Suffering Injustice to Make Us Just (Mark 14:53-72)

One message seems clear in our world today as we contemplate all that is going on around us: Justice seems to be in grave danger. Whether we want to discuss the racial conflicts in our country, the debates in every state (and definitely here in Michigan) regarding the authority of the governor, the glaring hypocrisy of our national leaders, or the discriminate application of executive orders between various groups, the common theme is a lack of justice. 

To be honest, most don’t even have an idea what justice would look like anymore, we just know, this isn’t it. Too many times we have seen justice fail in the courtroom. We all remember OJ walking free as we shockingly heard the not guilty verdict. We have seen religious institutions forced to provide abortive birth control and wedding services forced to provide for homosexual unions. We have all seen miscarriages of justice which led us to shake our heads in perplexity. 

We wonder what is going to become of our world with each passing day of injustice. We worry about the world our children and grandchildren will inherit where injustice reigns. But all of this pales in comparison to the ultimate miscarriage of justice that occurred 2000 years ago. On that fateful morning, God himself, experienced the most unjust ruling ever handed down. On that morning, Jesus suffered injustice. But this was not without purpose in the divine plan of God. Jesus suffered injustice, to make us just.

As we look at our text this morning, we will do so in two parts. As is typical of Mark, he sandwiches two scenes together in order to teach us an important lesson. Let’s look at the two scenes in this narrative today in order to revel in the glory of God’s grace in salvation. And to be encouraged to stand with boldness for Christ regardless of the cost.