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By Pastor Glenn Pease
1. PETER-A DARING DISCIPLE Based on Matt. 14:22‑36
2. JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA Based on
Matt. 27:55‑66
3. JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA THE CORAGEOUS COWARD Based on Mark 15:37‑47
4. JOHN THE GREATEST Based on MARK
1:1‑8
5. MATTHEW THE TAX COLLECTOR
Based on Mark 2:13‑16
6. SIMON OF CYRENE Based on
Mark 15:15‑26
7. SIMON THE ZEALOT Based on
Luke 6:12‑16
8. JOHN‑SON OF THUNDER
Based on Luke 9:46‑56
9. DEFECTIVE DISCIPLES Based
on Luke 9:46‑50
10. APOSTOLIC INTOLERANCE
Based on Luke 9:49‑50
11. ANDREW THE ORDINARY Based
on John 1:35‑42
12. PHILIP Based on John 1:43‑46
13. THE SON OF LIGHTNING Based
on John 13:1‑10
14. PILATE'S PERPLEXING PROBLEM
Based on John 18:28‑40
15. THOMAS THE DOUBTER Based
on John 20:19‑31
1. PETER-A DARING DISCIPLE Based on
Matt. 14:22‑36
Back in
1959 Ford Motor Company admitted they made a big mistake in making the
Edsel. It cost 250 million to bring it
to market, and they lost 200 million during the 2 and 1/2 years they produced
it. It was the number one lemon in the
history of the U. S. auto industry. But
smart owners turned their lemons into lemonade. They formed an Edsel owners club in all 50 states; they published
a quality magazine and had annual conventions, and they made their Edsels
collectors cars worth much more than they were new.
The
point is, mistakes can be costly, but they can also be profitable. The whole idea involved in Rom. 8:28 that
God works in all things for the good of those who love him is this very
point. God will even work with us in
our mistakes to make them profitable and learning experiences. This means we do not need to fear failure so
much that we refuse to take a chance and do what is of some risk. Our very failure could be the stepping stone
to success. This is not some kind of
mystical religious principle, but it is the wisdom of very practical minded men. Years ago a writer interviewed IBM president
Thomas J. Wadson, and this is what he said:
"It's not exactly my line," Watson said,
"But would you like me
to give you a formula for writing success? It's quite simple, really.
Double your rate of failure." "You're
making a common mistake. You're
thinking of failure as the enemy of success.
But it isn't at all. Failure is
a teacher‑a harsh one perhaps, but the best. You say you have a desk full of rejected manuscripts? That's great! Everyone of those manuscripts was rejected for a reason. Have you pulled them to pieces looking for
that reason? "You can be
discouraged by failure‑or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you'll find success. On the far side of failure."
There
are numerous illustrations of this in the secular world, and there are volumes
that deal with the subject. But the
best illustration of this in the New Testament is the life of Peter. We have more recorded mistakes and blunders
of Peter than all the rest of the 12 put together. He was the master of mistakes, and yet Jesus chose him to be the
leader of the 12. There is no list of
the Apostles where Peter is not first.
Is there any connection between all of his mistakes and his being the
number one man in leadership? Yes there
is, and the mistake we want to examine is a prime example.
Peter
was the only man Jesus ever rebuked for lacking the faith needed to stay on top of water. Why would Jesus make this man he had to
rebuke more than all the others the leader of the others? He did so because Peter was the only one of
the 12 willing to take the chance. Yes,
he sank while all the rest were safely in the boat. But that is because he was the only one willing to take the
chance of leaping out of the boat. The
risk taker fails more because they do more.
You can criticize Peter and be justified in doing so, for Jesus rebuked
him for his little faith that led him to doubt and then sink. Peter did fail here, and needed to be
rescued, but look at the whole picture.
The only
reason Peter failed is because he took a chance, and he was the only one who
did. We focus on his failure and
neglect the fact that Peter was the only man besides Jesus whoever succeeded in
walking on water. His faith weakened in
the storm, but the text tells us clearly in verse 29, "Then Peter got down
out of the boat and walked on the water to Jesus." Peter was the greatest success in the world
at walking on water. That took tremendous
faith. But what we see here is that
faith can be very flimsy, and confidence can collapse very rapidly in a fearful
situation.
Neil
Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, said at a press conference in
July of 1970, "I particularly remember the elation of finding out that we
indeed weren't going to sink into the surface, and we could continue with all
the other planned activities."
