The study of the book of Mark has been interesting to me. It is thought that Mark is telling the story of the three years of ministry with Jesus from Peter’s point of view. But at some point Mark is on the scene in person, too.
I just can’t imagine what that would be like. I try to think of someone so famous and powerful and if I had the opportunity to be in the same room — ‘What would I say to them?’
More than likely, I’d say something dumb … as I have many times in the past when I’m nervous. We won’t go into those details, and if you personally remember some prime examples, I hope you’ll be kind and not bring them back to my memory!
Mark Chapter 15 is a chapter of no fun and games.
Jesus is placed on trial during the middle of the night. (Isn’t that an interesting fact?)
Can you imagine the public outcry if OJ Simpson had been tried during the night without all the major news networks notified?
The Bible teacher Kris Langham points out that the only questions Jesus answered during his “trial” were to his own identity. It appears that Pilot was astonished and impressed by this. Jesus confirmed He was the King of the Jews and the Son of God.
This was blasphemous to the Jewish priests who were outraged. I’m not very scholarly, but there are some facts you need to understand.
If you remember the Garden of Eden story in the Bible, God came looking for the couple to share some coffee or a slice of fruit pie at the end of the day. (Of course, I made up the coffee …I would have asked for iced tea or a Dr. Pepper!)
Anyway, when Adam admitted they disobeyed and allowed sin to enter the world, God had to sacrifice a lamb because of their sin. Blood had to be shed before they could be in God’s presence.
That’s why all of the years between then and the crucifixion of Jesus, the Jews had big feasts and events to sacrifice animals to roll their sins forward another year.
It’s very interesting that priests were on rotation to go into the Holy of Holies of the Temple to offer the sacrifices for the people. It might only be your turn once in a lifetime. (As was the case of the father of John the Baptist when he learned he would be a father in his old age.)
There was a huge curtain that separated the people from this holy area of the Temple. The teacher today explained it was 60 feet tall, 30 feet wide and four inches thick. “It was a 1,800 square foot reminder that God is Holy and humans can’t meet with Him.) as my teacher said.
When Jesus allowed himself to take His last breath on the cross, that curtain in the Jewish Temple tore all by itself from TOP to BOTTOM. That’s a very significant object lesson because it was God who tore it. Not man. Now, the blood of Jesus had atoned for all the sins of the world and anyone could come to God for forgiveness and fellowship.
Because Jesus, God’s Son was the perfect sacrifice being human and God at the same time while on earth, God accepted His sacrifice for our sins.
Now I don’t have to drag a “perfect, spotless” little lamb to the church every Sunday and watch my husband kill it to atone for the sins I’ve committed this week. Wow, I’m thankful for that!!!
My “sin nature” — the one I inherited from Great Great Grandma Eve was forgiven as a seven year-old little girl when I realized I was a sinner and needed to ask Jesus into my heart to forgive me of that sin nature I was born with and allow me to be forgiven and one of His children.
God asks His children to be bold and share these truths with those who have been blinded by satan. (Satan was a fallen angel who used to be in God’s presence until he started a rebellion against God.) This is all documented in the Bible.
Just as satan tricked Eve into disobeying God — he’s still playing the same tricks on humans today. Pull out a Bible or get it on your smart device and look up the book of St. John in the New Testament and read Chapter 3. You can see who Jesus Christ really is and how He can change your life … if you’ll ask.
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