The Pilgrim Path---Mark's Gospel 15: 27- 39

GOOD FRIDAY

And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!" So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. and at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" And some of the bystanders hearing it said, "Behold, he is calling Elijah." And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down." And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

---Two Robbers with Him---a famous old sermon, think about it: "Three Crosses on a Hill"---(1 ) One died in sin (2) One died to sin (3) One died "for" sin---as the really old folk say where I grew up, "My, my..." Tell me the Old, Old Story--of Jesus and His Love...

---Truer Words were never spoken, "He saved others; he cannot save himself..." Those words were said in mockery---but what tremendous truth: He had to "give" Himself---to redeem His Own...He held nothing back....Love is "like" that---it takes action...

---The darkness came. Three hours upon the land. For the God-Man bore in His own body and soul---the wrath of God for His Own...who can imagine?

---"The Christ did not bear the eternity of wrath, but only the extremity of it; intensive, not extensive." Thomas Manton

---This darkness? Bishop Ryle: The sun himself hid his face at the sight---It taught the exceeding sinfulness of sin in the eyes of God. The Son of God himself must needs be left without the cheering light of day, when He became sin for us and carried our transgressions...

---The forsaken Christ...look and wonder. Bishop Ryle: The agony of that season must have been past understanding. It is a high thing. We cannot attain to a comprehension of it. We may believe it, but we cannot explain it and find it out to perfection...We know too, that our Lord was only forsaken for a season, and that even when forsaken He was the Beloved Son in whom, both in His suffering and doing, the Father was "well pleased."

---The veil of the Temple is torn from top to bottom...A new day has begun with the "offering" of the Son. The complete and final sacrifice for sin has been made (Hebrews 9: 24 -26). My, My, "this is my blood of the New Covenant --which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sin..."

---"Truly this man was the Son of God!"---the centurion

The Wonders from the Death of Christ, Spurgeon:

---Over Jesus' Head, "King of the Jews"---He really is King of the Church---will ultimately be acknowledged--- King over All---Is he King in your heart?

---Even in Misery, one thief is converted...what power to save. You must trust Him only and fully...

---The Christ had to retreat into total darkness...just remember: Your darkness is never so black as His

---The confession of the centurion. A picture of Christ's convincing power. I hope we have felt this convincing power---it lies in the doctrine of the cross. The unrecorded wonder with the cross of Christ is that when we hear of it our hearts do not break, and that our dead souls do not rise...

Alas! and did my Savior bleed, and did my Sovereign die!

Would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I!

Was it for crimes that I had done he groaned upon the tree!

Amazing pity! Grace unknown! And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide, and shut his glories in,

When Christ, the mighty Maker, died for man the creature's sin

But drops of grief can ne'er repay the debt of love I owe;

Here, Lord, I give myself away, 'tis all that I can do.

Isaac Watts (1707)

Grace & Peace in Jesus our LORD, Pastor Jason