[GMark] Mark 15:37-39/ The Torn Veil

HStaiti at aol.com HStaiti at aol.com
Fri Jan 18 10:14:46 EST 2008


 
 
Fred,
Per your request on the passage, here is a sermon from a series I wrote and  
preached through the book of Mark It was for a congregational setting. 
 
AUTHOR: Rev. Harold  J. Staiti
TITLE:  Why People are Influenced by Christ
TEXT:  Mark 15.33-37
33At noon,  darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. 34Then, 
at  that time Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema 
sabachthani?"  which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  …37Then Jesus  
uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. 
 
INTRODUCTION
Attention  getter:  
An owner of a restaurant  (a chef by trade) began to receive resistance from 
his waiters and waitresses  about how they were doing business. They 
complained that, as a chef, he failed  to appreciate what it meant to be a person who 
waited on tables and could not  understand them. The owner made the  decision 
to become a waiter in his restaurant. At the end of a week, they  stopped 
complaining. They respected that he was one of them, and that he  understood them. 
They were willing to be influenced by him. 
 
In the same way, people  will be open to Christ’s influence when they realize…
 
Proposition
Jesus fully  identified with our struggles as sinners in God’s world. 
 
Preview of main  points
Because Jesus  became one of us, he understands the agony of having to live 
righteously in a  sinful world. Because of Christ, we know God understands our 
struggles. 
I believe we will be  more open to Christ’s influence when we realize two 
things that happened to him  on the cross. 
·       Jesus identified with  the sinner’s darkness – v.33
·       Jesus identified with the  sinner’s separation – v.34
 
Transition
Look with me  to our first point…
 
I.  Jesus identified with the sinner’s darkness – v.33
33At noon,  darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. 
 
Explanation
Human sin  brings darkness 
·       It  darkens our minds (Romans 1.21) 
·       It  darkens even our good deeds (Ro 13.12-14; Eph 5.1-11)
·       It  leads to eternal darkness (Matthew 8.12; 22.13)
 
Jesus, the light of the  world, died in darkness to deliver people from 
darkness (Col 1.12-14; John  8.12)
 
Illustration
Two  children watched a lighthouse being built. They did not know its 
purpose, so  they asked the workers many questions. 
Q: “What is that?” A:  “This is a light for us to shine when the fog comes 
in.” 
Q: “What  is that?” A; “This is a bell for us to ring when the fog comes in.”
 
Q: “What  is that?” A: “This is a horn for us to sound when the fog comes  
in.”
 
Then one day, it was all  set up with the lights and the bell and the horn. 
But on opening day, a terrible  fog came in.  The children watched  as the fog 
slowly came in on off the horizon. They saw the great light turn on.  Then 
they heard the bells. Then they heard the great horn. As the fog rolled  over 
them, one boy sighed in disgust. "It doesn’t work!” he said. “The lights  are 
shining, the bell rang, the horn blew, but the fog came in anyway. "  Adapted 
from a story by  Vance Havner, “On This Rock I Stand.” 
 
Application
How can you  be sure to not misunderstand Jesus like those kids misunderstood 
the  lighthouse?
·       Be  aware of the reality of sin and the darkness it presents
·       Understand the function  of the light of salvation and the horn of 
salvation
·       Realize that without  responding to Christ, you will be lost in 
eternal darkness.
 
We have never had more  fog, and there has never been a greater need to 
received the light of the gospel  than now. 
 
Transition
People  identify with Christ because they know how he identified with us. 
Jesus  also…
 
II. Jesus identified with the sinner’s  separation – v.34
34"My God, my  God, why have you forsaken me?" 
 
Explanation
The  uncertainty of these words may confuse us. Jesus was always certain 
about  everything during his life, his deeds, his works. But now, in the greatest  
event, we read these words of uncertainty. Why? Every lost sinner lives  in a 
world of uncertainty. 
·       Why  am I here? 
·       Where is God in my  suffering?
 
Jesus knows the agony  you feel from your sin. He feels it with you. 
·       He  took your place of separation
·       “He  was forsaken that you might never be forsaken.” (Hebrews 13.5)
 
Illustration
It is said  that Dr. Mortimer Adler suddenly left a discussion group at a tea 
quite  disgusted, slamming the door after him.  One person trying to relieve 
the tension, remarked, "Well, he's  gone."  To this the hostess replied,  "No, 
he isn't.  That's a closet!" --  Myron S. Augsburger, When Reason Fails.  
 
Application
Many of us  confine ourselves the same way when we rush from God’s presence. 
Here are some  steps to take when you feel alone and isolated: 
·       Realize how God created  us for a relationship with himself and 
others. We are created for  fellowship
·       Reflect on how sin  breaks relationships and isolates from God and 
others
·       Remember that Christ  died to reunite you to God, and brings you into 
fellowship with others. 
 
Christ did everything he  needed to do so you would never again feel 
separation from God. You are not  forsaken! Christ has died so you might experience 
the reality of his words to  the disciples, “I will be with you always.”
 
Transition
Jesus  identified with sinners like you and me in order to save us!
 
CONCLUSION
Review
Why do people  identify with Jesus? Because they know he cares, and that he 
understands them.  When you read the gospels you know God understands the 
darkness and isolation we  experience in this life. 
 
Close
But we must  understand what it means when the Bible tells us..
37Then Jesus  uttered another loud cry and breathed his last.
·       It  is a cry that should comfort you
    o      Your  debt for sin is now paid
§       Jesus completed all the  requirements of the law (Colossians 2.14-17)
§       Jesus completed all the  required sacrifices (Hebrews 10.11-18)
§       Jesus completed all the  suffering required to pay for your sins (1 
John 1.7)
·       It  is a cry that will complete comfort you
    o       “It is completed/finished”  (“Teleslestai”) A word for tax 
receipts “paid in full”
    o      Christ paid your debt.  How does it feel to have a bill paid? Doesn
’t it bring peace?  Thanksgiving? 
 
The condemnation for  humanity’s sin was offered in Christ (Romans 8.3), but 
only those who have  received Christ’s forgiveness are not condemned for sin 
(Ro 8.1).
Righteousness from God  is through Christ, to all who believe (Romans 3.22)
 
A  call to action.
Rest in his finished  work on the cross
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 1/18/2008 9:43:19 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
fguyette at erskine.edu writes:

I have  been asked to work up a review of sermons preached on Mark 15:37-39,
"Then  Jesus gave a loud cry... and the curtain of the Temple was torn  in
two.."

1. I would be interested in hearing about "good" sermons  that have been
preached on this passage, from the first century to  today.

2. But more fundamentally, do GMARK scholars have anything to  say about
what the "torn veil" means, or what a sermon based on this  passage SHOULD
look like?

Thank You,
Fred Guyette
Erskine  College and Seminary
Due West, SC







Re:  [GMark] stimulating participation






> To my  disappointment Kata Markon has been utterly silent for some time
>  now.  Ironically, Markan scholars has just asked a dozen or so of  his
> students to subscribe to the List so that they could see first  hand how
> Markan scholars work!
>
> So I'm wondering what  we might do to provide them with what they are
> looking  for.
>
> Surely someone among you has something in matters Markan  that you are
> working on that you could share with the rest of the  list.  Surely
> someone has some good ideas about how to stimulate  List participation.
>
> I'd be grateful for your  replies.
>
> Yours,
>
> Jeffrey
>  _______________________________________________
> GMark mailing  list
> GMark at lists.ibiblio.org
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---
Harry  Staiti
_http://360.yahoo.com/ebernorby_ (http://blog.360.yahoo.com/pastorharry) 








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