Fri.’s Devo - On the Cross

Read: Numbers 15:17-16:40; Mark 15:1-47; Psalm 54:1-7; Proverbs 11:5-6 When they got to the land God was giving them, every year they were to give the first fruit of their ground flour from their wheat harvest to the Lord as an offering. It was their thanks for the bountiful crop just like we give a tithe from our paychecks. If for some reason the whole community unintentionally disobeyed something one of God’s commands, they could offer an offering to make it right with the Lord. If an individual unintentionally sinned then realized their sin, they could bring an offering to the priest and they would receive forgiveness. Those who brazenly disobeyed the Lord’s commands were considered blasphemers and were to be completely cut off and suffer the punishment for their guilt. A man was caught gathering wood on the Sabbath and had to be taken outside the camp and stoned. God told the people to attach blue tassels to the hem of their clothing with blue thread. These tassels were to remind them of all God’s commands. One day a delegation of over 250 of the elites of the tribes came with their five leaders to challenge Moses and Aaron’s leadership. They complained that they were all set apart by the Lord and what right did Moses and Aaron have to act as though they were greater than the rest of the people. Two of these men were Levites who had part in the ministry of the Lord already. Moses brought this out and asked them if they were going for the priesthood also. Moses was ticked but he told them all to go home and bring back an incense burner and they would all go before the Lord and see what He had to say. They all met back at the entrance of the Tabernacle. The community had been stirred up against Moses and Aaron so they all gathered to watch. God told Moses and Aaron to get away from these people. They knew what God was going to do and fell on their faces in intercession for them. They pled with God to save the community and not kill them along with the guilty. God told them to tell the people to get away from the tents of the guilty. Then Moses said that these men continued to live and died naturally, then the Lord had not sent him. But, if the Lord did something entirely new and the ground opened up and swallowed them and all their tents and they went to the grave alive, then the Lord had judged them as guilty. No sooner than Moses had gotten the words out of his mouth, the ground opened and swallowed them alive. Then fire blazed forth from the Lord and burned up their 250 followers. God told Moses to take the incense burners of these men and beat them down to sheets of metal and overlay them on the altar to serve as a warning to the people that no unauthorized person should ever inter the Lord’s presence to burn incense. In Mark, Jesus was brought before Pilate, the Roman governor. The priests needed the Romans to declare him guilty and crucify him since their law did not allow crucifixion. The priests accused Jesus of many crimes but when Pilate asked Jesus if these were true, Jesus refused to answer. In hopes of freeing Jesus, Pilate chose to offer Jesus as the scapegoat on Passover. The crowd had been told to ask for Barabbas and then ask for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate knew that the priests were jealous of Jesus and that Jesus was innocent but to stop a riot, he gave the people what they wanted. He released Barabbas and had Jesus flogged and taken off to be crucified. They dressed Jesus in a robe and crown of thorns and mocked him as the king of the Jews. Then they led him to be crucified. The two being crucified with him mocked him. The crowd of Jews mocked him. And, the leading priests and teachers of the law mocked him. At noon, the sky went dark for three hours. A court was held in heaven and sin was judged. When the light came back on Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 to his disciples so they would know he was fulfilling that Psalm. When Jesus breathed his last breath, the veil in the Temple was rent from top to bottom. Even the Roman soldiers could discern that this man was the Son of God. All of the Mary’s were watching from afar. They observed Joseph of Arimathea taking down his body and wrapping it in linen. They followed as Joseph took Jesus’ body to his own tomb and laid him in it. It was the day of preparation for Shabbot so everyone had to be home by six to prepare. It is amazing how planned out everything that happened to Jesus and how perfect the timing was. Our lives are orchestrated also and if our eyes are open, we will see the opportunities we are given and take them. Our purpose on earth is to live out the kingdom so that others can see and want to join. Lord, may our light so shine before men that they will see our good works and glorify You. Thank you for what you did for us on the cross. You are our Salvation and our Light.