Once again, Paul and Silas had to escape from this city, only being in Thessalonica for a short time, and went on to Berea, where the Jews were more open at least to hearing what Paul said and were searching the Old Testament Scriptures. Again, some Jews and non-Jews came to faith in Jesus. But again, Jews in Thessalonica heard of this and sent agitators to Berea to work against Paul and Christianity. Paul was quickly sent off to Athens, much farther south, since he was the prime target of the Jews. Silas and Timothy were able to stay on there for a while, though, helping the believers (Acts 17:10-15).

Paul spent some time in Athens, sharing the faith there, too. You can read about that in Acts 17:16-34. Athens was a heavily Greek city, with many temples of gods and goddesses and human philosophies very different from Christianity. Some came to faith in Jesus, but it was a tough, skeptical crowd to talk with.

Paul then moved on to Corinth (Acts 18:1). He stayed at least a year and six months there, sharing the Word of God (Acts 18:11). (There is a reference in Philippians 4:16 to help sent to Paul in connection with Thessalonica, but we don’t know just what that refers to or if Paul was able to get back there for a short time.)

It was most likely from Corinth that Paul then wrote the letter of I Thessalonians to the believers in Thessalonica. If you turn to I Thessalonians 1:1, right after Colossians in the New Testament, you will see mention of Paul and Silas (called here by his Roman name, Silvanus - Silas is his Hebrew name) and Timothy, who were also along with Paul on at least parts of his second missionary journey.

Turn briefly also to I Thessalonians 3:1-5, where Paul explained that he could not return to Thessalonica at that point, but was so concerned about the believers there, left alone so quickly, that he sent Timothy back to them to do more teaching and encouraging in God’s Word.

I Thessalonians 3:6 reports that Timothy then returned to Paul with news that the people were staying in faith, but had questions and concerns and were still being harassed and persecuted by others who did not believe. Paul then wrote the letter we will study in weeks ahead, helping them and us, still today, with the message God Himself gave him, centered in the hope found in the risen Lord Jesus. Every part of God’s Word is important, but may God bless us as we get into this letter and what God wants to tell us here, too.

Sermon for the 12th Sunday after Pentecost - August 15, 2021

Sermon for the 12th Sunday after Pentecost, based on:

Proverbs 9:1-10 / Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18

Ephesians 5:6-21

John 6:51-69

Sermon originally delivered August 19, 2012

Preparing for Worship - August 15, 2021

These notes follow the regular Scripture readings for this Sunday. (Some churches may use readings about Mary, the mother of Jesus; but this study does not include those.)

There are two choices for the Old Testament lesson. The first is Proverbs 9:1-10, where Wisdom is pictured as a woman who provides a banquet and invites “simple” people to come and eat the food provided - insight, instruction, correction when one is doing wrong, and knowledge of the “Holy One,” of God Himself. This “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

The alternate Old Testament reading is from Joshua 24:1-2a,14-18. Joshua calls God’s people together and tells them also to “fear the Lord and serve Him alone, in sincerity and faithfulness.” The people affirm that they will follow the Lord, for He rescued them from slavery in Egypt and has cared for them, ever since. “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord,” they say. Note the emphasis upon this in what Jesus asks the disciples, and what Peter answers, in our Gospel lesson, too.

The Psalm is Psalm 34:12-22, a continuation from last week’s reading, also from Psalm 34. David, the author, assures us that though we have “afflictions” and may be “broken-hearted” and “crushed” by our sins and other troubles, “the Lord redeems the life of His servants… and none who trust Him and take refuge in Him will be condemned.”

The Epistle is again from Ephesians, Chapter 5, verses 6-21, where Paul continues to remind us to live in the “light” of our new life in Jesus our Savior. The Holy Spirit, working through the Word of God will help us to “discern what is pleasing to the Lord” and to “expose” what is dangerous and evil in others and even in us, when we need to be “awakened” and receive the Lord’s forgiveness. We walk as ”wise” people, as we stay in Christ and His Word.

