We are 17 weeks into processing our way through the book of Mark and walking into Mark’s goal–us as readers being invited into the process of knowing Jesus.
Mark is not trying to make it easy to know Jesus or to force us to know Jesus. Mark is not trying to get us to know Jesus by telling us everything. Mark is not trying to do the process of knowing Jesus for us. Instead, Mark is flinging open the door to the process of knowing Jesus.
As I mentioned last week–spoiler alert–Mark is about to end with a broken, incomplete, unresolved moment. Jesus was crucified and died. Three days later, some followers come to visit the tomb, and it is empty. A presumed angel says He is risen from the dead. The followers leave afraid and confused. The end.
What?
Welcome to process! It is not about processing finishing; it is about process continuing.
As we turn the page to Mark 15 this week, Jesus is tried, is crucified, and dies. And in the midst of this overwhelming text, there is an overwhelming theme: disrespect and humiliation.
Today we start off with a foundational question that will walk us into processing Mark 15:
Why are life’s lessons often learned in life’s worst moments?
Why is “rock bottom” often part of the learning process?
I think it is helpful to see processing like a funnel. We are going to toss a few things in and they will spiral around, and as we process, a more focused stream of thought will come out in the end.
It is easy to say, Jesus was disrespected for you; Jesus faced persecution for you; Jesus was humiliated for you. But what am I supposed to do with that? How is that supposed to help, impact, change, lead, or focus ME?
The first thing I want to toss in is disrespect. It is an overwhelming theme of Mark 15. Here’s a “deep end of the pool” question:
What makes disrespect deserved? What makes disrespect undeserved?
Hold onto that thought process. We are going to toss a few more things into the processing funnel. I will give you some time to work on this:
What are the differences between disrespect and humiliation? Where are they completely different? Where do they overlap?
Now let’s go a step further. Humiliation is a power move. Here are two big questions about that. Number one:
What is happening inside of a person that employs humiliation on others?
Did you feel these things come to the surface?
Insecurity: The person humiliating others might be experiencing insecurity about their own self-worth or capabilities. By putting others down, they may feel a temporary sense of power or superiority, which can alleviate their own feelings of inadequacy.
Control and dominance: Humiliating others can be a way to assert control or dominance in social, professional, or personal situations. By making others feel inferior, the person employing humiliation may be trying to establish or maintain a power dynamic in their favor.
Anger or frustration: In some cases, a person might resort to humiliating others as an outlet for their anger or frustration. They may feel wronged, mistreated, or disrespected by the other person, and choose to retaliate by causing them emotional pain or embarrassment.
Social conditioning: Individuals may have been exposed to a culture or environment where humiliation is an accepted or even encouraged means of interacting with others. In these cases, they may have learned to use humiliation as a tool to navigate social situations or achieve their goals.
Lack of empathy: A person employing humiliation might have difficulty understanding or appreciating the emotional impact of their actions on others. They may lack empathy or have a reduced capacity for emotional intelligence, leading them to engage in harmful behaviors without fully grasping the consequences.
The second question:
What is happening inside a person when he or she feels humiliated?
Did you feel any of these things surface?
Shame: Humiliation often leads to a deep sense of shame, as the individual feels degraded, belittled, or exposed. This can result in a loss of self-esteem and a diminished sense of self-worth.
Embarrassment: Along with shame, humiliation can evoke strong feelings of embarrassment. The individual may feel self-conscious, awkward, or uncomfortable, especially if the humiliating event occurred in public or in front of people they care about.
Anger and resentment: A person who feels humiliated may experience anger and resentment toward the person or people responsible for their humiliation. They may feel wronged, mistreated, or disrespected and harbor negative emotions as a result.
Vulnerability: Experiencing humiliation can create a sense of vulnerability, as the individual's weaknesses, flaws, or private aspects of their life are exposed or exploited. This can leave them feeling emotionally raw and unprotected.
Fear and anxiety: In the aftermath of a humiliating event, a person may experience fear or anxiety about potential repercussions, such as damage to their reputation, relationships, or career. They may also worry about the possibility of future humiliation or embarrassment.
Social isolation: Feeling humiliated can lead to social withdrawal, as the individual may become reluctant to engage with others or participate in activities for fear of further humiliation. This can contribute to feelings of loneliness and social isolation.
Okay. We have talked about life lessons tied to difficult moments. We have talked about deserved and undeserved disrespect. We have talked about the similarities and differences between disrespect and humiliation. We have talked about what is happening inside of the humiliator and the humiliated.
One more thing to toss in the funnel: the value and purpose of suffering. Before we jump into the Mark narrative, listen to these words from scripture.
Peter says the suffering of Jesus was for us:
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:18)
The author of Hebrews says that Jesus’ suffering brings perfection:
In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.” (Hebrews 2:10-12)
Paul says that He suffered for us outside of our deserving it:
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)
John says that we should follow Jesus’ example:
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16)
Paul reiterates that call to be Christlike as well:
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11)
Now, with all the different things we’ve talked about in the funnel, let’s read our text.
Jesus Before Pilate
Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “You have said so,” Jesus replied. The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.” But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.
Now, it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them. “Crucify him!” they shouted. “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. (Mark 15:1-15)
- •Humiliation of being bound and handed over to Pilate
- •Disrespect of accusing Jesus of many things
- •Disrespect of people requesting that Barabbas be released
- •Humiliation of the people calling for Jesus to be crucified
- •Humiliation of being flogged
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. (Mark 15:16-20)
- •Humiliation of being dressed up like a king
- •Humiliation of being mockingly worshiped
- •Humiliation of being spit on and struck repeatedly
- •Humiliation of being stripped
The Crucifixion of Jesus
A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. It was nine in the morning when they crucified him.
The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews. They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. (Mark 15:21-32)
- •Humiliation of not being able to carry the cross
- •Humiliation of being crucified on a cross
- •Disrespect of having his clothes divided up
- •Disrespect of the Jews to have the sign over Jesus’ head that read “King of the Jews”
- •Disrespect of being killed as and with criminals
- •Humiliation of them calling Jesus to save Himself
- •Humiliation of insults
Mark has been walking us into the process of knowing Jesus. Talk about this:
Why did Jesus endure the disrespect and humiliation?
How did Jesus endure the disrespect and humiliation?
And finally,
How does Jesus' suffering give you perspective of His love for you?
How does His love for you nudge your love for Him?
Take It Deeper Questions
- •Read Mark 15:1-32.
- •As a child, what was the worst type of punishment you faced?
- •When have you clearly sacrificed for someone else's success, or when has someone clearly sacrificed for your success?
- •Why did Jesus endure all that happened in this chapter? How does that “why” impact your relationship with Him?
- •How are you challenged, encouraged, focused, and/or confused by this text?
Bible Reading Plan
- •Mark 15
- •Matthew 27
- •Luke 23
- •John 18
- •John 19