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Open Door SDA Church

Dwayne Lemon

A Strange Request

Today, we're going to entertain a study on the subject, A Strange Request.

You are going to find that we are going to study our Bible.

So get your Bibles out, get pen and paper out, take your phones out, whatever way you take notes, you're going to see that this is a very study-oriented type of presentation that's going to be given.

We'll be looking through a lot of verses that we can understand what God is trying to communicate.

If you don't have a Bible, this is a great time to slip your hand up in the air because if you don't have a Bible, I am sure 1 of our ushers will be happy to furnish you with a Bible.

So if you don't have 1, slip your hand in the air, 1 of our ushers I'm sure will get you a Bible.

Otherwise, let's prepare our hearts to receive the word.

And I believe the best way to do that is on our knees.

And so let's go ahead and let's have a word of prayer.

If you'd like to, you can join me in kneeling.

If you cannot kneel, just bow your heads reverently where you are.

Our Father in heaven, we are very grateful, Lord, for the privilege and the blessing to study your words.

We are thankful for the gift of your holy Sabbath day of rest.

We thank you, Father, for all things that you desire to give to each and every 1 of us that we might become stronger, more efficient, more faithful as we are approaching the closing scenes of Earth's history.

So Lord, I ask that you will truly send your Holy Spirit, for he's the only effectual teacher of truth.

Take these words, Lord God, and make it plain to our hearts and may you minister to us and open our eyes and help us behold wondrous things out of your word.

For this is our prayer that we do ask in the worthy and mighty name of Jesus let everyone say Amen.

I want us to go to the book of Mark, chapter 15.

Mark only has 16 chapters, so obviously, if we're in chapter 15, we're getting towards the closing scenes of the life of Jesus.

And we are told in a precious little book called Desire of Ages that a thoughtful hour should be spent every day meditating upon the life of Christ, but especially on the closing scenes.

And there are a lot of things that God wants to reveal in those closing scenes and we're just going to take a look at Something here.

All right, good mark chapter 15 and I want us to notice what the text says we're gonna pick up in the middle of a story here as they're getting ready to bring condemnation upon Jesus.

And the Bible says in Mark 15 starting at verse 9, it says, but Pilate, in other words there was a request that was made.

Do you want Barabbas or do you want Jesus?

And the people said free Barabbas and then it got to a point that it said all right if I free Barabbas then what about Jesus?

And here's what the Bible says in verse 9.

But Pilate answered them saying, Will ye that I release unto you the king of the Jews?

For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy, but the chief priests moved the people that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.

And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom you call the king of the Jews?

They cried out again unto him and said crucify him.

Verse 14, then Pilate said unto them, Why?

And they cried out the more exceedingly, crucify him.

Brothers and sisters, to any faithful student of the word of God, this is a very strange request.

Pilate puts before them, what do you want done?

Their request, their statement is, we want him crucified.

And they made it very clear because repetition always deepens the impression.

So when they repeated themselves, it seemed evident that they knew exactly what they wanted.

And to the faithful student of the Bible, this was a very strange request for them to make.

Of all options that they could have had, they decide, we want him to be crucified.

Now, I want us to pick up in this story in John 19, because I like how the disciples, they give more magnified accounts, 1 versus the other.

So now I want us to go to John 19 and I want us to watch something here because we're studying this interesting this very strange request that of all things they said we want him crucified.

When he gave them an option, you can get whatever you want, and here it is, they said, let him be crucified.

In Mark, in fact, before John 19, go to Mark 14, just 1 chapter before.

In Mark 14, in verses 61 to 64, we kind of get an idea, not fully though.

There's some inconsistency, but we at least get an idea why they said we want him to be crucified.

In the chapter before in Mark 14, look at verses 61 to 64, right?

The Bible says in Mark 14, 61 to 64, it says, But he held his peace and answered nothing.

Again the high priest asked him and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the son of the blessed?

And you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Then the high priest rent his clothes and saith, what need we further witnesses?

So here it is that we're getting at least some inside information of why they want him killed and want him crucified.

It's because in their minds he committed what?

It says in verse 64, you have heard the blasphemy, what ye think ye, and they all condemned him to be guilty of death.

So the reason why they wanted him to be crucified or killed is because they believed that he was worthy of death.

The reason they believed he was worthy of death was because He dared to present himself as the Son of God, therefore making himself equal with God.

Now when you go to John 19, now let's turn there, let's pick up some more in the story.

In John the 19th chapter, we get a little bit more inside view on what's going on in the mind of the people as they're making these requests for these things to be done.

You see, the Jews considered themselves the upper echelons of God's people.

All right, they looked at themselves as we are the chosen.

We are the ones whom God has called and appointed to do his work.

And as a result of that, the Jews presented themselves as very law-abiding people, very commandment-keeping people.

And everything that they did in their minds, they thought was as a result of them honoring God and keeping his commandments.

So it was with their request for him to be crucified.

The Bible says in John 19 verse 7 something very powerful.

Again this is the same storyline of this condemnation of Jesus that the people are giving.

But in John 19 and verse 7, they said something very interesting to Pilate after Pilate said, I wash my hands of this matter.

They said in John 19 verse 7, the Jews answered him, we have a law.

So when they wanted Jesus put to death, they were doing it based on what?

They were saying the law says that he has to die.

And so it is that it says, we have a law, and by our law, he ought to die, because he made himself the son of God.

So here it is that we're getting, you know what I'm saying, we're just kind of getting more of an inside picture.

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A Strange Request

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