The Gospel reading is the 3rd reading in a row from John 6, verses 51-69. Jesus calls upon people to keep on “feeding” on Him in the spiritual sense of believing that Jesus is “the Holy One of God” and trusting that in Him, we have “the Words of eternal life,” even if some things are hard to understand. (The Lord’s Supper had not yet been given when these words were spoken; so this passage does not focus on that. It does prepare the way, though, for the miracle of the receiving of Christ Himself, not just a “spiritual eating," in the unique gift of Holy Communion, given later on, the night before Jesus’ death, and still given as a great blessings for us “prepared” believers.)

Bible Study on Mark - Part 27, Mark 16:9-20

We began this portion of our study with a few more comments on the argument about whether verses 9-20 should be included at the end of Mark, Chapter 16. Some, including some Lutherans, feel that we should not include or study these verses, primarily because two important, early manuscripts of the New Testament, rediscovered in the last few hundred years, do not include these verses.

On the other hand, others, including older Lutheran scholars, feel these verses belong, because the great majority of other manuscripts do include these verses. Also, a number of early church leaders, who lived before the time the two manuscripts mentioned above were copied, written down, quote from verses 9-20 of Mark. These verses clearly existed in the very early church and were considered part of God’s Word, from Mark’s Gospel, by Irenaeus, Tatian the Syrian, Hippolytus, and Justin Martyr, who all lived in the 100’s to early 200’s AD, not long after the Gospel of Mark was written.

I am no great scholar, but only a retired parish pastor. I will let the scholars argue more about this. Most important, though, what is in Mark 16:9-20 clearly agrees with what we can find in other New Testament passages. We can trust what is said, based on letting Scripture interpret Scripture for us. I have gone on, therefore, in this study, including and talking about these final verses of Mark’s Gospel.

We heard last week that the women left the angel and the empty tomb, ecstatic with the news that Jesus was alive, but also astonished and fearful about what to do (Mark 16:8). Mark tells us in verses 9-12 that the appearances of the living Lord Jesus to some of them made all the difference.

Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9). Mark tells this in his typical simple, straight-forward way - just the facts. He also includes the detail that Jesus had earlier cast 7 demons out of this Mary, whom he had mentioned already in Mark 15:40-41 and 16:1ff. (Read Luke 8:2 and John 20:11-18 for more detail about this resurrection appearance of Jesus.)

Mary Magdalene and other women then had courage to go and tell the disciples about the risen Lord, as they were instructed to do. The disciples were still in great sorrow and mourning, though, and would not believe the women (Mark 16:10-11). (See also Luke 24:10-11.) This fits with what Jesus had said earlier in Mark’s Gospel, when He had often spoken of the lack of understanding and the hardness of heart of the chosen disciples. This passage also emphasizes that women, as well as men, were important in both hearing and sharing the Good News of Jesus. Mary Magdalene was the first to see the risen Lord, and she and other women were the first to be witnesses for the risen Lord.

In Mark 16:12-13, Mark again just gives the fact of the appearance of Jesus to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, that same Easter day. Jesus appeared in such a “form” that they could not recognize Him until He “broke bread” with them. (See details of this in Luke 24:13-35. Note how these disciples still did not seem to be grasping and believing this, until Jesus Himself appeared to them.)

Mark then tells in a very simple way of the appearance of Jesus to the “eleven” chosen disciples. (See, for example, Matthew 27:5, where we hear what happened to the 12th disciple, Judas.) Mark emphasizes again the call of Jesus for them to believe in Him and His resurrection and not be so skeptical. (Mark 16:14). (See how these same things are described in much more detail in Luke 24:36-43 and John 20:19-29.)

This is the whole point of Mark’s Gospel - to help people to believe in Jesus as their Savior and to keep trusting in Him. The disciples would soon be facing the same doubt and skepticism, too, that they often had struggled with, in the people they were now to be witnesses to.

