Today being Good Friday, I wanted to focus on the scriptures of Jesus and his crucifixion. I can easily see the foreshadowing of "good" in Good Friday, but feel today is not necessarily a day of celebration, as it is 3 days later. I would like to be eloquent and compare darkness and light, and so forth, but today seems to need just the scriptures, and very little of me. So we will be focusing on the cross, and the ultimate gift our Father God could sacrifice, His beloved son Jesus, all, for us.
Mark 15:1-39 (The Message)
Mark 15
Standing Before Pilate
1 At dawn's first light, the high priests, with the religious leaders and scholars, arranged a conference with the entire Jewish Council. After tying Jesus securely, they took him out and presented him to Pilate.
2-3Pilate asked him, "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?"
He answered, "If you say so." The high priests let loose a barrage of accusations.
4-5Pilate asked again, "Aren't you going to answer anything? That's quite a list of accusations." Still, he said nothing. Pilate was impressed, really impressed.
6-10It was a custom at the Feast to release a prisoner, anyone the people asked for. There was one prisoner called Barabbas, locked up with the insurrectionists who had committed murder during the uprising against Rome. As the crowd came up and began to present its petition for him to release a prisoner, Pilate anticipated them: "Do you want me to release the King of the Jews to you?" Pilate knew by this time that it was through sheer spite that the high priests had turned Jesus over to him.
11-12But the high priests by then had worked up the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas. Pilate came back, "So what do I do with this man you call King of the Jews?"
13They yelled, "Nail him to a cross!"
14Pilate objected, "But for what crime?"
But they yelled all the louder, "Nail him to a cross!"
15Pilate gave the crowd what it wanted, set Barabbas free and turned Jesus over for whipping and crucifixion.
16-20The soldiers took Jesus into the palace (called Praetorium) and called together the entire brigade. They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thornbush on his head. Then they began their mockery: "Bravo, King of the Jews!" They banged on his head with a club, spit on him, and knelt down in mock worship. After they had had their fun, they took off the purple cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they marched out to nail him to the cross.
The Crucifixion
21There was a man walking by, coming from work, Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. They made him carry Jesus' cross.
22-24The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha, meaning "Skull Hill." They offered him a mild painkiller (wine mixed with myrrh), but he wouldn't take it. And they nailed him to the cross. They divided up his clothes and threw dice to see who would get them.
25-30They nailed him up at nine o'clock in the morning. The charge against him—the king of the jews—was printed on a poster. Along with him, they crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: "You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you're really God's Son, come down from that cross!"
31-32The high priests, along with the religion scholars, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: "He saved others—but he can't save himself! Messiah, is he? King of Israel? Then let him climb down from that cross. We'll all become believers then!" Even the men crucified alongside him joined in the mockery.
33-34At noon the sky became extremely dark. The darkness lasted three hours. At three o'clock, Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"
35-36Some of the bystanders who heard him said, "Listen, he's calling for Elijah." Someone ran off, soaked a sponge in sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down."
37-39But Jesus, with a loud cry, gave his last breath. At that moment the Temple curtain ripped right down the middle. When the Roman captain standing guard in front of him saw that he had quit breathing, he said, "This has to be the Son of God!"
How hard would it be to turn your face away from your child, and or loved one when they cried out to you? How hard would it be to hear insults and see such acts upon your child who is innocent? But after doing so, how hard would it be, to see your people turn away from you, when you have given the ultimate sacrifice of your beloved son, and your life?
Our Lord and Jesus are patiently waiting, and still offering salvation through His sacrifice on the cross. Oh what love our Lord has shown to us, to remove our sin, and to be ever closer to Him. What are you waiting on to become close to Him, to experience His true, unconditional love?
Father God,
In looking at Your Word today, and meditating on Your Scripture, my heart has melted, realizing even more, the love, and sacrifice You have made, and continue to make for us, Your people. May we turn our eyes upon You. May we hear Your words, and follow through with what Your will is for us in our life, upon this temporary land. Let Your glory be shown through the things which we do, and say, in our everyday lives, regardless of who is watching, or who is present. You are worthy, and to You be the glory. Thank You for the salvation we have through Your precious and Holy son Jesus.
For it is in Jesus name we ask and claim these things, Amen!!!
God Bless,
David B.
