Who Gets The Rose

Bradley

Gospel of Mark • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

Mark 15:1–15

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This morning we are picking back up in our study of the Gospel of Mark.

If you’re new to MCF, it would be good for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”. What that means is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to understand what God’s Word means in our lives today.

With that said, we are currently walking through the Gospel of Mark. A Gospel written to teach us who Jesus is, what he came to do, and what it means for you and I to follow him.

As we come back to our study today, we are moving into chapter 15 and the final 12 hours of Jesus’s life. You may recall as we left chapter 14, Jesus has now been arrested, he’s been tried by his Jewish peers, and as we move into chapter 15, he will be handed over to the Roman government for the final phase of his condemnation.

So, with that as our basis, and to help us get our minds and emotions engaged in our passage today, I want to begin by referencing a popular reality television series that some of you may or may not watch, but I’m sure all of us have heard of.

It’s a reality television series that goes by a couple different names depending on the gender of the main character. For instance, if the main character is a male, the show is referred to as “The Bachelor”. And if the main character is a female, the show is referred to as “The Bachelorette ”.

Everybody know the show I’m talking about? Now, I know nobody in this room frequently watches this show, so just to make sure we all are on the same page, let me explain how the show works.

Basically the goal of the show is to help the Bachelor or Bachelorette find love and hopefully receive or give a marriage proposal by the end of the season.

So, for that to happen, each season begins as the Bachelor/Bachelorette is presented with around 30 potential mates who have been chosen through a screening process.

So, here’s how the show works.

For example, the first episode begins as the Bachelor/Bachelorette is introduced to around 30 potential mates who through some sort of screening process have been selected as viable candidates for love and marraige.

And from that point on, the process of elimination begins as each week the Bachelor/Bachelorette goes on dates, spends time with each candidate, and then at the end of each episode eliminates 2-3 of the candidates by either giving or not giving them a rose.

And as you can imagine, the show gets more competitive and the eliminations more intense as the Bachelor/Bachelorette narrows it down to the final 3-4 candidates.

And what’s even more interesting to watch is the back stabbing and treachery that often takes place as candidates try to convince the Batchelor/Bachelorette that one or more of the other candidates doesn’t have their best interest in mind. In a way, it turns into a giant soap opera.

It’s at that point the Bachelor/Bachelorette then takes the final few candidates to their home town in order to meet their family, get their two cents, and help them in their decision on a future mate.

And typically there’s quite a bit of drama included with that episode as something is uncovered or something not told is found out through a family member. Exciting stuff.

From there, and with the hometown visits over, the Bachelor/Bachelorette narrows it down to the final two candidates. Two viable candidates who have the potential to become the man or woman of their dreams.

This all then leads to the final episode where two candidates remain, one is chosen, and the other is sent home, and hopefully a marriage proposal takes place. So, that’s how the Bachelor/Bachelorette reality show works.

Now, at this point you might have a couple thoughts running through your mind. One of your thoughts might be, “How does Pastor Brad know so much about this show?” To be honest, I’m just going off of what Pastor Jacob has told me about the show. I guess he’s a big fan.

The second thought might be, “How in the world does the Bachelor/Bachelorette show relate to the arrest and death of Jesus?”

And that’s a great question, and I would explain it like this.

The truth is, when Jesus showed up on the scene in , he came at a point in history when the Jewish people were looking for the perfect savior.

A promised Messiah.

Someone to deliver them from Roman rule and occupation.

Someone to reestablish the Kingdom of Israel.

The people of Israel are lookin for the perfect king.

And so when Jesus shows up on the scene, because of his teaching, his miracles, and his following, he’s automatically seen by many as a possible candidate for that role. Somebody who could possibly bring hope. Somebody who could be everything the Jewish people were looking for. The perfect deliverer and future King.

But the truth is, Jesus isn’t and hasn’t been the only candidate. Prior to Jesus other potential Messiah candidates had come on the scene. Some were embraced, some were rejected, and ultimately all were eliminated.