These were among the coolest men on the planet, and yet they had their
fears as they set foot on the moon. How
much more so for Peter who set foot on the lake where there was no mystery
about it? He knew that sinking in water
was inevitable. Had the water been as
still and calm as glass it still would have been a fearful step out of that
boat. But in a raging storm it would
seem to be an act of folly to even attempt it.
But Peter risked doing the impossible with Jesus, and he did it.
Peter
was rebuked, for Jesus wanted him to go all the way and experience total
victory by his faith, but he failed and began to sink. Jesus was not disgusted with Peter. Yes, he got a F in completion, but he got an
A for effort. He was the only one who
took the test. The rest sat like bumps
on a log, and they did not fail, but they also never had a chance to
succeed. Peter did what none of the
others ever did, he walked on water.
Jesus chose him to be the leader because he was willing to take a
chance. His very failure was a mark in
his favor, for only those who try can fail.
We don't
want to give a false impression that the rest of the 12 were of no value
because they did not rise up and leap over the side of the boat. They are no less chosen of Christ, but they
are less exalted. Peter is made number
one because he had a courage that the others lacked. Not all Christians are risk takers, and it is not sinful that
they are not. Jesus did not need 12 men
leaping into the lake. He only needed
one risk taker of that degree, for he only needed one head man. We are not trying to put anybody down, but
only striving to see what it was about Peter that made him the one Jesus chose
to be the leader of the 12. What we see
is that Peter was more willing to fail and take chances for Christ. His failures were not good, but they
represent a quality of character that Jesus was looking for in a leader. He was ready to risk losing for the sake of
winning.
We can't
all be Peter, just as none of the other disciples could be. They were often chicken compared to
him. But all Christians can learn from
Peter's example to move in the direction of boldness and risk taking. In one sense this whole incident was much
ado about nothing. Who cares about
walking on water? It is one of the most
useless miracles in all the Bible.
Jesus never did it again, and nobody else was ever challenged to do it
again. It healed nobody and helped
nobody. In terms of benefit, you can
place this miracles on the bottom of the pile.
Who could feel the loss if it never would have happened? Obviously a miracle of so little worth must
have great value in terms of education.
This
whole scene was deliberately set up by Jesus to teach a lesson. He sent them out into the lake in a boat
alone. This time he was not going to be
sleeping in the boat when the storm hit.
This was a whole new lesson for them to see how they would cope alone,
and how their faith would respond with him absent. He was not going to be at their side in the flesh forever, and
they needed to develop a faith that went beyond sight. They had just seen Jesus feed 5000 with 5
loaves and 2 fish. You would think
their faith would never fail again after that, but Jesus sends them off to face
contrary winds and put their faith to the test.
Peter
is being tested here especially, and we see him come through with both and A
and a F, but with an overall stamp of approval that made him the key
leader. He got a A for daring and a F
for doubting, but as we shall see, even his failure was an asset that Jesus
appreciated. If we could learn to fail
like Peter, we will please our Lord and be used to build his kingdom. Let's look at his success and failure, or
his daring and doubting.
I. HIS
DARING.
Peter
dared to do what the others never dreamed of doing. Safety first was their motto. But Peter was an impulsive risk taker, and his impulse in this
very unusual setting was to step out onto the water. "Lord if its you tell me to come to you on the water." Peter is saying, "dare me to come
Lord", and Jesus responds, "I dare you to come." Jesus knew Peter was the kind of man who
could not refuse a dare. If you
challenged him to do the unusual and impossible, you better be prepared to deal
with the consequences, for he will be going for it.
Such a
personality trait can quickly turn you into a fool, but it can also make you a
hero. It has to be kept under control,
and Peter had his problems doing that.
Peter dared to do foolish things also, and was like a teenager being
dared to play chicken in a car, or being dared to go over 100 miles per
hour. People who can't say no to a dare
are often at the mercy of the most foolish and dangerous whims. It is one of those virtue‑vice type
traits. If you can be daring, however,
and respond to a dare to do what is good, noble, and heroic, then you have a
very positive virtue.
Studies
show that people can be dared into doing what is best for them. George Warren Kroll was a weakling who was
dared to become the healthiest boy in his class, and the blood flowed through
his body responding to the challenge, and he began to build his body until it
was the strongest in his class. Harry Wonda was about to quit his job as a
salesman when his sales manager challenged him. "I dare you to go out and sell more today than you ever
have."
