Sermon #70 Mark Sermons

Title: Barabbas

A Picture Of Substitution

Text: Mark 15:1-15

Subject: Christ Substituted For Barabbas

Date: Sunday Morning - January 3, 1999[1]

Tape # V-3b

Reading: 1 Peter 2:1-25

Introduction:

Mark 15 describes the slaying of “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Whenever we think about the death of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross, we ought to always remember three things.

1. The death of Christ upon the cursed tree was a substitutionary sacrifice.

The Lord Jesus Christ did not suffer for any crimes of his own. He did not die because of his own sins. He was not cut off from the land of the living for his own transgressions. The Lord of Glory died upon the cross for our sins, for the transgressions of his people, for the iniquities of God’s elect which were imputed to him, when he was made to be sin for us.

Isaiah 53:4-6 "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

Isaiah 53:8 "He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken."

Daniel 9:26 "And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined."

2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Galatians 3:13 "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"

1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"

2. The substitutionary sacrifice and death of Christ is the focal point, the essence, and the message of all the Word of God.

The law was given at Sinai to show us our need of a substitute. All the sacrifices, rites, rituals, and ceremonies of the Old Testament Scripture, - all the priests, priestly garments, and priestly functions, - all the deliverances of Israel from the hands of their enemies, - all the services of the tabernacle and the temple, - all the psalms, all the prophets, and all the historical narratives, - the manna, the rock, the brazen serpent, the pillars of fire and cloud, everything in the Old Testament and in the New was written by inspiration of God the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ, to show us our great, glorious, almighty Substitute (Luke 24:27, 44-45; 1 Pet. 1:23-25; John 20:30-31).

1 Peter 1:23-25 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."

John 20:30-31 "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."

3. The cross of Christ, the doctrine of substitution, is both the revelation of the glory of God and the glory of the gospel.

Galatians 6:14 "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."

I glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Not The Historic Fact Of It - Not The Wood Upon Which Christ Died - Not The Symbol Of The Cross - Not The Sign Of The Cross - But The Doctrine Of It) because the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is…

· A Covenant Respected.

· A Compassion Revealed.

· A Curse Removed.

· A Conquest Realized.

· A Comfortable Rule.

Proposition: The death of Christ upon the cross, the sacrifice of God’s Lamb as our sin-atonement, is the life of our souls.

Had the Lord Jesus Christ not died in our stead, the justice of God could never have been satisfied and we would all have perished in our sins forever. When the apostle Paul thought on this fact, he said, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!” May God the Holy Spirit so graciously flood our hearts souls with the knowledge of our crucified Substitute that we may leave here rejoicing in the knowledge of him, with these words reverberating in our souls - “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!”

The title of my message is BARABBAS - A PICTURE OF SUBSTITUTION. Let’s read the first fifteen verse of Mark 15 together.

Mark 15:1-15 "And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it. 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. 4 And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. 5 But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. 6 Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. 8 And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? 10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy. 11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. 12 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? 13 And they cried out again, Crucify him. 14 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. 15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified."

Divisions: There are five things in these verses to which I will direct your attention.

1. A Fulfillment Of Prophecy (v. 1).

2. An Example Of Patience (vv. 2-5).

3. An Abuse Of Power (v. 15).

4. A Portrait Of Depravity (vv. 11, 13, 14).

5. A Picture Of Substitution (vv. 6-15).

I. A FULFILLMENT Of Prophecy (v. 1)

Mark 15:1 "And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate."

Why did these Chief priests, scribes and elders carry the Lord Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea? Why did they not just stone him to death themselves?

The reason is obvious. They had no legal, civil authority to do so. They should have known that the times of the Messiah were upon them, because Jacob’s prophecy in Genesis 49:10 had been fulfilled.

Genesis 49:10 "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be."

Moreover, they must themselves also fulfil the scriptures in their deeds; and the scriptures required that our Redeemer be crucified in a publicly shameful way, not merely stoned to death, as Jewish law would have required. His body, according to the Old Testament scriptures had to be pierced and not a bone of it broken.

