What Will Jesus Cost Me?
Mark 15:1-15
Message #58
The Last Supper was followed by the prayer of agony in Gethsemane. Then, the betrayal, and the arrest. Then, the first mock trial, and the first round of abuse. Then, the denial of Peter, AS Jesus was being drug back through the courtyard.
It has been a long, dark night.
And now, Jesus is bound like a prisoner and being taken to Pilate, the Roman governor. And in Pilate, we may see a picture of ourselves as Pilate asks the question, What will Jesus cost me?
The death of Jesus was the goal of the religious leader and it was the plan of God for our salvation, and Jesus is steadily moving toward that moment.
Mark 15:1 (NLT)
1 Very early in the morning the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law—the entire high council—met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
The Jews were not allowed to execute people – only Rome could do that job. And so, the religious leaders took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor with a plan to have Pilate do their “dirty work” for them. And the only charge they could go with was treason, which would be Jesus saying he was King and not Caesar.
So, Jesus is now in front of Pilate.
Mark 15:2-5 (NLT)
2 Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.” (emphasis on You)
3 Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes,
4 and Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?”
5 But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate’s surprise.
The Gospel of John tells us right here that Pilate took Jesus inside and questioned him, and clearly determined that Jesus was not guilty of any crime.
But Pilate saw himself in a difficult predicament. Pilate knew the right decision to make, but with the angry religious leaders and the angry people in front of him. Pilate was afraid of what the right decision would cost him.
So, Pilate decides to try to avoid making any decision about Jesus at all, and he comes up with an idea that would fit in the culture of the time and an idea that would allow Pilate to not have to take a stand for Jesus.
Mark 15:6-7 (NLT)
6 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner—anyone the people requested.
7 One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising.
And here Matthew tells us that even the wife of Pilate warned him to not condemn Jesus because of a dream she had.
And so, Pilate was going to try to use the people to make the decision so that he would not have to make a personal decision about Jesus.
And so, Mark 15:8 says,
Mark 15:8 says (NLT)
8 The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner as usual.
And Pilate thought – here’s his chance. Maybe the people like Jesus and it’s just the leaders that want him dead. And so, Pilate says to the people,
Mark 15:9-10 (NLT)
9 “Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked.
10 (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.)
Pilate is hoping the people would make his decision for him. He’s hoping he wouldn’t have to make a personal decision. He’s hoping he could get out of this situation without it costing him anything.
Pilate knows what decision he should make but… what is it going to cost him if he makes that decision for Jesus? How is his life going to be impacted? What is he going to lose? Pilate is weighing the cost and he’s trying desperately to get out of having to make a personal decision about Jesus.
Maybe you know someone who is trying to “get out” of having to make a personal decision about Jesus. They don’t really want to offend you, but they don’t want to make a personal decision either. They tend to make general, generic comments. “I don’t have a problem with Jesus.” Or, “I’m a Catholic – my whole family – we’re all Catholics – so we’re good.”
In Matthew Chapter 16, Jesus took his Disciples to Caesarea Philippi the place where dozens of different gods were all worshiped in the same place. And in that place, we read this from Matthew 16:13-14.
Matthew 16:13–14 (NLT)
13 . . . [Jesus] asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
That’s how some people talk about Jesus. He was a good man, a good teacher, he wrote a good book. But when the Disciples of Jesus started that kind of talk Jesus would have none of it.
Matthew 16:15 (NLT)
15 Then [Jesus] asked them (pointedly, directly), “But who do you say I am?”
Guys, the Bible is very clear on this matter. Your eternal salvation is not based on your good works. It’s not leading a “pretty good life.” It’s not what church you belong to, or what church you got baptized in. (None of that is in the Bible.) In the deepest place of faith and trust in your life, Jesus wants to know the answer to this one question – “Who do you say” he is?
In Matthew 16, Peter answered for the Disciples, and I would encourage you to consider whether this is your personal answer.
Matthew 16:16 (NLT)
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah (Savior), the Son of the living God.”
