LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for February 28: When life is unfair

To say life is unfair is not news. Unfairness abounds. Unfairness is the default operating principle of this world. Unfairness pervades this world such that it seems that the world has been made to operate this way. To answer this impression, the Bible opens with the story of creation to teach, among other things, that the world had a strong beginning featuring goodness and was intended to be a great place to live. Things changed, of course, and humans have had to cope with the unfairness that has saturated life ever since.

We find in the present passage that humans have not been left to suffer unfairness alone. God himself has endured unfairness for the sake of his beloved chosen ones. Who stepped in when Jesus was hatefully betrayed and forcefully arrested? Who stood up for Jesus when he stood for trial? Who advocated for the defendant in the most famous trial in human history? Who filed for the appeal of Jesus’ capital sentence? From the moment of his arrest until he drew his last breath, Jesus experienced countless acts of unfairness. Jesus repeatedly asked for a fair trial, and after six attempts, an execution order was attained.

Believers are familiar enough with the Jesus’ trials and crucifixion that insights for personal living possibly are overlooked. Biblical stories of early church reveal Christians acutely were aware of Jesus’ sufferings on the cross. Therefore they considered any suffering they faced in Jesus’ behalf to be nothing less than a privilege (Acts 5:41). This Sunday School lesson makes a similar point: Christians will suffer from unfairness. When such difficult times come, they will want to respond to unfairness as their Lord did.

We may be abused (Mark 15:15-20)

The unfairness against Jesus is seen immediately in verse 15. The procurator Pontius Pilate wanted to please the crowd that demanded Jesus’ destruction. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, including Jesus’ public appearances in the temple just a few days before, the crowds strongly had supported Jesus. Though the crowd in verse 15 was likely constituted by different people, it still is striking that the crowd had turned against Jesus. Even more striking was Pilate’s objective of pleasing the crowd.

Pilate’s reasons for appeasing the crowd may be seen in that the present situation was a surprise development during a holy festival in Jerusalem. One of Pilate’s governing principles was to allow the Jews to conduct their own affairs without interference as much as possible. He attended the festival only to ensure public order was maintained during the national religious observance.

Nevertheless, Pilate’s morning was interrupted abruptly by the appearance of an angry crowd demanding the death penalty for Jesus. While Pilate has not received any sympathy for the ruling he delivered that day, he did face a delicate situation that threatened to get out of hand quickly. Any solution that would diffuse an increasingly agitated crowd would be a victory, even if Roman governing principles were compromised and an innocent life was destroyed. Sometimes the best solutions are unfair.

Barabbas is mentioned in verse 15. Verse 7 describes him as an insurrectionist and murderer. Barabbas actually had committed the crime of which Jesus had been publicly accused. Insurrection, or sedition, is rebellion against the government. No one stated Jesus had spoken publicly in behalf of the right of the Roman government’s authority over Israel (Mark 12:17). Though Jesus had affirmed Rome, he still was accused by Jewish leaders of leading a revolt against Rome.

This is quite curious because the Jewish trials had found Jesus guilty of blasphemy, a religious capital crime, and promptly sentenced him to death. Nevertheless, Pilate did not ask for a transcript of the Jewish trial. He did not review trial procedure. And he did not defer Jesus’ case for another day so as to protect the rights of the one who had the most to lose in the case. Every aspect of Jesus’ trials was unfair.

The name Barabbas means “son of the father.” Such was actually a fitting name for Jesus who constantly sought to emulate his Father’s character and will. Barabbas, on the other hand, had nothing in his character that reflected God the Father, though he possibly may have very well emulated his earthly father.

Flogging used a cat-o-nine-tails, with sharpened pieces of bone, glass or metal knotted into the strands at various places. The flogging Jesus received focused on reducing his strength and health to the point he would quickly perish on the cross. The Jews wanted executed prisoners to die before dusk, so they could be buried before the end of the day. The flogging Jesus’ received was far greater torture than the cross and set in motion the death cycle that took Jesus’ life on the cross.

Remanded to Roman custody, Jesus was led to the quarters of the Roman guard. There the soldiers mocked Jesus as a king. The purple robe signified royalty and the crown of thorns scoffed at his authority as ruler. The soldier also struck him and spit on him—acts of defiance toward a king. The King of Kings was abused in a way that portrays the defiance of our own sinfulness when we turn from God’s authority and chart our own course in life.

To say Jesus faced unfairness is an understatement. This unfairness included brutal physical and verbal abuse. Nothing is said of Jesus’ demeanor in the verses of the section of the chapter. With his back in shreds, his physical power destroyed and steadily losing body fluids, Jesus bore the treatment he faced. Where did he get the strength to face his abusers? The answer is found in Jesus’ character, his relationship with his Father, and his commitment to God’s will.

Since Jesus was treated with abuse, the same is possible for his followers. When abuse comes to believers, they too must rely on their relationship with God, their commitment to God’s will for their lives and the Christlike character they have developed.

We may be mocked (Mark 15:29-32)

The mockery of Jesus only began with the actions of the soldiers. As he hung on the cross, Jewish leaders paraded by Jesus taunting him and twisting his words. Their interest in him as he died revealed the deeply rooted malice within them. They not only wanted Jesus destroyed, but they wanted to taunt him about his doom.

