And when the sixth hour [midday] had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. Mark 15:33 At the birth of Jesus, we’re told that shepherds were watching their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them (Luke 2:9). When Jesus was born, there was light at midnight, but when Jesus was crucified, there was darkness at noon. Now whenever you come across something unusual in the Bible, it’s a good rule to ask: “Where hav...
Dec 24, 2024•3 min
They crucified him. Mark 15:24 Why crucifixion? Why did Jesus die this way rather than another way? No one was crucified in the Old Testament. Among the Jews, capital punishment was by stoning. The Old Testament had one rite that helps us to understand the meaning of crucifixion: "If a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by...
Dec 23, 2024•3 min
They brought [Jesus] to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. Mark 15:22-23 The wine mixed with myrrh had the same effect as a mild sedative. Crucifixion was so barbaric, and the pain involved so horrific, that according to tradition some relief was offered to the victim just before he was nailed to the cross. We don’t know who offered this drink to Jesus—most likely it was the women who followed Him to the c...
Dec 22, 2024•2 min
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 Jesus gave His life as “a ransom.” You need to know that there are a growing number of teachers in the church today who deny precious truths like this. These folks think it is “unworthy” to speak about God’s wrath or judgement. If you don’t believe there is wrath or judgement for sin, then there’s no reason to think that Jesus endured these things for us on the cross. But the subst...
Dec 21, 2024•3 min
This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God… Acts 2:23 The Bible gives us not only a description of what people heard and saw when Jesus died on the cross, but also an explanation of what God saw in Jesus' death. And in this explanation, God reveals what He was doing at the cross: Christ died for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3). If you had been there, you wouldn’t have known that Jesus was dying for our sins. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree (1 Pet. 2:...
Dec 20, 2024•3 min
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Mark 15:34 The New Testament tells us about the death of Jesus in two important but different ways: God gives us both description and explanation. And it’s important to hold these two together. The Gospels describe what actually happened. Mark gives us an eyewitness account. If you had been there, here is what you would have seen: The soldiers dividing Jesus’ clothing by lots (15:24), the written notice over Jesus’ head that said, “The King of the Jews...
Dec 19, 2024•2 min
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 Here are three things you can do when you are suffering: Come to Jesus for comfort. Your Saviour has been tested in every way, and yet He was without sin. He knows what it is like to be bound, to be falsely accused, to endure great pain, to be ridiculed and treated as nothing. Your Saviour knows what you are going through. So, don’t turn away from Him when ...
Dec 18, 2024•3 min
When they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak… Mark 15:20 The charge against Jesus was that He claimed to be king. The soldiers picked up on this, and they put a purple robe on Him (15:17). This was not a bright purple robe. It was an old, worn-out cloak rubbed in the dirt. Mark said it was purple. Matthew said it was scarlet. Either way, it was faded, and its true colour could hardly be recognised. And a king must have a crown, so someone went and got some thorny branches, twi...
Dec 17, 2024•3 min
Pilate… having scourged Jesus… delivered him to be crucified. Mark 15:15 Jesus endured unspeakable physical pain. And His physical suffering speaks into our lives today. Some of us have experienced physical pain inflicted by another person. It’s a terrible thing. Most of us have experienced physical pain at some point in our lives, perhaps through an accident, or an illness, or even through an ongoing condition—you live with pain. Some of us have never experienced anything like this, but one day...
Dec 16, 2024•2 min
The chief priests accused him of many things. Mark 15:3 Roman law is one of the great legacies of the Roman Empire. And the governor, Pontius Pilate, was responsible for upholding justice by protecting the innocent and confronting the guilty. But when Jesus came before Pilate, there was no protection. The crowd was calling for Jesus to be crucified. And Pilate asked, “Why? What evil has he done?” (15:14). There was no answer, just a growing chorus calling for His death. The law was supposed to p...
