Tag: 2023

Scripture: Mark 16:1-8

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

As Easter Week concludes today, we go out on an incredible high. For today we are reminded of the power of the gospel, of the power of God in restoring His people to Himself. This restoration achieving its completion through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The resurrection of Jesus is not simply a historical event, but a transformative reality that has the power to change our lives. It is a declaration of the power of God to bring new life out of death, to restore and renew all that has been broken. Just as Jesus’ body was raised to new life, so too can we be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and made new in Him.

I’m no runner but I’ve known plenty of people competing in marathons or triathlons where they push their bodies to the limits. When they cross the finish line, they are exhausted but full of excitement and accomplishment as they have the satisfaction of knowing they have completed the race. Like crossing the finish line after a race brings a sense of satisfaction, the resurrection reminds us of the victory we have in Jesus, giving us a reason to hope and to trust in a loving and powerful God. The resurrection of Jesus represents for us the victory over sin and death, and in so doing restores us to God. In this restoration we find we can have a relationship with Him, and a satisfaction in life and death because of His work for us.

The resurrection is another tangible demonstration of God’s great love and grace for all who believe. In amongst the sin, the suffering, and the hopelessness that can often pervade our news and social media streams, we can know that the resurrection gives us a reason to hope, a reason to trust, and a reason to love.

Through the power of the gospel our lives are impacted, they are transformed. And this impact is not just for us but for the entire world. Through the resurrection Jesus’ victory over sin and death has the power to bring about healing and restoration throughout our world. It is a message of hope for all people.

While today marks the end of this series and the end of the Easter events it is only the beginning of living in the power of the gospel. As we have worked through these passages from the Gospel of Mark we see the ways in which Jesus fulfils God’s plan for humanity, fulfils that which was written long ago, and fulfils the hole in our soul with the satisfying love, hope, and peace we have with God.

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This is a devotional series I’ve written for my church for Easter Week 2023. It follows the Passion narrative in the Gospel of Mark. This is day 8 of 8.

If you’d like them to hit your inbox each morning then please subscribe here.

Scripture: Mark 15:42-47

In Mark 15:42-47, Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish council, asks Pilate for permission to take Jesus’ body and give him a proper burial. In doing so he shows a final act of love and respect toward Jesus.

This act of love by Joseph would have been costly for him, most likely resulting in him losing his position and influence in the community. However, he chose to prioritise the honouring of Jesus, recognising His significance, and giving Him a dignified burial over his own reputation.

In our own lives we show love and respect to others in a wide variety of ways, some large acts of love like a wedding ceremony to small everyday actions like writing someone a text to show we are thinking of them. It could be taking the time to listen or offering a kind word to someone struggling. It could mean forgiving someone that has hurt us or being compassionate towards those who are often overlooked.

Those who work in hospice, aged, or palliative care are great examples of people providing comfort and support to people who are at the end of their lives. They offer compassion and dignity to patients and their families, helping them to navigate difficult times with grace and love. In so doing they are imitating that which Joseph does here for Jesus’ body, recognising the need for dignity and honour, and in turn bringing glory to God.

Furthermore, alongside being a costly exercise for Joseph it also highlights the risk he took in honouring Jesus. Mark’s description of Joseph in verse 43 highlights his spiritual perspective as he waited for the Kingdom of God to come, indicating that he recognized there was more to life than just the present one.

Joseph’s status as a “secret disciple of Jesus” (John 19:38) was also noted by Matthew, who referred to him as someone “who had become a follower of Jesus” (Matthew 27:57). While Joseph had previously kept his faith quiet, this risk he was taking would bring it from private to public.

As a follower of Jesus it is possible to keep your faith private for a period of time, but eventually God may call you to go public with it. This can be risky, but it is a necessary step in our growth as believers. In so doing it helps us own our faith for ourselves, deepens our reliance on God, and encourages the faith of others around us. For Joseph he got to care for his Saviour in a personal way and was blessed in being part of honouring Jesus in His death.

I wonder, is there a step of faith, a possibly costly or risky step, that God is calling you to take this Easter?

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This is a devotional series I’ve written for my church for Easter Week 2023. It follows the Passion narrative in the Gospel of Mark. This is day 7 of 8.

If you’d like them to hit your inbox each morning then please subscribe here.

Scripture: Mark 15:16-41

The defining moment of our faith occurs today. As recorded here in Mark 15:16-41, we read that defining moment of human history. The moment that marks Jesus, the Messiah and Saviour of the world, becoming the atonement for sin. Here we find the ultimate demonstration of God’s love and sacrifice for us, as Jesus takes upon Himself the sin of humanity and pays the price for our salvation.

I have heard, a couple of times now, about people who are at the supermarket buying their groceries but they can’t afford the total, and so a person behind them simply pays for them.