I pray that is or will be your personal answer, your personal commitment.
“Jesus, You are the Messiah (Savior), the Son of the living God.”
Pilate is nowhere near that answer. Pilate is just trying to avoid having to make a personal decision about Jesus at all. He’s just trying to make this whole conversation go away (like some of us have).
So, back in Mark 15:9, Pilate offers to release Jesus according to the custom, hoping the crowd would choose Jesus.
Mark 15:11 (NLT)
11 But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus.
This is not going as Pilate wanted. Pilate’s trying to get out of this situation without having to make a public stand for Jesus. Pilate is trying to kind of make a subtle gesture for Jesus without having to actually take a stand for Jesus. Can’t I just say some general good things about Jesus without actually having to make a personal decision for him? (Isn’t that enough?)
Because… if I DO make a clear decision for Jesus, what will it cost me? Will it cost me my lifestyle? Will it cost me my friends? Will I be labeled as a “Christian” and maybe soon an “enemy of the State”? Will I be ostracized at school? Will I be un-friended on social media? What will it cost me to take a stand FOR Jesus?
Those are the kind of questions Pilate is asking himself, but he’s not getting the easy way out he was hoping for. And so, Pilate throws the “Hail Mary Pass” – one final attempt to get all this to go away.
Mark 15:12 (NLT)
12 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”
One last attempt. He’s just throwing it out there and hoping for the best.
But it doesn’t work.
Mark 15:13-14 (NLT)
13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!”
14 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”
And Pilate is thinking, I know Jesus is innocent. I know what decision I should make. But how will the people respond? What will my life look like IF I CHOOSE JESUS?
What will it cost me
If I choose Jesus over the world?
If I choose Jesus over what people will think of me?
What will I lose – if I choose Jesus?
Wait a minute! Wait a minute! What will you lose if you CHOOSE Jesus?
You’ll lose the power that sin has over your life. You’ll lose the hopelessness that’s come from chasing the things of this world. You’ll lose an eternity separated from God in heaven. What do you mean, What will I lose if I CHOOSE Jesus? Are you sure that’s the right question?
Is there a chance that you are focusing on the temporal, fleeting things of this world? Is there a chance that you may be more concerned about a life that may end tonight than you are about a life that God promised will last for eternity?
What will Jesus cost me?
The right question is: What will it COST YOU if you turn your back on Jesus?
Ultimately, that’s what Pilate did.
Mark 15:15 (NLT)
15 So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.
To pacify the crowd – to pacify the crowd??? You turned your back on Jesus in order to “pacify the crowd.”
Have you ever turned your back on Jesus in order to “pacify the crowd”? Have you chosen the “Barabbas” of this world and turned your back on the only one who can wash your sin away and give you eternal life?
That is what Pilate is doing because he is afraid of what choosing Jesus might cost him.
Pilate turned his back on Jesus to try to save his own life, and instead, he lost both this life and his eternal life. Historians say the years following for Pilate were filled with continual conflict and upheaval. And within just a few years, Pilate was called to Rome to answer for the chaos in his life. And knowing what was waiting for him there, instead of facing Rome, Pilate took his own life.
All for what?
to Pacify the Crowd?
to Appease the World?
To try to Maintain the Life he built for himself?
Jesus said this,
Luke 9:23–26 (NLT)
23 . . . “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.
24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?
26 (and then, the hammer) If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.
Those are the words that Pilate needed to hear that day. Maybe those are words that we need to hear today.
1Timothy 2:4 says
God wants ALL people to be Saved
1 John 2:2 says
Jesus died to atone for the sins of the World
2 Corinthians 5:19 says
God was, in Christ, reconciling the World to Himself
And yet, we can still choose to turn our backs on Jesus. We can still choose this world over Jesus. We can choose to be ashamed of him, and we can refuse to stand up for him.
But – IF we do, Jesus says, He will be ASHAMED of US When He RETURNS in His Glory
And at that moment, we will not think for one second about what it cost us to stand up for Jesus. Instead, we will know because we stood up for Jesus here, Jesus will stand up for us in eternity.
