This Time It's Personal

Mark 12.28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" 29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." 32 "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

I remember stories about this place from the sixties and seventies. Tales of people searching, tales of drugs, sex, and mind. I can recall fables of the decadence people “enjoyed” in certain areas of the US some years ago. The mind-set of certain areas of the US was legendary. One such area was the campus of the University of California at Berkeley. Many went there seeking truth; questioning authority they rebelled, hoping to find an answer for their lives. None found it through drugs, sex, or intelligentsia for Truth doesn’t abide there.

I have heard hard core evangelists from CCC report of what happened at UCBerkeley in those days. Speakers who have evangelized at LA beaches and have challenged witch covens in Louisiana have sought the ultimate challenge of UCBerkeley. In the early 70's Christ came to Berkeley through ministries such as Campus Crusade for Christ. People came to know Jesus through their very questioning and through the answers Christians provided. God touched places like UCBerkeley.

The rally cry for a decade after was: Berkeley. When people were confronted with impossible odds they were called to remember how God reached Berkeley. If God can minister there, He can anybody, anywhere. God was reaching high school campuses up and down California’s coast. He was reaching people through Christians who were willing to answer the questions that were raised.

My how times have changed. UCBerkeley and most high schools don’t resemble campuses touched by God; there doesn’t seem to be any honest inquirers anymore. What happened? Before I answer that question let’s go back to the Berkeley of 30 ad-Jerusalem.

Let’s look at the setting of that famous question we are considering here today. Mark 11 opens with the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

Mark 11.1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.' " 4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" 10 "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!" 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

Luke 19.28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' " 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" 34 They replied, "The Lord needs it." 35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" 40 "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." 41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it

Jesus came into the holy city of Jerusalem. It is interesting to note here that Daniel prophesied of this moment:

Daniel 9:24 "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish+ transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. 25 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.

If we multiplied this out: 69 years x 7 weeks x 360 days we have 173880 days or 483 years from the time of the decree to rebuild the Jerusalem to the time the Messiah comes to Jerusalem. It is interesting to note this is the only time Jesus ever attributed to Himself the title of Messiah as seen in the titles “King” and “Son of David”. It is also of interest to note, this day that He came into Jerusalem was 483 years after the prophecy in Daniel, actually it is exactly 173880 days after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem was issued. Amazing? No, God? Yes.

Luke 19.41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."

I believe the religious leaders of Jesus day knew what was happening. I believe they knew the claims He was making was that of being equal to God. They sought to destroy Him. The next day, Jesus returns to Jerusalem and goes into the Temple to worship and pray. Upon entering . . .

Mark 11.11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. 12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it. 15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"

Jesus came in and reacted out of passion for God because God was personal to Him. To do something against God was to do it against Jesus Christ.

What happened next is baffling. Instead of treating what Jesus said as truth and coming to Him for more truth:

Mark 11.18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

They figured they could destroy Jesus by causing Him to lose popularity among the people as was in evidence

Mark 11.8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" 10 "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!"

We see that the remainder of chapter 11 and all of chapter 12 of Mark’s Gospel they try to destroy Jesus reputation through questions of deceit. In Mark 11.27 we see the chief priests, scribes, and elders strive to destroy Jesus. They sought to because their authority was being questioned by Jesus actions. The asked Him by what authority He teaches. If He said of God, they would stone Him for blasphemy. If He said man, the crowds would walk away. Either way they would destroy Him. He knows their deceit and proceeds to answer their question with a question. If they could answer His question, He would answer theirs-for they both had the same answer. They couldn’t answer the question. People still believed John the Baptist was from God. If the Pharisees said he wasn’t of God they would mob them. If they said John the Baptist was from God then the people would ask them why they didn’t believe his words. Gotcha!!

After the chief priests, scribes, and elders dealt with Jesus the Pharisees and Herodians came upon Him. You must first understand that these two groups hated each other. Where I grew up they would have been equated with the Bloods and the Crips. To come together was something shocking. The Pharisees hated Rome and the Herodians supported Rome. The question they asked in Mark 11.13-14 is classic: 13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Jesus knew what was on their minds: if He answered pay to God the Herodians would have had Jesus arrested at that moment, if He answered Rome the Pharisees would have had the crowd in such an uproar that they would have stoned Him or disowned Him. It was a win-win situation for the Pharisees and Herodians.

Jesus thwarted them with His response: Mark 12.15 Should we pay or shouldn't we?" But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. 17 Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him.

Finally the last religious group in Israel came before Him to question Him: the Sadduccees. The reason they are called the Sadduccees is because they did not believe in the resurrection. They felt that after death was nothing. That is why they were always Sad U See. They came to Jesus to ask Him a question that baffled the Pharisees. They figured if they could trick them, they could trick Jesus. So, they asked: Mark 12.18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?" The question is brilliant. If Jesus answered stating there is no resurrection then the mainstream Jewish people would forsake Him and thus His ministry would be destroyed. If He answered there was a resurrection the San Hedrin-the religious ruling body of Israel (run by the Sadduccees) would have Him stoned for blasphemy. Another win-win situation.

