tonight I invite you to turn to Mark chapter 12 and if you're a visitor this is our series in the morning and we are coming to an end of a section here tonight it would have been easy to make this three sermons but I think sometimes it is very helpful to stand back from Mark and look at the bigger picture Mark's gospel is definitely one to do that and particularly in what is before us tonight so we will look at verses 35 through 44 35 through 44 and then we have um a section on the close of the temple the destruction of the temple and the signs of the close of the age that we'll consider after the first of the year beginning at verse 35 this is the word of the lord and jesus taught in the temple as he taught in the temple he said how can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David. David himself in the Holy Spirit declared, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet. David himself calls him Lord, so how is he his son? And the great throng heard him gladly. And in his teaching he said, beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers, they will receive the greater condemnation. And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich put in large sums, and a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on. May the Lord bless the hearing of His Word. In the last section, that scribe had come to Jesus asking about, remember the greatest commandment. I loved preaching that particular section of Mark it was so so helpful and it was different than all the other questions that Jesus had had been asked by all the different religious leaders of of the day all those other questions were really sideline issues that were diversion tactics by these religious leaders the pharisees and the sadducees that avoided dealing with the most pressing issues that they needed to think about. And I said in that particular sermon that the matter of your priorities in Christianity are an indicator of your sincerity in your Christianity. Because insincerity in religion will never want to face the most pressing issues and questions of life. But that's not Jesus. You're never going to be able to sidestep what is most important with Him. and He's going to force you to deal with those important questions. If you come into the church and the church is preaching the Word of God, that's what the Word of God is going to do. And what is most important, and in this context, as I was looking at this, thinking a lot about the theme that's here, I couldn't come away without thinking this is a section about identity. In other words, Jesus now has a question for them. After all their questions for Him, here He has His own question, and it's a question of His identity. And as the cross is about to make very clear, there will be a clear presentation on the cross and a clear statement of who He is as He reveals His identity, and this particular section is preparing us for that, and it's showing us the consequence of that in our lives the consequence of the revelation of his identity and what he came to do and tonight this has consequences uh for those who are not his especially for the religious leaders of israel as he is about to show his identity is front now his identity is on his mind now to to make this clear to beginning to make this very clear which the cross will reveal as he uncovers as he uncovers his own and begins to speak of his own identity and reveal that identity it has the effect of uncovering the false identity of the religious leaders and it also has the effect of giving a new identity to his sheep so you're seeing this somewhat develop here tonight as i was looking at how do these things relate they're not just a whole bunch of different sections loosely connected there's an identity issue here and you'll notice this as we see first a question now from jesus concerning his own identity how that identity exposes a false identity and how it reveals a new identity in his people this is all about identity tonight and what you do with the identity of jesus has a direct bearing on your own identity so hopefully that helps and that's mark chapter 12 tonight we really do get to the heart of the issue tonight after a series of very aggressive assaults on jesus and questions posed to him here now is jesus's question of his own And the way that you answer this question and accept the implications of it will have everything to do with how you identify the two exposures that follow. After a series of brutal assaults, last time a rather sincere scribe had come asking one of the most important questions that we could ask as human beings, a sincere one. What is the greatest commandment? and jesus of course uh cited the summary of the law we've been considering that it was remarkable when we looked at love and considered love love the lord your god with all your heart soul mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself this scribe really got it didn't he he understood what the commandment required the question is whether he understood his heart but that's not what that text was about he understood what the commandment required and jesus says you're not far from the kingdom of God. We looked at that. I don't think we should see Jesus as not providing the man with further instruction on how to enter. And that would be wrong. And I believe that's where leads us into this next question of his. How can a man enter the kingdom? If this man's not far, how can the man enter the kingdom? That really is the question people should be asking after that little exchange there. isn't it? And we know from Mark 1 that this was one of Jesus' great intentions in his ministry was to call people to enter the kingdom of God, repent and believe, for the kingdom of God is at hand in my presence. Well, from here we read that Jesus is back in the temple. Multitudes are all around him. And verse 34 tells us that they were done with their questions. No one dared to question him. He had made them all look very, in a sense, very stupid, especially the ones who were very aggressive with him, not so much the sincere scribe. That was a rather kind exchange. These other ones got put in their place. But now Jesus has a question. All the multitudes are around him. Most likely all the delegations that had tried to catch him with a trap. The whole thing had started in the temple. When the temple police and all the delegations had come to him and ask the question, by whose authority are you doing these things? The authority issue. They wouldn't