Mark 15:39-6:3

[snapstur]

@Shield> okay, let's get started:)
@Shield> Thank you everyone for coming in
@Shield> I hope all of you are doing well.
@Shield> Although it is a quiet news week for CCNet, I do want to comment on a couple of things which affect us in our daily lives.
@Shield> I encourage all of us, particularly those of us who are US citizens, to be praying about our vote for the upcoming elections.
@Shield> And, prepare to vote:)
@Shield> also,
@Shield> be praying for the economy, and God's will to be done in the middle of all that has transpired
@Shield> the entire world is feeling the effects of the economic downturn
@Shield> so, let’s pray and ask God for his direction in the midst of this.
@Shield> let's pray now and then I will turn it over to seekHm1st for our study.
@Shield> Our Father, we thank you that you are in control.
@Shield> You know the outcome
@Shield> of the elections
@Shield> of the economic situations
@Shield> of our lives
@Shield> we trust in your providence
@Shield> and we ask for your wisdom to make wise decisions
@Shield> May your will be done so that your purposes will be accomplished.
@Shield> We thank you for this.
@Shield> We ask now that you will guide us in your Word as seekHm1st comes to share from the gospel of Mark.
@Shield> amen
@seekHm1st> amen
carol> Amen
joy1> amen
jason811> AMEN
@seekHm1st> Hi everybody
@seekHm1st> We appreciate you all turning out.
@seekHm1st> We have been going through the Markan gospel account for many months now.
will2> amen
@seekHm1st> And it is coming to a close.
@seekHm1st> When our study ended last week, our King had been nailed to a wooden cross.
@seekHm1st> And in those last hours, a mysterious darkness has fallen over the land.
@seekHm1st> And that was not the only strange event that had taken place.
@seekHm1st> As Shield taught from the Scriptures, the veil that fronted the Holy of Holies had been torn in two, from the top to the bottom.
@seekHm1st> These were things that must have made some the people of Jerusalem and the small villages near it, wonder if this had become a time of divine judgment.
@seekHm1st> For those who had been closely associated with Jesus, all of what was happening was in keeping with the grim and sobering reality that their Master and friend had died on a Roman cross.
@seekHm1st> John and others could only stand by watching, and listen to the crowd while the taunts of Jesus' accusers pierced their hearts.
@seekHm1st> They were saying that He had brought healing and life to others, yet it seemed that He couldn't save Himself.
@seekHm1st> This perfect man had made God's presence a very real thing in their lives.
@seekHm1st> And only moments ago, He had shouted some words that they would never forget.
@seekHm1st> "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?"
@seekHm1st> Let's pick up the text in Mark 15, verse 39
@seekHm1st> Mark 15:39 When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"
@seekHm1st> 40: There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome.
@seekHm1st> 41: When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.
@seekHm1st> Verse 39 shows us that after Jesus cried out, the Roman centurion standing in front of Him was convinced by what had happened that day, that Jesus was the Son of God.
@seekHm1st> For many in the crowd, this may have been just another act in a long series of Roman cruelties.
@seekHm1st> The centurion had been impressed on a deeper level. Jesus had shown Himself to be no ordinary man.
@seekHm1st> But it was about three o' clock in the afternoon, and the story was all over.
@seekHm1st> For the women who had ministered to Him, and who had believed that Jesus would be their Messiah,
@seekHm1st> The one who would lead them out of the oppression of Roman domination, this was a sickening end to their dreams.
@seekHm1st> The finality of it left many with questions.
@seekHm1st> Jesus had had the words of life.
@seekHm1st> But a dead messiah was not a messiah.
@seekHm1st> 42: When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath,
@seekHm1st> 43: Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.
@seekHm1st> It must have hit upon Joseph that without anyone else there to speak for Him, that Jesus' body would likely have been put into a common grave, along with those crucified beside Him.
@seekHm1st> And Joseph had decided not to let that happen.
@seekHm1st> Verse 43 tells us that Joseph had to gather up courage before going in to see Pilate
@seekHm1st> Why do you think that was necessary?
@seekHm1st> Anyone have any thoughts?
@Shield> o/
@seekHm1st> Shield?
@Shield> is it possible that he perceived a possibility of the crowds going after him too?
@Shield> or the soldiers
@seekHm1st> I think those are both very good possibilities, yes.
