From The First Baptist Church in America pulpit
March 26, 2006
“He Could Have Saved Himself”
Mark 15:29-32
Dr. Dan Ivins, preaching

The crowds loved Jesus’ miracles. But not his principles. Because Jesus was always doing what’s best, instead of what’s popular; being truthful rather than pleasing the powerful. Such authenticity is bound for conflict. But he didn’t worry about having enemies; only that his enemies were forced to tell the truth about him. This they did. Even in their criticism. Sometimes the accusations from our antagonists are more penetrating than the favor of our friends.

Jesus' opponents were the first to recognize who he was. He was initially called the Son of God not by his followers but by one possessed. And it was the religious hierarchy who perceived the implications of what he stood for -- because they had the most to lose. "This man is a friend of sinners!" And it was true. Pilate’s taunt, "Behold the King of the Jews!" was more right than ridiculous.

But the barracks-humor of the Roman soldiers, who made a burlesque of Jesus as King, pales when compared to the priestly-parody. First, they salute him for “saving others,” then slam him because he won’t “save himself.” They scoff at him as “the Christ.” but challenge him to “come down from the cross.” Finally they mocked him by promising to believe in him, if he would prove his power. And Jesus heard his destiny declared as God spoke through the co-opted prophets of the Sanhedrin. "He saved others, himself he cannot save." Reality demanded that his foes pay tribute to him as a liberator: "He saved others." And this one: “Look, the whole world is following him!” Even those who were jealous of his attractiveness had to give him that.

Jesus’ disregard of personal benefit appears to be the line of demarcation. What earthly good is religion if you don’t get something out of it? Because nobody serves God for nothing; except Jesus. What’s-in-it-for-me-religion is betrayed by an unusual word that catches well Mark’s intent: "Those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in 3 days, save yourself come down from the cross!" That shout of scorn has echoed across the ages. It looked like it was all over but the shouting, which they were glad to supply. "Aha!" they shrieked.

But the final word can’t be measured so succinctly. With God the returns are never in by sundown. Sometimes you have to wait till sun-up! Yeah, the "Aha's!" had it. Then 2 days passed. Then the 3rd day. "He saved others, himself he cannot save?" Self-interest always trumps self-denial. And renders inconceivable God’s redemption, rooted in the way the Christian life works: Saving self and saving others are mutually exclusive.

"You’re the savior. Save yourself! Come down from the cross and we’ll believe.” Is that all it takes for some people to believe? Nah. The Book says they wouldn't believe--even if one came back from the dead! "Father Abraham, I beg you – send Lazarus to my 5 brothers back home--so they won’t come to this place of torment." Abraham replied, "They have the Bible." Dives said "I know. But if someone rises from the dead, they will repent." "If they won’t listen to the Bible, neither will they be convinced in a resurrection." Whew! Somebody rising from the dead would have my complete attention! But if even that won't cut it, what makes us think it would matter if somebody came down from a cross? So Jesus came not down. He could have saved himself ... but then he couldn't have saved us.

Peter tried to get Jesus to save a safer way after acknowledging him as "the Christ" at Caesarea. “Get outa the way!” Jesus responded. It was the same temptation to save himself in the wilderness: "Cast yourself down from the temple and God's angels will bear you up." Work a little magic! And when cousin John sent an agitated message from prison. With his head on the line, the Baptist conveyed word that he was not pleased with the way Jesus was doing his job. Too much grace! And Jesus replied back with this neglected beatitude: "Tell John, happy is the one who does not stumble over me."

Too much grace seems unfair to those who hate to see anybody get away with something. Course if it was fair it wouldn’t be grace. The One being crucified embodies such an illogical salvation that nobody understands it. Everything that lives, has to run the risk of living. Every woman who gives birth, runs the gauntlet. All teachers, instruct themselves away. Doctors, heal themselves away. Churches give themselves away, rather than preserve themselves. Try to save your life and you'll lose it. But lose it for God's sake, and you’ll find it. So Jesus stays on the cross.