In Mark 16:15-16, then, Mark records words of Jesus telling His disciples what their chief message and work would be in the future. They were to “go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation.” They were also to make it clear that “whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,” but also speak of the grave danger of unbelief. (See Matthew 28:16-20 for a close parallel to what Mark tells us here - make disciples of all nations by baptizing and teaching all the Word of Jesus. See also Luke 24:44-48 - proclaim in Jesus name to all nations; and John 21:15-22 - Peter is to “tend“ and “feed” God’s sheep, His people, and he is to “follow Jesus” above all.)

In Mark 16:17-18, Mark also records the promise of Jesus that God would sometimes give “signs” that would go along with proclamation of the Gospel and help and encourage “those who believe” and support the sharing of the faith “in Jesus’ name.” Some would be able, by God’s gift and power, to “cast out demons” and heal people who were sick. (Remember that Jesus had already given this gift to His chosen disciples, as we heard in Mark 6:7,13, when they were sent out to assist His work. See also Matthew 10:1 and a number of examples in the Book of Acts, when healings look place. Read Acts 3:1-16, and note how Peter and John make it clear that a man lame from birth was healed by God’s power in the name of Christ and not by their own power or piety.)

Jesus also promised that some would “speak in new tongues.” That happened very dramatically on Pentecost, when believers could suddenly speak in languages that they had never learned in order to communicate the message of Christ to people from many nations who had come to Jerusalem. (See Acts 2:1-21 and also Acts 10:44-48 as examples.)

Jesus also said that some would “pick up serpents with their hands” and “drink deadly poison” and not be hurt. A New Testament example of the first is when Paul was shipwrecked on the island of Malta and bitten by a deadly viper and was not harmed. Read Acts 28:1-6. See also the words of Luke 10:17-20, where “demons are subject to“ and defeated by the disciples, through Jesus’ power. Jesus also said, “I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions.”

The only portion of Mark 16:9-20 where there is not an example in the New Testament is someone drinking deadly poison and surviving. However, there is an ancient tradition that the Apostle John once drank poison and survived. There is also a story from the early Christian leader, Papias, recorded by the early Christian historian, Eusebius, that a follower of Jesus, Justus Barsabas, had drunk poison and was not harmed. These are only traditions, not Scripture. They do reflect, though, the confidence that God is with His people and caring for them, and if it is His will, He can help them through very dangerous situations in life. (Read Hebrews 11:32-38, for a list of Old Testament people who were helped in dramatic ways, according to God’s plan. Note, though, that some of these people died in faith, sometimes in very tragic ways, yet confident that they would “rise again to a better life.”)

The Scriptures also warn that people are not to “put the Lord God to the test” by doing foolish or dangerous things, just to see if God will take care of them. Jesus was tempted by Satan to jump off the pinnacle of the temple, because surely God’s angels would take care of Him. He refused to do such a thing. (See Matthew 4:5-7). This also rules out what some cultic groups have done - handling poisonous snakes in worship and assuming that God will take care of them, for example.

Mark 16:17-18 is also not a guarantee that all believers will have these “signs” in their own lives, either, as some “charismatics” have tried to say. God gives His gifts and blessings as He chooses. We cannot demand that God must do what we want. Some also think that these “signs” were especially designed for the early Christians, so that the early church could be off to a great start in the age of the apostles. There are also indications that some of these “signs” would cease, after the apostolic age. See 1 Corinthians 13:8.

We do not for example, look for new Scriptures to be added to the Bible, as the Mormons and other groups have done. We have what we need already in Christ and His Word. Remember also that the chosen disciples could not always cast out evil spirits. Read again Mark 6:17-29. Jesus also did not give “signs” and miracles just because people wanted them. Read again Mark 8:11-13.

God can and does also work through ordinary means. “Anointing with oil” was a kind of medical treatment in the ancient world. The Good Samaritan used it, and a badly beaten man was healed. See Luke 10:30, 33-37. We have doctors and nurses and medicines that can help so many people today, too.

People today also have a gift for learning languages and thus can become missionaries to share the Gospel with other cultures in other languages. Others become Lutheran Bible Translators and can translate Scriptures into languages for people who have never had a Bible in their own tongue.

