Hanging
out with Jesus XXII: Breakings before the Cross
Mark
14
With the crucifixion
looming, the experience of walking with Jesus through the book of Mark approaches
its climax. Five breakings take place, most of them in one night. Each breaking had profound lessons for
victorious Christian living today.
The
Breaking of the Perfume Jar (v3ff)
Jesus was a relational
person. The gospels were about him
balancing his personal devotional relationship with father God, time with his
disciples, with the multitudes, individuals as well as time with his
critics. He had a wide support network
of people who valued his ministry. In Chapter 14, he and his disciples were at
the house of Simon the leper where they served him a meal. He might have healed Simon of leprosy before.
In addition, the John version of the same account locates Jesus at the house of
Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Therefore, Simon may have been the father of this testimony-loaded
family. What a testimony time since Lazarus was raised from the dead. It was an
opportunity to show their love by sharing a meal. While in Simon’s house a woman, Mary
according to John 12:3 came with a jar of costly perfume extracted from
imported pure spikenard. She broke it and poured the expensive perfume on
Jesus’ head and feet.
Martha would have been
serving in the kitchen. That was her way of showing love. Mary was not a
kitchen person. She liked being where Jesus was. In this instance, she showed
her appreciation through a unique act of lavish giving. She did not mind people knowing she loved
him. To break the jar she was first
broken inside. A humble and contrite
heart God will not despise. Such giving is impossible unless she had given
herself first. She refused to let her
critics deter her. Judas in particular saw her sacrifice as waste and voiced strong objections. They argued it would have been better if the perfume was sold
and the money given to the poor. In
saying this, Judas was not clean in his motives for if it were sold he would pilfer
the money (John 12:6).
Once I met a former schoolmate,
years after we had finished school. It was a happy encounter until we started
talking about what we were doing in life.
I talked about having been to Bible school and my ministry involvement.
He turned to my wife and said, ‘what a waste’. Whatever you do for God that is beyond the
moderate and cautious average will face disapproval. However, Jesus will defend you. He defended
Mary, ‘Let her alone...’ (Mark 14:6). To
him what she had done was a good work of prophetic significance. He also said,
‘She has done what she could.’ (v.8). God does not ask for what he has not
already done for you. He does not ask for what you cannot do. Every person needs to honestly answer the
question - have you done all that you could for Jesus? Have you not left
something undone? How much more could you do or give? Jesus commended the woman
for doing the best she could. She as a
result would be remembered wherever the gospel would be preached. Moreover, the
gospel would be preached to all nations (v9).
Have you ever done something for God and you think no one noticed? What
you do for the world will soon be forgotten. But what you do for Jesus will be
rewarded and remembered for eternity.
The big lesson is that
Jesus appreciates when you give and make sacrifices. Loving God is the greatest
thing you can do. It is fulfilling the
greatest commandment to love him with all your soul, your mind, your heart, and
your strength. When you do it
sacrificially and lavishly, the deeper and richer it is. The Psalmist wondered,
“How can I repay the LORD for all his
goodness to me?” (Psalm 116:12). Jesus died on the cross for you. What will you
do to show your love for Him?
The
Breaking of Bread (v12ff)
The time had come for Jesus
to be delivered up to die for our sins. On Passover night, Jesus sent two
disciples to follow a man carrying a pitcher to a house. The man of that
house would provide a place for Jesus and his disciples to eat the Passover
meal. At the meal, he revealed that one
of his disciples Judas would betray him. The main question on his mind however
was different. He knew that in hours he would be crucified. He had spent time
teaching, praying, and modeling the truth and mission to his disciples. Would
they continue with the mission? What could go wrong and stop them from continuing
and multiplying the work? What one last thing would he leave behind? The one thing was to exhort them never to
forget.
The highest mission risk
was them forgetting him - what he had taught, promised, and done. Without him, they could do nothing. So he
instituted the ‘Holy Communion’ or breaking of bread to help them remember. ‘Do
this in remembrance of me.’ Remember my
finished work and the provisions by my body and my blood. The one primary task Jesus left for his
disciples before the great commission was announced is therefore to remember
him. It is constantly being conscious of him and building a close relationship
with him. Remembering him and responding
to him is all that was needed to be and do all that he commanded them to do. When
faced with life challenges and responsibilities, do whatever it takes to know
him and remember his unfailing presence and provisions.
The
Breaking of Barriers (v32ff) (finding breakthrough)
At Mount Olive, once again
Jesus told his disciples what was about to happen. He would be arrested and killed
and they would scatter from him (v26ff
Mt. olives). Peter
committed to staying all the way and never deserting him.
From the mountain, Jesus
went with Peter, John, and James to the garden of Gethsemane.
He left the three at some point and alone went further along. There he came face to face with the ordeal of
the cross and deeply considered if there was another way. He was however stuck
with the reality that there was no other way. He carried the cross in prayer.
He prayed with tears and sweat as blood. Gethsemane
was not a place for gentlemen. Gethsemane was
a lone affair. Those closest to him
slept while he suffered.
If you face it in prayer, you will not have to
fear it in your future. You know it is in God’s capable hands. Prayer paves the
way into the future. Prayer is the insurance against future temptations. Jesus warned
his disciples to pray lest they be tempted.
Everything Jesus did was necessary.
If so ... No Gethsemane, no courage to
face the cross. No inner peace and godly perspective. No Gethsemane
no resurrection. He went back three
times until he broke through in the Spirit.
