Sermon Audio: The Darkest Day
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Mark 15:1-14
Duration: 26:40
Size: 13.0 MB
Jesus: The Ultimate Action Hero
The Darkest Day
Mark 15:1-14
The Sanhedrin had met the night before and condemned Jesus, but because decisions made at night were not binding, they needed to come together to legitimize their actions.
The religious leaders were pretty good at moving the people because they held such power over them, so it should come as no surprise that they “stirred up” the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas, a known murderer, over Jesus.
So we see here that both the religious trial (Mark 14:53-59) and the civil trial (Mark 15:2-15) resulted in a no guilty verdict against Jesus.
My guess is that these soldiers had nothing personally against Jesus like the religious leaders, but hated the Jews and hated being posted in this backwater called Palestine.
Jesus said “take up your cross and follow Me.” Simon was the only man who ever lived who could say he had literally done that.
We know from Luke 23 that the two criminals have a conversation with Jesus. One of them rejects Him, the other begs for His mercy.
It seems as if the creation mirrored the spiritual darkness that encircled Jesus.
Jesus did not succumb to crucifixion. To pay for our sins He gave up His life voluntarily.
It shows that Christ’s sacrifice was not for the Jews only, but even for the hated Romans, in fact for all Gentiles, for all people.
He lived the life you should have lived and died the death you should have died–trading His life for yours.