Jesus could have stayed in Galilee and away from Jerusalem, like Peter suggested. Or refused to submit to the soldiers in the garden, taken up the sword like Judas wanted and escaped into the night. He could have appealed to the crowds by reminding them of the healings. Had the lame who were walking around, forgotten? Or the blind who now see? The lepers he cleansed? The sinners he forgave? He could have pled his case with Pilate. Think of Jesus' power. That'll save you when nothing else will!

This man had the power to still the storms on the Galilee. Mother nature obeyed his voice, even if human nature wouldn’t. He changed water into wine, straightened contorted limbs, cured leprosy, raised the dead! He could’ve twisted the cross into a wilted sapling and reduced the Roman legions to paper dollies. He could’ve called 10,000 angels! People kill for power like that, so they can call the shots. But mostly so they won't have to suffer. Instead of using his power to save himself, he used it to love somebody. Because God knows where there’s power, there can be no love. And where there’s love, there’s no need for power. Nobody knows what to do with a person who has all power, but won't use any of it on himself.

So 3 men were crucified on Calvary. Two because they were too bad to live. One because he was too good. There was “No room in the inn” for him in Bethlehem; “no place to lay his head” in Galilee. And the only niche for him in Jerusalem was on a tree. Denied by Peter, betrayed by Judas, rebuked by Martha, excommunicated from Nazareth the first time he preached, harassed by religious leaders. Finally, they crucified him. Frail and foolish people spit in his face, tried him at night, bought off his friend; and feared him. And he’s the one in chains! Set on pinning him down, they hung him up! "He could save others but not himself." Aha! We told you so!

I was a war-baby, born on the 1^st anniversary of Pearl Harbor that ushered us into World War 2. As kids, my friends and cousins were patriotic in the only way we knew. So we pretended to be soldiers like our Dads, who fought in the war. But I had no story to tell, because my Daddy never got drafted. And I took a lot of ribbing over it. Most of my friends had stories of valor about their fathers. But I was embarrassed because my Daddy was not a G.I.; ashamed that he didn't take an M-1 and shoot somebody.

Because he was handicapped and couldn’t pass the physical exam. It was a long time before I learned why he was crippled. He never talked about his obvious limp. But one day after he died, I was going through his things, and found a box on a dusty shelf in our living room.

It was the Carnegie Medal of Honor presented to my father for heroism in 1935, awarded for valiantly saving the life of a woman who fell into the water, rushing over Bullet Creek Falls near our mountain home in Tennessee. When the woman accidentally slipped and began to slide over the precipice, my Dad saw it. And in an effort to prevent her from landing on the jagged rocks below, he saved her life by risking his! By instinctively shoving her outward into the deep water, it thrust him backwards onto the sharp rocks. He survived but was lame for life, for his bravery. But that wound kept him out of the war. Everybody who saw it knew he didn’t have to. He could’ve saved himself. But not and save her.

Boy, I wish I’d known about this when I was 10 years old! I could’ve used this on my cousins! Even their Dads didn't have a medal of honor! Then I thought again about the sacrifice for which it stood. "...wounded for our transgressions; bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement that brought us peace was laid upon him; by his stripes we are healed.” That was recorded a long time ago by the prophet Isaiah.

Then came Mark, telling us about the control-freaks piling on Jesus. And you gotta give it to his critics, who knew the price of everything, but the value of nothing. They had a point. He could’ve saved himself. He just wouldn’t! I don’t pretend to understand it. All I can do is preach it. Christ died for our sins ... the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God."

Prayer: Looking back, we call you “the fairest of ten thousand” Lord. But not those folks at calvary, who found it hard to stand by you on the cross. They taunted you to come down. But you would not. Others you would save, but not yourself. We just don’t know what on earth to do with somebody like that. Continue to be with all who endure hours of darkness. Help us to be able to find the strength to live with our questions. Teach us what it means to die to self in order to live for something bigger. Let us remember your suffering when we suffer, with the quiet and confident assurance that God raised you from the dead. That is our hope too. Amen.