Read Mark 15:1-15

Leader Failure

The Jewish religious leaders had “reached a decision” (v. 1) about Jesus: they wanted Him dead.

Lacking the authority to enforce the death penalty, they pushed Him off on Pilate.

Jesus was not Pilate’s affair. The scope of Pilate’s authority was financial administration and tax collection for the Roman Empire. Pilate had nothing to do with Jewish religious leadership.

            The Romans usually granted the peoples they conquered religious freedom. The Romans didn’t expect to be loved. But they were wise enough to know that if you let people openly practice their religion they would be pretty docile in other matters. Rome didn’t care what your religion was, just so you were peaceful and paid your taxes.

            Pilate thought he would get out of a tight place by offering to free Jesus in the customary Passover amnesty. It backfired. The Jewish leaders, in a few short days, had been able to turn fickle public opinion against Jesus. The throng shouted for Jesus’ death.

            Pilate caved. Instead of ordering Jesus acquitted, he authorized His crucifixion.

            Have you reached a decision about Jesus? Like the Jews, are you jealous of giving Him authority over your life? Are you like Pilate, too weak to take a stand? Are you like the people in the street, pushed every which way on a whim?

            Or, can you say with the old song, “I have decided to follow Jesus”?

Read Mark 14:66-72

Got a Rooster?

It was a little thing, just a rooster crowing. But hearing it destroyed Peter. He “broke down and wept,” the record says (Mark 14:72).

Poor Peter. We’ve all been there, done that, haven’t we?

            We mean so well, and do so poorly. Paul said it for us all: “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19).

            When Peter insisted that, no matter what, he would never ever deny Jesus he was entirely sincere. He meant it—not me, Lord. You can count on me (Mark 14:29-31).

            Peter didn’t know himself very well, did he? Do we know ourselves any better? Do we still think we can live victorious Christian lives in our own strength? What Paul told the Philippians is a better plan: “I can do everything through him [God] who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13).

            The real wonder is that God continues to love us, sin and all. We do not have to serve God; He holds no prisoners. But we cannot stop Him from loving us (Rom. 8:39).

            Is there a crowing rooster somewhere in our lives? Some small thing that keeps reminding us that we are not totally yielded to Christ’s control? Maybe it’s time to silence it with genuine tears of repentance.

Read Mark 14:1-9

No Tomorrow

We are not told where the woman got a jar of such expensive perfume.

Did she inherit it, saved so carefully by some ancestor that it was never opened? Did extravagances like this form part of her dowry? Did the woman’s rich husband give it to her? We have no idea. It seems logical that its intended use was a tiny bit at a time in order to enjoy the wonderful aroma on many occasions.

            This woman blew the whole thing at once. Furthermore, the gift was irrevocable: she broke the jar. She left herself without the option of beginning to pour, then changing her mind, and keeping the rest of the nard.

            She got no thanks for her effort. This must have been awkward. She is anointing Jesus and, with Him sitting right there, His friends say, “Hey, stop it. There’s a better use than pouring the whole thing on the rabbi. Don’t you know people are starving in this town?”

            Her act was prompted by love and generosity alone. The woman did not know He was about to die; she gave as if there were no tomorrow.

There wasn’t. This probably happened on Wednesday. Friday He would die.

            Matthew’s account of this event records Jesus saying, “She has done a beautiful thing to me” (Matt. 26:10).

Are we doing what we can for Jesus now, before it’s too late?

Read Mark 13:14-37

Permanent Ink

            We hardly know what to make of this part of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse.

He seems to be saying, “The worse things get, the more you should cheer up.” After wars, earthquakes, betrayals, and persecutions, then things get worse. Holy places will be desecrated, the hope for the next generation will be in jeopardy (v. 17), an unprecedented time of suffering will occur, complete with deceivers. About all Jesus tells us to do is pray it won’t happen in winter. Fleeing to the hills is bad enough in warm weather; it’s hopeless in the cold (v. 18).

His gentle little parable about the fig tree (vv. 28-30) is ironic. What could be happier and more cheerful than the coming of spring after the rigors of winter? So Jesus says when you see these awful things happening, you’ll know that My return is very, very near.

Then follows one of the most precious promises in the Bible. Jesus’ words are forever; they will never pass away (v. 31). This promise is one reason Christians can’t get too excited about some of the things that agitate the world.

He tells us to watch and wait. Does that mean sitting by the window all day? No. Don’t risk embarrassment, fear, or regret at His coming by being slothful. We must watch with courage (1 Cor. 16:13), with prayer (Luke 21:36, Eph. 6:18), and thanksgiving (Col. 4:2).