Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Good Friday" Friday, 18 April 2014 - Read Mark 15:16 The soldiers led him away within the court, which is the Praetorium; and they called together the whole cohort. 17 They clothed him with purple, and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 They began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 They struck his head with a reed, and spat on him, and bowing their knees, did homage to him. 20 When they had mocked him, they took the purple off of him, and put his own garments on him. They led him out to crucify him. 21 They compelled one passing by, coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them, that he might bear his cross. 22 They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, “The place of a skull.” 23 They offered him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but he didn’t take it.
24 Crucifying him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots on them, what each should take. 25 It was the third hour,[a] and they crucified him. 26 The superscription of his accusation was written over him, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 27 With him they crucified two robbers; one on his right hand, and one on his left. 28 The Scripture was fulfilled, which says, “He was numbered with transgressors.”[b]
29 Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!”
31 Likewise, also the chief priests mocking among themselves with the scribes said, “He saved others. He can’t save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe him.”[c] Those who were crucified with him also insulted him.
33 When the sixth hour[d] had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.[e] 34 At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”[f]
35 Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.”
36 One ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down.”
37 Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit.
Footnotes:
a. Mark 15:25 9:00 A. M.
b. Mark 15:28 NU omits verse 28.
c. Mark 15:32 TR omits “him”
d. Mark 15:33 or, noon
e. Mark 15:33 3:00 PM
f. Mark 15:34 Psalm 22:1
Jesus said, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”--Luke 22:19 (NIV)
I attend a Christian university and was recently required to read an article about the physiological changes that Christ would have experienced during his crucifixion. Holy Week is a time to remember that Christ died for our sins, but most of the time I’m only vaguely aware of the reality of his death. Reading about the hours of Christ’s torture and physical degradation, I couldn’t help but sob, “God, make it stop!” I was only reading about the event. How must Jesus’ mother have felt? How must God have felt? I was consumed by a deep sorrow for such irrepressible cruelty. At the same time I was flooded with gratitude, fully aware that Christ willingly submitted to this terrible death on the cross. As I thought of what Jesus said at the Last Supper, “Do this in remembrance,” I realized that we are to remember not only who Jesus was but also how and why he died. I am overwhelmingly grateful.
The Author: Debbie Middlebrook (Georgia, USA)
Thought for the Day: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NIV)
Prayer: Dear God, we are filled with sorrow for the pain and suffering that Jesus endured so that we may live. We are grateful for the free gift of our salvation. Amen.
Prayer focus: Those suffering persecution
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