@seekHm1st> Anyone else?
@seekHm1st> There was another group of people who were likely not to approve of what Joseph was intending to do
@seekHm1st> Any guesses?
@Shield> o/
@seekHm1st> Shield?
@Shield> Pharisees?
@seekHm1st> Yes!
@Shield> chief priests?
@seekHm1st> Thank you
@seekHm1st> The Jewish religious authorities would not have been happy about this.
@seekHm1st> It was clear from their earlier manipulations that for political reasons, wanted the body of Jesus in Roman hands, not Jewish hands
@seekHm1st> By this time of the day, on this weekend, most of them were probably involved in the waving of the first fruits. They would probably not know of what Joseph was doing until later.
@seekHm1st> 44: Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead.
@seekHm1st> 45: And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.
@seekHm1st> 46: Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
@seekHm1st> Normally, Jesus' body would have been properly cleaned up, and it would have been anointed with fragrant oils.
@seekHm1st> They probably would have put everyday clothes on Him and buried Him in those, much like we do today.
@seekHm1st> But there wasn't any time for that, because night was about to fall, and the beginning of the Sabbath were close at hand.
@seekHm1st> So, Joseph saw to it that Jesus' body was wrapped in the cloth he bought, and that He was laid in a tomb.
@seekHm1st> 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.:
@seekHm1st> This was obviously all that could have been done for Him in their minds.
@seekHm1st> Anything else would have to wait until after the Sabbath was over.
@seekHm1st> For now, Jesus' friends would mourn His loss.
@seekHm1st> The Mount of Olives, and the rest of the city would soon be bathed in the light of the full Passover moon.
@seekHm1st> I am sure that when His followers tried to close their eyes, they must have replayed the events of the last couple of days over in their minds.
@seekHm1st> I am sure that when His followers tried to close their eyes, they must have replayed the events of the last couple of days over in their minds.
@seekHm1st> It had all happened so quickly. They must have still been trying to take it all in.
@seekHm1st> For others in Jerusalem, this was a high and holy day.
@seekHm1st> Families were getting started with their evening Passover festivities.
@seekHm1st> The kids were probably getting pretty excited as their families and neighbors were getting started with their evening Passover festivities.
@seekHm1st> Parents were explaining to their kids about how God had redeemed them from bondage to Egypt, and how He would one day act to redeem His people again.
@seekHm1st> It was a time for looking back to those events, and it was also a time for looking forward.
@seekHm1st> For others, suffering an almost unbearable sense of personal loss, looking past that evening must have seemed hopeless.
@seekHm1st> Mark 16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him.
@seekHm1st> 2: Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.
@seekHm1st> 3: They were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?"
@seekHm1st> These women had endured a momentous Saturday on a weekend like no other.
@seekHm1st> They had watched as Jesus had been crucified
@seekHm1st> and they had borne the brunt of the crisis and were dutifully coming to minister to their Master’s needs this one last time.
@seekHm1st> and....
@seekHm1st> let’s go ahead and leave it right there.
@seekHm1st> :)
@seekHm1st> I hope you will all be able to join us next week
@seekHm1st> as we will likely conclude our study through this wonderful gospel account.
@seekHm1st> Let's close in prayer.
@seekHm1st> Father,
@seekHm1st> We thank You for who You are.
@seekHm1st> And for loving us so much, that You sent Your only begotten Son to us.
@seekHm1st> To save us from certain bondage to sin.
@seekHm1st> We don't by any means deserve that Father.
@seekHm1st> Which makes Your sacrifice so much sweeter,
@seekHm1st> so pure
@seekHm1st> We thank You for the vast riches and wisdom contained in Your word.
@seekHm1st> And for the fact that we have it so freely available to us here
@seekHm1st> Help us to be mindful of it Father, that we should never take it for granted
@seekHm1st> That we might take it in every day,
@seekHm1st> In order not only to keep our own hearts from sin,
@seekHm1st> but that You might be glorified in the sharing of it with people who do not know You.
<@seekHm1st> We thank You,
@seekHm1st> We worship You
@seekHm1st> And we ask of You these things
@seekHm1st> In Jesus' name
@seekHm1st> amen
carol> Amen
@seekHm1st> Thanks for coming folks
@seekHm1st> Hope to see you all next week