The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, According to the Gospel of Mark

Today's Reading:

• Mark 16:1 - 20
  
• Psalm 55:1 - 23

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Mark 16:1 - 20
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome were the first to approach the tomb of Jesus after the resurrection.  As they walked to the tomb, burial spices in hand, they wondered amongst themselves how they would manage to roll away the very large stone that covered the entrance to the tomb.

When they arrived at the tomb they were surprised to see it was open, and a man (an angel) clothed in white told them that Jesus wasn't there -- he had been resurrected, and they were to find and tell the disciples that Jesus would go ahead of them to Galilee.  

 The disciples did not believe the women.  Later, Jesus appeared to two of His followers and they also told the others and were met with disbelief.  Finally, the Lord appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating.  He rebuked them for refusing to believe in the resurrection and commanded them to preach the Word to the entire world. 

Right before the close of the book of Mark, there is a quote from Jesus that caught my attention: (16:17 - 18):

These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe:  They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.  They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them.  They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.

These are strong promises for fellow believers in Christ.  Casting out demons, speaking in tongues, snake handling and healing are all things that believers in Christ can do.  It doesn't say that some believers in Christ can do these things, it doesn't say only priests can do these things -- no, it says anyone who believes will be able to do these things.  I have yet to read anything (besides this short excerpt) about gifts of the spirit. I can't wait to read more about the topic.

I have finished the second book of the New Testament and am happy to move on to the book of Luke in my next reading.  It's always so exciting when I get to crack open a new book of the Bible.  And the Lord has risen, Amen!

Psalm 55:1 - 23
In this psalm David talks about how hurtful it is when a friend turns against you. David says that he can handle enemies and arrogance from enemies, but not when the offender is was a close companion.

Do you ever notice how the people we love have more power to hurt us than anyone else?  These are the people we let into our lives and into our hearts, and therefore betrayal by them burns us deep inside.

David was suffering at the hands of his enemies, and at the hand of those he used to call friends.  At one point in the psalm, David says (5:6-7):

Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest!  I would fly far away to the quiet wilderness.

No matter how much sorrow and hurt we face in this world, we are different from those who are not believers -- we have perfect peace and utter rest awaiting to greet us when our life ends.  Gone will be all the sorrow, hurt and hate.  Peace, tranquility, happiness, praise and worship will fill us instead.  So praise the Lord now! For that is the future of the believer in Christ.

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, According to the Gospel of Mark

Today's Reading:

• Mark 15:1 - 47
  
• Psalm 54:1 - 7

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Mark 15:1 - 47
Jesus was brought before Pilate for permission to be executed.  Pilate could find no fault with Jesus -- Jesus was not a threat to the government, just to the Jewish leaders.  Pilate tried to get the people to release Jesus as the prisoner to be released for Passover, but the people were too riled up by the Jewish leaders to allow that.  Finally, Pilate ordered that Jesus be whipped and then crucified.

Jesus was flogged and mocked.  The guards dressed him in a purple robe and put a crown woven of thorns on top his head.  They pretended to bow to him while at the same time beating him.  Finally the time came for Jesus to be brought to the site of the crucifixion, but by then he was unable to carry his own cross, and a man named Simon was pulled from the crowd to carry it for Jesus.

The time for the crucifixion came.  Jesus was offered wine that was drugged with myrrh but denied it.  He was nailed to the cross at 9 in the morning. Two men, on on each side of Jesus, were crucified at the same time.  The crowd taunted Jesus as he hung there.  Worse, the men on each side of Jesus also taunted him.  It's hard to imagine a crowd around you taunting you as you were dying, how horrible that would feel.  But then to have two people, who were also being put to death in the exact same manner, taunt you also is even worse.  Even in death, those men mocked Jesus and thought they were better than he.

From noon until three darkness covered the entire land and Jesus uttered his last words and took his last breaths at 3:00 pm.  As he died, the curtain in the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.  The guard in charge of watching Jesus then declared that truly, Jesus was the son of God (15:39).

 In Matthew's account of the crucifixion, far more detail was given about what happened when Jesus died.  We were told not only about the curtain, but about the earth shaking, tombs being split apart, and how bodies of godly men and women were raised from the dead (Matthew 51:53).  I was hoping for more detail on those things but didn't get it in this account.  Regardless, for that guard to exclaim that Jesus truly was the son of God after seeing him die, something visible to him (such as earth shaking, etc) had to have happened.

So once again I read about the crucifixion of Jesus, and as I have said before, it pains me to even have to read about it, but the burden that Jesus Christ carried that day was far worse than my small discomfort.  I can't wait until my next reading in Mark -- the resurrection!  I am hoping there is more detail in the resurrection in this account than I got in Matthew's account.  And thank you, Jesus, for dying for MY sins, and for the sins of all, though you knew no sin.

Psalm 54:1 - 7
In this psalm, David's location has been betrayed to his enemies.  David cries out for justice against them, that their evil plans be used against them.  Then David turns to praise for the Lord in anticipation of the Lord's triumph over David's enemies (54:6 -7):

I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O Lord, for it is good.  For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies.

What I love about those verses is the complete faith David had.  The Lord hadn't rescued him yet, but still, David had absolute faith that the Lord would rescue him, and praised the Lord in advance of his rescue.  David's faith is a beautiful thing, a perfect reminder that just because the Lord hasn't answered our prayers yet, it does not mean that He won't.  It doesn't mean He has forgotten or forsaken us.  So instead we should faith in the Lord in advance of the answer -- and praise Him accordingly.

Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane (The Lord's Will Be Done)

Today's Reading:

• Mark 14:22 - 52
  
• Psalm 52:1 - 9

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Mark 14:22 - 52
The Passover meal ended, and Jesus took his disciples to Gethsemane garden at the Mount of Olives.  There Jesus prayed in anguish to his father, begging him to take the cup of suffering away from him.  I read this same story in Matthew and was struck by it then.  Before then I didn't know that Jesus had prayed to avoid the terrible crucifixion.  Even though he prayed in anguish, he did pray that the Lord's will be done, not his. 

This passage reminds me that Jesus was a man.  Of course I know he was a man, but overall I was focused on the divinity of Jesus Christ.  Jesus being the son of God did not in any way diminish his suffering on that terrible day, and Jesus was anguished knowing that it was soon to pass.  In the end, Jesus valued one thing above all -- the Lord's will. 

Sometimes the Lord's plan from us is so far from what we want that it causes us great distress.  But when we follow the Lord's plan, something far greater than what we want comes out of it.  The death of Jesus, however horrible it was (and it truly saddens me just to get close to reading about it again), was the ultimate example of how the will of the Lord always works out for the better, no matter what our flesh wants.  Thank you, Jesus for following the Lord's will to the grave, bearing that terrible price, and earning salvation for each and every single one of us. 

When I read the name of the gardens, I decided to do a little research to see if the place exists today.  It does!  I love it when you can find places and things referenced in the bible in today's time.  Below is a picture of the Garden in Gethsemane:

 

Psalm 52:1 - 9
Psalm 52:1 says:

Why do you boast about your crimes, great warrior?  Don't you realize God's justice continues forever?

I found that to be a very powerful verse -- forever.  The Lord's justice continues forever.  There is no escaping it.  So for us, for the godly, for those who honor the eternal justice of the Lord, this psalm has perfect closure (52:9):

I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done.  I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people.

The Lord's justice carries forever.  I will praise the Lord forever, so that I can earn a place in the Kingdom of God.  God help those who warrant the Lord's justice.