Jesus is a personal forgiver. When we read Mark 14 this really jumps off the pages.
We think about someone in the way we first met them. Your dentist will always be your dentist – even if you see him at the gas station.
Have we limited Jesus Christ by the context in which we met Him? Where did you meet Him? How does that define Jesus to you? Who do you say that He is?
Jesus is___ Prince of peace, Son of God, Breaker, Warrior, King, Priest, Intercessor, Deliverer, Redeemer, Friend, Mediator, Healer, Lifter of your head, God with us,
To me, Jesus is a personal forgiver. When we read these stories, it’s so critical for us to remember that Jesus took all of this very personally. He didn’t walk around talking with people, making friends, and living more than thirty years of life “above” all of his human experience. When he was betrayed, it hurt – much the same way it hurts you. When he forgave – he forgave personally. Please take a minute to read Mark 14 and consider this.
Over the next three weeks we’re going to learn more about Jesus from Mark 14, 15, & 16.
Reading Mark 14, God is showing us who He is through Jesus life, death, burial, & resurrection. Remember that these were face to face interactions for Jesus.
Mark 14:1-9 Jesus anointed at Bethany in preparation for death and burial, within the context of Passover.
Jesus had been predicting his death, burial, and resurrection to His followers – preparing them.
Mark 14:10-11 Judas agrees to betray Jesus. One of 12 close friends for more than three years. Judas betrays Jesus for money. Jesus knows what it is like to be betrayed.
Mark 14:12-26 On the day that the Passover lamb would be sacrificed Jesus leads His friends, the disciples, through the last supper. He gave them instruction for remembering Him with communion.
He is preparing them for His death and being separated from them in body. He also prepares them for how it would happen, by betrayal.
Mark 14:27-31 Jesus predicts Peter’s denial and that they will all desert Him. This is not a human nature accusation done is self righteousness, condemning the other person. This is a compassionate effort to prepare Peter for restoration.
Jesus tells his friends that even though they will “desert” Him, He will go ahead of them to Galilee and meet them there, after His resurrection.
These are face to face interactions where Jesus is preparing them for what will happen and reinforcing to them the fact that He is a personal forgiver.
Jesus interaction with Peter tells us a lot about how Jesus was thinking, right before His death.
Mark 14:32-42 Jesus prays in Gethsemane (olive grove called “crushing”).
Jesus says, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death.” He’s deeply troubled and distressed.
He is anticipating the suffering that He will go through, and yet He submits to the will of the Father.
He experiences a type of betrayal as the disciples keep falling asleep instead of praying with Him.
He extends them forgiveness even in this situation.
Jesus took this death very personally. He wasn’t smug. He wasn’t carefree about the suffering or about the separation from His friends or His father.
He wasn’t “above” the experience.
Mark 14:43-52 Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested. Jesus feels the betrayal of public opinion as well.
All of the disciples deserted him and run away.
Mark 14:53-65 Jesus is questioned and charged by the high priest, religious leaders, and the high council.
Mark 14:66-72 Peter denies Jesus and yet we see Jesus as a personal forgiver
Have you ever been betrayed? Jesus understands what it means to have been betrayed. Jesus forgives you for betraying Him.
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which means, “God with us.” Matthew 1:21-23
Jesus means, “Yahweh is salvation!” Christ means, “Anointed One.”
In Luke 5:31-32 Jesus said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”
Read Colossians 1:22-23 “through the death of Christ in his physical body,”
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 “encourage each other.”
Take it personally because Jesus does.
Pastor Ben Malmin 