The statement attributed to Jesus that he would destroy the temple and then rebuild it in three days (v. 29) has only one other occurrence in Mark (14:58) when offered as evidence against Jesus at his trial before the Sanhedrin.

These words derived from Jesus’ clearing of the temple as told in John 2:19. Jesus had been asked for a sign. He replied by stating, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” John 2:21 explains Jesus spoke of his body, not the temple. Thus Jesus’ mockers at the cross ironically remembered a statement that interpreted Jesus’ crucifixion. They would get their sign after all. Yet they used Jesus’ words to taunt him and call him down from the cross, inadvertently tempting Jesus to break his promise.

In verses 30 and 31, the Savior of mankind was dared to save himself. One haunting irony of the cross, however, is that though Jesus hung on the cross to purchase salvation for mankind, there was no salvation for Jesus. Talk about unfairness. He himself had to perish alone and foresaken to accomplish his task.

In verse 32, two titles that rightly belong to Jesus were used against him. The term “Christ” means “Messiah” or “Anointed One.” It refers to God’s anointed deliverer for God’s people. The term “King of Israel” was David’s title and was to be passed down perpetually to David’s descendants who would rule after him. Governance by the Davidic line had ended over 500 years before Jesus, but with Jesus, the everlasting King of Kings, the promise to David would be fully and finally fulfilled.

Humanity has a way of turning rightful designations and observations into spiteful jeers. Jesus endured the misuse and misunderstanding so he could show himself to be truly what he claimed to be for his people. Words can deeply wound, so Jesus, who was already mortally wounded, also had to endure pointed malicious verbal abuse from the highest levels of Jewish religious life to the lowest of criminals. Since Jesus suffered such vicious mockery and spiteful abuse, certainly his people should realize they too must endure such abuse. It is important, then, for the follower of Christ to learn how to endure such ill treatment.

We may face an untimely death (Mark 15:37-39)

Verse 37 records the manner of Jesus’ death: crying out with his last breath. According to Mark, two events accompanied Jesus’ death. The first was the rending of the temple curtain. This curtain separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies represented the dwelling place of God among his people. The Holy of Holies could only be entered by a priest, and only once per year, on the Day of Atonement. In the Holy Place were items which symbolized the lives and needs of God’s people. The Golden Altar of Incense, representing the prayers and petitions of the people, was the main feature of the Holy Place. A curtain was placed between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies to teach God was present and listening to the prayers and needs of his people. The curtain conveyed that the Holy God was near, but that his holiness prevented direct contact in the lives of his beloved, yet sinful people.

A careful reading reveals the curtain was torn from top to bottom. The rending of the temple curtain showed the separation between God and people had been destroyed. The tearing of the curtain from top to bottom showed God himself had destroyed this separation. Furthermore, the timing of the rending of the curtain with the death of Jesus forever communicates Jesus’ death provided the satisfactory sacrifice that restored relations between God and his people.

The second event at Jesus’ death was the testimony of the Roman centurion. Perhaps noting Jesus’ demeanor, having learned the circumstances of Jesus’ trials and knowing the conduct of countless executed criminals, this centurion determined Jesus was not merely innocent, nor even a righteous, upstanding citizen, but none other than the Son of God. Though his logic is not preserved for us, his conclusion remains: Jesus was the Son of God.

A powerful observation comes from Jesus’ death: God’s kingdom can advance by building strategically on the deaths of its constituents. In secular terms such an observation would be ominous. Nevertheless, Christianity was founded upon the sacrificial death of Jesus. It has continued through the years, boosted by the deaths of faithful ones who gave up their lives in the ultimate testimony of faith. Life may be unfair, but God can turn around unfairness to advance his kingdom for the benefit of his followers.

We will be vindicated (Mark 16:5-7)

Technically Jesus’ resurrection is not described in Mark. No one is known to have witnessed the reanimation of Jesus’ body and him rising from his sleep of death. The Gospel of Mark does not describe Jesus’ resurrection. When the women arrived at Jesus’ tomb, the stone had been removed, and the tomb was empty. Later appearances of Jesus to those who knew him confirmed he was indeed raised from the dead.

Jesus was raised to life because he was unworthy of the death he suffered. God stepped into Jesus’ case, reversed the decision of the erring earthly judge, reversed the effects of death upon Jesus’ body and restored Jesus to life. Jesus’ rightness before God was vindicated in his resurrection. Likewise, Jesus’ followers, who have become right with God by grace through faith, will be vindicated before God as well.

Jesus’ resurrection comes as a sign to his followers. Not only did Jesus promise to raise his people to eternal life, but he demonstrated his power over death to accomplish this very thing. Jesus knows how to fulfill this promise.

Suffering, mockery, abuse and death are unpleasant matters to discuss and face, yet they are part of Christian history. These matters arise frequently around the world and, at times, even in America. It helps Jesus’ followers to know all this unfairness does not go unnoticed by a distant, uncaring god. Instead, the Almighty God endures all the unfairness this world can offer so he can provide a credible yet marvelous means of vindicating his suffering people.