The Identity, Must Be Kept to Death Matthew 27:11-14 Hymn:
519 (461), 217 (425) 11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and
the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,”
Jesus replied. 12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he
gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they
are bringing against you?” 14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single
charge—to the great amazement of the governor. Verse
2 of the same chapter shows the scene of the Lord standing before the court of
Pilate the governor as He was bound and taken to Pilate by the chief priests
and the elders. Our Lord Jesus was not interested in speaking a word for his
own defense in the court and kept absolute silence until he was asked “Are you
the king of the Jews?” He replied “You have said so” and then again kept
silence without a word in response to the continuing accusations Jesus
did not utter a single word to the charges that accusers brought to the court
with their testimonies except the Pilate’s inquiry of who are you. This this
question, Jesus clearly replied. Jesus answered to the question of “Are you the
king of Jews. Jesus answered “You have said so” to the Pilate’s question, “Are
you the king of Jews?” The Lord, who did not give a word to the many charges
that the high priests and the elders brought to the court of Pilate the
governor, always answered to the questions of who and what is Jesus himself. The
religious leaders have tried to kill this Jesus and eventually they did kill
him. The religious leaders
at that time tried to kill Jesus saying ‘He is blasphemous and uttered profane
against God’, whenever Jesus clarified himself of who is Jesus. In Mark chapter 14, Jesus answered “I am
and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and
coming on the clouds of heaven” in verse 62 to the question, “Are you the
Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” in verse 61 when Jesus was standing
before the court of the high priests, the elders, and scribes. Because of this
answer, the high priests exclaimed ‘“You have
heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of
death. 65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with
their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.’ In
verse 64-65. To their question of ‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the blessed
God?’, Jesus did not only confirm that he was the Son of God, but he also spoke
of his future coming on the clouds of heaven to judge those who despised him,
including those who would crucify him. Jesus was fully aware of the consequences
of speaking in such a manner about himself, particularly the consequence of
death. In spite of the developing situation leading toward his death, Jesus
continued to clearly speak the truth of who he was. As if determined to die,
Jesus spoke openly of his identity. Because of his transparency, the crowd and
soldiers spat on and beat Jesus, blindfolding him in an attempt to terrorize
him. Even servants slapped his face in participation. In this worsening
situation, Jesus consistently held his identity of ‘I am the king of Jews’ to
the end. Because of this consistency, Jesus was killed. Jesus
proclaimed of him to be Son of God and the king. Jesus came as the king of
kings. He came as promised beforehand. His coming was already promised as
written in Genesis 3:15. It was very simple and easy for Jesus to perform
miracles, and it amazed people. People greatly appreciated those miracles.
Especially, while Greeks seek wisdom, Hebrew so much loved to see miracles as
they were the people seeking miracles. Therefore Jesus tried to reveal himself
to be God through the means of many miracles. To Jesus, show himself to be God
was more important than all the miracles. Yet Jesus was sad when the crowds
around him did not understand he was God, in spite of all miracles of healing
diseases and feeding thousands of people. Jesus
always answered the questions of whom and what he was. He lived without
forgetting his identity for a moment. At the end, as we are well aware, Jesus
was sentenced to death at the court and died because of his answer to the
question of his identity. In other words, he died with the clear openness of
who he was. We are disciples of this Lord. We are his disciples following after
him and witnessing his Lordship. The
fact that I know who I am and keep the identity accompanies the sufferings.
Timothy 2:13 says, “if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny
himself.” Here the word “deny” means any words or deeds of a person contrary to
his own character or integrity. The words “deny himself” means the life of his
own words or deeds that conflicts or disagrees with his own character and
integrity. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus said that no one can follow him unless one
entirely denies himself. Here the word, “deny”, means to act with saying “I do
not know me.” That is to not accept my old nature. In both texts, two different
Greek words were used but the meanings are mainly the same in both contexts.
