THE KING’S BUSINESS
824
was so utterly forsaken of God, but not for His own sins but ours (Isa. 53:6). Even in that moment of seeming utter desertion He still holds onto God and cries, "My God.” .While suffering for the sinner, He is conscious of personal innocence. It was soon “finished” (Jno. 19:30), and the cloud passed by and faith shone forth, and, tri umphant again He cries out with a loud voice, no longer “My God,” but "Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit,” and He “gave up the ghost.” No man took His life away from Him but He laid it down of Himself (Jno. 10:18), willingly, gladly for the sake of the sheep. The way into the holiest place was now made manifest (Heb. 9:7, 8), “through the veil, that is to say, his flesh” (Heb. 10:19, 20). No longer was there access to the high priest alone, but the humblest believer might have boldness to enter in by the The phenomena accompanying the cruci fixion (Matt. 27:54), and the bearing of Jesus upon the cross, convinced the cen turion that the crucified one was the Son of God. He saw the Deity of Jesus in the hour of His seeming defeat, that others could not recognize in the hour of victory. His faith was born when that of the apostles was dy ing. Jesus might have said of him as of the other centurion, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel” (Matt. 8:10). The Saviour “lifted up” was beginning to “draw all men unto him” (Jno. 12:32) ;,the Jew rejected Him and the Gentile accepted. Thursday, September 9. Mark 16:1-4. The Jewish Sabbath ended Saturday at sunset. As soon as the day was over the ¿hops opened and Mary Magdalene and her friends bought spices that they might come the next morning to the tomb with the spices they had prepared and anoint the body of Jesus. It seems 'from Matthew’s account that they also made a brief visit “blood of Jesus” every day. Wednesday, September 8. Mark 15:39-47.
fact that two robbers were crucified with Him was also a fulfillment of prophecy. Monday, September 6. Mark 15:29-32. Passersby, soldiers (Luke 23:36), Jewish rulers, even the felons crucified beside Him united in mocking at the Saviour in His dying agony; and He loved them all and it was that which made the cruel mockery so bitter an ingredient in the cup which. He drank for you and me. There were two felons hanging there beside the Son of God, but neither priest nor people nor soldier, have any gibes for them, only for the “holy one of God.” The world’s bitter hatred is visited not upon outlaws but upon Christ and His disciples (Jno. 15:19; 2 Tim. 3:12). “He saved others; himself he cannot save,” the chief priests said. It was said in mockery but they spoke truer than they knew; the Good Shepherd must lay down His life to save the sheep (Jno. 10:11). The highest use of power they knew was, “Save thyself.” They would not have believed if He had come down from the croos, indeed they still doubt in the fact of a greater wonder, the wonder of His resurrection (Matt. 28:11-13; Acts 4:15- 18). Tuesday, September 7. Mark 15:33-38. Jesus has been hanging on the cross three hours exposed to the gaze and ridicule of the priests, soldiers and mob, and now God draws a curtain over the scene. When Christ was born the “Glory of the Lord” shone down upon the earth and turned night into day; when He died God veiled the sun and turned day into night. This darkness was supernatural. It could not have been an eclipse for the passover moon was at its full. In the heart-breaking cty, “My God, my God, why hast thou for saken me ?” the prophetic picture is again realized (Ps. 22:1). Here we see Jesus taking the sinner’s place, forsaken of God (Micah 3:4; cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24). There was never a man that clung to God as Jesus did, yet none
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online