Today you should read: Mark 14:32-72
I hope you’ve enjoyed our time through the book of Mark! We are nearing the end of our time together, and it’s no surprise that as we come closer to the end of this Gospel, it means we are getting closer and closer to the cross. The thing that stands out the most from this passage is the selfless focus of Jesus’s heart.
We see this first in verse 36: “And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” The humanity of Jesus is seen in his distress. It can be said that the true test of spiritual maturity is where you turn in the middle of trial: either to God or away from Him. We see this exemplified in Jesus as He seeks the Father and submits to His will even in trial.
We also see this in verse 49. The hour has come where evil men are to take him and put him on trial and nail him to a wooden cross. Instead of fight these men (Luke 24:49-51), he knows that this is part of God’s plan of redemption and submits to this as well.
All of this shows us that Jesus dying on the cross is God’s plan of redemption for us. What we see as the positive character qualities of Jesus in this passage— the willingness to submit to the Father, the selflessness, the love—is only attainable for us through the death and resurrection he was being prepared for. Thank God that because of the cross, we have not only been saved from our sin, but are being transformed into the image of Christ!
By: Graham Withers — Pastoral Ministry Apprentice
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