DON’T LEAVE ME THIS WAY
Opening Prayer
I praise You, Jesus for being the light of the world. Shine light on my path today and fill me with Your light of life (John 8:12).
Read MARK 15:33–41
The Death of Jesus
33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[a]
35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,[b] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
40 Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,[c] and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
Footnotes
a Mark 15:34 Psalm 22:1
b Mark 15:39 Some manuscripts saw that he died with such a cry
c Mark 15:40 Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph; also in verse 47
Reflect
Whom do you look to first in dark times?We arrive at the darkest moment of human history, yet when the day is at its height (33). At the end of three hours Jesus breathes His last; it is finished. Having endured the insults, the mock coronation, and the nails to His last breath, it is not until Jesus dies that we get a first positive reaction to that which has passed. This comes from one of His crucifiers, the centurion: ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’ (39).
For the first time since 14:1–11, there is female input, again in a caring role and focused on the object of faith. The contrast between the treatment of Jesus by men and by women could not be starker. The men saw Jesus as a logistical problem to be solved, an object of derision, a fraud, and criminal. The women watched from a distance and, in faith, cared for Jesus even when all was lost. The hope had gone… hadn’t it?
Apply
Can you think of a time when you felt all hope was lost? Perhaps you are in that season now. Choose today to seek out and cling to Christ’s promises throughout Scripture.
Closing prayer
Lord, in our darkest moments help us to hold on to the faith that will see us through the darkness to the light of Your love.
Book and Author Intros
Extras
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Discovery is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.