Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

Reading all that Jesus endured on Good Friday can be incredibly difficult. After the night of Jesus' arrest and unfair trial by religious leaders, the fateful morning began with an unjust death sentence delivered by Pilate. Throughout the day, He was beaten, mocked, spit on, and then He was administered a painful, unmerciful death at the hands of His accusers. The people physically close to Jesus that day showed so much contempt. One of the only acts of compassion we read about on this dark day is after Jesus’ last breath when His body was given a quick, yet dignified burial by Joseph of Arimathea.

Besides the brutality against an innocent man, there are two things that make this passage especially hard to read - the people and the punishment. Jesus was completely innocent. He didn’t deserve this violent punishment. Pilate knew it, the Roman soldier knew it, Joseph of Arimathea knew it, and I believe that even the Pharisees and the crowd knew that Jesus’ actions had not earned Him this especially cruel and painful death. I have so many questions for these people who hated Jesus so much. Why would they spend so much energy causing Jesus’ suffering? What were they thinking when they demanded His death? Why couldn’t they have understood what Jesus was doing for them?

Personally, I have this habit of reading scripture, looking at the actions of others, and thinking, “I would never do that!” or “I would have known better!” or “Why won’t they just listen and learn from God?” I get frustrated with these people, but in reality, I can see myself in many of them and their situations. Before I followed Christ, I was the mocking crowd, I was the hypocritical Pharisee, and I was the coward, Pilate. Before Christ changed me, I was like those people, and I deserved the punishment Jesus took in our place on the cross.

“As it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one.’” Romans 3:10

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s standard! We are not more deserving of God’s forgiveness and His gift of eternal life than these people. Like Barabbas, we deserved death, but Jesus died for us instead. On Good Friday, Jesus experienced everything we deserved. He had the power to stop the abuse at any moment, but He knew this was a part of God’s plan of redemption and restoration for all people. He loves us and willingly took our place on the cross and in the tomb.

What do we do with this knowledge, this truth? Mark 15 isn't just a sad story that is hard to read; it’s the Truth that has changed our hearts, minds, and eternities. We deserve the death that Jesus died, but instead, as God's children we are blessed with the hope of new life through Jesus' resurrection. How can we live differently because of it? Repentance, surrender, thanksgiving, love for the unloveable? First of all, if you've never had a saving relationship with Jesus, you can start there today. And if you have a relationship with Jesus, the gospel is still for you! God is still making us new, degree by degree! Don't lose sight of that! Let's strive to live our lives with humility and holiness to honor this undeserved gift.

Reflection:

• Take time today to reflect on what Jesus endured for you and thank Him for His sacrifice.
• Ask God to reveal what He’s calling you to in this passage. How can you obediently respond to the truth of the gospel?
• Do you need to talk to someone about how to have a relationship with Jesus? Reach out to your Campus Pastor today or email hello@venturechurch.org. 

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Family Application: Perfect Sacrifice

Author: Amy Stampley

Sometimes when we go through hard things or face challenges with our classmates, we feel like we are the only ones who have experienced the hatefulness and the hurt. The truth is, my friends, that no one has faced any type of pain that Jesus did not already endure while He was here on Earth. In His final days, He was mocked and beaten. The crowds made fun of Him. They placed a crown of thorns on His head pushing those sharp thorns into His scalp. When He was thirsty and asked for water, they put bitter vinegar on sponges and thrust them to His mouth and told Him to drink. They even divided and bargained off His clothes. They nailed Him to the cross.

The struggles we face cannot compare to Christ's pain as He took on the world's sin by dying for our mistakes. That’s how much He loves us! I am so thankful that by accepting Him, we may have the gift of eternal life.

• We can take comfort in knowing that Jesus understands our pain! The next time you face a challenging moment or particularly hard situation, pray to God. Ask Him for help and ask Him to show you what He wants to teach you through this tough time.
• Prayer: God, none of us can even imagine how hard it must have been to give your only Son to die for our sins. Lord, He paid the ultimate price when He took on the sins of the world so that we may have eternal life with You. God, give us thankful hearts to show our love daily as we strive to be better Christians and to show Your sacrificial love to others each and every day. Amen.