A sermon series by Ben Zornes for Christ Church Downtown
A Dragon's Lair No More (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #16)
October 20, 2024 • Ben Zornes • Mark 16
One of the physical responses to fear is the inability to speak. When you are frightened, you tighten up. When you are flustered, words come with difficulty. Fear leads to silence. If monsters are on the prowl, you put your hand over your mouth. You hide in terror. You pull the blankets over your head. But what happens when the fear passes away? You suddenly find your outdoor voice.
The Cup He Drank (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #15)
October 13, 2024 • Ben Zornes • Mark 15
There is not a more familiar image in Western Civilization than Jesus upon the cross. Its familiarity must never blunt the truth of what it means. Its prevalence should never shroud how shocking it is. Its ubiquity can never dull the shine from its glory.
Awaking from the Dream (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #14b)
October 6, 2024 • Ben Zornes • Mark 14:43–72
Dreams are strange things. But they are not, as the materialists would insist, just the chemical and electrical boings and bongs of the grey matter. You’ve certainly had pleasant dreams that you don’t want to awake from. On the other hand, you’ve probably had the unpleasant experience of a night terrors that you greatly desire to wake up from, but can’t seem to. Then there are dreams that in retrospect gave you a glimpse into the future. Long lay the world in slumber. Jesus came to wake man up.
Anointed for Burial (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #14a)
September 29, 2024 • Ben Zornes • Mark 14:1–42
In various surveys of people’s fears, public speaking is regularly atop the list. We are frightened of standing before other people. This fear is close to the bone. At our core, we often care far more than we should about how people view us, and we fear losing the esteem of others. But to follow Jesus is to be reviled by the world. As Jesus approaches the cross, Mark challenges us to consider the question: Do you know what it means to follow Jesus?
Close to the King (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #12b)
August 11, 2024 • Ben Zornes • Mark 12:28–44
Trends come and go. This diet is the secret. This exercise routine of Mongolian herdsman will resolve all your health issues. This legislation will solve all societal ills. The list of such fixes is long. Man wants a law which, if rigorously obeyed, will solve every evil and will give coherence to everything. But Jesus gives us the sum and substance of true righteousness, and the coherence point for the universe.
The Lord's Vineyard (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #12)
August 4, 2024 • Ben Zornes • Mark 12:1–27
Jesus did not come to leave things status quo. Those who want Jesus to be merely a good teacher or a nice example of love and kindness really just want a Jesus they can whistle up. He came to be our prophet, priest, and king and nothing less.
The Cursed Fig Tree (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #11)
July 28, 2024 • Ben Zornes • Mark 11
Being asked a question you can’t answer is embarrassing. Embarrassment can produce two emotional outcomes: humility or vindictiveness. This portion of Mark’s Gospel exposes the envy, fear, and wickedness of the scribes and Pharisees, and their response is not repentance but to plot an assassination.
Christ’s Battle-charge (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #10b)
July 14, 2024 • Ben Zornes • Mark 10:32–52
How do you respond to tense conflicts? Crack a joke? Climb in a hole? Explode with vindictive anger? Escape? One option we are loathe to try is to follow Jesus up to Calvary. True leadership is Wallace-like, being the first to charge into enemy lines.
Moses' Promised Prophet (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #10a)
June 9, 2024 • Ben Zornes • Mark 10
The truth makes soft hearts. Lies make hard hearts. We too often cushion and nuance the truth. Whereas Jesus confronts us with hard words of truth, which if we will receive them like children, will make hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.
As a Child (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #9b)
June 2, 2024 • Ben Zornes • Mark 9:30–50
Perhaps you’ve boarded a plane with your kids in tow, and seen the pained expressions on the faces of the other passengers. You may as well have killed a puppy in front of them. The scowls and sighs belie a cultural mood that is far from Jesus’ Kingdom.
The Father Speaks (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #9a)
May 26, 2024 • Ben Zornes • Mark 9
Matthew’s Gospel opens with a lineage from Abraham down to Jesus. Luke’s Gospel includes a family tree from Jesus back to Adam. Mark did not neglect to give a lineage. Rather, fitting his stylistic rapid pace gives us the most concise lineage possible for Jesus: He is the Son of God the Father. But the Heavenly Father promises His Beloved Son glory. But this glory will be bought with blood.
Straight Into Danger (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #8)
May 19, 2024 • Ben Zornes • Mark 8
Mark presents Jesus as a mighty man, driving out evil spirits, challenging self-righteous and self-assured teachers, and performing powerful acts (healings, feedings, calming seas). Jesus has been slowly unveiling what His master plan is. He didn’t come only proclaim Yahweh’s kingdom as coming; but to also make a claim to be the lawful King of Israel with designs for expanding to borders to the ends of the earth. All His riddles and signs have been the curriculum, and now as their teacher He gives His disciples a test.
Christ’s Piercing Wit (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #7)
May 12, 2024 • Ben Zornes • Mark 7
Have your words or past actions ever come back to haunt you? Perhaps you once said, in your youth, “When I’m a parent, I will never (fill in the blank).” And now that you’re a parent you find yourself regularly doing that thing. There are really only two responses to such a moment of revelation: laugh at yourself or burn with vindictive anger.
Man As He Ought to Be (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #6b)
April 7, 2024 • Ben Zornes • Mark 6:33–56
Mark has just told us of a king serving the head of a righteous man on a feasting dish at a royal banquet. Now he contrasts that king with a King who brings His people into green pastures and beside still waters to give them an abundant feast. The contrast could not be more stark.
The Resurrection as Judgement (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #6A)
March 31, 2024 • Ben Zornes • Mark 6
It doesn’t take long in a child’s life for them to begin to expound on matters of justice.“That’s not fair!” is learned early. And indeed the world is littered with seemingly senseless instances of unjust suffering, evil persecution of the righteous, and unfair weights and measures. The question must be asked, “What is God gonna do about it?!”
