I preached this sermon on 12.30.2007. In the year of 2007, I had preached the Gospel of Mark from the beginning to the end. Out of the four gospels, I like Mark’s gospel the most. It is just my personal preference. I preached on the story of Jesus based on Mark’s theological perspective because I wanted to introduce the story of Jesus in a biblical way so that the congregation could be educated and grounded in the biblical tradition. I did that because I believed that, at the time, the congregation as a whole was a shallow congregation in terms of its spirituality, ministry, and knowledge. I did what I had to do as a pastor. Whether or not it was successful to educate the congregation, it was beyond my control. I believe that the Bible is more concerned about faithfulness, not fruitfulness.
Scripture: Mark 14:53-72
Topic: A faithful witness fails and grows in the context of grace.
Brief Outline:
A Peter: the unfaithful witness I (Mk. 14:53-54)
B Jesus: the faithful witness (Mk. 14:55-65)
a False charges I (vv. 55-59)
b Jesus’ self-revelation (vv. 60-62)
a’ False charges II (vv. 63-65)
A’ Peter: the unfaithful witness II (Mk. 14:66-72)
When we come to a story like this, we have to be gracious. We have to be gracious to Peter’s failure. After all, he was the only disciple left in the scene, the one who followed Christ all the way, but kept a distance from him. When we read a story like this, we have to be gracious because we can identify with the character in the story. Peter disowned Jesus in the story. I am sure that this incident became his scar. He carried along with him: wherever he went, whenever he preached, and whatever he said, he carried it along with him. Because of the scar, he saw things differently. He knew God differently. He dealt with people differently. He experienced the power of the gospel differently.
This passage is Mark’s another sandwich technique. The central portion is the focal point of the passage. The faithful witness of Christ sets a sharp contrast with Peter’s unfaithfulness. Witness is the key word for this passage. It occurs seven times (“witness” or “testimony”, vv. 55-56, 59; “to testify falsely”, vv. 56-57; to testify against, v. 60; a witness, v. 63).
In Mk. 14:55, “The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus…” The Sanhedrin was the supreme Jewish religious and political council in Jerusalem in the time of the New Testament. It was composed of 71 members. In the first century, the chief priests were the key figures in the Sanhedrin. Trials could only be held in the hours of daylight. In Mk. 14:53, the night meeting was probably to be considered a preliminary hearing in the high priest’s palace. They were looking for “witnesses who would testify against Jesus…” They tried to find evidence against him, but they did not find any (Mk. 14:55). Many testified falsely, they did not agree (Mk. 14:56). Again, they said, “I heard him saying that ‘I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.’” (Mk. 14:57-59) Yet, they did not agree.
We see that there is another false charge against Christ after Jesus said, “I am.” (Mk. 14:63-64) Then, the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we need any more witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death…
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Exod. 20:16). Did the chief priests know the Ten Commandments? Of course! Did they know that what they were doing was against the law? When they disliked him, they bypassed the law, which became irrelevant to them.
False witnessing is very powerful. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” This is the thing they were doing to Jesus. “Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer?” (Mk. 14:60) Are you not going to clarify any misunderstanding? Are you not going to respond to this false accusation? In response to false witnesses, Jesus “remained silent and gave no answer” (Mk. 14:61). One of the characteristics of Jesus’ ministry is that he was quiet. He didn’t serve God with a loud voice, and he didn’t get a lot of attention in ministry. He did it quietly. In Matthew’s gospel, Matthew quoted from Isaiah, saying, “He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets” (Matt. 12:19). This is Jesus in ministry, even in time of persecution.
Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One” (Mk. 14:61b)? In response to false witnesses, he remained silent. But in response to his true identity, he responded. “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mk. 14:62; see Exod. 3:14; Dan. 7:13; Ps. 110:1).
Do you claim to be the Messiah? Yes, “I am.” There is nothing for him to hide. Due to his self-revelation, he was not condemned by false witnesses, but by his own witness. He was a faithful witness. He is still our faithful witness, for he carried his identity as the Son of God and the Son of Man at all time and in all places. There was a time for him to be silent. There was a time for him to speak up, especially his identity is on the line.
The story is told of a German king, King Henry III, in the 11th century. He got tired of court life and the pressures of being a king. He applied to a monastery and was accepted. The head of the monastery said to King Henry III, “Your Majesty, do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king.” Henry replied, “I understand. The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you.” “Then I will tell you what to do…Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has placed you.” When King Henry III died, a statement was written, “The King learned to rule by being obedient.”
Like King Henry, we too often tire of our role and responsibility. Like King Henry, we too need to be reminded that God has placed each of us in a particular place or situation to practice faithfulness.
