Jesus Suffered at the Hands of His Friends

Mark 14:1-52

Pastor Colin recounts the significant events leading up to Christ’s crucifixion: Jesus entering Jerusalem on Sunday, cleansing the temple on Monday, facing questions and debates on Tuesday, and likely resting on Wednesday. Pastor Colin then focuses on the events of Thursday, including the Last Supper, Jesus’ betrayal, and His arrest.

The sermon delves into Mark chapter 14, highlighting the three stages of Jesus’ suffering: betrayal by His friends, torture and crucifixion by His enemies, and enduring God’s wrath. Pastor Colin illustrates this with (among other examples consisting of details of the Last Supper, Judas’ betrayal, and Peter’s denial). He points out how these brought immense agony to Jesus, both emotionally and physically.

Pastor Colin explains that Jesus’ suffering was a solitary journey, emphasising that Christ had to bear the sins of the world alone, as no one could assist Him in this redemptive work.

He invites the congregation to reflect on their own failures and the importance of turning to Christ for redemption. He concludes by urging everyone to come to the risen Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness and restoration, reminding them that their failures are not the end of the story. He encourages all to embrace the hope that arises from Jesus’ resurrection and the promise of His unfailing love.

The sermon finishes with a prayer, inviting the congregation to draw nearer to Jesus, acknowledging their sins and failures, and embracing the triumph of the resurrection.

1 00:00:00,820 –> 00:00:02,600 Well, please turn in your Bibles, would you, 2 00:00:02,600 –> 00:00:06,060 to Mark’s Gospel and Chapter 14. 3 00:00:06,060 –> 00:00:08,820 Mark’s Gospel and Chapter 14. 4 00:00:11,180 –> 00:00:14,020 We’re following the story of Holy Week. 5 00:00:15,920 –> 00:00:18,340 Sunday, the Lord Jesus Christ 6 00:00:18,340 –> 00:00:21,040 comes into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. 7 00:00:22,620 –> 00:00:24,559 Monday he goes into the temple 8 00:00:24,559 –> 00:00:27,219 and throws out the money changers 9 00:00:27,219 –> 00:00:29,580 and the folks who are selling dubs. 10 00:00:30,639 –> 00:00:34,840 Tuesday is a day dominated by questions and answers, 11 00:00:34,840 –> 00:00:37,799 debate and tension in the temple. 12 00:00:37,799 –> 00:00:39,480 And it ends, we saw last week, 13 00:00:39,480 –> 00:00:41,799 with Jesus sitting in the evening 14 00:00:41,799 –> 00:00:43,360 at the top of the Mount of Olives, 15 00:00:43,360 –> 00:00:45,560 looking over the temple with his disciples 16 00:00:45,560 –> 00:00:49,540 and teaching them about the glorious hope 17 00:00:49,540 –> 00:00:53,720 of his return, his coming in power and in glory. 18 00:00:55,340 –> 00:00:57,240 The Gospels don’t record anything 19 00:00:57,240 –> 00:00:59,820 that specifically relates to Wednesday. 20 00:01:00,599 –> 00:01:02,880 And I think that we can assume then 21 00:01:02,880 –> 00:01:07,199 that our Lord Jesus rested on the Wednesday of Holy Week 22 00:01:07,199 –> 00:01:09,639 in preparation for what he was about to endure. 23 00:01:11,260 –> 00:01:14,260 And so that brings us to the events of Thursday. 24 00:01:16,360 –> 00:01:17,879 The night of the Last Supper. 25 00:01:18,839 –> 00:01:20,419 The night of Gethsemane. 26 00:01:21,440 –> 00:01:23,800 The night he was betrayed. 27 00:01:23,800 –> 00:01:25,680 And the night he was arrested. 28 00:01:25,680 –> 00:01:28,480 And these events are recorded for us 29 00:01:28,500 –> 00:01:31,120 in Mark’s gospel and chapter 14. 30 00:01:31,120 –> 00:01:33,040 So I do hope that you have your Bible open 31 00:01:33,040 –> 00:01:35,519 as we follow the scriptures together. 32 00:01:35,519 –> 00:01:39,379 Just in passing, it’s worth noting that verse 1 33 00:01:39,379 –> 00:01:42,400 of chapter 14 speaks about the decision 34 00:01:42,400 –> 00:01:44,720 of the chief priests and teachers of the law 35 00:01:44,720 –> 00:01:46,459 to try and arrest Jesus being made 36 00:01:46,459 –> 00:01:48,239 two days before the Passover. 37 00:01:48,239 –> 00:01:49,800 That would of course have been the Tuesday, 38 00:01:49,800 –> 00:01:54,459 the day of the debate and the great questions and answers. 39 00:01:54,459 –> 00:01:57,959 Mark then includes the story of the dinner at Bethany 40 00:01:57,959 –> 00:02:01,120 beginning at verse 3 where Jesus is anointed 41 00:02:01,120 –> 00:02:03,339 with expensive perfume. 42 00:02:03,339 –> 00:02:05,760 John tells us in chapter 12 and verse 1 43 00:02:05,760 –> 00:02:08,160 that actually that story happened earlier, 44 00:02:08,160 –> 00:02:10,419 six days before the Passover. 45 00:02:10,419 –> 00:02:13,919 But I think we will see this morning the reason 46 00:02:13,919 –> 00:02:16,880 why Mark chose to include that story, 47 00:02:16,880 –> 00:02:20,160 that it happened a few days earlier in this chapter. 48 00:02:20,160 –> 00:02:23,199 And we’ll see it when we grasp what this chapter 49 00:02:23,199 –> 00:02:25,740 as a whole is really all about. 50 00:02:26,479 –> 00:02:30,979 So, this morning then, we come onto very holy ground. 51 00:02:33,479 –> 00:02:36,139 We are taking a first step today 52 00:02:36,139 –> 00:02:39,619 into the story of Christ’s passion. 53 00:02:40,820 –> 00:02:43,100 And I want us to understand that the suffering 54 00:02:43,100 –> 00:02:47,440 of the Lord Jesus Christ really comes in three stages. 55 00:02:47,440 –> 00:02:50,160 You might find it helpful to think about it this way. 56 00:02:51,059 –> 00:02:53,199 First as we’re going to see today, 57 00:02:53,199 –> 00:02:56,619 the Lord Jesus suffers at the hands of his friends. 58 00:02:58,039 –> 00:02:59,440 Judas betrays him. 59 00:03:01,020 –> 00:03:02,899 Peter denies him. 60 00:03:04,000 –> 00:03:06,940 All the disciples run away. 61 00:03:06,940 –> 00:03:09,399 Was there pain in that for Jesus? 62 00:03:11,179 –> 00:03:13,699 There was agony in that for Jesus. 63 00:03:15,619 –> 00:03:18,460 He suffers at the hands of his friends. 64 00:03:18,460 –> 00:03:22,600 Then he suffers at the hands of his enemies. 65 00:03:22,600 –> 00:03:24,179 They mock Him, they torture Him, 66 00:03:24,179 –> 00:03:26,419 they condemn Him and they crucify Him. 67 00:03:28,500 –> 00:03:30,960 And then, the third and deepest stage 68 00:03:30,960 –> 00:03:32,500 of the suffering of the Lord Jesus, 69 00:03:32,500 –> 00:03:33,800 of course, was not at the hands 70 00:03:33,800 –> 00:03:35,899 either of His friends or of His enemies. 71 00:03:35,899 –> 00:03:39,940 It was what He suffered at the hand of God. 72 00:03:39,940 –> 00:03:42,539 Because, when Christ hangs on the cross, 73 00:03:42,539 –> 00:03:45,539 darkness comes over the whole land. 74 00:03:45,539 –> 00:03:47,660 He bears our sins. 75 00:03:47,660 –> 00:03:50,139 He endures our judgment. 76 00:03:50,139 –> 00:03:53,320 He experiences all the dimensions of hell 77 00:03:53,320 –> 00:03:57,479 for us on the cross, and in the agony of that suffering, 78 00:03:57,479 –> 00:04:01,479 the deepest agony of all, He loses the help of God. 79 00:04:03,460 –> 00:04:05,479 And, He cries out in those awful words, 80 00:04:05,479 –> 00:04:09,440 ”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 81 00:04:10,339 –> 00:04:13,000 So, we take a first step 82 00:04:14,580 –> 00:04:17,140 onto holy ground today, 83 00:04:17,140 –> 00:04:19,260 as we think about what it meant for Jesus 84 00:04:19,679 –> 00:04:23,380 to begin His suffering at the hands, 85 00:04:23,380 –> 00:04:27,420 not of His enemies, but of His friends. 86 00:04:28,820 –> 00:04:32,220 I want us then to get the sweep of Mark 14 87 00:04:32,220 –> 00:04:37,220 as we begin to worship our Lord Jesus Christ, 88 00:04:37,500 –> 00:04:40,239 who gave His all for us. 89 00:04:41,600 –> 00:04:45,399 Mark 14 begins with a dinner 90 00:04:46,260 –> 00:04:48,000 given in the house of Simon. 91 00:04:49,260 –> 00:04:53,239 It ends with a trial that takes place 92 00:04:53,239 –> 00:04:54,500 in the house of Caiaphas. 93 00:04:54,500 –> 00:04:57,739 It begins among friends, it ends among enemies. 94 00:04:58,619 –> 00:05:01,140 It begins with Jesus being surrounded by love. 95 00:05:01,140 –> 00:05:04,140 It ends with Jesus being surrounded by hatred. 96 00:05:05,480 –> 00:05:07,820 It begins with Jesus Christ being worshiped 97 00:05:07,820 –> 00:05:11,079 as a woman pours this perfume over Him. 98 00:05:11,079 –> 00:05:13,739 It ends with Jesus Christ being condemned 99 00:05:13,739 –> 00:05:17,459 as a crowd of men bear in on Him blindfolded 100 00:05:17,519 –> 00:05:19,959 and beat Him with their fists. 101 00:05:19,959 –> 00:05:23,339 That is Mark chapter 14. 102 00:05:23,339 –> 00:05:25,980 It is an extraordinary journey 103 00:05:25,980 –> 00:05:29,660 and we take a step into it today. 104 00:05:29,660 –> 00:05:32,980 What we have here is the stripping away 105 00:05:34,100 –> 00:05:39,100 of all the human comfort that our Lord Jesus Christ 106 00:05:39,140 –> 00:05:40,540 enjoyed in his life. 107 00:05:40,540 –> 00:05:43,500 All the blessings with which he had been surrounded. 108 00:05:43,500 –> 00:05:46,339 What we have in Mark 14 is the breaking up 109 00:05:46,339 –> 00:05:48,660 of Christ’s inner circle. 110 00:05:50,619 –> 00:05:52,500 The unraveling of his ministry. 111 00:05:52,500 –> 00:05:55,619 He’s poured years into these men and they’re all gone. 112 00:05:59,140 –> 00:06:01,420 Now there is so much here for us to learn 113 00:06:01,420 –> 00:06:03,279 from what happened to the disciples, 114 00:06:03,279 –> 00:06:06,179 but the big story here, of course, 115 00:06:06,179 –> 00:06:09,179 is not what happened to Peter, James, John or Judas. 116 00:06:09,179 –> 00:06:12,519 The big story is what happened to Jesus. 117 00:06:12,519 –> 00:06:15,660 Mark’s story is about the suffering of the Son of God. 118 00:06:16,980 –> 00:06:19,899 And the failure of his friends 119 00:06:19,899 –> 00:06:22,640 is the beginning of his suffering. 120 00:06:23,700 –> 00:06:25,720 Now, if you want a key verse for this chapter, 121 00:06:25,720 –> 00:06:30,019 I think you’d find it in verses 27 and verse 28, 122 00:06:30,019 –> 00:06:33,839 where Jesus says, you will all fall away. 123 00:06:33,839 –> 00:06:35,480 He says this to his disciples. 124 00:06:35,480 –> 00:06:39,079 For it is written, I will strike the shepherd 125 00:06:39,079 –> 00:06:41,600 and the sheep will be scattered. 126 00:06:41,600 –> 00:06:44,660 But, and thank God for the but, 127 00:06:44,739 –> 00:06:49,739 but after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee. 128 00:06:52,200 –> 00:06:55,559 And we’re going to think just around these three themes then. 129 00:06:55,559 –> 00:06:59,040 The striking of the shepherd, the scattering of the sheep, 130 00:06:59,040 –> 00:07:02,920 and then this great promise of the regathering 131 00:07:02,920 –> 00:07:05,239 by the risen Lord Jesus Christ. 132 00:07:06,540 –> 00:07:10,839 Now, Mark begins by telling us about this dinner 133 00:07:10,839 –> 00:07:13,579 that was given in Jesus’ honor in the home of Simon, 134 00:07:13,579 –> 00:07:18,260 a man who had wonderfully been healed from leprosy, 135 00:07:18,260 –> 00:07:22,179 and verse three, as Jesus was reclining at the table, 136 00:07:22,179 –> 00:07:24,220 a woman, John names her, 137 00:07:24,220 –> 00:07:26,899 but Mark chooses just not to name her. 138 00:07:27,940 –> 00:07:29,420 She’s in the background, 139 00:07:30,299 –> 00:07:35,100 but she expresses her love and worship to Jesus 140 00:07:35,100 –> 00:07:39,019 by taking this jar of perfume 141 00:07:39,019 –> 00:07:41,579 that was worth a whole year’s wages, 142 00:07:41,579 –> 00:07:42,980 but just think about that value. 143 00:07:43,320 –> 00:07:45,619 It was worth a year’s wages, 144 00:07:46,459 –> 00:07:50,079 and she takes this, perhaps it was a family heirloom, 145 00:07:50,079 –> 00:07:53,260 but certainly it must have been a prized possession, 146 00:07:54,540 –> 00:07:57,380 and she takes what’s worth a year’s wages, 147 00:07:57,380 –> 00:08:00,220 and she breaks this alabaster jar 148 00:08:00,220 –> 00:08:05,220 and she pours this perfume over the Lord Jesus Christ, 149 00:08:06,540 –> 00:08:08,739 and she does it as an act of devotion 150 00:08:09,779 –> 00:08:11,619 and as an expression of worship. 151 00:08:13,579 –> 00:08:16,640 Christ says in verse 6 that what she did was beautiful, 152 00:08:17,980 –> 00:08:19,940 but other people who were in the house 153 00:08:19,940 –> 00:08:22,380 thought that what she had done was wasteful. 154 00:08:23,220 –> 00:08:24,899 They thought that something so valuable 155 00:08:24,899 –> 00:08:26,540 could be put to better use 156 00:08:26,540 –> 00:08:31,540 than pouring it at one time over the Lord Jesus Christ, 157 00:08:33,239 –> 00:08:35,979 and Mark tells us very significantly in verse 10 158 00:08:35,979 –> 00:08:40,979 that this was when Judas went to betray Jesus. 159 00:08:41,200 –> 00:08:44,099 Notice in verse 10 that Judas is described 160 00:08:44,099 –> 00:08:45,400 as one of the 12. 161 00:08:45,400 –> 00:08:48,140 You keep finding this, because it’s very important. 162 00:08:48,140 –> 00:08:50,739 It’s never just Judas. 163 00:08:50,739 –> 00:08:54,219 It’s always Judas, one of the 12, 164 00:08:54,219 –> 00:08:55,799 because that’s the point, 165 00:08:55,799 –> 00:09:00,080 that the betrayal, the pain to Jesus Christ 166 00:09:00,080 –> 00:09:02,820 comes from the inside, not from the outside. 167 00:09:04,539 –> 00:09:07,400 It comes from one with whom he has walked. 168 00:09:07,419 –> 00:09:12,080 It comes from one who has been engaged in ministry. 169 00:09:12,080 –> 00:09:14,359 The beginning of the pain of Christ 170 00:09:14,359 –> 00:09:15,520 doesn’t come from his enemies. 171 00:09:15,520 –> 00:09:17,260 It comes from his friends. 172 00:09:17,260 –> 00:09:20,020 It comes from one of the 12. 173 00:09:20,020 –> 00:09:21,659 Notice that phrase in verse 10. 174 00:09:21,659 –> 00:09:24,080 Judas Iscariot, one of the 12, 175 00:09:24,080 –> 00:09:26,159 went to the chief priest to betray him. 176 00:09:26,159 –> 00:09:27,760 Verse 20, Jesus says, 177 00:09:27,760 –> 00:09:30,659 it is one of the 12 who will betray. 178 00:09:30,659 –> 00:09:34,659 Verse 43, when the crowd appears to arrest Jesus, 179 00:09:34,659 –> 00:09:38,820 Judas, one of the 12, appeared along with the crowd, 180 00:09:38,820 –> 00:09:43,820 armed with swords and with clubs. 181 00:09:44,260 –> 00:09:47,059 Now think of the significance of this 182 00:09:47,059 –> 00:09:52,059 and think as you worship, what it meant to Jesus. 183 00:09:54,020 –> 00:09:59,020 Mark has told us that Jesus appointed 12 to be with him. 184 00:10:01,059 –> 00:10:02,580 Chapter three in verse 14, 185 00:10:03,539 –> 00:10:07,020 it was the primary purpose of the 12 was to be with him. 186 00:10:07,020 –> 00:10:08,520 They were his friends. 187 00:10:10,219 –> 00:10:14,460 Christ had formed deep bonds with these men, 188 00:10:14,460 –> 00:10:17,700 every one of them over three years. 189 00:10:18,979 –> 00:10:22,679 He’d poured his life into them, poured it into them. 190 00:10:24,820 –> 00:10:28,099 They were the ones with whom he could feel at ease. 191 00:10:28,099 –> 00:10:31,840 They were the ones with whom he could truly relax. 192 00:10:31,859 –> 00:10:35,000 They were the ones with whom he was most at home 193 00:10:35,000 –> 00:10:36,760 in this world. 194 00:10:39,219 –> 00:10:40,739 And Judas was one of the 12. 195 00:10:42,840 –> 00:10:44,679 He was one of Christ’s inner circle, 196 00:10:44,679 –> 00:10:46,260 one of his closest friends, 197 00:10:46,260 –> 00:10:49,460 and Christ loved this man, loved him. 198 00:10:51,919 –> 00:10:55,739 And yet this man resisted that love. 199 00:10:58,020 –> 00:11:00,039 This man was loved by Christ, 200 00:11:00,099 –> 00:11:03,919 but this man did not belong to Jesus Christ. 201 00:11:06,559 –> 00:11:08,760 And although he has been involved in ministry 202 00:11:08,760 –> 00:11:11,219 for three years, although he has been trusted 203 00:11:11,219 –> 00:11:16,219 in leadership, this is a man who would be lost forever. 204 00:11:21,700 –> 00:11:24,659 He comes to the Garden of Gethsemane. 205 00:11:25,400 –> 00:11:29,979 And verse 45, going at once to Jesus, 206 00:11:29,979 –> 00:11:34,979 Judas said, rabbi, and kissed him. 207 00:11:40,039 –> 00:11:44,679 And that kiss for Judas is the moment 208 00:11:44,679 –> 00:11:47,599 of final parting from Jesus. 209 00:11:49,359 –> 00:11:54,359 See, Judas will no longer see his face. 210 00:11:55,340 –> 00:12:00,340 And Judas will spend eternity away from Christ. 211 00:12:04,440 –> 00:12:07,119 So the kiss is the last goodbye, 212 00:12:09,940 –> 00:12:13,239 a final movement away from Christ 213 00:12:13,239 –> 00:12:15,619 that will never be reconciled. 214 00:12:16,799 –> 00:12:21,799 And Judas doesn’t know this, but Jesus does. 215 00:12:25,159 –> 00:12:29,299 And that’s the pain of the kiss from his friend. 216 00:12:31,000 –> 00:12:34,440 Can you imagine what it means to the heart of Christ 217 00:12:34,440 –> 00:12:37,280 to be kissed by a man he truly loves 218 00:12:37,280 –> 00:12:40,840 knowing that that kiss is the last parting 219 00:12:40,840 –> 00:12:44,119 of a man on his way to an eternal hell? 220 00:12:47,179 –> 00:12:50,400 Jesus knows he will see the other disciples again. 221 00:12:51,299 –> 00:12:53,859 Verse 28, after I have risen, 222 00:12:55,640 –> 00:12:57,760 I will go ahead of you to Galilee, 223 00:12:59,700 –> 00:13:01,200 but Judas will not be there. 224 00:13:03,859 –> 00:13:07,239 The kiss is his last goodbye. 225 00:13:10,179 –> 00:13:11,679 Now, it wasn’t just Judas. 226 00:13:13,580 –> 00:13:16,679 Jesus says to the disciples in verse 27, 227 00:13:16,900 –> 00:13:21,599 you will all fall away. 228 00:13:22,539 –> 00:13:24,359 You will all fall away. 229 00:13:24,359 –> 00:13:25,679 Feel the weight of that. 230 00:13:27,500 –> 00:13:29,479 Of course, Peter couldn’t even imagine 231 00:13:29,479 –> 00:13:30,880 this happening to him. 232 00:13:30,880 –> 00:13:35,880 Verse 29, Lord, even if all fall away, I will not 233 00:13:35,960 –> 00:13:37,119 and you see what He’s saying 234 00:13:37,119 –> 00:13:38,679 and you have to admire the courage 235 00:13:38,679 –> 00:13:40,299 in the determination of the man. 236 00:13:40,299 –> 00:13:42,219 He’s saying, Lord, I want you 237 00:13:42,219 –> 00:13:44,179 to know you can count on me 238 00:13:44,179 –> 00:13:45,919 and if all the rest of them go, 239 00:13:45,979 –> 00:13:47,799 I will be the last man standing. 240 00:13:47,799 –> 00:13:49,760 I just want you to know you got one friend 241 00:13:49,760 –> 00:13:52,299 in the world who will not let you down. 242 00:13:52,299 –> 00:13:54,460 Want you to know that. 243 00:13:54,460 –> 00:13:56,419 I’m sure he meant it with all his heart 244 00:13:58,419 –> 00:14:02,919 but when the crowd arrived with swords and with clubs, 245 00:14:02,919 –> 00:14:07,760 fear got the better of faith for all of them 246 00:14:07,760 –> 00:14:10,119 as it does for us many times 247 00:14:11,320 –> 00:14:14,840 and that was true for Peter as well. 248 00:14:14,919 –> 00:14:19,919 Verse 50, everyone, Peter included, deserted him and fled. 249 00:14:21,340 –> 00:14:23,159 Notice the word fled, they ran from him. 250 00:14:23,159 –> 00:14:24,979 It wasn’t that they kind of sloped away. 251 00:14:24,979 –> 00:14:26,419 They ran from him. 252 00:14:27,799 –> 00:14:28,900 They fled. 253 00:14:30,460 –> 00:14:35,320 Klaus Skilder, Dutch writer, the last generation, 254 00:14:36,460 –> 00:14:38,679 he writes very movingly about the pain 255 00:14:38,679 –> 00:14:41,419 that this desertion brought to the Lord Jesus Christ. 256 00:14:41,419 –> 00:14:43,539 Let me read you just some of his words. 257 00:14:44,500 –> 00:14:47,760 He says, isolation is always painful 258 00:14:47,760 –> 00:14:51,359 for a human being instinctively seeks company. 259 00:14:52,400 –> 00:14:56,340 And Christ’s sensitive heart craved company, 260 00:14:56,340 –> 00:14:59,599 yearned for understanding, for sympathy, 261 00:14:59,599 –> 00:15:02,520 for someone sharing his experiences, 262 00:15:02,520 –> 00:15:05,719 someone fully understanding his soul. 263 00:15:05,719 –> 00:15:10,580 But Jesus must watch them go one by one. 264 00:15:10,580 –> 00:15:15,140 See, there goes Peter, and now John, 265 00:15:16,820 –> 00:15:18,460 James two is leaving. 266 00:15:20,659 –> 00:15:25,659 One by one, they tear themselves away from Jesus’ soul. 267 00:15:29,659 –> 00:15:33,080 So Christ is alone. 268 00:15:34,900 –> 00:15:37,880 In the presence of his enemies, 269 00:15:38,859 –> 00:15:43,859 he is deserted by all his trusted friends. 270 00:15:47,580 –> 00:15:49,979 And that’s the story of Mark chapter 14. 271 00:15:53,520 –> 00:15:56,780 But then there seems to be just a flicker of hope, 272 00:15:56,780 –> 00:15:57,619 just a flicker. 273 00:15:59,359 –> 00:16:04,359 One man, one man feels that he wants to be close to Jesus 274 00:16:05,200 –> 00:16:07,340 to Jesus on this night. 275 00:16:07,340 –> 00:16:09,219 And you know that it was Peter. 276 00:16:10,219 –> 00:16:13,500 He had run with all the rest of them in the garden, 277 00:16:13,500 –> 00:16:14,900 but he couldn’t live with his running. 278 00:16:14,900 –> 00:16:17,219 He felt that he had to be near Jesus. 279 00:16:17,219 –> 00:16:20,900 And so we take it up verse 53 where they take Christ 280 00:16:20,900 –> 00:16:23,260 into the house of Caiaphas the high priest 281 00:16:23,260 –> 00:16:24,880 and all these teachers of the law 282 00:16:24,880 –> 00:16:26,700 and the others who are going to condemn him 283 00:16:26,700 –> 00:16:27,820 gather in the house. 284 00:16:27,820 –> 00:16:32,820 And what happens verse 54 Peter follows him at a distance. 285 00:16:33,640 –> 00:16:38,119 And right into the courtyard of the high priest, 286 00:16:38,119 –> 00:16:40,500 he comes and if you can imagine Jesus 287 00:16:40,500 –> 00:16:44,979 perhaps in an upper room with open windows of course, 288 00:16:44,979 –> 00:16:49,400 gaps in the walls and all of this is going on up there 289 00:16:49,400 –> 00:16:52,500 as they put him through this mockery of a trial 290 00:16:52,500 –> 00:16:55,840 and then the torture that Mark describes here. 291 00:16:55,840 –> 00:16:58,739 And Peter’s outside in the courtyard 292 00:16:59,580 –> 00:17:03,479 just within hearing distance of all that is going there. 293 00:17:03,479 –> 00:17:05,619 He’s there, and he wants to be there, 294 00:17:05,619 –> 00:17:08,199 and he wants to be there for Jesus. 295 00:17:09,560 –> 00:17:11,400 You have to love his devotion. 296 00:17:13,339 –> 00:17:15,560 He ran, but he couldn’t stay away. 297 00:17:16,979 –> 00:17:20,099 And so, maybe this man, maybe this man 298 00:17:20,099 –> 00:17:22,699 will bring a crumb of comfort 299 00:17:23,699 –> 00:17:26,680 to the soul of Jesus Christ 300 00:17:26,680 –> 00:17:29,719 as he enters into his suffering. 301 00:17:32,020 –> 00:17:33,239 But you know the story. 302 00:17:34,959 –> 00:17:36,540 Someone recognizes him. 303 00:17:36,540 –> 00:17:40,459 She’s one of the staff in the high priest’s house. 304 00:17:40,459 –> 00:17:44,579 Verse 67, you were with him. 305 00:17:44,579 –> 00:17:46,680 You’re a Nazarene, she says. 306 00:17:47,920 –> 00:17:49,380 Peter denies it. 307 00:17:50,380 –> 00:17:51,500 But she wouldn’t be put off. 308 00:17:51,560 –> 00:17:53,459 Verse 69, she goes to some others 309 00:17:53,459 –> 00:17:55,239 who are standing around in the courtyard 310 00:17:55,239 –> 00:17:57,119 and she says, this fellow is one of them. 311 00:17:57,119 –> 00:17:58,260 He’s with them. 312 00:17:59,699 –> 00:18:01,579 And so, they take up the question. 313 00:18:02,599 –> 00:18:04,319 Verse 70, after a little while, 314 00:18:04,319 –> 00:18:06,199 those standing near said to Peter, 315 00:18:06,199 –> 00:18:10,119 surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean. 316 00:18:11,400 –> 00:18:14,380 And then these awful words of verse 71. 317 00:18:15,959 –> 00:18:20,880 Peter began to call down curses on himself. 318 00:18:21,579 –> 00:18:23,560 And he swore to them, 319 00:18:24,900 –> 00:18:29,280 I don’t know this man you’re talking about. 320 00:18:31,719 –> 00:18:36,239 Now, it is Luke in his gospel who describes for us 321 00:18:36,239 –> 00:18:39,959 how God orchestrated three events to converge 322 00:18:39,959 –> 00:18:41,660 in the same moment of time. 323 00:18:43,560 –> 00:18:46,599 Christ has been subjected to this mock trial 324 00:18:46,599 –> 00:18:47,719 and then this torture, 325 00:18:47,739 –> 00:18:51,060 this beating of many blows in the house of the high priest, 326 00:18:51,060 –> 00:18:53,760 and at the end, if you can picture it, 327 00:18:53,760 –> 00:18:58,760 bruised by many blows he is dragged across the courtyard. 328 00:19:00,219 –> 00:19:03,300 He would have spent the night in a dungeon 329 00:19:03,300 –> 00:19:06,719 in the basement of the house of the high priest. 330 00:19:08,560 –> 00:19:11,719 And in that moment, as Christ is dragged 331 00:19:11,719 –> 00:19:13,439 across the courtyard, 332 00:19:14,079 –> 00:19:19,079 he hears the voice of his dear friend, 333 00:19:20,739 –> 00:19:25,739 cursing, swearing, I do not know this man. 334 00:19:28,319 –> 00:19:32,280 And at that moment, the cock crowed, 335 00:19:32,280 –> 00:19:34,900 and it’s Luke who says to us 336 00:19:34,900 –> 00:19:36,900 that Jesus turned and looked at Peter. 337 00:19:39,160 –> 00:19:41,420 I’ve heard it said many, many times, 338 00:19:41,420 –> 00:19:43,280 what must that Luke have meant 339 00:19:44,119 –> 00:19:45,000 in terms of pain in Peter’s heart. 340 00:19:45,000 –> 00:19:46,719 But what I want you to think about today 341 00:19:46,719 –> 00:19:49,719 is what did that moment mean 342 00:19:50,680 –> 00:19:54,739 in terms of pain in the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. 343 00:19:56,119 –> 00:19:58,920 That’s the last man standing. 344 00:20:02,040 –> 00:20:07,040 And so, by the end of the chapter, Christ is alone. 345 00:20:09,260 –> 00:20:11,880 The last human comfort of his life, 346 00:20:11,880 –> 00:20:15,060 his bravest of all friends, the last man standing, 347 00:20:15,060 –> 00:20:16,699 has been taken from him. 348 00:20:19,459 –> 00:20:21,760 You say, why did this have to happen? 349 00:20:24,119 –> 00:20:29,119 Why was it that Christ had to be alone? 350 00:20:29,619 –> 00:20:32,319 Why the breakup of his inner circle? 351 00:20:32,319 –> 00:20:35,880 Why the unraveling of all these years of ministry 352 00:20:35,880 –> 00:20:37,979 that he has poured into these men? 353 00:20:38,839 –> 00:20:40,880 Why did this have to happen? 354 00:20:40,880 –> 00:20:45,599 Because Christ bears the sins of the world alone. 355 00:20:47,520 –> 00:20:51,119 Because the disciples cannot help him here. 356 00:20:52,400 –> 00:20:54,459 There is no role for them to play. 357 00:20:55,880 –> 00:21:00,540 No one can contribute to what Christ is doing here. 358 00:21:01,800 –> 00:21:05,839 No one can say of the redemption of the world, 359 00:21:06,140 –> 00:21:09,219 I was there to help him, I made a contribution, 360 00:21:09,219 –> 00:21:11,140 I was the one who stood with him. 361 00:21:14,260 –> 00:21:17,660 For Christ does not do His redeeming work with us. 362 00:21:17,660 –> 00:21:21,020 Christ does His redeeming work for us. 363 00:21:22,479 –> 00:21:25,979 And He is utterly alone as He faces 364 00:21:25,979 –> 00:21:28,459 this great redeeming work. 365 00:21:28,459 –> 00:21:33,459 I will strike the shepherd. 366 00:21:36,400 –> 00:21:39,160 Now let’s just turn it a moment 367 00:21:39,160 –> 00:21:41,300 and think about these things for a moment 368 00:21:41,300 –> 00:21:42,619 from the angle of the sheep, 369 00:21:42,619 –> 00:21:44,380 which of course is our own angle. 370 00:21:46,160 –> 00:21:51,160 I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. 371 00:21:54,800 –> 00:21:57,000 And in the Garden of Gethsemane, 372 00:21:57,000 –> 00:22:01,680 Jesus warned the disciples about the temptation 373 00:22:01,680 –> 00:22:04,260 that they were about to face. 374 00:22:04,300 –> 00:22:07,660 Look at it in verse 38 particularly will you? 375 00:22:07,660 –> 00:22:11,819 Notice the you, He’s speaking to them about their battle. 376 00:22:11,819 –> 00:22:15,699 He says, watch and pray so that you 377 00:22:15,699 –> 00:22:17,719 will not fall into temptation, 378 00:22:17,719 –> 00:22:22,140 for the spirit is willing but the body is weak. 379 00:22:22,140 –> 00:22:23,699 So He’s not talking to them about 380 00:22:23,699 –> 00:22:26,079 somehow supporting Him in His trial, 381 00:22:26,079 –> 00:22:29,500 He’s saying, look you are going to face a trial, 382 00:22:29,500 –> 00:22:33,040 you are going to face an extraordinary temptation, 383 00:22:33,040 –> 00:22:35,839 and if you’re gonna stand, you’re gonna have to watch, 384 00:22:35,839 –> 00:22:37,520 and you’re gonna have to pray, 385 00:22:39,739 –> 00:22:40,959 but you know the story, 386 00:22:43,079 –> 00:22:47,380 they did not watch and they did not pray 387 00:22:48,839 –> 00:22:52,280 and so when temptation came they were overwhelmed by it, 388 00:22:53,979 –> 00:22:56,939 they all deserted Him and fled. 389 00:22:58,760 –> 00:23:01,619 This work of redeeming the world 390 00:23:01,660 –> 00:23:03,420 is a work that Christ does alone, 391 00:23:03,420 –> 00:23:06,099 it is the work that He has to do for us, 392 00:23:07,060 –> 00:23:09,739 but this work of watching and praying 393 00:23:09,739 –> 00:23:14,180 is a work that He calls us to do for Himself, 394 00:23:14,180 –> 00:23:15,880 this is what we must do, 395 00:23:15,880 –> 00:23:18,859 you must watch, you must pray, 396 00:23:18,859 –> 00:23:21,579 because you are going to enter into temptation 397 00:23:21,579 –> 00:23:24,660 and if you are going to stand in it, 398 00:23:25,739 –> 00:23:26,839 here is what you must do, 399 00:23:26,839 –> 00:23:28,520 this is why we are in this garden, 400 00:23:28,520 –> 00:23:31,540 now don’t fall asleep, be alert, 401 00:23:31,540 –> 00:23:34,380 be prepared for what you will face. 402 00:23:36,439 –> 00:23:38,660 I wonder if you can see yourself here, 403 00:23:40,079 –> 00:23:43,180 boy it’s been rich, just a privilege for me 404 00:23:43,180 –> 00:23:45,640 to meditate in these scriptures this week, 405 00:23:47,160 –> 00:23:49,000 but oh, how much I see myself. 406 00:23:50,839 –> 00:23:52,939 We are the ones who have not watched, 407 00:23:55,359 –> 00:23:57,439 we are the ones who have not prayed, 408 00:23:57,839 –> 00:24:01,219 we are the ones, are we not, 409 00:24:01,219 –> 00:24:04,119 who have fallen into temptation, 410 00:24:05,900 –> 00:24:07,920 we are the ones who have backed away 411 00:24:07,920 –> 00:24:11,020 from the full cost of following Jesus Christ, 412 00:24:13,400 –> 00:24:16,099 we are the ones who too often have run from him 413 00:24:16,099 –> 00:24:17,900 instead of running to him, 414 00:24:19,619 –> 00:24:21,140 we are the scattered sheep 415 00:24:21,140 –> 00:24:26,140 and our sins have brought his sufferings. 416 00:24:29,619 –> 00:24:31,199 I will strike the shepherd 417 00:24:32,140 –> 00:24:33,699 and the sheep will be scattered. 418 00:24:36,199 –> 00:24:38,500 Oh don’t you want to thank God today. 419 00:24:38,500 –> 00:24:42,380 Praise God that that is not the end of the story, 420 00:24:43,819 –> 00:24:46,640 the scattering of the sheep is not the last word. 421 00:24:46,640 –> 00:24:50,140 Look at Verse 28 of Mark Chapter 14. 422 00:24:50,140 –> 00:24:52,079 You will all fall away, Jesus says. 423 00:24:52,079 –> 00:24:52,880 For it’s written 424 00:24:52,880 –> 00:24:55,660 I’ll strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. 425 00:24:55,660 –> 00:25:00,660 But but after I have risen, 426 00:25:02,459 –> 00:25:05,380 I will go ahead of you into Galilee. 427 00:25:05,380 –> 00:25:07,739 So the striking of the shepherd 428 00:25:07,739 –> 00:25:09,459 will not be the end of the story. 429 00:25:09,459 –> 00:25:11,020 And the scattering of the sheep, 430 00:25:11,020 –> 00:25:12,459 the failure of the sheep, 431 00:25:12,459 –> 00:25:14,459 our falling into temptation, 432 00:25:14,459 –> 00:25:15,760 even in these last days 433 00:25:15,760 –> 00:25:18,939 will will not be the end of the story. 434 00:25:20,500 –> 00:25:24,000 Because Christ speaks here about His own resurrection, 435 00:25:25,660 –> 00:25:28,920 though He stands utterly alone in the suffering, 436 00:25:28,920 –> 00:25:33,459 He is not like the disciples overcome by it. 437 00:25:35,540 –> 00:25:38,199 And He gives this great promise. 438 00:25:38,199 –> 00:25:40,780 After I have risen, 439 00:25:42,260 –> 00:25:44,099 I will go ahead of you into Galilee. 440 00:25:45,900 –> 00:25:47,560 See the sheep are scattered. 441 00:25:47,920 –> 00:25:52,219 But they’re still His sheep. 442 00:25:54,780 –> 00:25:58,839 And for all our failures to watch 443 00:25:58,839 –> 00:26:01,359 and for all our failures to pray 444 00:26:01,359 –> 00:26:04,760 and for all our falling into temptation 445 00:26:04,760 –> 00:26:08,880 and for all of the times that we have been defeated, 446 00:26:11,439 –> 00:26:12,619 sheep may be scattered, 447 00:26:14,180 –> 00:26:16,560 but if you belong to Jesus Christ, 448 00:26:16,619 –> 00:26:19,719 whatever the failure that is burdening your heart 449 00:26:19,719 –> 00:26:23,260 or your mind right now, you are still His sheep. 450 00:26:24,939 –> 00:26:29,939 And this Christ will not let one of His sheep be lost. 451 00:26:33,239 –> 00:26:35,280 The disciples don’t really seem to grasp 452 00:26:35,280 –> 00:26:37,599 the amazing promise that Jesus gives them here. 453 00:26:37,599 –> 00:26:40,560 It seems as if it’s skated over their minds. 454 00:26:40,560 –> 00:26:43,500 They didn’t latch on to the hope 455 00:26:43,500 –> 00:26:45,439 of the resurrection of Jesus Christ 456 00:26:45,439 –> 00:26:47,459 or to the promise of Him gathering 457 00:26:47,459 –> 00:26:49,500 the sheep together in Galilee. 458 00:26:49,500 –> 00:26:51,859 And they didn’t see it. 459 00:26:51,859 –> 00:26:55,459 We need to grasp onto that promise today. 460 00:26:55,459 –> 00:26:58,699 We have failed Christ in many ways. 461 00:26:59,939 –> 00:27:01,880 We have fallen into temptation. 462 00:27:03,219 –> 00:27:05,219 And some of us have come to church today 463 00:27:05,219 –> 00:27:09,780 and we feel defeated, and you need to hear 464 00:27:09,780 –> 00:27:11,180 this word of hope. 465 00:27:11,180 –> 00:27:13,719 Christ says, after I have risen, 466 00:27:13,979 –> 00:27:16,680 I will go ahead of you. 467 00:27:16,680 –> 00:27:18,579 You say, what does that mean for me? 468 00:27:19,979 –> 00:27:22,300 Well, what it means is this. 469 00:27:22,300 –> 00:27:23,979 That Christ will not leave you 470 00:27:23,979 –> 00:27:25,699 in the misery of your failure. 471 00:27:27,020 –> 00:27:29,319 That this Christ is in the business, 472 00:27:29,319 –> 00:27:32,040 the risen Lord Jesus Christ is in the business 473 00:27:32,040 –> 00:27:34,219 of gathering His scattered sheep. 474 00:27:35,099 –> 00:27:38,060 That your failure, that your falling into temptation 475 00:27:38,060 –> 00:27:40,099 is not the end of the story. 476 00:27:40,099 –> 00:27:41,939 It will not have the last word. 477 00:27:41,979 –> 00:27:44,699 This is the hope of the Gospel. 478 00:27:44,699 –> 00:27:49,479 The risen Christ gathers His scattered sheep. 479 00:27:49,479 –> 00:27:51,920 And those who have fallen into temptation 480 00:27:51,920 –> 00:27:53,439 can come to Him today. 481 00:27:54,380 –> 00:27:56,339 And those who have been running away from Him 482 00:27:56,339 –> 00:27:59,500 can turn and return to Him today. 483 00:28:00,500 –> 00:28:01,719 Did you fail to watch? 484 00:28:01,719 –> 00:28:04,420 Did you fail to pray this week? 485 00:28:04,420 –> 00:28:06,140 Did you fall into temptation? 486 00:28:06,140 –> 00:28:09,900 You can come to this risen Lord Jesus Christ 487 00:28:09,900 –> 00:28:11,560 and don’t be afraid to come. 488 00:28:12,939 –> 00:28:16,400 Cause this Lord Jesus Christ knows you. 489 00:28:17,660 –> 00:28:20,300 And He has loved you as long as He has known you 490 00:28:20,300 –> 00:28:22,160 and as deep as He knows you. 491 00:28:22,160 –> 00:28:24,000 He knew you before you were converted. 492 00:28:24,000 –> 00:28:28,060 He knew your nature then and He knew your sin 493 00:28:28,060 –> 00:28:30,400 and He loved you. 494 00:28:31,300 –> 00:28:34,780 And He knows what you have been since your conversion. 495 00:28:34,780 –> 00:28:36,859 He knows your weakness, He knows your failure. 496 00:28:36,859 –> 00:28:39,239 He knows your particular struggles. 497 00:28:39,260 –> 00:28:42,680 He knows your inconsistency, and He loves you now. 498 00:28:44,760 –> 00:28:47,699 This was true for the disciples in their failure. 499 00:28:49,180 –> 00:28:53,500 And it is wonderfully true for us today. 500 00:28:55,439 –> 00:28:57,479 So the scattering of the sheep, I think, 501 00:28:57,479 –> 00:29:01,880 reminds us of how far a real Christian can fall. 502 00:29:04,420 –> 00:29:07,099 But Christ knows His sheep. 503 00:29:09,540 –> 00:29:14,540 And even if they are scattered, the sheep are still His. 504 00:29:17,160 –> 00:29:22,160 After I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee. 505 00:29:23,900 –> 00:29:25,020 See, why Galilee? 506 00:29:25,020 –> 00:29:26,280 The resurrection appearances 507 00:29:26,280 –> 00:29:28,000 started in Jerusalem, didn’t they? 508 00:29:28,900 –> 00:29:31,060 Yes, but it was at Galilee, 509 00:29:31,060 –> 00:29:34,859 you remember, that Peter was restored, 510 00:29:34,859 –> 00:29:37,040 and that’s the whole point of The Promise. 511 00:29:37,819 –> 00:29:42,819 And you say, but what about Judas? 512 00:29:44,260 –> 00:29:47,699 He wasn’t with them at Galilee. 513 00:29:49,479 –> 00:29:52,260 The Bible tells us He had already taken His own life. 514 00:29:55,000 –> 00:29:56,859 I want you to understand this, 515 00:29:58,339 –> 00:30:02,239 the problem for Judas was not 516 00:30:02,239 –> 00:30:05,099 that he had committed a sin so great 517 00:30:05,099 –> 00:30:06,699 that it could not be forgiven. 518 00:30:07,560 –> 00:30:08,819 That was not the problem. 519 00:30:10,300 –> 00:30:12,079 The problem for Judas was not 520 00:30:12,079 –> 00:30:13,959 that he had committed a sin so great 521 00:30:13,959 –> 00:30:15,599 that it could not be forgiven. 522 00:30:15,599 –> 00:30:19,920 The problem for Judas was that he would not 523 00:30:19,920 –> 00:30:23,719 and did not come to Christ for forgiveness. 524 00:30:26,400 –> 00:30:29,359 Don’t let that be true of you. 525 00:30:31,500 –> 00:30:33,119 See, there’s two sides here, 526 00:30:33,119 –> 00:30:36,579 Christ goes ahead of them to Galilee, 527 00:30:36,680 –> 00:30:40,459 but they must come and gather to him there, 528 00:30:42,260 –> 00:30:45,739 and Peter and Judas stand before us, I think, 529 00:30:47,119 –> 00:30:50,739 as two men who have failed Jesus Christ. 530 00:30:53,459 –> 00:30:56,859 And Peter is restored, 531 00:30:58,020 –> 00:31:00,839 so no one should ever despair. 532 00:31:03,380 –> 00:31:06,459 And Judas is lost, 533 00:31:06,500 –> 00:31:09,119 so no one should ever presume. 534 00:31:11,939 –> 00:31:16,319 If you will not come to Christ in repentance and in faith, 535 00:31:17,619 –> 00:31:19,800 you’re identifying with Judas. 536 00:31:22,500 –> 00:31:24,640 Don’t let that be true of you! 537 00:31:27,099 –> 00:31:30,900 You see, the easiest place to avoid truly coming to Christ 538 00:31:30,900 –> 00:31:33,359 in repentance and faith is in the pew of a church. 539 00:31:33,359 –> 00:31:34,920 That’s what Judas teaches us. 540 00:31:37,060 –> 00:31:39,859 The greatest danger of sitting in the pew of a church 541 00:31:39,859 –> 00:31:41,780 at a distance from Christ 542 00:31:43,260 –> 00:31:45,160 is that we may think things are well 543 00:31:45,160 –> 00:31:46,839 and that we may presume. 544 00:31:48,920 –> 00:31:51,680 I will go ahead of you to Galilee, but they must come, 545 00:31:53,400 –> 00:31:57,339 and Peter did, and so did the 11. 546 00:31:59,079 –> 00:32:02,719 And not one who comes to Jesus Christin repentance 547 00:32:02,719 –> 00:32:05,219 in faith will ever be turned away 548 00:32:06,800 –> 00:32:10,579 nor ever, ever, be finally lost. 549 00:32:11,920 –> 00:32:15,459 So the Lord Jesus Christ has a wonderful invitation for us, 550 00:32:15,459 –> 00:32:17,239 this risen Lord Jesus Christ. 551 00:32:17,239 –> 00:32:19,560 He’s gone ahead of us, not to Galilee. 552 00:32:19,560 –> 00:32:21,859 He’s gone ahead of us into heaven, even better. 553 00:32:23,579 –> 00:32:27,180 And he says, now you come to me, come to me in faith. 554 00:32:27,180 –> 00:32:30,180 You come to me with all your sins, 555 00:32:30,180 –> 00:32:32,119 with all your guilt, with all your failure, 556 00:32:32,119 –> 00:32:34,160 with all the reality that you’ve not watched 557 00:32:34,160 –> 00:32:35,060 and you’ve not prayed 558 00:32:35,540 –> 00:32:37,239 and you have fallen into temptation 559 00:32:37,239 –> 00:32:38,660 and you have failed in many ways 560 00:32:38,660 –> 00:32:41,959 that make you feel very defeated and very distant from me. 561 00:32:41,959 –> 00:32:44,280 It makes you feel like a scattered sheep 562 00:32:44,280 –> 00:32:45,579 and that is what you are. 563 00:32:47,119 –> 00:32:48,800 But remember, it was for this reason 564 00:32:48,800 –> 00:32:50,520 that I went to the cross. 565 00:32:51,800 –> 00:32:55,099 It was for these things that I paid the price 566 00:32:55,099 –> 00:32:59,380 and I did this for you and I did this for all who will come. 567 00:33:00,599 –> 00:33:02,560 So stop running from Christ. 568 00:33:03,540 –> 00:33:05,859 He has gone into heaven ahead of you 569 00:33:05,859 –> 00:33:08,479 where he is at the right hand of the father. 570 00:33:09,660 –> 00:33:12,979 Come to him in repentance and in faith 571 00:33:12,979 –> 00:33:15,719 and he will receive you, he will restore you. 572 00:33:17,739 –> 00:33:19,180 The striking of the shepherd, 573 00:33:19,180 –> 00:33:22,540 the scattering of the sheep is not the last word. 574 00:33:24,219 –> 00:33:25,260 That’s the gospel. 575 00:33:27,099 –> 00:33:28,599 Let’s pray together, shall we? 576 00:33:29,099 –> 00:33:33,819 We don’t want to take the cross lightly, dear Lord, 577 00:33:35,800 –> 00:33:39,020 or to take the pain of our failure 578 00:33:39,020 –> 00:33:43,939 as your servants and disciples lightly either. 579 00:33:47,959 –> 00:33:50,520 But feeling the weight, the cross and the triumph 580 00:33:50,520 –> 00:33:52,880 of the resurrection seems all the more wonderful 581 00:33:52,880 –> 00:33:54,099 to us today. 582 00:33:54,819 –> 00:33:59,660 We find within our hearts a strong impulse 583 00:33:59,680 –> 00:34:01,780 to draw near to you and to come to you 584 00:34:01,780 –> 00:34:04,619 with all our sin and failure and unworthiness 585 00:34:06,140 –> 00:34:07,739 so grateful that 586 00:34:09,699 –> 00:34:14,580 while you faced that redeeming of the world alone, 587 00:34:15,620 –> 00:34:17,600 you were not overcome by the trial, 588 00:34:18,979 –> 00:34:20,139 but conquered through it 589 00:34:20,139 –> 00:34:22,120 and stand as our risen Savior, 590 00:34:22,179 –> 00:34:23,679 and stand as our risen Savior, 591 00:34:23,679 –> 00:34:26,139 ready to welcome all who will come to you 592 00:34:27,100 –> 00:34:28,760 in repentance and faith today. 593 00:34:31,320 –> 00:34:35,080 Lord Jesus Christ, I come. 594 00:34:38,580 –> 00:34:39,840 Heed our prayers. 595 00:34:40,919 –> 00:34:43,000 Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, 596 00:34:44,379 –> 00:34:45,219 amen.

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Colin Smith

Trustee / Founder and Teaching Pastor

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near – So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on X formerly Twitter.

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Sermons on Mark’s Gospel What did it mean for Jesus to give His life a ransom for many? In Part 3 of this series through Mark’s gospel, we’ll explore Jesus’ death and resurrection, and discover what He accomplished. You’ll find new joy in the salvation Jesus came to bring. See also: • The Gospel According

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