It was like a call to battle, and he went out with a
determination to do just that, and he did.
He needed the dare to bring out the daring spirit that was in him.
Jesus
knew Peter had a daring spirit, and that is why he challenged him to do the
daring act of walking on water. Jesus
was doing to Peter what Ulysses did to Achilles. He provided an opportunity to reveal his true nature. When the Greeks were besieging Troy the
oracle came saying they would never take the city until Achilles came to the
front. But the mother of Achilles
fearing his death had him hidden away disguised as a girl in the court of
Diomedes. Crafty old Ulysses disguised
himself as a peddler and entered the home of Diomedes where he spread out a
glittering array of trinkets before the eager eyes of the girls. As if by chance there was also a sword laid
among them. Suddenly, a trumpet blast
sounded at the gate, which Ulysses had prearranged to give the impression of an
attack. One of the girls with flushing
cheeks and kindly eyes sprang forward and gripped the sword and flashed it in
the air, and stood forth every inch a warrior.
Ulysses presented a challenge and a dare, and he found his man. Achilles went with him and Troy fell.
Jesus
needed a brave leader to defeat the kingdom of darkness, and by this dare to
come to him on the water Jesus also found his man in Peter the daring
disciple. But we have to face the
reality that Peter did not stay on top of the water very long, and so we have
to look at‑
II. HIS
DOUBTING.
We love
Peter better because he sank. Paul
probably would have walked all the way to Jesus and made us all feel hopelessly
inadequate. But Peter, the Rock, sank
because his daring faith turned to doubting fear, and we see ourselves in Peter, for he is more like us. Paul was more of a intellectual, and he
probably would not have tried it after he gave it some thought. He was smart enough to know it wouldn't
work, but Peter was not that smart.
We get
our courage up at times and feel determined to take a new path. We say with Peter, "Lord bid me come to
you on the water." We pray for
Jesus to guide us to new heights and bold adventures for him. "Lord help me take the leap of faith;
to get out of the boat of complacency and non‑productive habits. Help me be bold for you." Then, like Peter, we soon recognize we are
not very good at walking on water. We
are out of our element, and are like a fish trying to walk on the beach. We see the reality of our inadequacy, and the
waves begin to pound our sand castle of faith, and it dissolves before our
eyes. All we see is the impossibility
of maintaining our commitment, and we cry out as Peter did, "Lord save
me!" Our determination leads us
into deep water, and we are worse off
now than if we would have just stayed in the boat.
We are
just like Peter. Even his best
intentions often ended in a failure because fear and doubt overwhelmed his
faith and daring. Why then did Jesus
choose Peter to be the leader of the 12, when he had the same weaknesses that
they had, and that we all have? The
reason is obvious, for Jesus is teaching us all through Peter that it is better
to try and fail then never to try at all.
It is better to fail in a cause that will one day succeed than to
succeed in a cause that will one day fail.
That statement comes from another Peter who was Peter Marshall.
Jesus
chose Peter because Peter was willing to take a chance and do something rather
than nothing. You can set in the boat
and succeed at being a setter, or you can leap out of the boat and fail to be a
walker on water, but Jesus says that he chooses the one who fails in trying,
rather than the one who succeeds in not trying. Jesus is saying to go ahead and fail in trying to do what he
calls you to do. Take a chance, for I
prefer a rock that tries to walk on water and sinks, over a bump in a boat that
will take no risks.
Jesus
never asked Peter to do this again, or anyone else. He never again walked on water.
It is not anyone's goal in life to walk on water. It is not in God's plan at all, and so it is
obvious this one time event was to teach us this lesson. Failure in trying is superior to success in
not trying. Don't let your doubts and
fears stop you from trying to do something exciting for Christ. Even the world's greatest daredevils have to
fight with fear and doubt. Steve Brodie
at age 23 leaped off the Brooklyn Bridge in 1886. He plunged a 120 feet into the East River. He was on the front page of the New York
Times the next morning. He was arrested, but the judge didn't know what to do
with him, for nobody had ever done this and lived to tell about it. It was against the law to kill yourself this
way, but there was no law dealing with someone who jumped and lived. He was released and became quite famous as a
daredevil.