We have antidotes available today, too, that can help with snakebites and poisons. We thank the Lord for these advances in knowledge and treatment, and for people willing to help and serve us with these gifts in so many ways.

God is still God, of course, and He can still do miracles today or whatever He knows is best. Many of us know people who were not expected to live, but have lived through terrible illnesses and other troubles, by God’s grace. We have also had times where we prayed and prayed for help and did what we could, but people still died and things did not turn out as we wished. We simply have to trust God and His plans, in His wisdom, as hard as that sometimes is.

Above all, God has provided the primary way He still works for our ultimate good, through His Word and Sacraments, by which we are brought to faith in Christ and continue in faith and receive the strength to live this life and be prepared for eternal life, through Jesus and what he has done for us. One of the greatest miracles today is that through Baptism and the Spirit’s working through that Word, we who were dead in our sins and sinful nature have been brought to a whole new life and an eternal future, in Christ. (See Mark 16:16 and Romans 6:3-4 and Ephesians 2:1-6.) The last two verses of Mark’s Gospel, Mark 16:19-20, assure us of God’s continued work for us, in Christ, in this way.

Verse 19 tells of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, and His place now at the right hand God, after He had completed 40 days of appearances alive again, after His resurrection, and His teaching the disciples and other followers. Mark puts it very simply again, and affirms that Jesus is Lord, as shown by all that this Gospel tells us. Jesus lives and reigns with God the Father and can still, as Lord, be with His believers, in all that is also described in verse 20. (See also Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:4-14 for more detailed descriptions of the ascension and the call of the disciples to go to “the end of the earth’ as witnesses for Jesus.)

That work of witnessing is summarized in Mark 16:20, again in a very direct way. “They went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them,” giving His good gifts and confirming the message of salvation that they brought. The whole Book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament is a dramatic description of verse 20, as the Gospel was spread. Read Acts 1:15; 2:41,47; 5:14,42; 6:7; 8:4; 9:31; and on and on.

Verse 20 continues to be carried out even today. Remember the first verse of Mark’s  Gospel: “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”. The spread of the Gospel continues and will continue until the last day, when Jesus returns in glory.

See again Mark 13:24-27. We have been reached with the Gospel and trust in our Savior and still have time to share that Good News with others. That is what our Lord wanted to have happen, when He gave us the Gospel of Mark and all the other Scriptures. See 2 Peter 3:9. It is still a story also about us and how we are saved: “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). And it is a story also about how others can also be saved through Christ and His working through our witness to His saving sacrifice for the world.

Sermon for the 11th Sunday after Pentecost - August 8, 2021

Sermon for the 11th Sunday after Pentecost, based on:

1 Kings 19:1-8

Ephesians 4:17-5:2

John 6:35-51

Sermon originally delivered August 12, 2012

Preparing for Worship - August 8, 2021

I am including for a few weeks, at least, a summary of another weekly Bible study I help lead, where we look briefly at the Scripture readings for worship for the coming Sunday in our LC-MS churches, when they use the three year series of readings. It can help to look at the readings before you come to worship, for better listening and understanding of what they say and how they fit together. Here are some thoughts for the coming Sunday, August 8, 2021.

The Old Testament Lesson is 1 Kings 19:1-8. Elijah had faithfully followed God and stood up against the 450 false prophets of Baal and by God’s power had eliminated them. Queen Jezebel, however, who favored the false gods, vowed to kill Elijah by the next day. Elijah had to run away and was very discouraged and wanted to die. Instead, God sent an angel to him to provide him with physical food and drink, in the wilderness, and strengthened him to be able to travel to Mount Sinai, where the Word of the Lord would come to him again.

The Psalm for Sunday is Psalm 34:1-8. See the introduction to the psalm. David was the writer and was in danger and had to run away from King Saul. At one point, he had to pretend to be insane to escape from another king. God provided for him, though, with food and kept him safe. (See 1 Samuel 21:6,10-15,22:1) In the Psalm, David praises the Lord for His saving help and calls upon fellow believers to praise the Lord, together with Him. David, too, knows that the angel of the Lord is with him, and he uses the picture image of food, “tasting” the goodness of the Lord and taking refuge in Him.

