No Greater Love

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MARK

NO GREATER LOVE

Mark 15:21-24

21 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. 22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

NIV

The time has come, after all sort of ridicule, having been beaten to within an inch of his life, being filled with bruises, racked with pain, bleeding from multiply cuts from the whip, having had not an ounce of nourishment since his last meal with his disciples, now bearing the weight of a heavy cross, he makes his way to his death. His physical struggle is so great a by-stander is force into service to the cross the remaining distance. This is not a pretty picture to image, Jesus is but a physical shadow of his former self, when he taught the people, healed them, brought great hope of things to come. Although what is about to happen brings the greatest hope of all, his followers were certainly in great sorrow, mourning what they expected was a great loss to their cause, their hopes, and dreams of a better time, mourning the loss of their beloved leader, the one who was to set them free. But, indeed he was about to do just that, he was about to set them free indeed. The soldiers offered those who were to be crucified a drink of wine mixed with myrrh, which would have deaden the pain of crucifixion, almost like a drug, deadening the senses, making a person dulled to what was going on around them. Jesus refused as he wanted to experience this with his full facilities for he still had work to be done. He must look after the future care of his mother, he must demonstrate his deity once more, by committing his spirit upon his Father, and he must fulfill his purpose. Although the sense was filled with horrible images, pain, suffering, cries of sorrow and grief mixed with the indifference of the soldiers and appearance joy of success by the chief priest, elders and teachers of the law, this scene, this event is the most blessed thing God could have ever done for all of his creation. Through this event he was satisfying his own need for justice. How could we ever forget what was done for us? Of course we know this is not the end of the story, but for now we should mediate on how great a love Jesus had for us, that he should suffer and die in the most inhuman manner as this, so that our sin would be forgiven. What greater love has no man, then to lay his life down for others.