We know this from . In , in response to the Gospel message and the threat of Jesus, the Jewish High Priest recalls two former Messiah candidates. Listen to what he says:

“For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered.” (ESV)

In this passage the High Priest references two candidates for the Messiah who came before Jesus. The first was a man named “Theudas”. A man who had a small following, but overall didn’t connect with the people of Israel, and was eventually killed, probably by the Romans for insurrection.

The second was a man named Judas the Galilean. He came on the scene during the census, which would have been around the time that Jesus was born. Apparently some of the Jewish people identified with him and put their hope in him. But it was short lived as well. While he had a following, it too resulted in him being killed by the Romans for insurrection, and those who followed him were scattered.

All that to say, Jesus isn’t the first candidate to be the Jewish Messiah. Others have been considered, others have tried to play the part, but in the end, they didn’t get a rose.

But unlike previous candidates, Jesus is different. He’s lasted longer than any of the other candidates.

For three years he has grown in numbers and popularity. Thousands now follow him.

For three years he has instructed, healed, and delivered people to the point that he’s a threat to the religious leaders of his day. A threat to their way of life. A threat to their authority. And a threat to their ability to religiously control the people. While they wanted the Messiah to come, they wanted a particular kind of Messiah and Jesus doesn’t fit their mold.

So, at this point, and with Jesus’s popularity continuing to grow, if they don’t stop him, Jesus just might get the rose. He might be the one the people choose as their Messiah. Something must be done. Somehow they need to sabotage Jesus. They need to convince the people that Jesus isn’t the Messiah for them.

So, what’s their plan? How will they stop the people from choosing Jesus as their savior? To be honest, it’s a devious plan. A plan that will involve trickery and deception. And a plan that will involve the help of a Roman governor. A plan that will eventually point people to the wrong kind of deliverer.

So, with that as our basis, let’s pick back up as we move into chapter 15 and the final 12 hours of Jesus’s life. Beginning in verse 1 Mark writes:

Four types of Jesus choices:

Religious Jesus

Revolutionary Jesus

Rejected Jesus

Redeemer Jesus

Mark 15:1–15 ESV

1 And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. 6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Mark 15:1–5 ESV

Mark begins by setting the stage for the final hours of Jesus’s life. If you recall, we left off last week with Jesus being found guilty of blasphemy as he claimed to be the Son of God. A claim that was a capital offense. So with this admission, Jesus has now been condemned to death. So, with the night court over, and the sun coming up, the religious leaders now move to the second of four phases in their devious plan.

Phase 1 involved secretly arresting Jesus and finding a legitimate reason to kill him. Now that they’ve done that, their ready to move to phase 2.

Religious Jesus

Revolutionary Jesus

So, what’s phase 2? Mark tells us. He writes, “And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate.” (ESV)

Rejected Jesus

Redeemer Jesus involved secretly arresting Jesus and finding a legitimate reason to kill him. Now that they’ve done that, their ready to move to phase 2.

Phase 2 now involves Roman approval. You might ask, “Why do they need Roman approval?”

They need Roman approval because while the Jewish leaders were allowed to legislate and enforce Jewish laws, they weren’t allowed to put someone to death. Only Rome had the power to end a life. It was called “The right of sword”.

It was carefully guarded by the Roman government and their were no exceptions to this law. So, if the religious leaders want Jesus executed, they need to convince Rome that Jesus is a threat to Rome.

So in order to do that, Mark says they held a consultation in order to determine what to do. So, what was the plan? Mark says the plan was to deliver him over to Pilate.

Now, you might be thinking, “How is that a plan and who is Pilate?” To understand, we have to look a little deeper into this statement.

First, from what Mark tells us, we know it’s a plan meant to deceive. We know this based on the word Mark uses for “deliver”. The translation comes from the Greek word “paradidomi”. The word carries the idea of something sinister and evil. Meaning, this is a plan meant to deceive.

Deceive who? We’ll get to that in a moment.

Second, we know it involves a man named Pontus Pilate. So, who is Pilate?

At the time, Pilate was the Roman official who had been appointed over the region of Judea. His official title was “Prefect”.

