Sermon Notes – Jesus: The Rejected King

Jesus: The Rejected King, Mark 15:1-15
J. Josh Smith, MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church, attended March 21, 2010

We must trust His death while embracing His life. We must look like Him, even in His suffering. Peter understood what it meant to live for Jesus. (1 Peter 2:21-24, 4:1)

The vast majority of people rejected Him, especially in our text today. They all rejected Him for the same root reason. The majority of people throughout history will reject Jesus Christ. (Matthew 7:13-14)

1. He was rejected out of personal envy – Mark 15:1, 10

This was the reason the religious institution rejected Him. They had no authority to kill Him. They sent Him to the one place that did have the authority. Pilate sees through the accusations to the real reason they want to kill Him.

Envy is grief or anger caused by someone else’s success. In Mark 1:22 He shows up on their turf and everyone is amazed. By the end of Mark 1 He is so popular He can’t even enter the city. The religious leaders wanted this praise, honor and glory.

Jesus never seems to fit in well with those who want all the attention. He wants all the glory – and He is only One who deserves it.

2. He was rejected out of personal ambition – Mark 15:2

This was the reason the political institution rejected Him. Pilate would have turned the religious leaders back if it was only blasphemy. Pilate agrees to the trial because Jesus claimed to be king. This was Pilate’s territory. Jesus affirmed this accusation but it was a “reserved affirmation”. He affirmed it but He wasn’t the type of king that Pilate thought He was. This was finally the accusation that “sticks’. He was killed because He claimed to be king. Pilate can’t let it go but never quite seems convinced He needs to die.

Pilate is in a political “hot spot”. He can’t appear to be weak and he has to please the public and the religious institution. This political “game” is played out in Mark 15:6-16. Pilate finally does what is best for him. He satisfies his personal ambition. His personal ambition replaces his personal conviction for the betterment of his career.

Jesus doesn’t fit well with those who live for earthly success. Jesus demands the end of yourself and embracing Him.

3. He was rejected out of personal disappointment – Mark 15:6-9

This was the reason the crowd rejected Him. The crowd likes Jesus but never really commits to Him. He is very popular with them throughout Mark. They are given a choice to have Him released and made their king and they refused.

The Jews hated the Romans. Barnabas was a “freedom fighter” trying to overthrow the Romans. While doing this he killed someone. He was a murderer.

Both Jesus and Barnabas love the Jewish people. Both are willing to give their lives. Barnabas is trying to save them from the Romans. Jesus is saving them from the wrath of God. They chose Barnabas over Jesus out of personal disappointment. Barnabas was a sick and distorted “messiah” that they really wanted. They gave Jesus a chance but He didn’t act like they thought He should. They didn’t think their worst enemy was sin but the Romans. Are you choosing Barnabas, i.e. yourself, or Christ?

Jesus doesn’t fit in well with those who create their own Savior, a savior that doesn’t care if we live in sin but go to church.

Those who reject Him out of envy do so because He exposes who they really are, deserving of Hell. He makes us look awful.

Those who reject Him out of ambition do so because they have a plan. They know what they want their lives to be and don’t want anyone else telling them what to do.

Those who reject Him out of disappointment have an idea of who they think Jesus should be. They want a life coach, someone who will make things better. When things turn bad they get mad. They thought everything would change if they accepted Him. They begin to think they deserve better.

Ultimately there is only one root reason for all these rejections – pride. Pride is the love of self and desire for self-exaltation. Pride is the root of all sin and unbelief. All these excuses are just pride; they love themselves more than Jesus. We have to come to the end of ourselves to follow Jesus. Generally, people just don’t want to accept any authority over their lives. Self will always let you down. Humble yourself. (1 Peter 5:5) We need to exchange our self for the holiness of God. Lord, save us from ourselves!

There are many who say they believe in Jesus, yet they have never actually submitted to the authority of Jesus over their lives. They have given mental assent to the truths about Jesus, yet are still living a life that is rooted in self-love, self-gratification, and self-exaltation. This is not the life of a true believer in Jesus Christ. Are you truly in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5)? Is your life controlled by your own self-desires and ambitions or by a desire to submit to Jesus in every area?

The greatest battle of our lives is the battle against pride. Even as a believer, pride rears up its ugly head every moment of the day. Ask the Lord to reveal to you any areas of pride that would keep you from submitting. Ask God to give you a humble spirit and a desire to submit to Him in all things.

NOTE: These are my notes, taken as I listened to the sermon live. Any errors, misunderstandings or misinterpretations are my responsibility entirely and not the fault of the preacher.