These readings fit with the Gospel lesson, from John 6:35-51, where we hear again of Jesus calling Himself “the living Bread that came down from heaven.” He is the very Son of God, Who had come from heaven to rescue people. He promises, “Everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life.” This is the bread, the food He brings, as He sacrifices His flesh, His body, on the cross. (See also Hebrews 10:5-7,10-13.)

The Epistle lesson continues readings from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. In Ephesians 4:17-5:2, Paul speaks of the new life we now have in Christ. By our baptism (see Romans 6:3-4) and the gift of faith in Jesus (see Ephesians 2:4-10), our old life is done away with and we have a new self, considered holy and righteous, through the love and sacrifice of Jesus for us. The old sinful nature still troubles us, though, and we need constant forgiveness and  “renewal” through the working of the Holy Spirit in us through the Truth that is in Jesus and His Word and Sacraments. Paul gives many examples of the contrast between the old life and the new life in Jesus, and what Jesus wishes to renew in us.

Bible Study on Mark - Part 26, Mark 15:40-16:8

Now we hear, in Mark 15:40, of some of the women “looking on from a distance” at the death of Jesus, probably because they were not allowed to be any closer. There was Mary Magdalene, of whom Luke tells us that Jesus had cast out seven demons. See Luke 8:1-3, where she and other women are mentioned who had been healed by Jesus.

Another Mary was also watching the crucifixion - Mary, the mother of James the younger (another of the 12 disciples) and Joses. Salome, the wife of Zebedee and mother of two of the other disciples, James and John, was also there. They and other women had become followers of Jesus and helped support Him and His disciples and came also to Jerusalem with Him for the Passover celebration (Mark 15:41).

They knew that Jesus had now died and watched closely to see what would happen to His body, as they hoped to be able to have a chance to anoint His body with spices, as was the Jewish custom (Mark 15:47, 16:1). Actually, as we heard earlier, another Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, had already anointed the body of Jesus before His death, in Mark 14:3-9. Jesus said of her: “She has done what she could. She has anointed My body.”

Two men, who had been attracted to Jesus but had not been willing to admit it in a public way, now stepped forward to help take care of His body. Mark tells us of Joseph of Arimathea, who was “respected” (the Greek word suggests that he had both wealth and high standing among the Jews) and was also a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council that had condemned Jesus to die. This Joseph had been “looking for the Kingdom of God” to come (see Mark 1:14-15) and may have hoped that Jesus might be the promised Messiah. John’s Gospel also tells us of Nicodemus, who had come secretly at night to talk with Jesus (John 3:1-10) and was also a member of the Council. Both men, now that Jesus was dead, “took courage” enough to want to help out with His burial. Unclaimed bodies were just thrown away in unmarked places. That is likely what happened to the two robbers’ bodies.

Joseph of Arimathea went, though, to Pontius Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead and called the centurion to testify that Jesus was actually dead. The centurion knew that Jesus was dead and also knew of the spear that was thrust into Jesus’ side so that they could be absolutely certain of His death. (See John 19:32-36.) Only then did Pilate release the “corpse” to Joseph (Mark 15:43-45).

The fact that Jesus was certified to be dead was important, as later on, after the resurrection of Jesus, Jewish authorities and others tried to start rumors that the body of Jesus was stolen or maybe that Jesus had not really died, but was only revived by His disciples. See Matthew 28:11-15, for example. Such stories are still told today by some who want to deny the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Jesus was dead; so Joseph, aided by Nicodemus (John 19:38-42), took down the body of Jesus, wrapped it in strips of linen cloth, into which spices provided by Nicodemus had been put, and laid the body in a new tomb nearby that he (Joseph) had prepared for himself or family members. This also fulfilled prophecy that the grave of the Messiah, of Jesus, would be “with a rich man in His death” (Isaiah 53:9). Joseph was that rich man, and he made sure that the grave was then properly closed with a “very large stone” (Mark 15:46 and 16:4).  All this had to be done quickly, though. Jesus had died around 3 pm, and Jews were allowed to do no work after sundown that Friday, when the Jewish Sabbath, the day of rest, would begin.

