SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/7/2013
11:17 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Death of the
Servant PT-1
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Mark
15:21-32
Message of the
verses: Today we will begin to look
at the “Death of the Servant” by looking at Mark 15:21-32 and Dr. Wiersbe has
entitled this section of Scripture “The
third hour.”
The third hour
(15:21-32): “21 They pressed into
service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of
Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross.
22 Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated,
Place of a Skull. 23 They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did
not take it. 24 And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among
themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take. 25 It
was the third hour when they crucified Him. 26 The inscription of the charge
against Him read, "THE KING OF THE JEWS." 27 They crucified two
robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. 28 [[And the Scripture
was fulfilled which says, "And He was numbered with transgressors."]]
29 Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying,
"Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!" 31 In the same way the
chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves
and saying, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. 32 “Let this Christ,
the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and
believe!" Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.”
We actually looked at verse twenty-one in yesterday’s SD
so we will begin by looking at verse twenty-two.
Dr. Wiersbe entitles this twelfth chapter of his
commentary on the Gospel of Mark “The Servant Finishes His Work.” In his introduction to this chapter he writes
some very convicting words, as least they are to me. “I have glorified Thee on
the earth, ‘Jesus said to His Father; ‘I have finished the work which Thou
gavest Me to do’ (John 17:4). It would be wonderful if all of
us could give that same kind of report when we get to the end of life’s
journey. To know that we have
accomplished His work and glorified His name would certainly make us look back
with thanksgiving and ahead with excitement and anticipation.
“The four events described in this final section of Mark
give us the climax of the Gospel story and the historical basis for the message
of the Gospel (1Cor. 15:1-8).”
As we look at verse 22 we know that by looking at the
other gospel accounts that there are some things that Mark does not write
about. We have to remember that Mark’s
account of the life of Jesus Christ is what we would call a “Readers Digest”
account of the life of Jesus Christ, and we also have to take into account that
he was writing to the Romans and therefore he leaves out some things that would
be more familiar to the Jews.
The way that Warren Wiersbe breaks up his first main
point which he entitles “The Servant’s Death,” is by dividing it up by the
hours that Mark provides in this section of Scripture from Mark 15:21-41. We are looking at just what happened
surrounding the third hour in today’s SD.
To explain about the hours that are recorded in the different gospels
Dr. Wiersbe writes “The Jews reckoned time from 6:00 A. M. to 6:00 P. M., so
this means that the third hour was 9:00 A. M., the sixth hour noon, and the
ninth hour 3:00 P.M. Mark followed the
Jewish system, whereas the Apostle John used Roman time in his Gospel. This means that ‘the sixth hour’ in John
19:14 is 6:00 A. M.”
We know that Jesus was on the cross for six hours and the
last three hours was when the earth was dark and the thing that was so
disturbing to our Lord happened during that time period. Paul writes of the results of those three
hours with these words, “2Co 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” But we cannot get ahead of the story too
much.
We left of in yesterday’s SD with Simon carrying the
cross of Jesus, and the reason Simon would have been carrying the cross of
Christ was because of the condition Jesus was in, but it may have been that
because it was the law that a guilty man had to carry his cross, however Jesus
was not guilty. We are the ones who are
guilty and perhaps Simon carried it for all of us.
Dr. Wiersbe writes of Simon in this way: “In one of his folksy letter to his mother
Harry Truman wrote, ‘I went to the White House to see the President and
discovered I was the President.’ Simon
had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover (Acts 2:10; 6:9), and he ended
up meeting the Passover Lamb!” We
mentioned the impact that this probably had on Simon in yesterday’s SD.
Now
in verse twenty-two we see that they arrive at the place where Jesus is to be
crucified, “the place of the skull.” It
may have been named that because it looked like a cross, or perhaps because
many people died there. Dr. Wiersbe
writes “We do not know the exact place where our Lord was crucified, nor is it
important that we know. He was crucified
outside the city walls the place of rejection (Heb. 13:12-13); and He died for
the sins of the world.”
