Thursday 5th November 2009 Mark 15:21-47

St Luke's Bible reading for today is Mark 15:21-47
It's been a while. But here is my 2 cents worth. There are lots of goodies in this passage and it lends itself to many a happy hour contemplating what God is showing us.
Now, let me see. Is it possible this Simon the Cyrene was the one and same who carried Jesus cross?
Note verse 23. They offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.
Why didn't he take it? Because the mixture would have dulled the pain. He would not do that. You see, for you and for me He had to experience death, be death in fact. Is this cruel? Nope. Not according to God. And remember Satan will use any tool to try to trip up Christ. Go back to the beginning with all that he offered Christ that Christ might worship him. You see Satan's purpose is to keep us from God. The means don't matter. It is all in the deed.
Verse 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS.
The Jews objected. But then they would. they didn't see Christ as king. But he was/is the only Prophet, Priest and King. He is the only one able to claim that title. Others might be a combination of all three, but not all three. But then, there again we have the Trinity defined.
Verse 29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,
But that's just the very thing. He did. And we are living proof.
Verse 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!"
And if He had then we would/could not have been. Sin must be dealt with. Once. For all. Completely.
Verse 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
That would have been tough. You and I can never even begin to plumb the depths of this. For the first time in all eternity the Trinity was in a sense incomplete. I let that one sink in a while.
Verse 38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
That curtain was a seamless curtain. It covered the mercy seat hiding it from view. The Mercy Seat was behind it and only those ceremonially clean could go therein. In fact, to go in unclean meant instant and certain death. God and sin cannot meat. They are completely opposed to each other. That curtain was part of the process of keep it that way. It was a pointer to what was to come and to what was to happen. It pointed to Christ and the work He would accomplish upon the cross when He died in our place. Died the death that we should have but never could have.
Now, once Christ had died and the penalty paid there was no need to guard the Mercy Seat. For now we are all, by virtue of Christ's death, free to approach the Royal Throne. That curtain was/is proof that Christ work was complete/enough.
OK, I have waffled long enough. I now invite some one else to comment upon verses 42-47.