From what history tells us, Pilate came to Judea in 26 A.D. and remained there for 10 years. He was known as a harsh administrator and had a deep hatred for the Jewish people. It wouldn’t be to far fetched to see him as a Hitler of sorts. The best Jew was probably a dead Jew in his eyes.

All that to say, they’re plan is to turn Jesus over to a man who hates Jews more than most.

So, where does the deception come in? To be honest, the deception comes at two levels. The first with Pilate, and the second later on with the Jewish people.

So, let’s start with their plan to deceive Pilate. Now, you might be thinking, “Why do they need to deceive Pilate. I mean if Pilate hates Jews so much, wouldn’t he jump at the opportunity to kill a Jew?”

Now, you might be thinking, “Why do they need to deceptively convince Pilate to kill Jesus. I mean if Pilate hates Jews so much, wouldn’t he jump at the opportunity to kill a Jew?”

You might think so, but the truth is, he hates the Jews enough to not do anything that might please the Jewish leaders, and they know that. In other words, he’s not going to kill Jesus just because the Jews want Jesus dead. He’s not going to automatically give them that kind of satisfaction.

Well, you might think so, but the truth is, Pilate’s not going to want to do anything that might please the Jewish leaders, and they know that. In other words, he’s not going to kill Jesus just because the Jews want Jesus dead.

On top of that, he’s not going to kill Jesus if he doesn’t see Jesus as a viable threat to Rome. In other words, if all Jesus is guilty of is breaking some Jewish laws, then Pilate isn’t going to waste his time with the matter. Unless he’s done something against Rome, then he’ll wash his hands of it.

So, in order to get Pilate on board, they’re going to need to convince Pilate that Jesus’s death is in the best interest of Rome. They need to convince Pilate Jesus is a threat to Rome. And to do that, they’re going to have to be deceptive.

As a result, in order to get Pilate on board, they need to convince Pilate Jesus is a threat to Rome. And to do that, they’re going to have to be deceptive.

This leads us to phase 3 of their plan. Phase 3: try and deceive Pilate.

So, how will they try to deceive Pilate? Mark tells us. He writes, “And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” (ESV)

Notice what Pilate asks Jesus. He asks him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

Now let me ask you this, “Why do you think Pilate asks Jesus that question?” Probably because that’s what the religious leaders told Pilate Jesus was saying.

In other words, when they brought Jesus to Pilate, in order to try and get Pilate on their page, they told Pilate that Jesus was claiming to a King.

So, why would that be a bad thing. How would that help them condemn Jesus? Why would that get Jesus in hot water?

The reason it would get Jesus in hot water is because in Rome, there is only one king, and his name is Caesar. And so for anybody else to claim to be king would be seen as a threat. In fact, in Rome, it was considered treason.

So, if Jesus is saying that, then it is a capital offense and something Pilate would have to address.

So, do you see what the religious leaders are doing? They’re begin deceptive. Because the truth is, Jesus never claimed to be an earthly king. He never claimed to be Caesar. What he claimed to be was a heavenly king. What he claimed to be was the son of God. And while it bothered the religious leaders that Jesus would claim that, it wouldn’t have bothered Pilate. In fact, as long as he’s not claiming to be an earthly King, Pilate wouldn’t have cared.

So, in order to get Pilate’s by in on Jesus’s death, they twist the truth. They tell Pilate that Jesus is claiming to be an earthly king. So Pilate asks Jesus, “Are you claiming to be a king?”

How does Jesus respond? Mark tells us, “And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.” (ESV)

Well, we don’t know from what Mark tells us. Because Mark says in response to Pilate’s question, Jesus doesn’t say much. Mark writes, “And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.” (ESV)

Mark says Jesus doesn’t have much to say. All he says is, “If that’s what you say.” Which apparently causes Pilate to be amazed. Why as he amazed? Because in most cases, if somebody was being accused of treason, which was a death sentence, they would probably try and defend themselves. But not Jesus. According to Mark, He just stands there in silence. He just says, “If you say so?”