The Sabbath lasted from sundown Friday until sundown on Saturday. Only after that could the women, who had hoped to anoint Jesus’ body itself, buy and prepare what they needed for the anointing. Mark mentions the two Marys and Salome. There was also Joanna and likely some other women who came to help, too. (See Luke 8:3 and 24:10.)

They came just after sunrise on what we now call Easter Sunday. They had been worrying about how they could get the huge stone rolled away from the entrance of the tomb; but when they arrived, they found the stone already “rolled back” from the entrance (Mark 16:1-4). When they entered the tomb, they found “a young man in a white robe” sitting there.

They were alarmed, but the person, clearly an angel, (angels do not have physical bodies, but this is how they often appear in Scripture), reassured them. They were seeking the crucified body of Jesus of Nazareth. Instead, the angel gave them the wondrous news, “He has risen. He is not here.” The women could see for themselves that the tomb was empty and that there was no longer a body where Jesus had been placed. (Mark just gives the simple fact - Jesus has risen! Mark does not give details that some of the other Gospel writers were inspired to include. He sticks with the basics, as he had done throughout the Gospel of Mark. Jesus had clearly died, and Jesus had clearly risen from the dead. It was a bodily resurrection, too, not just some sort of spiritual resurrection, as some people later tried and still try to claim.)

The women now had a very important job to do - to tell the Good News of the risen, living Lord Jesus. They were to tell the disciples and Peter first. Peter is specifically mentioned, probably to assure him that he was still loved and forgiven by Jesus, even though he had failed Jesus so miserably, in denying Him three times. Remember that Peter was especially helpful to Mark in writing this Gospel with such information, as the Holy Spirit inspired them to do. The angel also gave a promise to give to the disciples and others. Jesus “is going before you to Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you” (Mark 16:6-7). Jesus had predicted this Himself in Mark 14:28; and He tells this again in Matthew 28:10, after His resurrection.

The women then quickly left the tomb. They were shaken up by what they had seen and heard and by the appearance of the angel, as well, as people often were in the Scriptures. “Trembling and astonishment had seized them,” along with “fear." (From the Greek word for “astonishment” we get the English word “ecstasy.") The women were also amazed and stunned and joyful that Jesus was really alive. At first, “they said nothing to anyone," Mark tells us. But soon, as Jesus Himself appeared to some of them and strengthened them, they were able to share this Good News, as other Gospels tell us (Mark 16:8).

We will talk more about this next week, but at this point, most of your Bibles, other than the King James version, will have a note, indicating that some of the earliest manuscripts of Mark stop as this point and do not include Mark 16:9-20. (The King James Version was translated and published before some of these ancient manuscripts were even discovered by Biblical scholars. The King James used a long recognized “received text” that did not have and thus did not use these undiscovered texts.)

That raises the question of whether they were originally in what Mark wrote or were added later. If there were things in Mark 16:9-20 that contradicted other Scriptures, or could not be found in other Scriptures, then that would create problems. However, the Good News is that everything in these verses can also be found and supported in other Bible passages. Therefore, we will study those verses next week, too, and give other reasons for why these words are reliable for us.

One last comment. If Mark’s Gospel did end with Mark 16:8, why would he end so abruptly? We do not know; but some think Mark is saying, in effect, that Jesus did really die and rise again. That is certain. But what ending will be put on this Gospel for you?  Will you, by the grace of God, believe that Good News for yourself? That is what God wishes and can do and will do by His grace and His Spirit and His effective Word for you, too. This is all Good News for you, too, and to be shared with others, as well. God “wants all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

Sermon for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost - August 1, 2021

Sermon for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost, based on:

Exodus 16:2-15

Ephesians 4:1-16

Mark 6:22-35

Sermon originally delivered August 5, 2012

Bible Study on Mark - Part 25, Mark 15:21-39

Today we hear of the actual crucifixion of Jesus. He had been so badly beaten, as we heard last week, that He could not carry His cross all the way to Golgotha, the place for the crucifixion, outside of Jerusalem. Golgotha means “Place of a Skull,” probably because it was a round hill shaped almost like a skull. The Greek word for skull is “Cranium” - the word still used in medical science for a human skull.

