5-24-98 How do you want to be remembered? Mark 14
by Ronald George Jr.
Scripture Text: Mark 14: 8-11, 27-31.
Mark 14:8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, [this] also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. 10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. 11 And when they heard [it], they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.
Mark 14:27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. {offended: or, scandalized, or, shall stumble} 28 But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. 29 But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet [will] not I. 30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, [even] in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. 31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
Key verse is: 9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, [this] also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
a. Local epitaphs: A husband and wife are: together forever. Thy Kingdom Come. I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Gone but not forgotten. Everlasting love. He’s safe at home. The man with the plan and she loved family, friends, and flowers. The Lord is my shepherd. At Rest. "Far off thou art, evernigh. I shall not lose thee though I die."Great loves live on. Thy trials ended and thy rest won. …
As the tree falls there it lays. "No man can preach another man’s funeral. We all preach our own funerals by the life that we live. The things we do. The things we say, or the things that we don’t do or say." This is a quote from a man of God named Ode Coombs, who spoke these words on the day of his Graduation/death. One day as I was about to preach a funeral I was approached by a woman who wanted me to preach her sister into heaven. I tried to show her that all that I could do is preach Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and soon coming. No matter how hard we try we all have to face the inevitable fact that our lives are the final word in the matter of our memorial. No matter how many poems or words are placed on our tombstones it will never change the life that has been lived either for or against Jesus. Jesus is the deciding factor of the memorial that will are building for ourselves. Jesus knows.
b. Judas Iscariot:
10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. He is the betrayer. The one who loves money and it’s gain more than his own soul. The one who is called the son of perdition. The one who kissed the door of heaven and never entered in. The one who looked and played the part. He was so much a part of the group that no one suspected when Jesus told them that one of them would betray Him, but Jesus knew.
c. Chief Priests
11 And when they heard [it], they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him. The Chief Priests of Jesus’ day will always be remembered as those who longed to have position and power more than they wanted God. So instead of being the light to the world they were the leaders of darkness. They played a part in a life taking drama missing the chance to know God as a person who loved them. Opportunity missed. They chose to persecute those who they did not understand or agree with. They chose themselves and not God. They were glad. They promised to fulfill their pledge of evil with money. Jesus knew.
d. The Disciples:
Mark 14:27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. 28 But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. 29 But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet [will] not I. Peter and the disciples will be remembered as those who loved the Lord and failed. They were the ones who ran out on Jesus when he needed them the most. Peter was the one who denied Jesus three times before the next morning or the crowing of the rooster. They were the ones who walked and talked with Him for over three years but they left him. But they did not quit. They repented and came to him for forgiveness. They were the ones who Jesus chose to change the world. Their boldness came after they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Knew.
e. The Woman:(Mary)
Mark 14:8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, [this] also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. She will be remembered as the one who did what she could. She wasn’t a tele-evangelist or world wide message tribe. She was one who loved Jesus. She gave what she had to Jesus. Jesus wants us just as we are to give what we have to him. Anything more would be impossible. Anything less would be dishonoring to the one who gave us the best that he had. Give of your best to the master. Give of the Strength of your youth. Jesus knew.
2. How will we be remembered? We will be remembered by our lives. History records a remarkable account of the destruction of an ancient town. The watchmen on the walls would call out whenever they thought they saw a foe approaching. Sensing that the people had begun to resent them for giving these false alarms, they decided to remain quiet. Regrettably, not long afterward the enemy actually did come. The city that could have been saved was assaulted and devastated, and nothing was left but smoking ruins. Later someone erected a small memorial inscribed with the following epitaph: "Here stood a town that was destroyed by silence."
Can God's people afford to be silent about the sin that surrounds them?
3. How do we want to be remembered? What will your epitaph be?
One more epitaph for the road: From a marker covering the grave of one who died in 1897:
"Kind friends, beware as you pass by
As you are now once was I.
As I am now you must be
"Prepare therefore to follow me."
We must prepare now for the inevitable. Where will you be when you graduate? Where do you want to be? How do you want to be remembered?