Quote from Forum Archives on January 15, 2010, 10:46 am

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E-pistle

                                                           Dr. Dan Hite, President     FreeWay Foundation          January 15, 2010

Persons Jesus Met While Carrying His Cross

(Mark 15:1-47)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I.  Concentration: on the contents of this chapter

        1.   Jesus was tried before Pilate, vv. 1-5.

        2.   Pilate released a notorious criminal named Barabbas but sentenced

              Jesus to be crucified, vv. 6-15.

3.      The Roman soldiers mocked Jesus, vv. 16-20.
4.      Simon, a Cyrenian, was compelled to carry Jesus' cross; Jesus was

nailed to the cross under a sign reading:  "The King of the Jews,"

vv. 21-32.

5.      When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top

to the bottom; the Roman centurion exclaimed, "Truly this Man was

the Son of God, vv. 33-41.

6.      Jesus was buried in the borrowed tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, vv. 42-47.

II.  Meditation:  on the persons Jesus met while carrying His cross

        1.   Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:21; Matthew 27:32; Luke 23:26).

        2.   "Daughters of Jerusalem" (Luke 23:26-31).

III.  Revelation:  on the spiritual truths seen here

1.      Simon (from North Africa) helped Jesus by carrying His cross; Christians,

also, need assistance in carrying their heavy burdens . . . especially those

related to spiritual and physical suffering.

2.      Jesus told the mourning women not to weep for Him . . . He was doing

the Father's will and going to a far better place than they knew.

3.      Jesus taught that expressions of comfort and condolence are to be given

to the living who are left behind, for these also face suffering, death, and

judgment.

4.      Jesus warned that if such persecution happened to Him ("green wood"),

how much more would persecution happen to the "dry wood" . . . His

followers; see Matthew 10:16-39.

IV.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

1.      "Bear my own burden," Galatians 6:5 . . . my responsibility and duty; further,

"bear another person's burden," Galatians 6:2 . . . their overload. 

(See I Peter 5:7)

2.      Have the proper Christian attitude toward life and death, I Thessalonians 4:13-18;

death is merely the door into eternity, II Corinthians 5:8.

3.      Be tender-hearted toward those who are experiencing sorrow and grief over

the loss of a loved one . . . just "being there" (without saying anything) helps.

(See Job 2:11-13)

4.      Realize that the life-sustaining power flowing through Jesus (sap in the green

tree) is necessary to transform me from a dried-up twig into a fruit-producing

tree or vine.  (See John 15:1-8, 16)

What About The Closing Verses Of Mark?

(Mark 16:1-20)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I.  Concentration:  on the final verses of the Four Gospels

        1.   Matthew 28:20 . . . "(The Great Commission) . . . Amen."

        2.   Luke 24:53 . . . "in the temple praising and blessing God.  Amen."

        3.   John 21:25 . . . "The world itself could not contain the books that

              would be written.  Amen."

        4.   Mark 16:8 . . . "They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid."

Should the Gospel of Mark end here? . . . or Continue?

              Mark 16:20 . . . "They went out and preached everywhere, the Lord

                                      working with them and confirming the word through

                                      the accompanying signs.  Amen."

II.  Meditation:  on the disputed verses of Mark 16:9-20

1.      The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the Gospels, and He has preserved

them over the centuries . . . including the "Amen."

2.      Mark 16:8 ends abruptly, not telling the rest of the story:  that Jesus lives

. . . even though Mark was written 30 years after the resurrection.

3.      I believe that Mark 16:9-20 was in the original manuscript, but was

dropped intentionally or lost accidentally in some copies (Codex Sinaiticus

and Codex Vaticanus); later those lost verses were restored to the canon

of Scripture.

4.      Verses 15-18 are the (red) words of Christ; although they may be difficult

to understand in the light of some believers' contemporary religious

experience, they must not be ignored.

III.  Revelation:  on Jesus' difficult words in Mark 16:15-18

1.      "He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not

believe will be condemned," v. 16.  The pivotal key word is "believes."

2.      "Signs will follow those who believe," See above note; signs are not     

promised only to the Twelve Apostles, but to all believers in every era.

3.      The "signs" which Jesus named include:
·       Casting out demons
·       Speaking with new tongues
·       Taking away serpents (not "up"); See John 1:29;

Luke 10:19; I John 3:5.

·       If = on the condition or supposition that ; whether; in case

that . . . implying unintentional action; meaning, not "when"

or "since," but "if" they drink anything deadly, it will not harm

them.  

·       Healing the sick by laying on of hands.
4.      These signs did (and do) follow believers, confirming God's word, v. 20.

IV.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

1.      Accept all Scripture as infallible truth, including Mark 16:9-20.
2.      Study the disputed passage, which some believers have neglected.
3.      Meditate on the Four Gospels for their "over-arching" message to me.
4.      Be able to give a sound, spiritual reason for my faith, I Peter 3:15.

"Every wall is a door."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

       

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