Though they were so blinded by their unbelief that they could not see it, the Lord’s enemies were themselves simply fulfilling the purpose of God, to the very letter of Holy Scripture, even in their rage against his dear Son.

Acts 4:27-28 "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done."

Acts 13:28-29 "And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. 29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre."

Remember this, my brethren. Wicked men are never out of God’s control. They only do what God’s hand and purpose have from eternity determined must be done for the salvation of our souls. When Satan roars, when scoffers scoff, when mockers mock, when deceivers deceive, they only perform that which was long ago written in the scriptures (2 Pet. 2:3).

Man, in the folly of his rebellion and unbelief, and Satan himself, even the demons of hell, all are but the unwitting vassals of the Almighty, our heavenly Father, to serve his purpose of grace toward us.

II. An Example Of Patience (vv. 2-5)

Mark 15:2-5 "And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it. 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. 4 And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. 5 But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled."

When the holy Son of God stood before Pilate’s bar, he was falsely accused of many evils. The trumped up charges against him were all false. Yet, when he was accused, “he answered nothing.” What an example he set before us of humility, bowing to the providence and purpose of God patiently.

We can do nothing which is more dishonoring to our God and contrary to our faith than grumble and murmur against him when he sends trouble our way. And we never more glorify our God and exemplify the character of Christ than when we bear afflictions, false accusations, and injustices patiently.

Isaiah 53:7 "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."

Hebrews 12:1-3 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."

1 Peter 2:20-24 "For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."

Psalms 39:1 "I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me."

III. AN ABUSE OF POWER (v. 15)

Mark 15:15 "And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified."

Pilate knew that the chief priests had delivered the Lord Jesus to him because they envied him (v. 10). He made some feeble attempts to release him and soothe his own conscience; but, in the shameful behavior typical of politicians and political appointees, Pilate was “willing to content the people,” even if he had to knowingly sacrifice his own conscience and the life of an innocent man to do it!

I mention this here and now, not to stir up more anger and greater disgust toward our president, congressmen, and senators. They are managing that very well on their own.

I mention it here and now, so that we may take a higher road than the rest of the world. Men in high places, without the knowledge of Christ, without even a hint of moral integrity are to be pitied. They have nothing to restrain them from yielding to every temptation to great evil, except the prayers of God’s saints. Let us, therefore, pray for them, as the Word of God tells us.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."

IV. A PORTRAIT OF DEPRAVITY (vv. 11, 13, 14)

Mark 15:11-14 "But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. 12 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? 13 And they cried out again, Crucify him. 14 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him."

In these days of universal compromise and ecumenical religion, everyone is trying to remove every possible point of offense, take away all guilt and blame, and fix things up so that everybody is saved and all their works, no matter how vile, if not saintly, are at least excusable. Historians are rewriting history everyday to suit the trends of modern thinking. Theologians are rewriting the Bible to mold it to the opinions of men. But all the rearranging of things by men will never alter facts.

Here is a fact. While Pilate and his soldiers (pagan Gentiles) were the ones who executed the Lord Jesus Christ, the Jews (the religious people, the people who claimed to be God’s servants) were them who cried, “Crucify him! Crucify him! Let his blood be upon us and our children!”

We marvel at their act. They acted against evidence plainly presented. When they had opportunity given them in the eleventh hour to back away from their rash demands, they stayed their course to the everlasting ruin of their souls, the souls of their children, and of their children’s children.

Even when it meant the release of a known, notorious murderer among their wives and children, they stayed with their decision. They could not be persuaded to change course or alter their decision for good by any moral pressure or sane reasoning. Blindness was never more blind! Folly was never more foolish! Madness was never more mad! How can this be explained?

The only thing on this earth that can explain such behavior is the fact that all men are totally depraved. The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. The carnal mind is enmity against God. It is not possible for any man to do anything good, or even to make a good, or even reasonable, decision apart from divine intervention.

Let us not be found following the example of these lost, religious rebels. Let us not choose Barabbas over Christ. Let us not choose wickedness and despise righteousness. Let us not chose the world and reject Christ. Yet, that is exactly what we will do, unless God intervenes and stops us from fulfilling the madness of our own hearts’ lusts.

John 5:40 "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."

John 6:44 "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."