answer his question then about John the Baptist, so he never answered. But it seems to me that we're back at that issue. He's back in the temple, and now he asks his question. I was thinking about this, you know, if he could have pinned them with a million questions. what would he choose right which one you might say i have a if i was there that day i'd have a million questions for jesus you ever thought about what question he would have for you which one you begin to think about it you realize whatever it is it's going to have a big implication and he's going to have a lot of meaning and intention with it here comes the question of all questions we should be on the edge of our seats as he taught in the temple he answered and asked how is it that the scribes say that christ is the son of david really back to the issue that ignited all the the fight in the temple as i was reflecting on this this week i more than a few people wrote down that this is a very complex section of Scripture. And I was reflecting on it. I hope I don't sound arrogant to say I don't think it's that complex. I really don't. In fact, it's so plain and obvious that the whole thing comes across as entirely rhetorical, doesn't it? In other words, if you just think about what he's asking here, you're really going to have a gasping sort of response. the question is, what am I going to do with it? So what is it? The scribes teach that the Christ, the Messiah, the scribes teach this. Is the son of David? It's absolutely true. Everyone believed that when the Messiah would come, he would come from the lineage of King David. He would be a human. But there's something that you've not taken very seriously. Nothing you've not thought about. Here's your dilemma. How can they run around saying that when David, by the Holy Spirit, said something way beyond that? Now I have to say, side note, what we take for granted, we have tried to constantly teach our children the importance of believing that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Notice how Jesus just treated it. i love to note that all of scripture is given by inspiration of god and is profitable and notice what jesus is doing here in every sort of conflict in every question in every way he's teaching he's always going to the scriptures and then he openly says here how did david say by the spirit very important um jesus recognized the authority of the scriptures jesus recognized their inspiration. Jesus based all of his ministry on this and acted that way with the scriptures, didn't he? It's never a question. That's so important for us to pick up here. We could miss that. Don't be ashamed of it. It's what Jesus did. You can do it. You can quote scripture and say, God said so this is what he says David said by the spirit the Lord said to my Lord sit in my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool you know where that's taken that's psalm 110 you know that's the most quoted in my reference and research that's the most quoted psalm in the new testament maybe even in the entire bible this was a big psalm big psalm um you'll notice there if you look at uh it's not really captured here in in the esv um it's captured oftentimes in the psalms and you'll see it in in psalm 110 if the esv did that um let's make sure before i send you there yes if you look back to psalm 110 you'll notice there that the two names for lord one is all capitalized and the other is not um it's it's a very important point to notice you'll notice that the first is all caps the second is lower case two different names of god are being supplied in psalm 110 and so the psalm reads the lord there's the holy name yahweh the lord said to my lord adonai sit in my right hand so david's speaking yahweh said to my lord adonai god is is speaking here if you will to his messiah who is my lord says david so so what jesus observes here is that the spirit inspired david saying this son his son was also his lord is that hard well it might be hard for us to grasp but is that hard the point or to put it another way david's son is also god's son so david calls him lord how is he then his son they came face to face with one of the most important questions didn't they whose son really is the messiah you know this is the last time he talks with these guys is it he's going to go to the cross it's his last question This is the last thing on earth they got from Jesus. Kind of a chilling thought, isn't it? The last time of dialogue. Keep in mind, these guys were infuriated when people were running around saying that He was the son of David. Remember who was doing that in Mark's Gospel? Well, they were the little children in the temple. It was blind Bartimaeus crying out on the road son of david stop it stop it they despised jesus for receiving that for to say that meant he was receiving the title and designation that he is the messiah they knew that he was receiving that they understood that he was receiving that he welcomed that praise he commended that praise but they better be careful you see in their rejection of him they better not get this wrong for david understood that the messiah was his lord think carefully if you reject me you're rejecting david's lord you're rejecting god's son see how big issue this is get the implications of that let me let me draw the conclusion the messiah was is not was never understood just to be a man but the messiah would also be fully god now jesus has not openly revealed that in his ministry but now as he comes close to the cross notice this revelation starting starting to make its way out just before he goes there his last question is a question for them to reckon with his identity now listen to the crucifixion remember what happened at the crucifixion the high priest asked are you the christ the son of the blessed jesus i am and you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming with the clouds of heaven uh-oh think about that imagine the implications if that's true who did we just put here? Who's here? What did we just do? This is what the disciples used, of course, apostles at Pentecost to bring about mass repentance, didn't they? You crucified the Son of God. He just forced them in this question to deal with the most pressing question of their lives. If they reject Him as the Messiah, you're rejecting God. And what a deadly mistake. No wonder Jesus would say there's no other way. There's no other way anyone can be saved. There's no alternate route. There's not many ways to heaven. This is where I