THE DEATH
Opening Prayer
Lord, thank You for thinking enough of me to die for me.
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
Mark 15:34 Psalm 22:1
Mark 15:39 Some manuscripts saw that he died with such a cry
Mark 15:40 Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph; also in verse 47
Meditate
Pray for a fresh realization of what the cross of Jesus means for us.
Think Further
After three hours in the burning sun, darkness covers this traumatizing spectacle. The taunts are silenced, and He is alone with His Father. Ever since Gethsemane, He has been deprived of all human support. There He has contemplated the horror of the cup of God’s wrath, requesting its removal. Now He must drink it. Probably, for the only time in His life he addresses His Father not with Abba, but just ‘My God’, quoting the psalmist (Ps 22:1). Mark records, but does not explain, this seeming alienation of the Father from the Son. He does, however, keep us from any false conclusions about the deity of the Son by reporting the clear confession of the centurion.
The crowd hears the cry, interpreting it as a call for Elijah to arrive. Elijah is considered the precursor of God’s coming to redeem his people. One person wants to help Jesus with a drink, but others wait to see whether Elijah will come. Then Jesus dies. Mark does not record the particulars of His loud cry, but we know that His work is done. Then two things happen. The veil of the temple is torn. The way into God’s presence is open to all. The holy place that once a year only the high priest could enter, bearing blood, is now opened to all and for all time. Even more powerful is the response of the pagan centurion, who confesses Jesus as Son of God. The reference to Elijah takes us back to John the Baptist. This confession takes us to the first verse of the Gospel. Here is the good news of Jesus, the Son of God. We have reached the conclusion of the story. God has visited and redeemed His people.
Apply
Share with someone else your own conviction about the identity of the crucified One.
Closing prayer
Lord, we treasure the now open avenue into Your presence. The veil is gone, and You are now accessible to all.
Book and Author Intros
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.
Encounter with God 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.