However, the word in Matthew means not only the denial of oneself but also that
of the relationships with others, while the word in 2 Timothy 2:13 means not
showing one’s own interest and oneself according to the interest. The Lord
never stopped showing who he was. Jesus lived to show who he was. What
can be the most fundamental and essential, or general and inclusive identity as
saints? What do you think this is and what does it mean to have a faithful life
according this belief? What do you hold onto as one who believes in Jesus and
is saved? What are you so sure of in your faith? I ask you to answer
individually to your own heart. There is an inscription of the maxim ‘Know
thyself’ at the entrance of Greek Temple of Apollo at Delphi. This inscription
is often mistakenly credited to the philosopher Socrates. This proposition
reminds those who are entering the temple to rethink and putting in order
before this god. Even the gentiles instruct to know the new identities they are
given in the front of the god whom they believe in. Those who believe in Jesus and are saved, are
called by many names, such as the sheep of the Lord who is their Shepherd,
people of God, disciples of the Lord, temple of God, holy saints, vine and vine
branches. We
are pure and holy virgins. In 2 Corinthians 11:2 Apostle Paul tells of the God’s plan revealed to him as
“I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to
Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.” The mission
called by God at the time is to present the Corinthian church and its members
to one husband, to Christ, as a pure virgin. The true mission and ministry is
such an effort. The effort is match making of those who were the enemies of God
to Christ as a pure virgin. Apostle Paul’s mission
is to support them for purification and offering them to God. God may send to
Philadelphia Korean Presbyterian Church the Pastor who might present this
church and its members to one husband, our Lord the Christ, as a pure
virgin. Today,
we will not consider other names of our identity but focus on the identity in a
single perspective. The word, pure, in the words, pure virgin, implies the
meaning of sanctity most of all according to the scripture of original
language. Hence this word has the meaning of heart felt respect and dignity as
well as the purity with no carnal greed, free of any defects of flaws and
specks. Therefore we have to know ourselves being newly created by the enormous
grace of God when the Lord calls us a pure virgin. We
were already dead in our own sins and transgressions. God revealed His mind to
Apostle Paul of newly creating and prepare us as
the pure virgin who did not meet other men even for once and moves the heart of
our loving Lord. God informed His plan to Apostle Paul. Isn’t this wonderful? We are given this
promise. This promise has been guaranteed with dwelling Holy Spirit in our
hearts and sealed for our assurance. This word proclaimed by the Lord is the
power that creates the existence out of nothingness. This promising word will
transform our personalities and characters.
What
an affectionate couple they may be if the couple can think and establish their
relationship after the loving relationship between the Lord and his church. As
husband loves his wife, he thinks of the love the Lord and says in his heart
‘The Lord loves me like I do . . . .‘ As the wife respects her husband and
obeys him in love, she might say in her heart ‘I give such as love to the
Lord.’ When you practice your love in this manner, you will become faithful to
your identity toward the Lord. I lack the faithfulness to the identity but I
continue for its perfection. Although I fail time to time but never give up as
Jesus let me get up again and again. You
may have failed your marriage once, no, more than once but this is not the end.
You may establish better relationship with the Lord when you reflect the past
pain for good purpose. You can build a deeper loving relationship with the
Lord. God works for the good of your marriage failure. I
pray that this church becomes a presentable and pure church to the Lord who is
her husband. I bless this whole church, in the name of the Lord, gets renewed
and beautified by the powerful work of Holy Spirit. Revelation 21:2 tells “I
saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” A woman is most
beautiful on the day her wedding. She is most presentable and glorious on that
day. She draws eyes of entire attending wedding guests. Let us beautify
ourselves as we look forward to the day of the wedding. O
Lord, I will beautify the remainder of my life and move forward as a holy
virgin without speck, flaw, blemish, and free from accusation. (Colossians
1:21-23) We
keep our wedding ring on our fingers as we live our daily lives. We lift our
hands to show our rings when someone temps us. This action is stating that I
belong to my spouse. Likewise let us openly declare that we belong to the Lord,
keep the identity and work toward the perfection to be worthy of His calling.
If you have failed before, it is not the end. There is yet enough remaining
life. You will try but will stumble over. But you will not completely fail to
the end because you will get up again as you walk the way of the bride of the
Lord. In Psalms 37:24, “though he may stumble,
he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” In Psalms 145:14,
“The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” Here the
word, who are bowed down, indication to those who bowed down by the burden that
is too heavy to bear for them. This is the promise of lifting them up to enable
for them to again bear their burdens. In Rome 8:26 Apostle Paul declares, “In the same way, the Spirit
helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the
Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” Here the meaning of
helping is that Holy Spirit God, as He standing before an individual in face to
face, lifts almost on His own the heavy burden that is too heavy to bear to the
person, and then He says. “Too heavy? I know. You just touch the burden and I
will carry and you just follow me!” Because
my Lord the bridegroom will lift me up. Because, when I sat down plump of my
weary, the Lord, the bride groom who died and rose for me, will carry me in his
bosom to eternity. I, Paul Moon, am a pure and holy virgin belonging
to my Lord Jesus. For this, I will my identity to death.