Maybe this hill was chosen for the crucifixion because of its looks and because it was at a place where many people passed by, going in and out of Jerusalem. The Romans liked to do very public executions of this sort, as a warning not to go against their wishes. The Romans controlled the country, so they could also compel a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross of Jesus for Him. Simon’s sons are mentioned, possibly because they were known to Christians who would read this Gospel later on, though we are not sure of that. See the Alexander and Rufus mentioned in Acts 19:33 and Romans 16:13 (Mark 15:21-22).

The soldiers offered Jesus wine mixed with myrrh, because it could sedate Him, stupefy him, dope Him up, so that He would be easier to handle as they crucified Him. Jesus refused, probably because He needed to suffer fully what we human beings deserve for our sins, in payment for them. He also had seven important “words” - simple statements to speak from the cross - and he needed to be clear-headed for all this, too (Mark 15:23).

As God inspired Mark, he told what happened, very simply. He left out many things included in some of the other Gospels and just told things concisely and directly. (Maybe some of the other Gospels had already been written, and he did not need to repeat all that they told us, too.) Mark simply said, “They crucified Him” at the third hour, around 9 am,  “and divided His clothes, casting lots" (a form of gambling) for them (Mark 15:23-25, Psalm 22:18). Much of what happened had been predicted already in the Old Testament, in passages like Psalm 22:1, 6-8, 18 and Isaiah 53:3-6, 8-9, 12. Watch for other predictions you can find that are fulfilled in the rest of the crucifixion story.

The Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, had ordered that an inscription of the charges against Jesus be posted: “The King of the Jews” (Mark 15:26). This was a key charge that the Jewish authorities had emphasized, though they did not really believe that Jesus was a king at all. Pilate also did not really see Jesus as a king who was a threat to the Roman government. He let the charge stand, though, as he realized that the Jewish religious leaders felt very threatened by Jesus and envied Him (Mark 15:10.12). We also hear that two robbers were crucified, along with Jesus, a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:12 (Mark 15:27).

Many who came and saw Jesus “derided” Him. Literally, the Greek text says that they kept on “blaspheming” Him. They had earlier accused Jesus of being a blasphemer - one who spoke against God. Actually, they were the ones who were speaking against God, because Jesus was the Son of God, doing His Heavenly Father’s will and speaking the truth. They were “wagging their heads” against Jesus, fulfilling another prophecy, in Psalm 22:7, saying “No” to Jesus and all He stood for. They made fun of Jesus saying that He claimed He could destroy the temple in Jerusalem and rebuild it in three days, when He could not even save Himself and come down from the cross (Mark 15:29-30).

As we have already seen in an earlier lesson, Jesus was referring to “the temple of His body,” which would be killed but then raised from the dead in three days (John 2:19-22). The sanctuary of God was no longer to be in the Jerusalem temple. Jesus was God. He was the sanctuary, the dwelling place of God on earth. In destroying Jesus, they were destroying their own sanctuary and dooming the Jewish temple in the process, as the sanctuary. Jesus had earlier taught that in the future, people would not worship the Father in Jerusalem, but “in spirit and in truth,” in Jesus, Who is the Christ. (See John 4:19-26 and Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of the temple, in Mark 13:1-2.)

The chief priests and other Jewish religious authorities also mocked Jesus, speaking “to one another,” as if Jesus were not even worthy to be spoken to directly, “He saved others. he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel come down now from the cross that we may see and believe” (Mark 15:31-32). Notice what they are actually saying: Jesus does not have the power to save himself, by getting off the cross. Therefore, he cannot really be the Christ and the King of all Israel and has no ability to save others; and they will never believe in him. They reject him and his claims completely. In their eyes, Jesus is a failure, because he cannot save himself.