He
decided to go over Niagara Falls in a rubber suit. This also was against the law, so he got up at 5:30 in the
morning and paddled out to the middle of the river above Horseshoe Falls on the
Canadian side. He went over, and again
he lived to tell about it. But like
Peter, the power of the water all about him raised his doubt level to near
panic. He reported afterward that he
would have given anything to back out, but once he was in the current there was
no return. He tried hard to get to
shore, but when he saw it was impossible he felt he was going to die, and so
cried out in prayer just as Peter did to be spared. By the time he came to the brink of the falls the fear was so
great he went unconscious. That was his
answer to prayer, for he was spared the experience of the fall, and the next
thing he knew he was on the water's edge.
The
point is, the most brave and bold and courageous can be filled with fear, and
his faith can fail. Fear of failure is
no excuse, for all men fear failure at some point. Fear of not trying should be the fear that motivates us. We are not called to walk on water or go
over Niagara, or a thousand other stunts that have no value for the kingdom of
God. But we are called to get out of
the boat which represents the church, and join Jesus on the stormy sea which
represents the lost world. That is the
kind of person Jesus is looking for, and that is why he used Peter to be the first
man to lead a Gentile into the church.
Peter ld Cornelius to Christ before Paul the Apostle and the Gentiles
were involved in ministry. The whole
first part of the book of Acts revolves around Peter. Why? Because he was a man
willing to change.
Stepping
out of the boat onto a stormy sea is what we all do if we take seriously the
call to evangelism. It can lead to so
much failure. We risk offending people
all the time. We risk losing
friendships. We risk getting a reputation
as a fanatic. It is a high risk area to
step into, but it is better to fail in trying than to succeed in staying
safe. Studies show that only about 10
per cent of Christians ever respond to the challenge of evangelism, the
question is, are you one of that 10 per cent?
We can't all be like Peter, but we can all move in the direction of
being a more daring disciple. The unknown poet gives the challenge to us all.
"In this vast universe
There is but one supreme
truth‑
That God is our friend!
By that truth meaning is
given
To the remote stars, the
numberless centuries,
The long and heroic struggle
of mankind....
O my Soul, dare to trust
this truth!
Dare to rest in God's kindly
arms,
Dare to look confidently
into His face,
Then launch thyself into
life unafraid!
Knowing thou art within thy
Father's house,
That thou art surrounded by
His love,
Thou wilt become master of
fear,
Lord of life, conqueror even
of death!"
2. JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA Based on Matt. 27:55‑66
The danger
of making a hero out of a man who does a great thing after a long time of doing
nothing is that you give the impression that there was nothing lost by doing it
that way. A man lives a life of sin, or
of indifference to God's will, and suddenly he sees the light and is wondrously
converted. If he has been a well known
sinner, or a famous unbeliever, there is a tendency to make a great deal of it,
and make such a person an example. But
there is often a failure to point out what a great lost was suffered by his
delayed decision. Some have pointed out
that it is of no credit to Paul that God had to beat him down and blind him
before he submitted to Christ.
Joseph
of Arimathea became a hero by his last minute change from cowardice to
courage. But we want to point out
something of the loss he suffered by not making his decision earlier. We want to look at 2 aspects of his
experience and see the loss which he suffered, and the love which he showed.
I. THE LOST WHICH HE SUFFERED.
What is
said here will not be taken as statements out of the text, but as inferences
from other passages of the Bible. First
he suffered loss because his discontent came to late for the greatest good. When he stood before the cross he became
thoroughly discontent with his superficial secret discipleship. But this discontent should have
characterized his life from the start as a believer. Discontent is an essential factor for effective Christian
growth.
But
didn't Paul say I have learned to be content in whatever state I am. Yes, but Paul was speaking of being content
with much or little, with hard bed, in danger, or soft one in the home of a
friend. He was talking about being content with whatever life brought in his
service for Christ, whether it be good or bad.
But when it came to the spiritual, Paul was not content. Paul was as near perfect as we can imagine,
yet called himself chief of sinners, and cried out, "Oh wretched man that
I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death." Paul was constantly pushing onward and
upward trying to apprehend that for which God had apprehended him. He was never content to stop and be
satisfied with where he was in his spiritual growth.
If there
is no discontent, there will be no drive to move ahead. Contentment with one's spiritual life is a
curse. It has been one of the greatest
curses in the history of the church, and was such also in Judaism. Dead orthodoxy is the fruit of
contentment. The Pharisees were content
with their system of salvation by works.
