Jesus' final hours.
Jesus was stripped of his dignity, spat upon,beaten with clubs,flogged to the point of death by a whip which waslaced with shards of bone, and wasforced to carry his cross to the point of exhaustion. Jesus was then nailed to a cross, exposed to the elements,and denied all sustenance.Jesus cried out to the Father, drew his last breath, and then a spear was thrust into his side to ensure his death. There was blood and water spilling from his corpse.Jesus' body was wrapped in suffocating burial cloth and laid in a tomb. They assumed Jesus was dead— and indeed he was. According to Mark 14:50 (NIV) by the time Jesus died everyone had, "deserted him and fled."
The disciples were disillusioned by Jesus' arrest, trial, and crucifixion. They were utterly demoralized and devastated. What hope did they have now? They had staked everything on Jesus. They trusted him, followed him, and obeyed him, and now he was gone forever. How could it be that this one who claimed to be the Son of God, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, was now dead?
The events of Jesus' ministry have a definite progression.
Throughout Mark’s gospel, there is a definite progression of events. I didn’t notice it until I had read through the gospel of Mark several times from start to finish.
Jesus did many miracles for others.
It begins in Mark 1:25 when Jesus commands an evil spirit to come out of a man.It begins in Mark 1:31 when Jesus takes the hand of Peter's mother-in-law and cures her of her fever. It begins in Mark 1:32 as the crowds bring to Jesus all who were, "sick and demon-possessed" as well as those with, "various diseases" inMark 1:34 (NIV).Are you beginning to see a progression yet?
In Mark 1:40 (NIV) a man with leprosy comes to Jesus for healing saying, "If you are willing you can make me clean." In Mark 2:3 four men bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus. Not only does Jesus heal the man, but demonstrates authority to forgive his sins as well. In Mark 2:11 (NIV) he tells the man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." And in Mark 2:12 this is exactly what happens, "He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God saying, "Wehavenever seen anything like this!' "
People were being cured of evil spirits, fever, sickness, demon-possession, various diseases, and leprosy--- but paralysis? In Mark 3:5 (NIV) Jesus encounters a man with a shriveled up hand. Jesus has the man stand up before the religious leaders and commands him to," 'Stretch out your hand.'He (the man) stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored."
Our bodies are pretty amazing. Sometimes our bodies heal themselves. The body has even been known to overcome paralysis. But regenerate a hand or limb? Unheard of!
Jesus' miracles become progressively greater.
In Mark 4:38 the disciples find themselves in a life and death situation at sea. They are about to drown. While half asleep,Jesus gets up, rebukes the wind, and says to the wind in Mark 4:39 (NIV), " 'Quiet! Be still!.' Then the wind died down and it was completely calm."
In Mark 5:26 (NIV) a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years just touches Jesus and is completely healed. Mark says of her, "She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spend all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse."Jesus was her only hope, and he didn’t disappoint her.
Then there is Jairus, the synagogue ruler.In Mark 5:23 (NIV) Jairus fellat Jesus' feet, pleading with Jesus."My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live."But Jesus was delayed, and the little girl dies in Mark 5:35. But Jesus tells the father in Mark 5:36 (NIV),"Don’t be afraid; just believe." In Mark 5:41 (NIV) Jesus says to the little girl, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"Mark 5:42 (NIV) continues, "Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished."
People were being cured of evil spirits, fever, sicknesses, demon-possession, various diseases, leprosy, and paralysis. People were havinghands regenerated. Jesus demonstrated his power over the wind and waves, then raised a twelve year old girl from death.
John the Baptist was killed while Jesus' ministry continued.
Do you see the progression? Do you hear the crescendo of Mark’s gospel building? But then in Mark 6:27 John the Baptist is beheaded. John’s disciples take his body and lay it in a tomb. All this happens while Jesus continues his ministry of healing. (Mark 6:13)
Jesus was revealed as the Son of God.
In Mark 8:29 (NIV)we have Peter’s great confession, "You are the Christ." And immediately afterward in Mark 8:31 (NIV) with John the Baptist’s beheading fresh inhis mind, Jesus teaches his disciples, "that theSon of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again."
And then Jesus says to his disciples in Mark 8:34-35 (NIV), "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."
Do you still see the progression? The progression is from seeing what Jesus could do for others, to seeing what God would do upon Jesus' death. The progression ismoving towardbelieving what God will do for each of us were we to deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow Jesus even unto our own death.
Jesus promises rewards to those who follow him completely.
In Mark 9:3-4 (NIV) Jesus is transfigured before his disciples."His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus."In Mark 9:9 (NIV)the disciples begin debating what Jesus meant when he told them to keep quiet, "...until the Son of Man had risen from the dead."
In Mark 10:28 (NIV) Peter exclaims to Jesus, "We have left everything to follow you." In Mark 10:29-30 (NIV) Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, Jesus replied, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields-- and with them, persecution) and in the age to come, eternal life."
Jesus speaks of the hardships he will endure and overcome.
In Mark 10:33-34 (NIV) when speaking about himself, Jesus said, " 'We are going up to Jerusalem', he (Jesus) said, 'and theSon of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death andwill hand him over to theGentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.' " In Mark 12:27 (NIV) Jesus teaches on the resurrection saying, "He (God) is not the God of the dead, but of the living…" In Mark 13:26-27 (NIV) Jesus foretells the Son of Man, "coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens."
In Mark 14:25 (NIV)Jesus shared Passover with his disciples. He takes the bread, which issymbolic ofhis body which is about to be broken, and the wine, whichis symbolic ofhis blood which is about to be shed, and he says, "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God."
Jesus predicts his return to being the most high priest. Mark 14:61-62 (NIV) says, " 'Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?' 'I am,' said Jesus. 'And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.' "
Jesus' final miracle.
Mark 16:1-8 (NIV) tells of Jesus' final miracle. "When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomband they asked each other, 'Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?' But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 'Don’t be alarmed,' he said. 'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid."
In the gospels, we see what Jesus did for others. We see what God did when raising Jesus to life, from the grave.But now we must ask, "Do we trust God to do just as he said he would?" Do we believe thatJesus will return in glory, and take us to be with him forever? Our belief in the resurrection will be tested, just as it was for Jesus’ disciples.