However, Mark 12.24 Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising--have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!" He called the Scriptures to back His statement and no one could argue with Him-not bad. When we don’t know what to answer, turn to the Bible.

A question I often ask as I read through passages like these: If these people really knew God, not just knew of God, would they have asked Jesus such questions? I really don’t think so. It is only a deceitful mind that conjures such queries.

Someone who had observed all these questionings and realized that Jesus had marvelously deterred the deception of the religious leaders, came forward with a legitimate concern. He had thought that Jesus, who had brilliantly answered all questions, could once-and-for-all decide the on-going debate over which of the 613 commandments was the greatest. There had been a debate over that question for centuries. It was merely academic to the debaters as to which one was the greatest, as we shall see. Most who argued this point did so for the sake of argument or for getting a name for themselves rather than for the moral concerns it offered. If they were concerned with the moral side of the Law they would have followed all they could while debating the issue. But as Jesus pointed earlier in Luke 11.46, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.” This scribe earnestly sought for an answer, much like some on our campuses, to the greatest question of Israel-What is the greatest commandment?

Mark 12.28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

Mark 12.29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. MAR 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' MAR 12:31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Jesus responds to this scribe by quoting the Shema of Israel: Deuteronomy 6.4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. And that is to love God. This is what the scribe expected for he held to this belief. Then Jesus takes an interesting twist by quoting Leviticus 19.18: "'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” Jesus added what none expected and made the two into one. His call was to evidence our love for God in our love for others. Mark 12.34 tells us the people were astonished by this response.

The crux of the passage and of this message is found here. If there is nothing you received from this message as of yet, listen carefully to the next few moments.

In verses 29-31 Jesus answers the scribe in a very personal way using “our” and “you” and not adding anything else to our relationship with God. It was a personal relationship that was evidenced to the world in how we treat people. The scribe in verses 32-33 answers this way:

32 "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

He had depersonalized the commitment to another by using “He,” “no one,” “none,” and “one” and then added another phrase, something else external. His was not a personal relationship with God but a knowledge of God only.

The conclusion of this situation is found in verse 34. 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." Although he answered academically or intelligently (which far too many people do today), he never applied it personally (which few do today). If he had answered it personally he would have reacted the same way Jesus did when He entered the Temple at the beginning of chapter 11, with passion. But he didn’t. The scribe already thought he was a part of the kingdom of God because he knew all the right stuff. But Jesus exposed that he wasn’t in the kingdom of God because his belief was merely intellectual; it was not personal.

After this point no one dared to ask another question because they too were afraid of being exposed as not being part of the kingdom of God, but just outside the kingdom.

Mark 12.35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."' 37 David himself calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?" The large crowd listened to him with delight. 38 As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely." 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."

Here Jesus shows the difference between personal relationship with God and being just outside the kingdom of God. The widow was passionate about God and gave all she had while those who taught barely gave anything. Jesus gave her honour while denouncing severe punishment upon those outside without a personal relationship with God.

Those who once were inquisitive, who sought Truth were no longer interested in the real Truth-they were afraid of being exposed by the great light the Truth contains. They were fearful that their darkness would be exposed and would be found for the deceivers they were.

I have to imagine one reason why people aren’t too inquisitive anymore is found in that-those who sought truth were exposed by it. Instead of responding to it, they tried to turn it off. How foolish. These people need to be accepted as they are as we discussed last night or else they will stop searching, stop seeking, and die without a Saviour. For too long people have tried to depersonalize the Truth and make it a matter for others not themselves. When we begin to take our relationship with God seriously and personally we will see the Truth shine out from us and the acceptance of others where they are will come too. It has to be said, there are many people on your campuses who believe they are Christians but have never personalized it. They, maybe you, have recited the creeds, sang the songs, know the lingua-christiana but don’t know Jesus. This is evidenced by the low impact Christ has on our campuses through Christians on campus. I must ask you: Is Jesus and His Word Truth for you and personal for you? Do you believe or just recite it? The ultimate response to Truth, to Jesus is a personal one; one that states “I believe.”

Allow me a few minutes to discuss what a personalized faith does for us. To begin we can know we are God’s children and going to be with Him for eternity (1 John 5). That Truth is so important, but must be personalized. I have to make it my own. [detail the forgiveness story if necessary and time].

Another thing that happens is Romans 8.28. We can know only after we are personally assured that we love God-not that “one” loves God and that He has called us by His grace (1 John 5).

With this faith-a personalized one-we can have the confidence to face any and all situations our campus can offer-we know that God will do good; we know we can try and fail and still be accepted because of the personal faith we have; and we can now, finally, find joy in this journey for we know our God (1 John 1.1-4).

Is your faith personal? Is it growing? Is it allowing you freedom and confidence to face the onslaughts of your world? If not, make it personal today. If so, go out and change your area by showing and telling your friends, neighbours, teachers, classmates, and parents this Truth. Do not allow them to be silent by your silence. Cause them to question again; to be exposed to the Truth; to be challenged to make it personal.

take time to tell at least one other person a personal testimony of how God has intervened in your life.

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