That is why they despise Jesus and wanted to kill Him. That is why the established church has
killed so many who were excited about doing the will of God. Men like to get everything all wrapped up in
a creed and call that Christianity.
This was the case with the state churches of Europe. They were perfectly content to let the
people live for the devil just as long as they memorize the creed. But God raised up men who would not be
content with that kind of Christianity.
We need
to be careful in our use of words like liberal. Remember that the men who were the fathers of what we now call
orthodoxy were once the liberals. They
were the discontented liberals who could not stand dead orthodoxy, and so they
rebelled. There needs to be constant
reformation, for the orthodox has a tendency to settle back into
contentment. It is only as we are
constantly discontent that we can keep orthodoxy alive. Whenever a Christian is content he is in
danger of backsliding, but a discontented Christian grows. We need to distinguish, however, between
discontent and discouragement.
Discouragement drags down, but discontent pushes us on.
I have
said all this as background to explain what Joseph missed by experiencing his
discontent so late. If he had felt this
all along, there is no telling what he may have accomplished among the leaders
of Israel, and especially among those other secret disciples. If only they had a leader who was discontent
enough to speak out and organize them.
This is what Joseph lost‑the honor of organizing a band of
disciples among the elite, and thereby winning many more to Christ.
St.
Augustine was one who lived long in sin before he came to Christ. Once he said, "All too late have I loved
thee." This was Joseph's
experience as well. What he did was
great, but it was too late for the greatest glory. Mary of Bethany demonstrates for us that when we love it ought to
be shown. While Jesus sat at the table
she came an anointed Him with expensive perfumes. Judas rebuked her, but Jesus praised her and said that what she
had done would be spoken as a memorial for her wherever the Gospel is
preached. She gave her gift and showed
her love while Jesus was alive. Joseph
waited until He was dead, and when it was too late for Jesus to appreciate
it.
The
contrast is between those who send flowers to the living, and those who only
send them to the dead. Edgar Dewitt
Jones told of a man who had to leave his invalid mother to work in the city. Every week he sent flowers home. Some felt this was a waste, for she had
flowers all over the house. But the
mother eagerly awaited them each week.
They were concrete expressions of his love, and they made her happy all
her days until she died. The Judas mind
says it is such a waste, and the Joseph mind says why not wait until she
dies. But the Mary mind says express
your love now and never put it off, and she was the only one whom Jesus
praised, for her philosophy is the only one that acts when the greatest glory
can be gained. An unknown poet maybe
too hard on Joseph, but here are some lines he has written:
Strange quite man, what
impulse in your breast
Involved your kindness to
the Master whom
You had not dared to
join? He wanted rest
Within your heart, but found
it in your tomb.
Did you not dare to love
Him, He who sought
To give you life, nor asked
for recompense?
What pity that in finding
Him you brought
Your laggard love in death's
cold cerements!
II. THE LOVE WHICH HE SUFFERED.
Hate
has had its hour, and now love steps in to close the day. Maybe Joseph was late with his love, but it
was of great significance when it came.
It is of interest to note the similarities of the burial of Christ with
His birth.
1. When He was born the rich came to worship.
When He was buried it was in the tomb of a rich man.
2. When He was born the main characters were Mary
and Joseph. When He was buried the main
characters were Mary Magdalene and Joseph of Arimathea.
3. Joseph would be the first to touch the baby at
birth, and Joseph was the last to touch the body in burial.
4. In birth He had a borrowed cradle, and in dead a
borrowed grave.
Jesus
did own things, for He was a carpenter and had to have tools. But He was greatly dependant upon others in
His ministry. He preached from a
borrowed boat; He rode on a borrowed colt; He ate the Last Supper in a borrowed
room, and was buried in a borrowed tomb.
He had nothing lasting on earth, for He laid up all His treasure in
heaven. The only thing He had of
permanent value was His life and He gave that for us.
In
comparing His birth and burial Wordworth said, "One Joseph was appointed
by God to be the guardian of His body in the virgin womb, and another Joseph
was the guardian of His body in the virgin tomb, and each man is called a just
man in Holy Scripture." A poet has
put it,
How life and death in Thee
agree;
Thou hadst a virgin womb and
tomb,
And Joseph did betroth them
both.