A group of friends and I were once at a café enjoying a breakfast and we noticed others we knew come in and eat as well. There were only two of them though, so they finished a lot earlier than us and paid and left. When our table got up to go pay the bill, we were highly surprised to find that the whole thing had been paid for! The price we had to pay for our meal and coffee was nothing. These other friends of ours had paid it for us.

This speaks to their generosity, of course. But I also use this example as an illustration of what Jesus has done with our sin. He has generously paid the price for our sin so that we don’t have to. He has sacrificed Himself, a sacrifice that includes His painful death, in order to atone for our sin. 

God Himself, through His Son Jesus Christ, has paid the price for our sins and makes it possible for us to be reconciled to God.

This is what we remember today.

The crucifixion was not just a random event, but rather it was the fulfilment of God’s plan of reconciliation for His people. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). And through the crucifixion this prophecy is fulfilled as Jesus’ death provided the means for our salvation and the forgiveness of our sins. As we reflect on the events of the crucifixion during this Easter Week, may we remember this incredible act of generosity from God. And in response, may we be a people who live generously for others in response to what He has done for us.

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This is a devotional series I’ve written for my church for Easter Week 2023. It follows the Passion narrative in the Gospel of Mark. This is day 6 of 8.

If you’d like them to hit your inbox each morning then please subscribe here.

Scripture: Mark 14:53-65

I listen to several true crime podcasts and often find some of the details and events surrounding these crimes quite incredible. Some, of course, are harrowing and can cause me anguish because of the content and what happens to people regularly around our world. Some of the most distressing though are about people who have been accused and found guilty of crimes they didn’t commit. Within me I find myself angry at the system, angry at the injustice for the people who spend decades incarcerated for something they didn’t do. 

Here in Mark 14:53-65 is the beginning of the injustice of Jesus surrounding His death. For a while the religious leaders have been seeking to grab Him and now through the help of Judas Jesus is placed into their hands. However, despite this being the beginning of Jesus’ unjust suffering which leads to His crucifixion this event is also a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy, demonstrating that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah.

In the passage, Jesus is brought before the religious authorities for questioning, and despite the lack of evidence against him, He is ultimately sentenced to death. This event was foretold in the Old Testament, as the prophet Isaiah wrote, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). This prophecy was fulfilled through the events leading up to the trial of Jesus, as He remained silent and submitted Himself to the will of God, even in the face of persecution.

The trial of Jesus also points to the fulfillment of God’s plan for salvation. Jesus’ death and resurrection make it possible for us to receive those gifts of forgiveness, eternal life, hope, and peace with God. For the restoration of humanity Jesus has to die for the sin of the world. Knowing this, Jesus is able to reply to the high priest’s question of whether or not He is the Messiah in the affirmative (Mark 14:62). Not only this, but He makes sure they know well who He is by saying, “…you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

There could be more said about this trial, but as we come to the cross tomorrow, what a confidence it is for us as believers to know that our Saviour fulfils that which was written long ago and fulfils that which we need now – restoration with God.

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This is a devotional series I’ve written for my church for Easter Week 2023. It follows the Passion narrative in the Gospel of Mark. This is day 5 of 8.

If you’d like them to hit your inbox each morning then please subscribe here.

Scripture: Mark 14:32-42

It is hard to put ourselves in Jesus’ shoes in this moment. In this passage Jesus takes His disciples to the garden to pray and will later be arrested by the religious authorities. But in the moment in the Garden of Gethsemane, here in Mark 14:32-42, Jesus knows what is to come. His death is imminent. He knows He will go through suffering.

We know people ourselves who have gone through tremendous suffering. We may have experienced it ourselves. Facing the reality of an imminent death is something hard to imagine even when we are ill, suffering, or in poor health. Jesus Himself speaks of being downcast, of being deeply grieved to the point of death, but He recognises the need to come to the Father and pray. And in that prayer He places Himself under the will of God, saying, “Not my will, but yours be done.”

This act of submission sets a powerful example for us as believers. It reminds us of the importance of surrendering ourselves to God’s will, despite the cost before us. As we are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we are called to submit ourselves to His will, trusting in His plan for our lives. This can be a difficult path, especially when we are facing suffering, hardship, and challenges because of it. Yet through these times we are able to grow in our faith and deepen our relationship with God.

Like a soldier faced with a difficult mission, one that they know will put their life on the line, they submit to their superior officers, trusting in their training and the mission’s purpose. In a similar way, Jesus knows the mission before Him and submits himself to God’s will in amongst the suffering He will face.

As the apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Let us renew our minds and submit ourselves to God’s will, just as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane.

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This is a devotional series I’ve written for my church for Easter Week 2023. It follows the Passion narrative in the Gospel of Mark. This is day 4 of 8.

If you’d like them to hit your inbox each morning then please subscribe here.