think we have to bring people to see how serious the claim of Jesus is. Because people play fast and loose with Him all the time. Do they really want to be wrong about this? Think about it. If you turn away from Him as the Messiah, you're turning away from God. But the thing that Jesus has been making clear about the Messiah is that the Messiah had come to be a Savior. So then we really do have the answer to the scribes' dilemma. How does one go from being near the kingdom of God to entering the kingdom of God? You bow to Him and you receive and you believe in Him. We enter the kingdom only through Him. But they need to know the consequences of rejecting Him as the Messiah and Son of God. So the question leaves us with a very serious inquiry of whether we have taken seriously just who is calling us to repent and believe. I think that's lost today in proclamation, the weight of who is calling us to repent and believe. Now, here's where Psalm 110 tonight is just remarkable. It makes all the sense in the world that he would quote it here. David understood that the purpose of the Messiah would be to rule. And that the rule would include the tearing down of his enemies. The purpose of the Messiah, the purpose of God's Son coming would be to sit enthroned, which is what Jesus said he was going to do after the cross. Sit enthroned and rule all his enemies until they're all made a footstool for his feet. he just quoted that to his enemies so that means that the revelation of his identity spelled their doom had they bowed to their king or were they enemies being subdued under his feet this is where we are in mark's gospel in this very serious moment so it spelled the uh it meant the revelation of his identity now, was now bringing a revelation of their identity. And it's no surprise that's the next thing that happens in this text. He begins to uncover their identity. At this point, it's important to see that what he does now is utterly expose the identity of false teachers. They are essentially stealing his glory. They're blind people to his truth. And I believe this is why it explains why Jesus was so hard on the false leaders of His day. Listen to what He says. Just look carefully at what He says there in Mark 12 about them. And in His teaching, He said, Beware of the scribes who love to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for pretense make long prayers. they will receive the greater condemnation. Doesn't that make sense? The great warning from Jesus himself is that false teachers and people who stand with them, their single great purpose is to fatten themselves in their own glory. They're false Christs. That's why it's so important. It's hard to know how to emphasize all of this. The greatest assault and the way you know you're being led astray is when false teachers bury the truth of who he is. That's essentially what he's saying. And they do it in a very outward kind of way. This is how you know. They do it in a very pompous kind of way. They attempt to steal his identity, albeit here concealed, and replace it with their own. Notice the identity contrast going on here. This is what I've been trying to tell us about the Savior. His glory was the cross. We've been looking at this in Mark. It's a servant's gospel. His path to exaltation was first the path of suffering. The eternal Son of God led a path of becoming nothing, and that was His mission as the Messiah, was a suffering servant to die for the sins of His sheep. Who after he accomplished that would then be exalted to the right hand and majesty of the majesty on high. What are these men doing? Look at them. Their lives prove they're not servants of me. They love the robes. They want great titles to their names. They want the best seats. They want the best places at the feasts. Their prayers are all about them. All they want is recognition. But they're proud, they're selfish, they're insincere, and you can't trust them. These are false teachers. Interesting moment, isn't it? Think of Matthew 23 in this regard. They bind heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay on them on men's shoulders Lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. All their works they do for to be seen of men. They broaden their phylacteries. They enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the uppermost rooms at feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not called Rabbi, for one is your master, even me, he says, even Christ. I'm your master. And call no man your father on earth. For one is your father who is in heaven. And neither be called masters. For one is your master, even Christ. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you compass sea and land to make one proselyte. And when he's made, you make him twofold more a child of hell than yourselves. Hopefully this comes together for you all in a minute. Isn't that the problem of all people without Jesus? Isn't identity what everyone's struggling with? Our social media exposes it. We all want to be somebody. We all want to show how great we are. We all want everyone to see how wonderful we are, how great our lives are. We live in a culture full of narcissism. We live for us. We have a culture of identity crisis right now. And just look at people. We're all running around wearing a costume. whatever our culture whatever our people are we all fight and we wear costumes we all want to portray greatness we're all in the pursuit of it and those who are the greatest among us get to show off their costumes the most what a tragedy when this happens in God's kingdom with his pastors and his people what does this passage say that they were doing in Israel here's where I hope you get the whole connection tonight verse 40 could be read right over they devour widows houses they practice all kinds of extortion on the weakest of people these little widows who had nothing you know the reason they had nothing because all their money was being taken and extorted by these kinds of shepherds this has always gone on in the history of the church I know our youth group watched recently the Luther movie and there is a scene in that movie if you guys were awake I won't tell you what my daughter said of the movie you remember a widow walks up to luther and is so proud of if i remember right what if i get this wrong i hope i don't her indulgence paper and um she's so happy uh she had paid money to get somebody out promised purgatory relief from the priest luther was furious anybody remember that scene think