SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
2/8/2013 11:58 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Death of the
Servant PT-2
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Mark 15:33
Message of the
verses: In yesterday’s SD we began to look at the
first part of the main point that Warren Wiersbe writes in his commentary on
the book of Mark “Be Diligent.” He entitles this first main point “The
Servant’s Death,” and breaks it up into three sub-points according to the hours
mentioned by Mark. We looked at “The Third Hour” yesterday and today we will
look at the very short “Sixth Hour.”
The Sixth Hour
(v.33): “33 When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land
until the ninth hour.”
As I think of this very short verse in Mark’s Gospel I
have to think about what it means and there are several things that come to my
mind. Dr. Wiersbe points out that the
children of Israel who were present during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ may
have had their minds go back to the book of Exodus where we read: “21 Then the LORD said to Moses,
"Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the
land of Egypt, even a
darkness which may be felt." 22 So Moses stretched out his hand
toward the sky, and there
was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23 They did
not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all
the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings. (Exodus 22:21-23)
This may also remind us of another time of darkness which
will come upon the entire earth during the tribulation period where we
read: “10 Then the fifth angel poured
out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and
they gnawed their tongues because of pain, 11 and they blasphemed the God of
heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their
deeds (Rev. 16:10-11).”
When we look at these two times when supernatural
darkness came upon the earth we see one thing in common, and that is
judgment. When we look at Mark 15:33 we
know that this too was a time of judgment from God. We also know that this was a supernatural
event as the Father was pouring out His wrath upon His Son to make payment for
the sins of those who would claim Jesus as their Savior and Lord. This event happened at noon in Jerusalem on
this Passover day almost 2000 years ago.
We see the fulfillment of 2Cor. 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be
sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” As we look at Mark 15:33 and 2 Corinthians
5:21 we cannot help but be totally amazed.
A couple of days ago I put a quote in my Spiritual Diary from A. W.
Tozer’s book “The Attributes of God,” and from the chapter on grace and what these
two verses are stating is God’s Grace, and what Tozer is saying is that we
cannot understand it, but we have to take it by faith. I want to again use this quote in Today’s
Spiritual Diary: ““In secret, there is
in the dark, He did a once-done act never done before and never done
again. And because He did that, the
grace of God flows to all men. Let’s
remember that angels and prophets and even Paul said, ‘Without controversy
great is the mystery of godliness: God
was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached
unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory’ (I Timothy
3:16). Many serious-minded, worthy
scholars are ready to say that Paul’s mind was the greatest that ever was known
in the human race, except of course for the perfect mind of Christ. But this mighty mind never tried to
understand it. He said, ‘Great is the
mystery of godliness’ (3:16), and that’s all.
“We’re saved by His blood, but how are we saved by His
blood? We’re alive by His death, but why
are we alive by His death? Atonement was
made in His death, but how was atonement made in His death? Let’s not vulgarize (debase something) it by
trying to understand it. But let’s stand
and gaze at the cross and say ‘Oh Lord God, Thou knowest! Worthy is the Lamb
that was slain!’
“And if angels can be envious, they look upon us ransomed
sinners and desire to look into it. But
God says to the angels, the spirits there before the throne who can bear the
burning bliss but who have never known a sinful world like this, ‘God help my
people.’ He sends them out to be
ministering spirits to them who shall be heirs of salvation. But He never explains it to them. And I doubt whether there’s an angel or
archangel anywhere in heaven who understands what happened there on that cross.
“We know He died; we know that because He died we don’t
have to. We know that He rose from the
dead and because He rose from the dead, we who believe on Him will rise from
the dead. We know He went to the right
hand of God and sat down in perfect approval amidst the acclamations of the
heavenly multitude. And we know that
because He did we’ll go there with Him.
But why? God has shut up this
secret in His own great heart forever.
And we can only say, ‘Worthy is the Lamb.’”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I will probably never understand why God
would punish His Son on my behalf, but because He did this I have received His
righteousness and have the privilege to serve Him throughout my life. My prayer is that I will serve Him as He
desires me to do this.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Serve the Lord as He desires for me to serve
Him.
Memory verses for the
week: Psalm 32:1
1 How blessed is He whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Turning Points Wisdom for
Today: “One reason sin flourishes is
that it is treated like cream puff instead of a rattlesnake.” (Billy Sunday) “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew
a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm
51:10)
2/8/2013 12:39 PM
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