Dec 15, 2024•3 min
They bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. Mark 15:1 Try to take this in: The hands that healed were bound, and so were the feet that brought good news. The Son of God was delivered into the hands of those who hated Him and wanted to hurt Him. And God allowed it to be so. Doesn’t Jesus have all power? Couldn’t He break those bonds? No, and here’s why: God had determined that at this moment Jesus should be bound. The Bible says that God cannot deny Himself. He cannot cont...
Dec 14, 2024•3 min
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. Hebrews 12:3 The Bible is such a practical book. It speaks to the realities of our lives. And it’s saying to us: Look, here you are as a disciple of Jesus and you're living in a difficult world. Following Christ isn’t easy, and ministry brings many pressures. Here’s what that means: You’ll be in constant danger of growing weary. And when discouragements begin to pile up, you’ll f...
Dec 13, 2024•2 min
Christ… suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21 At some point in your life, people will oppose you. They may even hate you. You may experience this in the context of business or in your family. Peter says the suffering of Jesus gives us a model to follow. What is His example? No retaliation When he was reviled, he did not revile in return (2:23). When someone hurts you, your first instinct will be to hurt them back. Jesus did not retaliate. W...
Dec 12, 2024•3 min
It was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.Hebrews 2:10 The word 'perfect' here means complete. Jesus became the saviour He is through His suffering. Suffering shapes a person. It builds character, depth, and sensitivity into your life. A saviour who had never suffered would have something lacking. There would be a whole realm of life to which he could not relate. But there is...
Dec 11, 2024•2 min
So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.Mark 15:15 In this description there are no gory details, just the facts. Notice how the Bible shows great restraint in describing the physical sufferings of Jesus. This is important because there’s a real temptation for every teacher of the Bible to use the violence of what Jesus suffered to shock people. But you don't find that in the Bible. There is no attempt to ha...
Dec 10, 2024•3 min
“After I am raised up, I will go before you...”Mark 14:28 What about Judas? He wasn’t with the disciples in Galilee. He had already taken His own life. The problem for Judas was not that he committed a sin too great to be forgiven, but that he would not come to Christ for forgiveness. Don’t let that be true of you. Jesus went on ahead of them to Galilee, but they had to come to Him. Peter and Judas stand before us as two men who failed Christ. Peter was restored, so no one should ever despair. A...
Dec 09, 2024•3 min
“After I am raised up, I will go before you...”Mark 14:28 What does this mean for us? If you belong to Jesus, He won't leave you in the misery of your failure. The risen Christ is in the business of gathering His scattered sheep. Your giving into temptation isn't the end of the story. Your falling away isn't the last word. Here's the hope of the gospel: The risen Christ is gathering His scattered sheep. Those who have fallen into temptation can come to Him, and those who have been running away c...
Dec 08, 2024•3 min
“I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.”Mark 14:27 Thank God this is not the end of the story: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee” (14:27-28). The striking of the shepherd will not be the end of the story. Nor will the scattering of the sheep. Why not? Because Jesus speaks here about His own resurrection. And though Jesus stood alone in His suffering, He was not, like the disciples, overc...
Dec 07, 2024•2 min
“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”Mark 14:38 In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was warning the disciples about the temptation that they were about to face. Notice the “you.” He was talking about their battle. Jesus was not asking them to somehow support Him in His trial. No, He was telling them, “Soon you are going to face a great trial. If you are going to stand, this is what you must do: You have to watch and you have to pray.” But they did not watch, and they did not pr...
Dec 06, 2024•2 min
Peter… followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priestMark 14:54 There was still a flicker of hope. One man felt that he wanted to be close to Jesus on this night. You have to love Peter’s devotion. He ran, but he couldn’t stay away. Maybe this man will bring some comfort to Jesus in His suffering. Then someone recognised him: “You… were with the Nazarene” (14:67). Peter denied it, but she wouldn’t be put off: “This man is one of them” (14:69). “The bystanders again said ...
