Tuesday, February 20, 2018

2018.02.20 Hopewell @Home ▫ Mark 15:22-41

Questions for Littles: Whom did they bring to Golgotha (v22)? What did Jesus do, when they offered Him the wine that would decrease the pain (v23)? What did they do with His clothing (v24)? What did the inscription of the accusation say (v26)? Whom did they crucify with Him (v27)? What did the Scripture that this fulfilled say (v28)? What did people mock Him and tempt Him to do in v29-30? Who else mocked Him with the same temptation (v31-32)? Who else even reviled Him (end of v32)? How long was there darkness (v33)? What does Jesus cry out at that point (v34)? What do people think Jesus is doing (v35-36)? What does Jesus do in v37? What happens in the temple in v38? What does the centurion say when He sees Jesus’s dying cry and breath (v39)? Who were looking on from afar (v40)? What had they done (v41)?
This week’s Invocation and Confession of Sin came from Mark 15:22-41.

In this particular picture of the crucifixion, the Holy Spirit focuses upon Christ’s insistence upon suffering for His people. He is King, and He is going to the cross like a King.

He refuses to take the wine with myrrh that would dull the pain. His purpose for coming was to endure that pain in our place.

He refuses the temptation of those who throw His words back in His face. It is a temptation from Satan, very much like Satan’s quotes of Scripture during the temptation in the wilderness.

He refuses the temptation from the priests and scribes. Behold our King on the cross, in the midst of His greatest trial and agony, He is refusing temptation with Kingly dignity!

Even His endurance of the darkness is kingly. God literally turns the Aaronic blessing inside out against Christ: Yahweh curse You and destroy You! Yahweh hide His face from You in darkness and pour out wrath upon You. Yahweh frown upon You and give You Hell.

The Lord Jesus endures this darkness, from noon until three p.m. Three hours, He bore up under God’s wrath with Kingly resolve. And only after three, long hours does He cry out at the pain of being forsaken for our sin.

Considering what we’ve been learning from the book of Hebrews, isn’t it wonderful that the moment Jesus breathes His last, the temple curtain is torn in two from top to bottom?

Before the Centurion cries out in v39 that Jesus was the Son of God, God announced via that curtain that this One upon Whom He had frowned is actually His beloved Son with whom He is well-pleased.

So, how will we respond? The indifference of the soldiers gambling over the clothes just will not do.

Is that all that this crucified King means to us? An opportunity to get something from Him? God forbid!

Though, like the women, we are still afar off, let us look on with same following care as those who are committed to serving Him with our lives!
How often do you consider the cross? When you do, what are some of your responses?
Suggested songs: ARP22A “My God, My God” or HB199 “Alas! and Did My Saviour Bleed”

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