Mark Reading Plan – W14D6
Week 14 | Day 6 | Mark 15:33-47
Check out all the previous readings here.
Pray
Ask God to open your heart to His word today.
Bible Reading (read these verses three times slowly)
At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.
Reflection & Questions
The death of the God-man Jesus unleashed incredible divine and cosmic power, and at the same time, tender human acts.
Mark tells us of the divine power as we read that darkness fell on the land – the sun literally darkens as the Son dies. We read that the curtain of the temple (which was some 60 feet high and 4 inches thick) suddenly ripped in two. (Read about the significance of the tearing of the curtain here). And we read of a tear in the very heart of God as Jesus cries out, “My God why have you forsaken me?” The Father for the first time in eternity turns his face away from His beloved Son.
In the midst of these very divine actions, we read of very human details, too. Vinegar on a sponge to quench thirst. A linen was bought to wrap his body. A tomb for his body cut out of rock. And Mark gives us specific names of women and men who were there, who saw it all happen with their own eyes – who stayed faithful to what seemed to be the end. It’s all very human.
Just as the divine and human were brought together in his birth, and his life, so the divine and human are very much present in his death. There’s never been a death like it and never will there be one again. As the centurion cried out when he saw the way Jesus died, we echo, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Pray
Talk to Jesus in response to today’s reading.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Bible Reading
At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.
Reflection and Questions
The death of the God-man Jesus unleashed incredible power, and at the same time very real human acts.
Mark tells us of the power as we read that darkness falls on land – the sun literally darkens as the Son of God dies. We read that the curtain of the temple, which was almost 60 feet high and 4 inches thick, suddenly ripped in two. That’s some power! (Read about the significance of the tearing of the curtain here).
In the midst of these very powerful actions, we read of very human details, too. Vinegar on a sponge to satisfy thirst. A cloth was bought to wrap his body. A tomb for his body cut out of rock. And Mark gives us specific names of women and men who were there, who saw it all happen with their own eyes. It’s all very human, and it all feels like the least that the people around could do. They didn’t know what to do, so they just did what they knew how to.
When Jesus was born, we saw God’s power mix with human actions. And now, at His death, we see the same thing. The power of God on full display, and humans just doing the next right thing that they can think of. Through all of this, though, God’s plan is still in action.
Prayer
Pray about what you read today.
Bible Reading
At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.
Devo Focus
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Vss. 38-39
Devo
The Son of God. The Son of Man. The death of the God-man Jesus unleashed incredible divine and cosmic power, and at the same time tender human acts. Mark tells us of the divine power as we read that darkness falls on land – the sun literally darkens as the Son dies. We read that the curtain of the temple, which was some 60 feet high and 4 inches thick, suddenly ripped in two. That’s some power! (Read about the significance of the tearing of the curtain here). And we read of a tear in the very heart of God as Jesus cries out, “My God why have you forsaken me?” The Father for the first time in eternity turns his face away from His beloved Son. In the midst of these very divine actions, we read of very human details, too. Vinegar on a sponge to quench thirst. A linen was bought to wrap his body. A tomb for his body cut out of rock. And Mark gives us specific names of women and men who were there, who saw it all happen with their own eyes. It’s all very human. So we see that just as the divine and human were brought together in his birth, and his life, so the divine and human are very much present in his death. As the centurion cried out, we echo, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Prayer
Talk to Jesus in response to the reading today.