Dec 05, 2024•3 min
“You will all fall away.”Mark 14:27 It wasn’t just Judas. Jesus said to the disciples, “You will all fall away.” Feel the weight of that. Peter couldn’t imagine this happening to him: “Even though they all fall away, I will not” (14:29). You can see what he is saying, and you have to admire his courage and determination: “Lord, you can count on me! Even if all the rest of them abandon you, I want you to know, Lord, that you’ve got at least one friend in the world who will not let you down, even ...
Dec 04, 2024•3 min
While [Jesus] was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper...Mark 14:3 While Jesus was reclining at the table in this man’s home, a woman expressed her love for Him by pouring a jar of perfume (worth a year’s wages) over His head. Some of the guests thought this was wasteful. They thought that something so valuable could have been put to better use. After this, Mark tells us that Judas, “one of the twelve” (14:10), went out to betray Jesus. The phrase, “one of the twelve,” is repeated three ti...
Dec 03, 2024•3 min
Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’”Mark 14:27 We come to holy ground today as we take this first step into the passion of Jesus: Christ suffered at the hands of His friends. Let’s take in the sweep of Mark 14. This chapter begins with a dinner in the home of Simon, and it ends with a trial in the house of the High Priest. It begins with Jesus surrounded by His friends; it ends with Jesus surrounded by His...
Dec 02, 2024•3 min
He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things…Mark 8:31 We’re following the story of Holy Week. On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem. On Monday, He ran the money changers out of the temple. Tuesday was taken up with questions from Jesus’ opponents, who were trying to trap Him. On Tuesday evening, Jesus taught His disciples about the glorious hope of His second coming. The Gospels do not record any events on Wednesday, so we can safely assume that our Lord rested in prepar...
Dec 01, 2024•3 min
“With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27 Today we see one final lesson from the young ruler's life: Real change is impossible with man but not with God. God can change the selfishness that would keep you out of heaven. How does He do that? Being good like God is possible through Christ’s life for you and Christ’s Spirit in you. Christ's life for you “Not having a righteousness of my own… but that which comes through faith in Christ” (Phil. 3...
Nov 30, 2024•3 min
“Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible.” Mark 10:26-27 This is our third truth from the story: Real change is impossible with man. Pause a moment to take this in. The rich young ruler thinks he can produce the goodness needed for entering heaven. Jesus knows that He can’t. What does this man need to be saved from to become good like God? His life is all about himself. He needs to be saved from the power of selfishness. Jesus exposes this when He says, ...
Nov 29, 2024•3 min
The disciples said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Mark 10:26 Here is the second truth we see in this story: Salvation involves a real change in which a person becomes good like God. One major problem that we face in the church today is that we have separated what God joined together. Salvation is reduced to a formula that is believed without making a difference to a person’s life. It is a change in your destiny without a change in your soul or in your behaviour. One reason the word “evangelica...
Nov 28, 2024•3 min
“Good Teacher… what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Mark 10:17 The first lesson we learn from the rich young ruler is this: To enter heaven, you must be good like God. When the rich young ruler asks his question, Jesus takes him up on the goodness thing: “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (10:18). How do you measure goodness? All measurements are made against a particular standard. You can use a yardstick, but how do you know that the one you are using is accurate? If...
Nov 27, 2024•3 min
As [Jesus] was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him. Mark 10:17 This man who came to Jesus had a great deal going for him. Here are four things: He was successful. He is successful financially (Mk. 10:22). He is also successful professionally—he is a ruler, in a position of influence (Lk. 18:18). And he had achieved all this while he was young (Mat. 19:22). He was moral. There’s no reason to doubt his sincerity when he says that he has kept the Ten Commandments. He is a ...
Nov 26, 2024•3 min
They were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. Mark 10:13 You may have been drawn to Jesus, but His disciples got in the way. Something another Christian said or did kept you from getting to Christ and receiving His blessing. Here are three truths to remember when that happens. 1. Jesus removes the barriers that keep us from God’s blessing. “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them” (10:14). On the cross, Jesus broke down every barrier on God’...
Nov 25, 2024•3 min