He just says, “If you say so?” So, what does Jesus mean by that and why is he being silent? Thankfully the Apostle John gives us a little more information. In his gospel account he tells us about a second conversation between Jesus and Pilate. John writes:

So, what does Jesus mean by that? Thankfully the Apostle John gives us a little more detail. Because in his gospel account he tells us about a second conversation between Jesus and Pilate where Jesus expands on that statement.

John writes, “So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” (ESV)

“So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” (ESV)

John says, in the ruckus of accusation, Pilate decides to pull Jesus into a private setting and question Him. And so behind closed doors, he again asks, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

And this time, out of the ear shot of the religious leaders, Jesus gives him a more detailed answer. Jesus says, ““Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” (ESV)

In other words, “Pilate, why are you asking me that. Is it because you want to know or because somebody said I was?”

Interesting question from Jesus. So, how does Pilate respond? Pilate says, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and chief priest have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” (ESV)

Pilate says, “Hey, I’m not a Jew so I could care less who you are. It’s your own people who are making this accusation. So, is it true? What have you done that would lead them to say this about you?”

What Pilate’s response tells us is he just wants to get to the bottom of this. Are you a king or not Jesus?

So Jesus responds, “36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (ESV)

To be honest, I would have loved to see the look on Pilate’s face at this point. Because what Jesus basically says is, “Yes, I am a king, but not of this world.”

It would be like somebody saying, “No, I’m not the king of planet earth by I am the king of planet Mars.”

In other words, what Jesus said to Pilate would have been ludicrous to Pilate. At this point Pilate is probably thinking, “This guy is a nut.” But Pilate decides to play along. So, Pilate goes on to ask again, 37 “So you are a king?” (ESV)

37 “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

And Jesus answers again, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

(ESV)

At this point Jesus basically says, “Pilate, if that’s what you want to call me, fine. I’m a king. But I didn’t come into the world to rule like a king. The reason I came is to tell the truth. My purpose is to point mankind to God’s way of salvation. I’m here to lead people back to God. I’m here to tell the truth.”

(ESV)

And it’s at this point that Pilate gets agitated. Agitated because he now realizes what this is about. He now sees the reason the religious leaders want Jesus dead. They want him dead because they don’t like Jesus’s theology. And we know that’s what Pilate is thinking based on his response to Jesus’s answer. Listen to what he says, “Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” (ESV)

Pilate’s statement is a sarcastic statement. It’s his way of saying, “Who can know the truth.” In other words, Pilate now sees Jesus not as a wanna be earthly king, but as a religious nut who thinks he has spiritual truth. And now he’s agitated because he knows Jesus isn’t guilty of treason. The only thing he’s guilty of is disagreeing with the theology of the religious leaders. So, what does Pilate do next? John tells us. He writes, “After he (Jesus) had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, ‘I find no guilt in him.’” (ESV)

“After he (Jesus) had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, ‘I find no guilt in him.’” (ESV)

At this point Pilate goes back out to the religious leaders and says, “He’s not guilty of what you say.”

And now that he’s agitated, Pilate decides to punish the religious leaders for wasting his time. A punishment in his mind that would result in egg in their face.

Because apparently, during the passover holiday, Pilate had established a custom of setting a Jewish prisoner free. Going back to the Gospel of Mark, Mark tell us about this custom. In verse 6 Mark writes, “6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked.” (ESV)

Now, some might wonder why had Pilate made this a custom. If he hated the Jews so much, why institute a custom of releasing a Jewish prisoner on a Jewish Holiday?

Well, he didn’t do it for their benefit. He did it for his benefit. More than likely he did it as a form of appeasement.

Because the truth is, the Passover holiday was a dangerous holiday from Rome’s perspective. More than likely that’s why Pilate is in Jersualem at this point. It was the one time during the year where hundreds of thousands of Jewish people came together in one place. As a result, it’s a time where a revolt against Rome could easily start. So, more than likely, Pilate instituted this custom of releasing a prisoner to appease a potentially disgruntled crowd.

It’s the same thing you do as parent when you go to Walmart with a screaming toddler. In order to appease them, you go to the toy aisle and let them pick out a toy, right?

