To know Him and the Power of His Resurrection and the Fellowship of His Sufferings

We bow before you King Jesus and worship you. We confess that your kingdom is not of this world. If it had been of this world, your subjects would have fought the Roman empire that you might not have been delivered into the hands of your own people. You were born for this purpose, King of kings and Lord of lords! You came into the world to bear witness to this truth.

Precious Savior, on this Good Friday, help us to slowly move through each scene in Mark 15. We want to walk the road you walked so long ago so that we may know you and the power of your resurrection, sharing in your sufferings. Amen. (John 18:33-38, Philippians 3:9-11) 

Scripture Reading - Mark 15:1-20 (ESV) 
     And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” And the chief priests accused him of many things. And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.
     Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. 
     And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.

Father, what have we done out of envy? Convict us, show us what actions we have accomplished out of envy. Please forgive us. We repent and come to you for mercy in our time of need.

Lord Jesus, have we mocked you unaware? Oh how we grieve over our careless words and actions. Forgive us. Cleanse us by your blood.

Father, you have made a way for us to be citizens in your heavenly kingdom! For through Christ, we are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens of the household of God. Now, we await our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will come back and transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body. He will do this by the power that enables him to subject all things to himself! (Ephesians 2:18-20, Philippians 3:20)

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24-25)

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.