Will you take that stand for Jesus today?
Will you make that personal decision for Jesus today?
It has been a long, dark night.
And now, Jesus is bound like a prisoner and being taken to Pilate, the Roman governor. And in Pilate, we may see a picture of ourselves as Pilate asks the question, What will Jesus cost me?
The death of Jesus was the goal of the religious leader and it was the plan of God for our salvation, and Jesus is steadily moving toward that moment.
Mark 15:1 (NLT)
1 Very early in the morning the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law—the entire high council—met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
The Jews were not allowed to execute people – only Rome could do that job. And so, the religious leaders took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor with a plan to have Pilate do their “dirty work” for them. And the only charge they could go with was treason, which would be Jesus saying he was King and not Caesar.
So, Jesus is now in front of Pilate.
Mark 15:2-5 (NLT)
2 Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.” (emphasis on You)
3 Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes,
4 and Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?”
5 But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate’s surprise.
The Gospel of John tells us right here that Pilate took Jesus inside and questioned him, and clearly determined that Jesus was not guilty of any crime.
But Pilate saw himself in a difficult predicament. Pilate knew the right decision to make, but with the angry religious leaders and the angry people in front of him. Pilate was afraid of what the right decision would cost him.
So, Pilate decides to try to avoid making any decision about Jesus at all, and he comes up with an idea that would fit in the culture of the time and an idea that would allow Pilate to not have to take a stand for Jesus.
Mark 15:6-7 (NLT)
6 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner—anyone the people requested.
7 One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising.
And here Matthew tells us that even the wife of Pilate warned him to not condemn Jesus because of a dream she had.
And so, Pilate was going to try to use the people to make the decision so that he would not have to make a personal decision about Jesus.
And so, Mark 15:8 says,
Mark 15:8 says (NLT)
8 The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner as usual.
And Pilate thought – here’s his chance. Maybe the people like Jesus and it’s just the leaders that want him dead. And so, Pilate says to the people,
Mark 15:9-10 (NLT)
9 “Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked.
10 (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.)
Pilate is hoping the people would make his decision for him. He’s hoping he wouldn’t have to make a personal decision. He’s hoping he could get out of this situation without it costing him anything.
Pilate knows what decision he should make but… what is it going to cost him if he makes that decision for Jesus? How is his life going to be impacted? What is he going to lose? Pilate is weighing the cost and he’s trying desperately to get out of having to make a personal decision about Jesus.
Maybe you know someone who is trying to “get out” of having to make a personal decision about Jesus. They don’t really want to offend you, but they don’t want to make a personal decision either. They tend to make general, generic comments. “I don’t have a problem with Jesus.” Or, “I’m a Catholic – my whole family – we’re all Catholics – so we’re good.”
In Matthew Chapter 16, Jesus took his Disciples to Caesarea Philippi the place where dozens of different gods were all worshiped in the same place. And in that place, we read this from Matthew 16:13-14.
Matthew 16:13–14 (NLT)
13 . . . [Jesus] asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
That’s how some people talk about Jesus. He was a good man, a good teacher, he wrote a good book. But when the Disciples of Jesus started that kind of talk Jesus would have none of it.
Matthew 16:15 (NLT)
15 Then [Jesus] asked them (pointedly, directly), “But who do you say I am?”
Guys, the Bible is very clear on this matter. Your eternal salvation is not based on your good works. It’s not leading a “pretty good life.” It’s not what church you belong to, or what church you got baptized in. (None of that is in the Bible.) In the deepest place of faith and trust in your life, Jesus wants to know the answer to this one question – “Who do you say” he is?
In Matthew 16, Peter answered for the Disciples, and I would encourage you to consider whether this is your personal answer.
Matthew 16:16 (NLT)
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah (Savior), the Son of the living God.”
I pray that is or will be your personal answer, your personal commitment.
“Jesus, You are the Messiah (Savior), the Son of the living God.”
