Mark 15: 24-33, 37-39
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 the 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. With a loud voice Jesus breathed his last.
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And 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
The One who knew no sin took all the sins for the whole world on himself. Jesus saved others but he chose not to save himself. This was the reason he left the glory of heaven and lived on this earth for 33 years–to save others including each of us. Yes, Jesus who is fully God took on the life of being fully man to live, to be beaten, to endure insults, to die a public sinners death nailed to a wooden cross. We must believe that, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Our Prayer
Thank you for your gift of your Son to save each of us from the death that we all deserve. We love you in Jesus’ name, amen.