Verse
twenty-three tells of Jesus being offered some kind of a narcotic in order to
help subside some of the pain, but He refused it. He wanted to be in complete control when He
did the will of the Father, that is to accomplish the work of redemption. While Jesus was in the garden He prayed that
this cup might pass from Him and that was the cup of wrath that the Father would
give Him to drink for us.
While
listening to sermons from John MacArthur and reading the commentary from Dr.
Wiersbe I have been reminded that none of the Gospel writers describe the
details of the crucifixion for this was not necessary. It was not their aim to arouse pity, but it
was their aim to assure our faith.
Crucifixion was common in the days that these accounts were written that
there was no need to describe it, their readers knew all about it.
Psalm
22 foretells what was going on during this time and it was written many years
before crucifixion was every used. “14 I
am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like
wax; It is melted within me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You
lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded me; A band of
evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones. They look, they
stare at me; 18 They
divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.”
Mark
writes of the sign that was put up on the cross of Christ, but he does leave
out part of it. “Mt 27:37 And above His
head they put up the charge against Him which read, "THIS IS JESUS THE
KING OF THE JEWS." The Jews had a
problem with this as seen in “Joh 19:21
So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, "Do not
write, ’The King of the Jews’; but that He said, ’I am King of the Jews.’" 22. Pilate answered, "What I have
written I have written.’”
As
far as the two people who were crucified alongside Jesus we know that they too
joined into the harassment that was being given to Jesus, but Luke tells us
this about them: “39 One of the criminals who were hanged there
was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself
and us!" 40 But the other answered,
and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the
same sentence of condemnation? 41
"And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we
deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." 42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me
when You come in Your kingdom!" 43
And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me
in Paradise’ (Luke 23:39-43).”
There
was many things from the OT that were being fulfilled during this part of the
Life of Jesus Christ as He went through the different trials, and no is hanging
on the cross. I have read that the
probability of having all the things written about Jesus in the OT coming true
were like piling silver dollars in the entire state of Texas six feet high and
asking a person to find one particular silver dollar. And yet we serve a God who is all knowing and
all wise, and all powerful, who is sovereign, who is holy, who is immeasurable,
who is love and also just, so this was not a difficult thing for Him to write
these things beforehand and then having them fulfilled. John MacArthur states in one of his sermons
on Mark that the miracles that Jesus did while on earth were not as impressive
as the providence that God works out everyday throughout this entire
world. All of the things that were
written about Jesus in the OT were fulfilled by the providence of God during
that time. Think of Judas going to the
Jews to put these events into motion.
The trials of Jesus when they were all illegal, but in the plan of God,
and the Jews not wanting to crucify Jesus until after the Passover, but Jesus
dying exactly when the Passover Lamb was slain.
The type of death that He died and all the other things that happened to
Him while on the cross were all in the providence of God, showing that God is
all powerful, and all wise, along with being just and love, for we see all of
the attributes of God at the cross of Christ.
We
mentioned in yesterday’s SD that many of the people that watched and also participated
in the crucifixion of Christ though that Jesus was crazy and therefore were
making fun of Him. We also know and have
seen and will see later that not all thought this of Him and there were some
who would be saved through witnessing this event. Think about the thief on the cross, and also
Simon, and we will see the centurion later on who will recognize that Jesus was
surely not crazy, but was indeed the Son of God.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: The question
that Pilate asked the Jews “What will I do with Jesus?” is the most important
question that anyone can ask, and if the right answer is given then one will
live with Him for all eternity.
My Steps of Faith for Today: The more that I study about the events that
happened to Jesus during this period of His life and death should give me more
of a desire to serve Him, so that I too can fulfill all the things that God
planned for me to fulfill in eternity past.
(Eph. 2:10)
Memory verses for the
week: Psalm 32:1
1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered!
Turing Points Wisdom for
Today: “No one ever falls into sin as
the result of being too watchful.”
(Author Unknown) “Watch, stand
fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”
(1Cornithians 16:13)
2/7/2013 12:57 PM
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