Dear Student of the Word,
It is my pleasure to once again present a week's worth of daily devotionals from the gospel of Mark. We are almost finished with this gospel as this week we study the crucifixion in all its glory and ugliness.
This week I wrote:
v. 24 -- They did not even turn Jesus' clothes over to His family. Instead the soldiers gambled to see who would get what. Mark doesn't go into may details. He just wrote that they crucified Him. There is so much to say about the significance and effects of the cross. Men have composed songs, hymns and poems, others have written books, and many have preached sermons. Read what one man had to say about the cross in a book about preaching.
Preach the cross in the context of the world's suffering, and men will learn not only that Christ is with them in the dark valley, God "afflicted in all their affliction," gathering up their distress and desolation into HIs own eternal heart -- not only that, though that indeed, even if there were no more to be said, would be a mighty reinforcement: they will learn this other great thing, that God in His sovereign love still leads captivity captive, still transforms the wrecking circumstances on life into means of grace, the dark places into a Holy of Holies, and the thorns that pierce into a crown of glory. For the Cross means that even when things are at their worst, even when life does not bear thinking about, God is master of the situation still, and nothing can spoil His final pattern or defeat His purpose of love (Heralds of God by James S. Stewart, page 78, emphasis added).
Feel free to add your comments to this study on this site where it is posted.
Download this week's study: Mark Study 22.doc
Comments