Mark Devotionals
[Please read and meditate on the passage before (or after) reading the devotion.]
A very probable timeline of Jesus’ crucifixion is: at 9 am he is nailed to the cross (v.25), at Noon the sky darkens (v.33), at 3 pm he cries out to his Father and dies (v.34-37). Six hours before Jesus, the 100% human, cries out to God in agony. Was the agony physical? Was it the result of the combined hatred of those that who unwittingly became instruments of Satan? Was it the utter loneliness caused by the betrayal, denial and desertion of those closest to him? Maybe. But that wasn’t all. For Jesus what hurt the most was the apparent turning away of his Father with whom he had an intimate relationship. For those moments on the cross when he literally “became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)” [an expression to mean that Jesus became saturated with/took on the entire sin of humankind, that it enveloped him]. And even a loving Father had to turn away because he was also a just and righteous God who hated sin and had to judge sin – and did so by letting his Son suffer on our behalf. And, to repeat what I wrote yesterday – it was all for you and me. My friend, know that Jesus knows your deepest agony; he was there. And he will be there to bring you out. After all, he’s paid for it!
Prayer: Lord, I didn’t think. I didn’t realize that even my darkest moments have been experienced by you, Jesus, in one form or the other. You understand my pain, my loneliness, my darkness, because you too went through all of them – and more! Forgive me for thinking that you didn’t care, that you didn’t understand. You love me so much that you are there when I need you the most, so that I will never have to feel as you did on the cross – alone in my pain. I will never have to feel that God has left me because you paid the price that I will never have to. All I need to do is ask, all I need to desire is you with all my heart. So come to me, loving and living Lord. Hold me close to yourself. Never let me go. Amen.
