Remember Jesus

Mark 15

When you face the unjust assaults of an evil world--and you will if you haven’t already--remember Jesus. When you face the suppression and persecution, like the painful persecution expressed in the pages of scripture, remember Jesus. When an unprecedented moment or series of moments press you to your extreme limit, remember Jesus. When you experience pain and suffering beyond your comprehension and sustainability, remember Jesus. Remember Jesus!

Warren Wiersbe, writes in his With the Word Bible Commentary that “The world says, “Defend yourself!” but Jesus was silent. The world says, “Pamper yourself!” but Jesus refused the drug. The world says, “Save yourself!” but Jesus remained on the cross and finished the work the Father gave Him to do.”

“And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.” Mark 15:8–15 (ESV)

The chief priests were guilty of envy, and Pilate was guilty of compromise. Their sins led to the release of an evil and thieving man named Barabbas, and the embarrassment of an innocent man named Jesus, and the death of a good Man who is the Christ, son of the living God; yet envy and compromise are not looked upon as terrible sins today. Should they be? In this present world, envy and compromise are often embraced and enabled through reward in the name of success. God forbid you and I ever be defined by envy and compromise.

“And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. Mark 15:16–20 (ESV)
Here in Mark 15, man was doing his worst, but God was doing His best and fulfilling His Word: “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Rom. 5:20).

“And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 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?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 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.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 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!” Mark 15:33–39 (ESV)

Jesus suffered and died for you and me! How do you respond to His work on the cross? What does it mean to you that Jesus made a way for you to see God and a path to God for all eternity? Do you understand the love God has for you by sending His One and only Son to die a cruel death on the Cross for you?

How will you respond today? With envy and compromise, or with complete devotion and worship?

Will you receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? Will you “come an see; follow Him by obeying His Word and the Holy Spirit, fish for men, and bear much fruit?”

Will you remember Jesus and respond as Joseph of Arimathea and Simon of Cyrene?

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, but also a secret Christian, buried Christ’s body in his own tomb; something few would do because of the difficulty to secure land for this grave could only be used once. Not to mention the cost of such generosity. The burial was done in haste, without proper preparation of the body, because it was Friday and the Sabbath officially began at 6 p.m. However, the entombment, like the burial, would be very brief.

What about Simon of Cyrene?

“And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” Mark 15:21–26 (ESV)

Simon and his family had probably come to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover and he met the Lamb of God on His way to be crucified on the cross for which He carried! It seems certain that he was converted and went home to lead his two sons to faith in Christ. These men were known to Mark’s Roman readers, so they must have become leaders in the church according to Rom. 16:13.

Get this...The next time your plans are interrupted and you have to carry another cross, remember what Simon did for Jesus—and what Jesus did for Simon. Remember what He did for all humanity. Remember Jesus!

Wiersbe also penned: “The devil told Jesus, “Serve Yourself! Peter said, “Pity Yourself!” His unsaved relatives said, “Show Yourself! The crowd at Calvary said, “Save Yourself!” But Jesus was deaf to all those appeals and gave Himself.”
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Will you remember Jesus? Will you receive Him and follow Him by living out His Word and His call of you?

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