MTP Sermon Resources

Mark 15:42-47 March 24, 2024 (Palm Sunday) • Mount Pleasant UMC As he made his way to the fortress, all sorts of things were probably going through his mind. I sort of imagine he was remembering the events of the week, especially the past Sunday when Jesus had entered the city. A triumph it wasn’t, at least not in the way most of his disciples expected, but it was significant. It caught the attention of the religious leaders, for sure, as people waved palm branches and laid down their cloaks on the ground. Those were the sorts of things you did for a king. You would go out of the city and welcome him to town because if you didn’t it would appear as if you couldn’t be bothered to greet the king properly (Keener, Bible Background Commentary: New Testament , pg. 165; Wright, Surprised by Hope , pgs. 132-133). This is just what you did. Of course, a king would have been riding a stallion, not a donkey, so the contrast was a little jarring. But nonetheless, Joseph, who believed in Jes...

  “Give Me His Body” Sermon Study Guide for March 24, 2024 Downloadable Version Scripture: Mark 15:42-47 1. Joseph Arimathea… Skull Hill… Going to Pilate… 2. You and Me “go along to get along” serve the person in front of us Matthew 25:40 serve the person who can’t repay you Questions to Discuss or Ponder: Why, do you think, Joseph chose to be a “secret disciple” of Jesus? When you are tempted to be a “secret disciple”? What was it that prompted Joseph to reveal his connection to Jesus? What does it mean that he was “waiting for the kingdom of God”? In what way(s) are we still waiting for that kingdom? What did Joseph risk in going to Pilate? In what way(s) do you find yourself risking for Jesus’ sake? Where are we most tempted to compromise our faith and values today? Where will you risk being misunderstood to serve Jesus this week? Scripture for the Week: Monday - John 18:1-18 Tuesday - John 18:19-40 Wednesday - John 19:1-16 Thursday - John 19:17-27 Frid...

Mark 15:33-39 March 17, 2024 • Mount Pleasant UMC It may very well be the worst line ever delivered by the legendary actor John Wayne, maybe by any actor. When I first told Pastor Rick about it a few years ago, he didn’t believe me that John Wayne is in the film The Greatest Story Ever Told . It’s very brief, but he plays a Roman centurion. He has one line, and there’s no question in my mind that he’s phoning it in. See if you disagree with me. You almost expect him to say “Pilgrim” at the end, don’t you? And yet this scene, which is so bad in the film, is a very powerful moment in the story of Jesus’ crucifixion. And so we want to take some time with it this morning, more time than John Wayne took with it apparently, as we continue this series on “Words to the Cross.” This Lenten season, we’ve been looking at the ways people respond to what is happening on that center cross on a hillside outside Jerusalem. We’ve heard from the crowds, from Pilate, from one of the other crimina...

  “Surely He Was God’s Son” Sermon Study Guide for March 17, 2024 Downloadable Version Scripture: Mark 15:33-39 1. A Roman Soldier centurion the men on the cross… “loud cry” - “Finished!” (John 19:30) “Son of God” curtain of the Temple 2. Testimony a. What did God do… b. What difference… c. What is Jesus doing… 1 Peter 3:15-16 - “always be ready” Questions to Discuss or Ponder: Who would be the equivalent of a Roman centurion today? If you were in this centurion’s armor, which of the events leading up to the crucifixion would have affected you the most? Why? What is significant about the different ways the men on the crosses die? What about Jesus’ death would have caught the centurion’s attention? Why does Mark mention the tearing of the curtain in the Temple? How do you think those who would have been in the Temple at the time reacted? What is a testimony? Why is it important to know yours? Why is it critical to share yours? Are you able to share your story in a ...