Same thing here. In the midst of Jewish tension and a possible uprising, Pilate takes the Jewish people to the toy aisle and lets them choose a Jewish prisoner to be released. He’s simply appeasing them.

So, why would this be a way for Pilate to punish the religious leaders for wasting his time? Mark tells us. In verse 7 he writes, “And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” (ESV)

This is Pilate’s way of messing with the religious leaders. Because what he basically does is give the people a choice between two prisoners. Two prisoners that are the exact opposite of one another. One prisoner is innocent. He’s done nothing wrong. And the people love Him. His name is Jesus.

The second prisoner is guilty. He’s a known murderer. He’s an insurrectionist. His name is Barabbas.

So, Pilate puts Jesus up against Barabbas to pay these religious leaders back. We know this because Mark tells us, “10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.” (ESV)

Pilate knows the religious leaders are threatened by Jesus, so now he’s going to mess with them. So, he puts Jesus the innocent up against Barabbas the murderer, and he says to the people, “Which one? Which one should I set free?”

I mean what a way to stick it to the religious leaders. They brought Jesus to Pilate thinking Pilate would condemn him. But instead Pilate declares him innocent and now he’s going to parade the innocence of Jesus in front of everybody and make the religious leaders look like fools. Because more than likely Pilate thinks, “Surely they will pick Jesus.” In your face religious leaders.

But the religious leaders are crafty. No, they weren’t able to deceive Pilate. But maybe they can deceive the crowd.

This leads us to Phase 4 of their plan. Phase 4: Deceive the crowd.

And so as Pilate presents Jesus the innocent and Barabbas the guilty before the people, the religious leaders do their worst. Mark writes, “But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead.” (ESV)

Mark says the chief priests now move to deceive the crowd as they begin to plant seeds of deception with in the crowd.

Now, you might be thinking, “How would they do that? I mean if Barabbas is a murderer. If he is an insurrectionist. How would they convince the crowd to choose Barabbas over Jesus?”

Here’s what you need to understand. Yes, Barabbas is a murderer. He’s killed people. But he’s a murderer of Roman soldiers and citizens. The very ones who are oppressing Israel.

Yes, he’s an insurrectionist. He tried to lead a revolt against Rome. Against the nation that has oppressed the people of Israel.

You see, what you have to understand is, from the Jewish perspective, Barabbas could be seen as a hero. In a sense, he’s the kind of Messiah the people have been looking for. Somebody who would deliver them from Roman oppression. Somebody who would bring hope back to the Jewish people. Someone who might even reestablish the kingdom of Israel. Barabbas is a potential Messiah. Barabbas is willing to offer something Jesus hasn’t been willing to offer. Barabbas is offering the kind of salvation the people have been looking for.

And their ploy works. Their deception works. Amazingly they’re able to convince the people that Barabbas is a better choice than Jesus. Mark writes, “And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” (ESV)

Mark says, much to Pilate’s surprise, the people choose Barabbas. They shout, “Give Barabbas the rose”. They shout, “We choose Barabbas!. He’s everything we’ve been looking for!”.

“But what about Jesus”, Pilate says. “What shall I do with him?” And the people shouted, “Eliminate him! Crucify him! Send Jesus packing!”

The people have bought into the deception. They’ve been duped into thinking Barabbas is the one that can save them. That Barabbas is a better choice than Jesus.

So, what does Pilate do? Mark writes, “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.” (ESV)

Pilate now realizes he has a real problem. If he doesn’t release Barabbas, he’s going to have a riot on his hands. And he can’t have that. That wouldn’t play well for him with Rome. So, with no other choice, he delivers Jesus over to be crucified. He gives the people what they want. He gives them Barabbas and sends Jesus to the cross.

You see, I told you it was a deceptive plan. The religious leaders got exactly what they wanted. Jesus is now going to be crucified.

Now, at this point you might be thinking, “Wow Pastor, that’s quite a story. Thank you for explaining it. But Pastor, what does this story have to do with us? How does this story apply to our lives?”