Be it as a mother, accountant, a technique, a worker, a student, or whatever, God expects us to be faithful where he has placed us. God expects us to live up to our identity as God’s children. How many of your co-workers know that you are a Christian? How many people in school know that you are a Christian? And you live up to the identity? Jesus is a faithful witness, for he lived up to his identity as the Son of God and the Son of Man. And he ruled among us by being obedient. I teach the Bible every week. I like to read it. I like to read books related to this book. But, if you see me not doing what I teach or I never try to walk the Walk, you should let me know. I am supposed to lead by being obedient. All Christian leaders are supposed to lead by being obedient to the Word of God.
Christ’s faithful witness sets a sharp contrast with Peter’s unfaithful witness. You can tell in the beginning. Before Peter actually denied Christ verbally, there was an action of denial. “They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together. Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of…” (Mk. 14:53-54). He kept a distance from Jesus. “While Peter was below in the courtyard…” (Mk. 14:66) He moved further away from Jesus.
A.W. Tozer said, “No sin is private. It may be secret but it is not private.” One sin will lead to another. When we see a Christian stop believing in Christ or having lost his interest in Christ, or they fail to hold on to Christian faith, there is a process. Perhaps we think it is okay not to pray for the lunch today, especially a lot of people are around us. Or it’s okay not to read the Bible and let God’s word remind us of how we should live as Christians today. We are unfaithful to one thing. We will then be unfaithful to another. In 2007, is there anything in your life that keeps you from him? If we don’t fix it or let God change it, it will lead us further away from him next year.
Mark’s sandwich technique makes you think about faithful and unfaithful witness. Christ lived up to his identity; Peter failed to live up to his identity. One of the servant girls asked him three times about his identity, he denied him three times. Look at Mk. 14:72. After the rooster crowed the second time, “Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him…broke down and wept.” He was sorry for what he did. Jesus’ own words pointed out his shortcoming. He felt horrible. He broke down. He cried. He cried because he hit the bottom. He was the worst sinner of all. Before then, Peter knew he was a sinner. Here and now, he experienced its guilt and shame. He hit the bottom, but that was also a new beginning for him.
Jesus said to him, “Simon, Simon. Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you. Simon, that your faith should not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen you brothers” (Lk. 22:31-32).
Peter’s life was a mixture of faithfulness and failure. Perhaps, less faithfulness and more failure. Our lives are mingled with these two as well: Less faithfulness and more failure. Peter was able to turn back because Christ prayed for him that his faith should not fail. He failed in the context of grace. In the context of the law, we understand the meaning of grace. We fall short according to the law, but we are restored and embraced in the context of grace. In the context of law, we move from faithlessness to no faith. In the context of grace, we move from faithlessness to faithfulness.
On New Year’s Day, 1929, Georgia Tech played UCLA in the Rose Bowl. In that game a UCLA player named Roy
Since that strange play happened in the 1st half, everyone watching the game was asking the same question: “What will Coach Price do with Roy in the second half?” All the players went into the dressing room, and sat down on the benches and the floor, except Roy
A coach usually has a lot to say during halftime. But, not this time. Everyone sat down silently. After a while, the timekeeper came in and announced that there were only 3 minutes till the second half. Coach Price looked at the team and said, “Men, the same team that played the first half will start the second half.” The players got up and started out—all but Roy. The Coach looked back and called to him again; still he didn’t move. Coach Price walked to where he sat and said to him, “Didn’t you hear me? The same team that played the first half will start the second half.” Roy looked up, cried, and said to the coach, “I can’t do it to save my life. I’ve ruined you. I’ve ruined the University of California. I’ve ruined myself. I couldn’t face that crowd in the stadium to save my life.” Then Coach Price put his hand on Roy
We can imagine that Jesus said to Peter, “The game is only half over.” To all of us, he says the same phrase over and over again.
We are about to enter into a new year, or a new phase of life. We need to know that we Christians grow in the context of grace. Life is not easy. It is filled with temptation and uncertainty. But Christ is always our faithful witness. Even we are unfaithful, he is always faithful, for he cannot deny himself” (2 Tim. 2:14). In the year, you may stumble and fail. You are responsible! Don’t blame on Satan, people, or environment. No one is responsible for your life. People can keep you accountable, but not responsible. In 2008, we start off with Rev. 2:5 together—“Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.”
Remember the three steps: Remember, Repent, and Do. They all happen in the context of grace. In the later years of Peter, he became humble because of his failure (the scars). Failure should humble us, for we grow in the context of grace. Before you make any commitment or resolution, I hope that you remember that Christian discipleship is possible because we fail and grow in the context of grace.
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