Every day we get fed an updated count of those who have died with the COVID 19 virus. The worldwide numbers are mounting. Each one of those deaths represents someone’s father, mother, sister, brother, aunt, child etc. Each one of those deaths brings heartbreak and sorrow to the surviving family and friends.

Today, Good Friday, let’s reflect on one death that though it brought sorrow at the time to those who loved Him, has also brought immeasurable joy. The death of our precious LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. For without His death we would remain lost. His willingness to be obedient to the Father and die a horribly painful and violent death at the hands of those who mocked Him is what has given us our salvation!

Jesus Christ offered Himself up as the sacrificial Lamb of God for you and I. Let us never forget the high price He paid for our salvation! Without His death there would be no resurrection! Without His death we would not receive the Comforter! Without His death we, as His followers, would not be able to look forward to His appearing again! Praise His holy name forever!

Mark 15:21-41 A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. (Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.)  And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”).  They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it.

 Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece.  It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.  A sign announced the charge against him. It read, “The King of the Jews.”  Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days.  Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!”

 The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself!  Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.

The Death of Jesus

At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.  Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

 Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah.  One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!”

 Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last.  And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

 When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

 Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome.  They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there.

Lord Jesus-Help us never to forget the price you paid on Calvary to save us from our sins. Keep our hearts tender towards you always. We love you and are so thankful for the love you demonstrated and continue to demonstrate daily in our lives. In Your precious name, Amen.