Some critics
go too far in their criticism of Joseph and say that he only took Jesus down
from the cross because he was concerned about obedience to the Jewish law,
which said in Deut. 21:22‑23, "When a man who has committed a crime
deserving of death, is executed and you hang him on a tree, his body must not
be permitted to remain on the tree over night; you must bury him on the same
day." (Berkley). This is going too far, for if that was his
only concern, why did not take care of the two thieves as well? Not only that, if he was worried about the
law he would not be there defiling himself by touching a dead body on the night
of the Passover Feast. He was a rich
man and could have hired someone to do it.
The fact that he and Nicodemus were there, and cut themselves off from
the feast by defilement, is proof enough of their real love.
John
tells us that while Joseph was getting permission to take the body of Christ
Nicodemus went to buy a 100 pound weight of spices. It is of interest again the myrr should be used, which was one of
the gifts the wise men brought at His birth.
When they came to take down the body of Jesus and prepare it for burial
the women who had been there watching followed them, and Mary Magdalene was
among them. They, no doubt, wondered
what was happening, for they did not know these two men were disciples of
Jesus. They had been secret
disciples. It must have been a pleasant
surprise for them to see these two take the body to a beautiful garden tomb and
prepare it for decent burial. They
would have done it themselves, but they could never have gotten permission to
take the body. Here was the amazing
providence of God in having a man of wealth and position ready just when he was
needed.
In
taking Jesus to His new tomb Joseph was fulfilling the prophecy of Isa. 53:9,
which said, "Men made His grave with the criminals, and He was with the
rich in His death." The tomb of
Joseph must have been in a beautiful garden with many plants and flowers. Man began in the Garden of Eden with perfect
life, but soon he turned it into death.
Jesus now lays in the garden of Joseph dead, but will soon turn it into
life. The beauty of the location was
symbolic of the joy and glory of the Easter message.
It is
more than guess work that makes us visualize the beauty of Joseph's
garden. If you recall, Mary Magdalene
on the first Easter morning saw a figure nearby when she was weeping because
her Lord was gone. It says that she
supposed him to be the gardener. It is
highly unlikely she would think any such thing unless this garden was a
beautiful estate calling for a great deal of care. Joseph was a rich man, and no doubt did have a gardener to keep
this place neat and beautiful, and so it was perfectly natural for Mary to think
that is who she saw.
Thanks
to the love of Joseph, Jesus received the burial of a king and fulfilled
several prophecies. One of them was
that the body of Jesus was not to see corruption. Thanks to the new tomb where none had been laid, and to the
spices that Nicodemus bought, his body did not see corruption. The Christian is to regard the body with
respect and car, but not to worship it. Some say just throw it away as
worthless, and others say honor it as an idol. These extremes are both wrong. The body is to be loved and respected, but
whatever happens to the body does not make a difference in terms of the
resurrection. Jesus had a decent
burial, but the thief on the cross was likely thrown into a ditch somewhere,
but his spirit went to paradise with Jesus just the same. Whatever be the grave of a saint it is a
resurrection field.
Joseph
was late in his expression of love, and because of that he suffered loss, but
he illustrates the truth of the saying that it is better late than never. Joseph will always be remembered for the
love which he finally showed that did play an important role in the respect
given to the body of Christ.
3. JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA THE CORAGEOUS COWARD Based on Mark 15:37‑47
A fireman
who was half dead from exhaustion and smoke inhalation, with face dirty and
uniform covered with grime, staggers past the crowd and is almost deafened by
their shouts and cheers for him. He has
just come from a burning building where, at the risk of his life, he climbed to
the third story and rescued a trapped child.
The crowd watched breathlessly as he walked along the ledge of the
building with his precious burden, and finally managed to get back to the ladder
and down to safety. The crowd cheered
this man more now than they ever thought of doing on the day of the firemen's
parade. He marched by then in his
freshly cleaned uniform with all the buttons shined. It is obvious why. Even
though he was more presentable marching in a parade, that was only a
superficial duty of a fireman, but now they had just witnessed his sacrificial
duty. He had risked his life, and the awful appearance which he
now exhibited was the result of his willingness to perform the hardest,
highest, and most sacrificial duty of a fireman. This called for cheers and
praise.
We would
think people mad if they thought more of him all spic and span marching in the
parade than they thought of him now.