He overcame the temptations such as quitting that came with threats and
pain by advance prayer. Pray, Pray, and
pray again until barriers to your destiny are broken. Prayer is so powerful
that even if you die the prayer will continue to work.
The
Breaking of the Law (v43ff)
This breaking is an example
to avoid. Self-confessed God’s people, custodians
of truth and the law broke and twisted rules to serve their own selfish
interests (v.53, 55-59). We also need to
guard against becoming hypocrites like them by confessing Christ but living
contrary to him. The High Priest, Chief Priests, elders, and Scribes presided
over a kangaroo court. Evidence is that they arrested and condemned Jesus to
death for no wrongful act. They already had prejudged him guilty and declared
his sentence, and were therefore not objective (v1, 2). They hastily assembled
the court at night, which was abnormal. They convened this court during a feast
also uncommon. They met at Caiaphas’ palace (home) instead of the official
court. They hired witnesses to give false evidence. The High Priest tore his robes, which was
forbidden (Lev.10:6; 21:10). Unknowingly however the act was significant. He in
fact resigned and gave over the responsibility to the true high priest. One who was able to save to the uttermost
(Hebrews 7-9).
In response to the High
Priest, Jesus admitted to being the Christ, son of the blessed. What would happen if he had continued to be quiet?
Would he have been freed? He however knew exactly the consequences but went
ahead out of love for you and I
The
Breaking of Rank
Breaking rank is departing
from the norm or loyalty expected as a member of a group. People around Jesus broke ranks with him in
various ways when he was arrested and crucified.
>>Judas betrayed
Jesus. Judas solved the dilemma the religious
leaders had about when to kill Jesus (v. 1,2). They had settled on the plan to
kill him after the Passover because he
had many sympathizers, supporters, and followers at the Passover. Jews had come
from all over including from Galilee where
Jesus had many followers. Their plan
was to wait until after the Passover but
God’s plan was the Passover. He was to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, “He is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter” (53:7). He was the lamb killed as Passover lambs that spoke of him
were being slaughtered.
Judas offered to advise and
facilitate the arrest of Jesus during the Passover in a way that would not
cause an uprising. He was paid money for
it. If you are not sold out to God, you
will soon sell God out. By selling out
the author of life, he sold his soul for a few coins. He kicked off a dominos that ended in death. For the way of sin is downhill. It leads to
death. In the end, he committed suicide. Unlike Peter who cried in repentance
when he had denied the Lord.
How does one check against
also betraying Jesus? Judas’ signs of
betrayal were clear. He was a lover of
money and a thief (John 12). How he survived
three years with the Lord and even maintained his role as purse keeper is a
mystery. It speaks of the unending patience God has with people’s faults. He
had questioned why expensive oil was poured on Jesus by a sold-out
follower. He was more fault-finding than solution-providing.
He was also one who dipped in the dish together with Jesus. In other words, he
dipped above his legitimate level of
authority. He also plotted with those
who hated the welfare of his group. When it was time, he used nice words when
his heart was stabbing Jesus to death. He did not mean it when he came saying
‘Master, master’ to Jesus. He also used
a kiss to disguise his evil intent when he kissed him. What a lesson to all that not all kisses are safe. The wounds of a friend are better than the
kisses of an enemy.
>>The crowd turned
against Jesus. The crowds are always fickle or prone to
change. The lesson is lived by principles not by people’s applause. In Chapter 15 they shouted crucify him yet
earlier they sang hosanna in the highest when he entered Jerusalem.
A certain young man followed wrapped in linen but also fled naked
leaving his linen covering behind (v.51).
>>The Disciples
deserted. They all forsook Him as he had predicted
(v50). Why do people behave this way?
The reasons are varied. They include fear, lack of spiritual insight,
and lives not fully surrendered. At the heart are self-interest and self-preservation. Today people still desert Jesus and have the
potential to do so for the same reasons.
It must be noted also that some women followed from afar and watched his crucifixion (Mark 15:40, 41).
>>>Peter denied Jesus (v.67ff). While
Judas looked for ways to cash in on the crucifixion of Jesus, John and James sought to position themselves
as greater in the scenario without
Jesus. Peter was a defender of the status quo. Who lived in denial that what Jesus said about
being crucified would happen. He was
strong he would not let it ever happen. He was prepared to fight to defend
Jesus and the status quo. If everyone
else would desert him, he would hold the fort alone. He had
a sense of self-confidence that unfortunately hindered his dependence on
God. When the heat was white, his
confidence immediately became a suspect when he was only able to follow from a
distance. In the end, he denied Jesus
not once but three times in the process outdoing the cock, which crowed two times
in the same time duration as he had. He
denied Jesus because he denied his human vulnerability and weakness. He was a
strong man but God’s strength is perfected in human weakness. His strong will failed him when it mattered
most. He could not believe he could fail so dismally. His self-confidence broke
down and he wept. In the process, he gave his broken pieces to
God in repentance. He was forgiven and
restored as Jesus spoke to him according
to John (John 21) and after his resurrection.
It did not need to take
breaking of ranks for the Lord to complete the work of the cross. To accomplish
the great commission God wants us to keep rank and maintain loyalty with him and one another. We need
to keep short accounts with one another and stay together, work together, and push
together as families, married, teams, and communities. We need to think skins and minds to trust God
in suffering and testing. When rank was broken, the disciples scattered and each
suffered alone.
Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima
