Mark 14:43-72, Are You Lonely?

Mark chapter 14 starting in verse 43 be reading to verse 72 hear the word of the

Lord and Immediately while it was still speaking Judas came one of the twelve and With him a crowd with swords and clubs from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders now but the betrayer had given them a sign saying the one

I will kiss as the man sees him and lead him away under guard and when he came he went up to him at once and said rabbi and he kissed him and They laid hands on him and seized him but one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear and Jesus said to them have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to capture me day after day

I was with you in the temple and teaching and you did not seize me, but let the scriptures be fulfilled and They all left him and fled and a young man followed him with nothing but a linen cloth about his body and they seized him but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked and they led

Jesus to the high priest and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together and Peter had followed him at a distance right into the courtyard of the high priest and he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire

Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death but they found none for many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree and son some stood up and bore false witness against him saying

We heard him say I will destroy this temple that is made with hands and in three days

I will build another not made with hands Yet even about this their testimony did not agree and the high priest stood up in them in the midst and asked

Jesus have you no answer to make what is it that these men testify against you, but he remained silent and made no answer again, the high priest asked him are you the

Christ the Son of the Blessed and Jesus said I am and you will see the

Son of Man seated at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven and The high priest tore his garments and said what further witnesses do we need you have heard his blasphemy.

What is your decision? and they all condemned him as deserving death and some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him saying to him prophesy and the guards received him with blows and As Peter was below in the courtyard one of the servant girls of the high priest came and seeing

Peter warming himself She looked at him and said You also were with the Nazarene Jesus But he denied it saying

I neither know nor understand what you mean and he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed and the servant girl saw him and begins

Again to say to the bystanders. This man is one of them But again, he denied it and after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter Certainly you are one of them for you are a

Galilean but he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear I do not know this man of whom you speak and Immediately the rooster crowed a second time and Peter remembered how

Jesus had said to him before the rooster crows twice you will deny me three times and He broke down and wept

And the Lord had his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word. Well, are you lonely?

That's what some people fear the most being lonely being left out being all by themselves

You must have done something wrong If you're alone, right what many people assume something's wrong with you

You're alone. You don't want to be one of those who are missing out what everyone else is You know is experiencing or has

You're a loser for sure. You're out there by yourself like that So Hulu advertises its services is enabling you to quote catch all the shows.

Everyone is talking about You don't want to be that one person at work who doesn't know what

Game of Thrones is about I don't really know what Game of Thrones is about Or maybe

House of Cards or whatever. You don't want to be that one that didn't stay up late last night watching a basketball game So you can't talk about The great comeback the great buzzer beater at the end

People will do all kinds of things just so they can avoid that lonely feeling of being the one who's left out

I think one main reason many runners take on the marathon Is that it is that they don't want to be the only runner who can't talk about his marathon

Everyone else is talking about their marathon. They got it. They got to be able to do it. So they make themselves run 26 miles

It's called the bandwagon effect The band everybody is on the bandwagon.

Everybody is going that way. Everybody is doing or watching or eating or drinking Whatever don't be left out after all if you're left out

You'll be lonely and you can't tolerate that so Women often will it succumb to sexual immorality or put up with an abusive partner just to avoid being lonely

Better being with a man who will beat you up every now and then then having no one at all.

I Guess they think We hate being alone But the tragic thing is we have an epidemic of loneliness in our culture

We've told people that in their quest for happiness do what you want now, whatever it is Don't be restrained by any commitments any loyalties that might mean sacrificing some pleasure for the short term

That might mean even being alone for now For something that supposedly long term so we find it strange

The story I've told before about the man who married a wife he loved as a young man But within just a few years after the marriage she became violently insane

And so she had to be put in an asylum and he would visit her when he could tried a few times to bring her

Out let her live at home, but it could never work and he stayed married to her for over 50 years like that married but mostly alone 50 years his nephew

Ronald cider the professor and author that Eastern College said he once asked his uncle if he ever thought of divorce

So we could you know, marry a normal woman and have a companion. He said no He hadn't thought of it.

He had married her for better for worse and sickness and in health till death do us part 50 years of married aloneness

Now contrast that with the idea putting being put out there like it's a virtue by some liberal professor

I forget which one I think of ethics somewhere that he wishes that if his wife ever concludes that He is not fulfilling her if he becomes a drag on her quote self actualization or whatever pseudo sophisticated term

He made up that he hopes his wife will be brave enough to divorce him I kind of suspect he's he's looking for an excuse to do that to her

Okay, but never mind that now I think a man is as selfish as I find his ethics Should be thanked for at least saying what he believes for for clearly articulating what?

many people deep down really think what they really believe how they live that That if this commitment, whatever it is, is it always going to be fun?

Especially if it means being lonely even for any stretch of time You know, my husband is going to go to Afghanistan and leave me for a year by myself

If my friends are going to go with me to church if I have to be by myself Then I'm out and so we have an epidemic of people people feeling betrayed in our culture by spouses

They feel betrayed because they often are betrayed by spouses Maybe by parents especially by fathers who leave to go have fun somewhere else maybe by friends

Who you thought shared your passions who shared your commitments your zeal for what's right?

And you two would be you would be loyal friends for a lifetime you thought But then they betrayed everything you thought you shared together

See us Lewis wrote We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst

Being alone Isn't the worst thing that could happen to you far worse is being included being accepted being warmly accompanied by a band of traitors of Selfish people that you know if you think about it will abandon you

Just as soon as you're not fun anymore far worse is being an intimate part of a fellowship of betrayers of Taking the bandwagon down that broad road to destruction

And we see that here in three major parts first the fleeing Then the trial and third the denial.

Sorry. No, I couldn't get them all to rhyme. I tried and tried But there's just no way to get fleeing to rhyme with trial and denial

Well just a few hours earlier all of them Jesus's disciples were pledging remember The story flows they were pledging that even if they have to die with you, you know

They said if I to Jesus we have to die with you Jesus. We will not deny you They were a band.

So it seemed of loyal loving inseparable Friends like the three musketeers, you know all for one one for all except there were 13 of them

But one was away running some errand whatever he was doing a kind of movie that Hollywood likes to put out

What they call a buddy movie two or more buddies going through some adventure together

Which will sometimes try their relationship sometimes maybe they'll you know beat each other's throat

But then they'll always at the ends by the end of it stay together. Maybe they're a fellowship of whatever maybe a

Band of brothers going through war together and in the long run people will find the band of brothers more interesting than the war people will pay to see friends stay together through thick and thin because They see so little of that in real life

You'd like it. I think we'd love it here. This is where a story of these disciples were those kind of buddies

I mean if they really were willing to Experience everything Jesus went through because they were just so loyal But Jesus tells his drowsy drowsy disciples, you know rise.

Let's be going see My betrayer is at hand There's this mob probably with torches and weapons coming in their way coming their way

But the one at hand is that missing disciple Out on some errand except the errand was to betray

Jesus And now he's here I were reminded, you know, like that first verse there first 4042 that he's one of the twelve and now that's not because we forgot.

Why does mark tell us that again? Not because we forgot but because it's incredible It's incredible that anyone especially

Jesus would be betrayed by one of his closest friends. It's followers. That's just that's just incredible You think about it?

It's as if Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated by one of his own cabinet His own

Treasury secretary had shot him at a cabinet meeting That would be just incredible instead of what happened instead of a stranger an actor snuck up behind him

It's as if John F Kennedy had been assassinated by one of his own generals Then by a communist sympathizer who defected to the

Soviet Union and came back It's it's incredible. No, it's he means to say it like Judas one of the twelve

Can you believe it betrayed him? He's being followed by a crowd armed with swords and clubs sent from the

Sanhedrin the 70 rulers of Israel made up of chief priests and scribes and elders and so now in verse 44

Judas one of the twelve is Notice what he called now He's the betrayer

Unlike today They wouldn't have television or photographs, you know posters and the post office saying wanted reward

With a mugshot there or some kind of artists rendition to show what the wanted man looked like Here they here they needed someone to point out which of these men was

Jesus and that's what that's the service Judas supplied Judas had chosen a sign and it's the kind of sign that a betrayer would choose

You know a betrayer is someone who? appears like a friend But he's really an enemy and here

Judas comes to Jesus appearing friendly But is really betraying him with a sign.

It should be a sign of affection of a warm greeting a kiss And Judas says the one

I kiss is the man Sees him and lead him away underguard

Notice Jesus Judas's instructions Judas expects Jesus to be defended

Judas Especially instructs the men with him to lead Jesus away underguard

You notice that expecting that the other disciples would mount but try to mount some kind of violent opposition

And one kind of half -hearted did but even Judas the betrayer he even he overestimates the the loyalty of The the strength of the bond of the disciples to Jesus even the traitor himself

Expects more loyalty Than they show so Judas goes right up to Jesus calling him by a term of respect

Again, part of the this facade of being a friend rabbi. It's a respectful term the title master teacher

He is keeping up the front of being a disciple right to the end So he kisses them probably on both cheeks like they do in that culture as They would greet a friend the soldiers and the guards with Judas Then pounce and swiftly and violently grab

Jesus and and the stunned disciples are just looking on now The ties that bind the disciples to Jesus are tried

You remember not long before They were boasting they were pledging they were doing it vehemently

It says they were passionate about it that even if they have to die with Jesus They will never leave him now is the test of Reality, is that real?

one of them in verse 47 and John tells us it was Peter, but he draws his sword and he was going to put up a fight it appears

Took says takes a swipe probably the closest enemy to him a servant of the high priest now the servant dodged but didn't quite manage to get all the way out of the way and So Peter slices off an ear now remember

Peter is probably going right for the middle of the head And Here in Mark Jesus puts an end to that by noting in verses 48 and 49.

Have you come out as as Against a robber with swords and clubs to capture me day after day

I was with you in the temple and you did not seize me in other words You're acting by stealth at night without other other no one else around because of your cowardice

Because you can't stand up to the people but let the scriptures be fulfilled

Jesus says scriptures like Isaiah Isaiah chapter 53 were prophesied of the servant the

Lord who would be despised and rejected by men Someone from whom men hide their faces again despised and we esteemed him not

Someone who is going to be alone. In other words, that's what he's gonna be like Are you willing?

to be alone with him If you think being alone is always a sign of failure

You know something went wrong with someone who's alone Then you're gonna think he's a failure

And you're not gonna go with him Let the scriptures be fulfilled

Jesus said he is wounded for our transgressions His crush for our iniquities the chastisement that brings us.

Peace is on him with his stripes We are healed. That's the scriptures that will be fulfilled

Now at least one of them will fight for Jesus But that isn't what they said they would do

They said they would die for Jesus. It's a big difference It's it's not hard to find people who are willing to kill for a cause

You know to sling a sword or shoot a gun or drop a bomb The hard part is finding people who love so much.

They're willing to die These disciples said they would They said it with passion with you know, but with all their emotion now is their chance

They could go with him through the through the wounding through the crushing through the stripes

On the back from the flogging now, they can't bear our sin But they could at least keep him company while he does that He doesn't have to be alone if only they keep their commitment

They said they would they pledged it passionately vehemently all Jesus, you know, don't none go with you still

I will follow Now what about those ties? did bind

The fellowship the band of brothers Falls apart

Because each of them loves something more Than the fellowship even more than Jesus the center of the fellowship

One of them loves money and The others love their own skins What do you love more than Jesus?

What do you love that if you were faced with a choice? Between Jesus and that other love

You'd go with that other love Is it money? You just gotta you just got to make more money and you have your reasons

You know, you got bills to pay you got a standard of living to keep up You you want to put your kid to college and you know, 30 pieces of silver will go a long way toward that Yeah, or maybe it's maybe it's a relationship.

I mean You can't be alone You're not actually asking people to be alone for Jesus are you

Sometimes yes Few years ago. We had a lady who was attending here with us for a while.

She even came on Wednesday nights She was pleasant a nice lady

But she was living with a man out of marriage and she eventually met with Mary and explained that she knew it was wrong but she said

I Can't be alone some

Christians have to be alone Because they're Christians They got converted.

Maybe they're maybe after maybe after they were married and their husband or wife didn't So they go to church by themselves

For years, maybe for the rest of their lives, you know there's no promise in Scripture that if you get saved your husband or wife will will follow right along behind you and Y 'all you'll just lovingly go to church hand in hand together for the you know, till death do you part?

Sometimes being a Christian means having to be alone at least on the way to church We hope you don't feel that way when you're here in This culture it's even more complicated

Because in this culture with you know, so many false professions of faith, you know people that say they're believers

But really aren't unconverted church members the unconverted spouse might actually go to church actually may want to go to church somewhere

But probably not to where the word is Really preached probably not where the Lord is at the center

The unconverted church attender must prefers the shows either the old -time religion shows, you know with the sentimental hymns from their childhood talking about walking in the garden with a rose on the

Dew on the rose and all that stuff and the King James Version or the new kind with the lights and the band and the brief positive talk

But if for you the kingdom of God is a great treasure a pearl of great price worth selling everything for You'll still have to be alone

Going where you find that treasure? Jesus had prepared his disciples for this crucial choice

He had prepared them. He had told them he told them clearly that if you were to be my disciple you had to quote hate your own father's your mother's your children even wife or husband

Now that didn't mean hate. He didn't mean have a revulsion toward them. Just find them so disgusting You don't have anything to do with them anymore

It meant that when that crucial choice came and you had to decide between Jesus following Jesus even if it brought problems in the family, even if it made even if it required being alone or Not being alone having the companion

Making him or her happy, but you've walked away from Jesus being a disciple

Means you choose Jesus alone That's taking up your cross and following him

So Jesus has told his disciples already probably many times that if they're really going to be his disciples

It will mean do doing precisely that maybe they were people like in this culture

You know just so much religious talk that they think it's just all talk So when the time comes to actually do it

They kind of evaporate Blessed be the tie that binds but there's no tie holding them together if it's just about staying together with Jesus as long as he's convenient as Long as the bandwagon is going that way

You know what just a few days earlier when they were throwing palm branches in his way shouting Hosanna Oh, yeah, it was easy to be with Jesus then the bandwagon was going with Jesus look like But here when it's going the other way

They flee Even a young man perhaps Mark himself the writer of this gospel since this little story in verses 51 and 52 is only in Mark Probably rushing out of his home.

That's why he only has a Linden cloth on would be kind of like, you know going out with your t -shirt He's in a hurry to see what's going on He first wants to be near he wants to support

Jesus to be with him So Jesus doesn't have to face this trial alone, but when they sees him

He realizes whoa. I Could get what Jesus is about to get

That he realized that all that talk That Jesus said, you know about taking up your cross

That was for real It wasn't just an exaggerated metaphor about having to endure overly long sermons that Jesus really does call us to share his sufferings the fellowship of his sufferings and So this young man, whoever he is like the disciples fleas

He wiggles free Leaving them holding on to his garment running away naked like Adam in the garden naked ashamed

Nakedness in Scripture a sign of shame and defeat So he flees defeated

Leaving Jesus alone. Are you willing to be alone with Jesus?

How about if it means being alone with him on trial Jesus the judge of the whole world is on trial starting in verse 53

They take him to the high priest Where the chief priests and the elders and the scribes and all the leaders then of Israel are gathered now

They technically weren't supposed to have a trial at night. It was a sign of doing something sneaky, which they were

But they'd probably get around that by doing it unofficially while it was still dark get their evidence together their story straight and then when the first first light of dawn appears

Declare the court officially in session. He's guilty slammed out the gavel and then announced the verdict in his own over a

Peter followed at a distance He was basketball term, I guess on the bubble

Was he in is he out? It's not quite sure Part of him still wanted to make that stand

That he said he would make he was willing to kill for Jesus But not sure yet if he's willing to die for him

He'll see what happens He follows Jesus right into the courtyard of the high priest So he now is literally surrounded by the enemy even huddles around a fire with the same guards who had just apprehended

Jesus nearby inside Jesus is on trial Of course, it's not really a trial

Trials are supposed to be about seeking justice. They're supposed to be out looking for the truth. It would be open to evidence

This is a show trial. This is a sham They had already in verse 55 decided that Jesus should be put to death they have their verdict already now they're looking for justification for it

But they aren't able to find anything against him. They're having problems many bore false witness against him.

Notice that in verse 56 many many Were against him

There's no shortage of men that they could find who to accuse Jesus of this or that whatever they wanted him accused of If you think being alone and being despised is a sure sign someone has done something wrong

You're gonna think Jesus did something wrong They had one problem even with their show trial

In order for testimony to be accepted two witnesses had to agree their testimony had to match exactly

So all the made -up accusations weren't corroborated You know what they say?

It's easier to tell the truth because you don't have to worry about making up your excuses, but they weren't telling the truth a few did remember

Jesus saying something like I will destroy this temple made with hands and in three days,

I will build up another not made with hands But they because they mangled that they still couldn't agree and Jesus had actually said in John chapter 2 verse 19 destroy

Implicitly it's a command you destroy, you know say I will destroy so you destroy this temple and in three days

I will raise it up He was talking about his body So they are at a dead end in this show trial.

They got nothing They can't get their false accusers to corroborate each other and they have nothing to charge him with and so the chief priest the high priest himself

Kaiafa stands up Decides to try to Elicit something from Jesus that will allow them to kill him and in verse 60.

Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you? But Jesus just remained silent

You know, there's no reason to comment About false accusations that they can't get to match and so they can't even use them against him now

The chief priest is probably just Exasperated and doesn't know what to do. The high priest asked

Jesus directly in verse 61. Are you the Christ the son of the blessed? Now I imagine they haven't been able to find anything to pin on Jesus The sham trial is about to fall apart

Would they have to let him go? So a last desperate question

Are you the anointed one? Are you the king from the line of David who brings in God's kingdom on earth?

What if he just stays quiet or what if he thinks of some clever

Evasive answer, you know, I'll answer you if you tell me about the baptism of John He's outmaneuvered them all week long before this as they tried to trap him in question after question and all these trick questions they brought he just Clever answer he found his way out and he could do it again here easy but instead he says point blank in verse 62

I am and You will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power and Coming with the clouds of heaven.

He says yes He says that he is the one in Daniel chapter 7 who receives

God's authority on earth to rule who is Worshipped as God.

He says you high priest putting me on trial will see me seated on a throne

Judging you. Here's the crucial decision Is he telling the truth?

You know, it doesn't matter whether everybody believes it or no one does. Is it true? It's Jesus really the

Lord who rules if he is He's worth everything you have to endure now

To live with him then but the high priest won't hear of it.

His mind is already made up. He tears his clothes It's this demonstration a sign of being outraged appalled shocked at the last for me.

He calls it Notice how pious his language sounds Calling God the

Blessed acting if he's so as if he were so zealous for God's glory that he can't even tolerate his

Tender ears having hearing God's glory besmirched when in reality

He is presiding over a sham trial that even he must know is about murdering an innocent man and whether he knows it or not

It's about killing the son of the Blessed But he declares the priest does in verse 63.

What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?

Be serious. I mean, you're really What is this pretense? Can't be honest with yourself in seclusion?

They already knew their decision before the sham trial even started but his hypocrisy just knows no ends

So in verse 64, they all condemned him as deserving death That's where the bandwagon has led

So to show how they despised him they spat on him Some covered his face and played a game name that puncher if you're really a prophet

The guards led him away With punches and wax the baton over his head

Jesus himself Provided the only evidence they had to justify their condemnation

Meanwhile as this was going on inside Peter is in the courtyard of that same building on the bubble willing to kill

But unsure if he's willing to die Like people today are willing to work hard for Jesus There's a lot of people out there willing to work hard for Jesus if they can succeed you know, they can have a mega church and a following in popularity or Maybe be part of the bandwagon following someone like that.

Sure. There's a lot of people to sign up for that but they're unsure if they're willing to be like a

William Carey Laboring laboring for years in India with nothing to show for it for the first seven years

Except a grave for your son and wife and a few books and a

Bible translated into the native language You know, I'm not really impressed by the faithfulness of some celebrity pastor

He's made millions of dollars selling his books and growing a huge church. I mean if his doctrine is sound

I guess that's good. God's used it as he's blessed him and given all this stuff fine, but I'm not really impressed by that I'm not impressed by Peter willing to take a whack at a servant.

That's not really Impressive. I'm I am impressed by the

William Carey's the Adoniram Judson's missionary to Burma America's first missionary went to Burma and who like William Carey lost a wife and children and even worse than Kerry suffered imprisonment there and still stayed in Burma as a missionary and there are many

Christian Burmese to this day because of his ministry I'm impressed by Dietrich Bonhoeffer the

Lutheran pastor who wrote in the cost of discipleship when Christ bids a man He bids him come and die and who did that very thing.

That's Impressive. I'm not impressed by emotional pledges how much someone loves

His church or how I praise maybe how I teach the Bible But I'm impressed by faithful people who stay true to their covenants by people who put the word into Action who live it even if it means losing money on a

Sunday morning or coming alone Peter Is on the edge

He's waiting to see what his own decision will be He's willing to kill But he doesn't know if he's willing to die for Jesus all it takes is a little servant girl to answer that She looks at him says

You also were with the Nazarene Jesus He denied it

I neither known or understand what you mean. Oh He protests too much.

I mean surely everyone there knew who Jesus was So he moves away from that crowd though.

They're probably looking at him weird. That's not believable rooster crows

That should jog his memory shouldn't it? That should be a warning that he's sliding away into desertion

The girl begins to tell the others in verse 69 this man is one of them

No, no, no Probably trying to look cool Don't know anything about it.

Never heard of it sham trial grinds on inside False witnesses are coming and going

There's so many remember that there's many Arrayed against him against Jesus Peter can see now where the bandwagon is going

Finally a bystander says to Peter certainly you're one of them for you are a Galilean I can tell by his accent and now he's going to get act annoyed, you know

He's gonna be gonna pour all his fear into a display of outrage

I didn't find me Associating me with this criminal that I know nothing about I just happened to coincidentally be standing around in the courtyard while he's on trial minding my own business

I Don't know this man of whom you speak and he adds a curse to it to prove himself but the rooster crows now again one more time and Reminding him he remembers

Jesus had said before the rooster crows twice You will deny me three times

He's not on the bubble anymore He's out He's deserted Jesus and denied him.

He wasn't willing To be with Jesus if it meant suffering not here

Not yet He's not the man. He thought he was and seeing that he breaks down and weeps and Now He's alone

He doesn't fit in the world But he has denied Jesus. He's alone with the thought of his failure

You know if he had our songs back then in the garden back in the garden when Jesus was praying he would have been singing

Passionately though none go with me still I will follow He would have blessed the tithes that bind him to Jesus He Vowed to die with Jesus rather than deny him, but he didn't he failed

He failed when he was alone in a courtyard Surrounded by the enemy the bandwagon was going the other way and he couldn't stand up against it and say yes

I'm with Jesus if I have to die with him, I will not deny him He said that when he was surrounded by friends, but he couldn't do it

When he was alone meanwhile Jesus is alone, too

He's alone facing false accusations in a kangaroo court He's being spat upon and mocked and uses a punching bag battered by rods and he too hears that rooster crow and knows that that means

That one friend who had just told him just told him a few hours before With passion and love though all fall away if I must die with you

I will not deny you now he knows with that rooster crowing that he is utterly and completely alone

In our place Alone, he stood following Jesus is

Not following the crowd The bandwagon is going the other way

If you think you can follow Jesus through anything through giving money to sacrificing time going to church driving a bus

Or van for years sacrificing this or that but the one thing you won't do you can't do is

Be alone. You haven't begun to follow him

The fellowship of his sufferings may mean the fellowship of his aloneness

But you can be alone and Not lonely because even if you have to taste the fellowship of his aloneness

You have fellowship and so you're not alone in The end

We will all stand before God alone We don't get into his kingdom on a bandwagon

We're not admitted by families Not judged by families

It's not like the lady who begged that her non church attending husband be allowed to stay a member of the church

Because that way she reasoned they could be buried beside each other in the church cemetery and that way they'd be in heaven together

No We get in Because we point to Christ and say in my place alone