Yet, it is just this very thing that happened in the last week of the
life of Christ. On Palm Sunday when
Jesus rode into Jerusalem the crowds cheered him and honored Him like a
king. A few days later when He hung on
the cross they mocked Him. This was as
foolish as mocking the fireman for saving the child. Couldn't they see that the triumphal entry was only the parade,
but the cross was the real victory?
Here was the king on His throne doing the real and sacrificial duty He
came into the world to do. It was on
the cross that He was at His best. He
came to give His life a ransom for many, and now as he fulfills this greatest
and most sacrificial duty of all time, the cheering crowds have become the
cruel crowds. They were blind, and they
missed the meaning of it all.
What
was obvious in the case of the fireman is just the opposite here, but we want
to consider the happy fact that not everyone missed it. The Bible tells us of several who were
deeply moved by the death of Christ. We
have the Roman Centurion, Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus. We want to focus on Joseph, for he was the
first Christian man we know of who was so moved by the cross that he made an
all out commitment of his life. We want
to consider his experience in two stages.
I. HIS
COWARDICE BEFORE THE CROSS. v. 43
Simon of
Cyrene, the penitent thief, and the Roman Centurion, all found Christ at the
cross, and they could sing as a trio, "At the cross, at the cross, where I
first saw the light." This was not
the case with Joseph of Arimathea.
Matthew and John both tell us that he was already a disciple of Christ,
but John adds, "But secretly for fear of the Jews." It was not at the cross where Joseph first
saw the light, but it was there that the light penetrated deep into his heart,
and compelled him to come out into the light of open commitment.
Where
was Joseph before the cross? Why don't
we hear of him until now? It was
because Joseph was one of those men who wanted to eat his cake and have it
too. He and Nicodemus were both members
of the Sanhedrin, the highest ruling body among the Jews. Most of the followers of Jesus were from the
common people. His chosen disciples
were mostly uneducated fishermen. You
certainly would not expect a man of his standing to come out in an open
declaration of his belief in Christ.
Just about everyone in his circle of high society was opposed to this
Galilean upstart who taught with more authority than they did.
It was
too risky to operate in the open, and so Joseph decided he would be a secret
disciple. He, no doubt, had all kinds
of good reasons why this would be best, such as, I'll be more influence in this
position of power; I'll be able to be a silent witness among the elite, the up
and outers. John tells us the real
reason: He was just plain scared. Nothing is so hard as going against the
group.
Joseph
was not alone. There were others who
were afraid to risk their position and reputation by making an open stand. In John 12:42‑43 we read,
"Nevertheless, many even of the leaders believed in Him but, due to the
Pharisees, failed to confess it so they might not be put out of the synagogue,
for they preferred men's esteem to divine approval." Jesus had good cause for saying, "He
who denies Me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in
heaven."
The fear
of what others think is a powerful force in controlling our conduct. A group of boys from good American families
broke over 300 windows in a new school building. A famous psychologist was called in to interview each boy
separately, and he found that not one approved of the conduct of the
group. Each thought that they were the
only one who didn't want to do it, but no one was willing to voice his opinion. They were all afraid of what the others
would think. All it would have taken is
for one with enough sense to call the whole plan a stupid idea. He would have been a welcome leader, and
could have prevented the whole thing, but they were all secret disciples of
what they knew to be right. A secret
disciple is about as useless as a rubber crutch.
Nicodemus and Joseph both made weak attempts to do something for
Jesus. Nicodemus on one occasion said
to the Sanhedrin, "Does our law condemn a man without a trial?" Luke tells us Joseph did not consent to the
decision to condemn Jesus. He didn't
consent, but he didn't fight it either.
He was neutral, but to be neutral and silent in the presence of sin is
to condone the sin. Someone said,
"All it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do
nothing." If he would have risen
to the defense of Jesus along with Nicodemus, and other leaders who believed,
they could have prevented all the injustice and cruelty Jesus had to suffer,
but he remained a secret disciple and a cowardly Christian.
Secret discipleship is a sad development
in the life of many a believer. The
idea of being a silent witness with your life, without speaking up for Christ,
is being shattered these days. It is a
fine idea, but it just doesn't work as a major method. Luke tells us that Joseph was a good and
righteous man, but that did not do a thing for Christ as long as he was a
silent and secret disciple. To be a
silent witness is the hard way, and it leads to all sorts of
complications. The man who comes right
out and lets others know where he stands finds it much easier to live an
effective Christian life. Once you make
your stand the world expects you to be Christian in your conduct, but until
they know they assume you are like them.