The Jewish religious authorities were missing the whole point of Jesus coming into the world, as Messiah and Savior. He came not to save Himself, but to sacrifice Himself for the Jews and us and all the sinful people of this world. Remember again Mark 10:45. Jesus came “to serve and to give His life as a ransom” to pay for the sins of the world. The Jewish authorities thought they could and had to save themselves by their own efforts to keep the laws they had established. They had self-interest; and grace and mercy that cared for others, as Jesus cared for sinners, did not make sense to them.

Remember the teaching of Jesus in Mark 10:24-27. With man, it is impossible to be saved. But not with God - and the saving work He would do through His Son, Jesus.

That saving work culminated in what happened with Jesus in Mark 15:33-38. From the sixth to the ninth hour, from noon until 3 pm, darkness was over the whole land (Mark 15:33). Darkness had often been predicted at times of judgment for sin. See Old Testament passages like Joel 2:1-2, 31; Joel 3:14-15; Isaiah 5:30 and 13:9; and Jesus words in Mark 13:24.

Many of these passages about the sun being darkened have to do with the last times and day of the Lord’s judgment, when Christ returns and rescues all believers and brings final judgment on those part from Christ. In Mark 15, though, it is Jesus Who was being judged and suffering the punishment in our place, for what we and all people deserve for our sins. It was a very dark time for Jesus, and the darkness made that clear.

In Mark 15:34, we have the only words from the cross that Mark tells us about. Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 and cried out with a loud voice, “My God, My God, why (for what purpose) have You forsaken Me?” At that very time, Jesus was suffering the worst punishment of hell for us, in our place, being totally “away from the presence of the Lord.” See 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10. We do not know how this could be - how Jesus could be totally forsaken by His Heavenly Father for our sake and our forgiveness of all of our sins. But that is what happened for us by the love of Jesus for us and this sinful world. See such passages as 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Galatians 3:10-14 and 1 Peter 2:21-25.

The commentator Lenski says, “Jesus thirsts for God, but God has removed Himself. It is not the Son that has left the Father, but the Father the Son. The Son cries for God, and God makes no reply to Him…. Even though God turned from Him and left Him, He cries to Him and holds Him as His God. The divine perfection of Jesus appears as the Lamb without blemish,  though made sin and a curse, in the hour of His sacrifice…. Only thus, by Jesus being actually forsaken, could the full price of our redemption be paid… Though He saw only God, and that God was far from Him, Jesus did not waver. (He trusted His Father, no matter what happened.) That, too, was needed for our redemption.”

Some people at the cross misunderstood Jesus and thought that He was calling on Elijah to come and help Him (Mark 15:35-36). Jesus had already taught, though, that John the Baptist was the “Elijah” who was to come and prepare the way for Jesus. John had completed his preparatory work; but only Jesus could complete His saving work for us all. He did so, in His suffering the wrath of God for us and His final work of being God-forsaken for us. Now Jesus could take a sip of sour wine lifted to Him on a sponge; and though Mark does not tell us, Jesus could finally say His last words from the cross, with a loud voice, and breathe out His spirit in death (Mark 15:36-37).

Then, as the commentator Lenski says, “Jesus is dead, His lips are silent; God now speaks a language of His own.” The curtain in the temple in Jerusalem, separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, where only once a year could the high priest enter into the presence of God - that curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. Jesus, by His sacrifice for us and the world, had earned forgiveness for us and access for us into the very presence and blessings and eternal life with our Lord in Heaven (Mark 15:38). That will become even clearer in what we hear next week, with the resurrection of Jesus from death.

The Roman centurion, who saw all this and saw Jesus die, said “Truly this man was the Son of God.” In effect, he said, “Amen. This is most certainly true about Jesus.” This was exactly what both Jesus, and Mark, in writing about Jesus, wanted all people to come to believe. Tradition says that this centurion did become a believer. May the Lord increase our own confidence in Jesus and in His completed saving work for us, through these God-inspired words given us by Mark.