June 29, 2010

The ultimate self-sacrifice

Mark 15:21-41

Beth Addy
Tuesday's Devo

June 29, 2010

Tuesday's Devo

June 29, 2010

Central Truth

He sacrificed His life for US!

Key Verse | Mark 15:31

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." (Mark 15:31)

Mark 15:21-41

The Crucifixion

21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour 1 15:25 That is, 9 a.m. when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 2 15:27 Some manuscripts insert verse 28: And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, He was numbered with the transgressors 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.

The Death of Jesus

33 And when the sixth hour 3 15:33 That is, noon had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 4 15:33 That is, 3 p.m. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he 5 15:39 Some manuscripts insert cried out and breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son 6 15:39 Or a son of God!”

40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

Footnotes

[1] 15:25 That is, 9 a.m.
[2] 15:27 Some manuscripts insert verse 28: And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “He was numbered with the transgressors”
[3] 15:33 That is, noon
[4] 15:33 That is, 3 p.m.
[5] 15:39 Some manuscripts insert cried out and
[6] 15:39 Or a son

Dive Deeper | Mark 15:21-41

Have you ever self-sacrificed your time or energy? Would you even consider sacrificing your life for someone else? 

I bet for many parents, this is an easy answer. You often sacrifice your own needs or desires for your kids. You skip a nice meal out to buy your child new athletic shoes, etc. I have to confess that I don't have kids and often don't sacrifice my time or energy for the eternal rewards for others. Especially when it's inconvenient for my schedule. I typically have a running checklist in my purse and have an overload of next errands to run. People-care outside of work has become a low priority because I am then on "me" time.

My grandmother was a great example of giving sacrificial love, time, and energy. I recently found out that the last thing she did before she died from pancreatic cancer was to crochet a blanket for her great grandchild she never met. She was always thinking of others, how she could love them, serve them, and bless them. Her life was a legacy of love and faith to those of us watching and listening. 

Jesus knew that His death would be our blessing. His death was foretold in Isaiah 53:5-7 (NIV): "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." I believe Jesus could have saved Himself. He is an all-powerful God and healed and saved so many others—the deaf and mute (Mark 7:31-37), the blind (Mark 10:46-52), the demon possessed (Mark 5:1-20), the dead and sick (Mark 5:21-43), among many others. 

But Jesus' death has brought us life. His death was our only HOPE for eternal life. That, my friends, is our biggest blessing in life: a Savior who loved us so much that He self-sacrificed His life for sinners like us. Surely you and I can make time in our lives for others. The chief priests and teachers didn't get it. I hope we do.

Discussion Questions

1. How can you sacrifice five minutes of your time today that will have an eternal impact on someone?

2. If you were told your days were numbered, how would you spend your remaining time on earth? 

3. How would your family and friends describe you—self-sacrificing or self-serving? 

FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Before Jesus came, the curtain in the temple represented the separation of people from God. The priests in the temple made sacrifices for the cleansing of the people’s sins so they could be in a right relationship with God. What happened to the curtain in the temple when Jesus died (verse 38)?  

2. What do you think this showed about how we can have a relationship with God now? (Jesus had now made the ultimate final sacrifice.)

3. Have you accepted Jesus’ sacrifice for your sins?

4. Write a prayer of thanksgiving to Jesus for the sacrifice He made for you.