Mark 15: 17-39
They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to cry out to him, “Hail the king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in front of the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of the Skull). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.
And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.”
It was the third hour when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!”
In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
A Thought
Have you ever been falsely accuesed by someone you love; then you bear the penalty for their guilty without saying a word only to be mocked and spit on? Jesus, our suffering servant, did this for us; Jesus paid the penalty for our wrongs with the price of his death on a cross forsaken by everyone, including God! When Jesus breathed his last breathe,the temple where blood sacrifices were to be made was torn in two from top to bottom. This was to signify there was no longer a need to offer sacrifices for sins because Jesus the Christ, the perfect blood sacrifice had been accomplished for all people who will believe and accept the gospel in truth.
Our Prayer
Father help us to never forget the price that Jesus paid for our sins to be forgiven. Help us to be willing to endure our cross to follow Jesus so others may see your love in us. We desire to bring glory and honor to you, in Jesus’ name, amen.
