Mark 15:33-42 Every Step Is Joy: Christ Died For Us
The Text
Mark 15:22–32 (CSB)
22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of the Skull).23 They tried to give him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.
24 Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, casting lots for them to decide what each would get.
25 Now it was nine in the morning when they crucified him.
26 The inscription of the charge written against him was: The King of the Jews.
27 They crucified two criminals with him, one on his right and one on his left.
29 Those who passed by were yelling insults at him, shaking their heads, and saying, “Ha! The one who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
30 save yourself by coming down from the cross!”
31 In the same way, the chief priests with the scribes were mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself!
32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with him taunted him.
The Devotion
Matthew 1:21 (CSB) She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Galatians 2:20 (CSB) I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
John 12:32 (CSB) As for me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to myself.”
John 10:14-18 (CSB) “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
In the garden, our original parents wrongfully, sinfully exchanged the glory of God for themselves, bring them into sin, shame, guilt, suffering, and death.
Romans 1:18–25 (CSB) For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.
In this moment, right here, Christ, whom created heavens and the earth, who created soil and the tree from which to construct the cross; whom shaped the mountains to containing the metal ore and granting the science in which to smelt and smith the nail and the spear to pierce his skin; and knitted each of the Pharisees and the soldiers and Judas, as they were in their mothers' wombs, and preserved their lives so that they would betray, lie, slap, spit, and execute this Son of Man.
He literally did it all so that you and I would be saved unto him forever.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (CSB) He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Nothing is a mistake. None of this happened to him. He is God. He decreed it. He allowed it. He moved it. So that you and I could worship him in Spirit and in truth for all of eternity.
That is our God!
Every step that Christ took towards the cross was in complete joy and satisfaction because every step he took was one step closer to completely, satisfactorily, perfectly, definitely, absolutely, forever "save his people from their sins."