about what's happened here that's taken from this passage his identity is being revealed theirs is being utterly exposed and what's happening in the process it's revealing a new identity that is he is bringing for those whom he has come to set free I love what now follows see the connection verse 41 Now as he sat opposite the treasury and saw how people put money into the treasury, watched them in the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums and a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins which make a penny. And he calls his disciples and he says, come here. Look at that. I want everyone to look at this right now. You men, look at this. That's why I'm here. Right there. See what she just did? Disciples are standing there. Now she just threw in something worth no more than a fraction of an American penny. Yep, see it? You know why she's poor? Because of these guys. this is the sense of this she's been totally neglected she's been totally abused by these guys but here's what's really special about her i want you to notice here's what i want you to think about for ministry this poor widow has put in more than all of those who gave into the treasury they put in out of their abundance but she put in her poverty everything she had and the story ends her whole life. Jesus says, I want you to study this for a minute. She illustrates something. In the midst of all this oppression in Israel, when everything has been taken from her, she has nothing. Shepherds have not cared for her. She, in the midst of all this abuse, throws in whatever she has left, Trusting in the Lord's deliverance. That's how bad it is. That's why I've come. That's why I'm here. Disciples, she shows you we need to be set free. These people. But demonstrates the chief reason, dear disciples, I'm here. Look at the oppression. Look at all this stuff. Look at the games. Look at the costumes. It's all about them. Look at this abandoned widow in her poverty. Fed no hope. In an idolatrous temple. Waiting for the consolation in Israel. But this is what ministry should produce. This should be everywhere. She gets it. It's gospel response. My identity is being revealed I'm the Messiah, God's eternal son who becomes nothing and gave everything. What do you see here? That identity. The identity I'm going to get. One of the lost sheep of Israel under the confines of this showing you an identity. She exhibits what I'm after. Not arrogant, hypocritical judging of me but people who need to be set free with a new identity look at her she gave more than everyone they all gave out of abundance but she gives out of poverty she gave her whole bios in the greek life you understand why he was such a warrior he came and curses the fig tree he overturns tables he makes whips He takes these guys head on. Why? Because of her. This was not the ministry. They had laid heavy yokes and heavy burdens that no one could carry. They held people in bondage. Don't you understand chapter 13 now? He looks at this temple, this monstrous extortion going on in the temple. How does 13 begin? And as he came out of the temple, One of the disciples said to him, ah, teacher, look at what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings. Jesus says, it's all coming down. Let me tell you, all of it. That's not what the worship of God produces. It's not about that. It's meant to give people, tight to this morning, rest, new identity. This is not the freedom I intended. It's Ezekiel 34, isn't it? Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, thus says the Lord God unto the shepherds, woe be to the shepherds of Israel that feed themselves should they not feed the flocks. You haven't sought that which is lost, but with force and cruelty have ruled them. For thus says the Lord God, listen to this, behold, I, I myself, will search for my sheep and seek them out. i'm coming i'll do it who is this god's son god's eternal son the messiah and he would not fail for it was more than just physical poverty that he came to help people he came to set the brokenhearted free he came to recover sight to the blind. Bartimaeus, son of David. He came to proclaim liberty to the captives. He came to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Here it is. It's what David was looking for. And the time has come. The way of the cross and his ascension will soon come. And he says, I'm tearing all this down and the day that David's Lord would sit at the right hand is about to begin. and that brings us back to the most important question tonight then that we close with his identity has been revealed to the ends of the earth he's your shepherd he's your shepherd king that identity has an exposing effect on your life especially as you sit and hear his kingdom proclaimed you'll either be in constant conflict with him because you don't like what he's exposing about you. And you'll constantly put on the mask. You'll constantly be a fake. We're all good at it. We're all good at it. Or his lordship will begin to overtake you and your response will begin to look a lot more like this woman's. Not hypocritical questioning, but humble trusting. Where she tells us of the brand new identity that He has come to give. And here's where I can say with confidence that such a person with this identity, believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, is not just close to the kingdom. They've entered it. And so I ask you tonight, do you have that identity? Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for these words tonight. and thank You for helping us to understand more about our identity. But most of all, showing us the true identity of the Messiah. What a blessing to understand and see what You did. Sending forth Your Son to be the Shepherd of Israel. To recover, to expose, to save, to bring a people to Him like this woman. May we have this kind of response. And may the ministry that we receive, Lord, be Your ministry. A ministry of reconciliation. A ministry of being fed with the Word. A ministry of being strengthened in Your promises. That there would be not just one little widow who comes up to the house of the Lord, but multitudes who come up every Sabbath, who give their whole life, and who want to. We pray that and ask that for us, Lord. And take down our masks and remove hypocrisy from our lives for we all have it. And may we treasure the identity and worship the true King and find our lasting and satisfying identity in Him. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.