To be honest, it applies in much the same way. Because the truth is, like the people of Israel, we are all looking for hope.

I mean let’s just be honest. Isn’t that why most of you are here today. You’re here because you’re hoping there’s more to this life than what this life offers. You’re here because you’re hoping to find some kind of purpose and meaning. You’re here because you feel weighted down and oppressed, and you’re hoping there’s a way to overcome it. You’re here today because your looking for hope:

Hope for your marriage.

Hope for your financial worries.

Hope for your addiction problem.

Hope for your children.

Hope for your future.

Hope in the midst of a world that seems to be falling apart.

And so you’re here today, and you were here last Sunday, and you were here last week, and you were here last month, because your hoping to find something or someone that can take away the fear, anxiety, and pain, and give you the peace you so desperately need.

In fact, I would say that’s why most people go to church. That’s why most people give themselves to religion. They do it because they’re looking for hope. They’re looking for that perfect something or someone that can take away the pain and fulfill the emptiness in their life. And so they go on a search for the perfect church. They go on a search for the right rituals. They’re searching, seeking to find the answer for hope they so desperately need.

But there’s a danger when a person is looking for a hope like that. The danger would be that we’d look for it in the wrong place. The danger would be that we’d put our hope in the wrong savior. The danger would be that like the people of Israel, like the crowd that day, that we would be deceived into making the wrong choice. That we would end up putting our hope in something that really can’t save us.

Because the truth is, there is an enemy out there that is working hard to make sure that would happen. An enemy that would love more than anything for you to put your hope in something that can’t save you. His name is Satan, and he loves to decieve hope seekers.

Because at the end of the day, there’s really only two choices before us when it comes to hope and salvation. Honestly, it comes down to two choices. We can either choose God’s way, or our way. And the two are drastically different. The two are night and day.

God’s way involves faith in His Son. It involves Jesus, the spotless lamb of God who gave his life for us. And when it comes to God’s way, it’s so simple. All we have to do in order to receive hope and salvation is put our faith in Jesus and what he did for us. The Apostle Paul puts it like this, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (ESV)

It’s a salvation that results from nothing we’ve done or can do. It’s God’s way.

But then there’s our way. And our way is the exact opposite of God’s way. Our way involves me and you, guilty and sinful individuals, trying to make ourselves right with God. Trying to find salvation in something that can’t save us.

It involves you and I putting our hope in the wrong savior as we put our hope in religious association. As we put our hope in being Catholic. Our hope in being Lutheran. Our hope in being Baptist. Our hope in being Assembly of God. Our hope in being whatever denomination you seem to think has all the answers.

And it continues as we put our hope in useless rituals. As we put our hope in religious tradition and observances. As we put our hope in church attendance. As we put our hope in our family heritage. As we put our hope in our best efforts to prove to God that we are worthy.

And the enemy loves it. He loves that we would rather choose our way over God’s way. He loves the fact that we would choose to not give the rose to Jesus. He loves the fact that he’s duped us into thinking that we should choose Barabbas over Jesus. That we would foolishly believe that our way is better than God’s way for salvation. He loves that we don’t think Jesus is enough. He wants us to choose Barabbas. It’s what he’s banking on.

Video - Barabbas

As we close this morning, like the crowd that day, you and I are left with a choice. Who will we choose? Who will you choose? Will you choose Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God. The one who paid the price for your sin. The one who gave everything so you could have a hope and a future.

Or, will we choose Barabbas. Will we choose our way. A way that doesn’t bring life. A way that doesn’t bring hope. A way that only leads us into further bondage.

Who will you choose? Is Jesus enough for you.

To be honest, some of you here today really struggle with this. You struggle with Jesus being enough. You struggle letting go of man made systems that you think make you right with God. You struggle with religious identification that you think somehow gives you a spiritual edge. You struggle accepting that Jesus is enough. That Jesus is all you need.

My question for you today is, “Are you willing to believe that Jesus can give you everything you’ll ever need.: That Jesus is able to be the savior you’ve been looking for? Are you willing to put your hope in him, and him alone. Are you willing to give him the rose?