Pilate is nowhere near that answer. Pilate is just trying to avoid having to make a personal decision about Jesus at all. He’s just trying to make this whole conversation go away (like some of us have).
So, back in Mark 15:9, Pilate offers to release Jesus according to the custom, hoping the crowd would choose Jesus.
Mark 15:11 (NLT)
11 But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus.
This is not going as Pilate wanted. Pilate’s trying to get out of this situation without having to make a public stand for Jesus. Pilate is trying to kind of make a subtle gesture for Jesus without having to actually take a stand for Jesus. Can’t I just say some general good things about Jesus without actually having to make a personal decision for him? (Isn’t that enough?)
Because… if I DO make a clear decision for Jesus, what will it cost me? Will it cost me my lifestyle? Will it cost me my friends? Will I be labeled as a “Christian” and maybe soon an “enemy of the State”? Will I be ostracized at school? Will I be un-friended on social media? What will it cost me to take a stand FOR Jesus?
Those are the kind of questions Pilate is asking himself, but he’s not getting the easy way out he was hoping for. And so, Pilate throws the “Hail Mary Pass” – one final attempt to get all this to go away.
Mark 15:12 (NLT)
12 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”
One last attempt. He’s just throwing it out there and hoping for the best.
But it doesn’t work.
Mark 15:13-14 (NLT)
13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!”
14 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”
And Pilate is thinking, I know Jesus is innocent. I know what decision I should make. But how will the people respond? What will my life look like IF I CHOOSE JESUS?
What will it cost me
If I choose Jesus over the world?
If I choose Jesus over what people will think of me?
What will I lose – if I choose Jesus?
Wait a minute! Wait a minute! What will you lose if you CHOOSE Jesus?
You’ll lose the power that sin has over your life. You’ll lose the hopelessness that’s come from chasing the things of this world. You’ll lose an eternity separated from God in heaven. What do you mean, What will I lose if I CHOOSE Jesus? Are you sure that’s the right question?
Is there a chance that you are focusing on the temporal, fleeting things of this world? Is there a chance that you may be more concerned about a life that may end tonight than you are about a life that God promised will last for eternity?
What will Jesus cost me?
The right question is: What will it COST YOU if you turn your back on Jesus?
Ultimately, that’s what Pilate did.
Mark 15:15 (NLT)
15 So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.
To pacify the crowd – to pacify the crowd??? You turned your back on Jesus in order to “pacify the crowd.”
Have you ever turned your back on Jesus in order to “pacify the crowd”? Have you chosen the “Barabbas” of this world and turned your back on the only one who can wash your sin away and give you eternal life?
That is what Pilate is doing because he is afraid of what choosing Jesus might cost him.
Pilate turned his back on Jesus to try to save his own life, and instead, he lost both this life and his eternal life. Historians say the years following for Pilate were filled with continual conflict and upheaval. And within just a few years, Pilate was called to Rome to answer for the chaos in his life. And knowing what was waiting for him there, instead of facing Rome, Pilate took his own life.
All for what?
to Pacify the Crowd?
to Appease the World?
To try to Maintain the Life he built for himself?
Jesus said this,
Luke 9:23–26 (NLT)
23 . . . “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.
24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?
26 (and then, the hammer) If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.
Those are the words that Pilate needed to hear that day. Maybe those are words that we need to hear today.
1Timothy 2:4 says
God wants ALL people to be Saved
1 John 2:2 says
Jesus died to atone for the sins of the World
2 Corinthians 5:19 says
God was, in Christ, reconciling the World to Himself
And yet, we can still choose to turn our backs on Jesus. We can still choose this world over Jesus. We can choose to be ashamed of him, and we can refuse to stand up for him.
But – IF we do, Jesus says, He will be ASHAMED of US When He RETURNS in His Glory
And at that moment, we will not think for one second about what it cost us to stand up for Jesus. Instead, we will know because we stood up for Jesus here, Jesus will stand up for us in eternity.
Will you take that stand for Jesus today?
Will you make that personal decision for Jesus today?