Let us sing Hymn ( ) and pray. 목숨 걸고 지켜야 하는 정체성 마 27:11-14 찬송 : 519(461),
217(425), 나 주님의 기쁨 되기 원하네, 십자가의 길 순교자의 삶, 주만 바라볼지라.
[(11) 예수께서 총독 앞에 섰으매 총독이 물어 이르되 네가 유대인의 왕이냐 예수께서 대답하시되 네 말이 옳도다 하시고 (12) 대제사장들과 장로들에게 고발을 당하되 아무 대답도 아니하시는지라 (13) 이에 빌라도가 이르되 그들이 너를 쳐서 얼마나 많은 것으로 증언하는지 듣지 못하느냐 하되 (14) 한마디도 대답지 아니하시니 총독이 크게 놀라워하더라.]
본문은 2절에 보면 본문은 주님께서 대제사장들과 장로들에게 잡히셔서 총독 빌라도의 법정에 서신 장면입니다.
대제사장들과 장로들에게 고발을 당한 법정에서 우리 예수님께서는 자신을 위한 변론은 한 마디의 관심도 없으시다가,
[네가 유대인의 왕이냐?]라는 질문에 그렇다고 대답하시고 이어지는 고발 사건에 대하여서는 한 마디의 변론 없이 당하셨습니다. 이를 본 빌라도가 크게 놀라워 했다고 본문에 말씀하십니다. 예수님께서 무엇을 이렇게 이렇게 잘 못하였다고 고발하는 자들의 말에는 전혀 대답이 없으셨지만, 예수님이 누구이신가 하는 질문에는 분명하게 답을 하셨습니다. 예수님께서는 [네가 유대인의 왕이냐?]고 묻는 빌라도의 질문에 [네 말이 옳도다.]라고 대답하셨습니다.
대제사장들과 장로들이 고소하는 여러 말들에는 한 마디 대답도 주지 않으신 주님께서는 자신이 누구이며 무엇인가에 대하여서는 늘 말씀하셨습니다.
종교지도자들은 이런 예수님을 죽이려 하였고 결국 죽였습니다. 예수님께서 자신이 누구이신가를 밝히실 때마다 당시 종교 지도자들은 예수님을 향하여 ‘참람하도다.
이는 신성모독이다.’ 하며 예수님 죽이려 하였습니다.
마가복음 14장에 보면, 잡히셔서 대제사장들과 장로들과 서기관들이 다 모인 공회 앞에 서셨을 때, 61절에 [네가 찬송 받으실 자의 아들 그리스도냐?]하는 그들의 질문에 62절에 [내가 그니라 인자가 권능자의 우편에 앉은 것과 하늘 구름을 타고 오는 것을 너희가 보리라] 고 대답하셨고 그 대답 때문에 64-65절에 [64그 신성 모독하는 말을 너희가 들었도다 너희는 어떻게 생각하느냐 하니 그들이 다 예수를 사형에 해당한 자로 정죄하고
65어떤 사람들은 그에게 침을 뱉으며 그의 얼굴을 가리고 주먹으로 치며 이르되 선지자 노릇을 하라 하고 하인들은 손바닥으로 치더라.] 했습니다. 네가 하나님의 아들이냐는 질문에 그렇다고 대답하실 뿐 아니라 앞으로 어떻게 되실 것까지,
지금 예수님을 죽이려 하는 자들을 포함하여 구주를, 예수님을 멸시하는 자들을 심판하시려고 구름을 타고 재림하실 것까지 말씀하셨습니다.
그 말씀을 하시면, 그렇게 말씀하시면 죽는 줄을 아시면서도 자신이 누구이며 앞으로 무엇을 어떻게 하실 것까지, 그 상황에서 더 나빠질 것을 아시면서도 말씀하셔서 자신이 누구이신가를 밝히신 것입니다.
마치 죽기로 작정한 사람처럼 그렇게 하면