“And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.
And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.”
Who is Jesus?
We’ve asked the question before, but it’s the question we must answer.
After being mocked and beaten, Jesus is led away to be crucified.
The soldiers compel a man named Simon of Cyrene to carry His cross. They bring Jesus to Golgotha, nail Him to the cross, and divide His clothing among themselves.
Above His head hangs the charge against Him:
“The King of the Jews.”
People passing by mock Him. The religious leaders join in, saying,
“He saved others; he cannot save himself.”
They mean it as an insult, but their words contain a profound truth.
Jesus has saved others. And He is saving many others even now.
But to accomplish that salvation, He will not save Himself. At noon, darkness covers the land. Three hours later, Jesus cries out,
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
These words come from Psalm 22, a psalm that begins in anguish but ends in confidence that God will deliver. Yet Jesus’ suffering is very real. He is bearing the sins of the world, enduring the judgment we deserve, enduring hell. The Son of God has entered into the depths of human suffering and death to redeem us.
Then Jesus breathes His last.
At that moment, something remarkable happens. The curtain of the temple is torn in two, from top to bottom. For generations, that curtain had separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple. It represented the separation between a holy God and sinful humanity.
Now the curtain is torn open.
Through Jesus’ death, the barrier of sin has been dealt with. His sacrifice has accomplished what all the sacrifices of the temple could only point toward.
The way to God is open through Christ.
Standing nearby, a Roman centurion watches Jesus die and declares,
“Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Mark began his Gospel by identifying Jesus as the Son of God. Now, at the cross, a Gentile soldier recognizes that truth.
The cross reveals who Jesus truly is. He is the Son of God who loved us enough to give His life for us.
And although the chapter ends with Jesus’ body being placed in a tomb, we know that His death is not the end of the story.
Let’s pray…
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for willingly suffering and dying for my sins. You bore the judgment I deserved and opened the way for me to come to the Father. Help me never to take Your sacrifice for granted, but to live each day trusting in the forgiveness and life You have won for me.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
