Mark 15:37-41 A Torn Curtain
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: May 7, 2018, Mark 15:37-41
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
(Understanding the Text / Revelation of God) Mark tells of the centurion who stood facing Jesus. This man had been watching the proceedings and had seen the mockery of the Jewish leaders, thieves, and others, but he had also seen Jesus turn one of the thieves around as they hung there. He had seen Jesus’ followers crying in the crowd. He had seen Jesus care for His mother by giving her to John’s care. He had seen the darkness and felt the earthquake. He knew that what was happening was not a normal crucifixion. As the centurion heard Jesus’ final triumphant shout that it was finished, the centurion was convicted that Jesus was supernatural. I heard someone say that at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry only the Father could testify that Jesus was the Son of God, but by the time we reach the cross, even a Gentile centurion was convicted of the truth that Jesus was the Son of God.
(Understanding the Text) The male disciples were hiding or keeping their distance, but the women were there. Because of a woman’s lack of importance in Jewish society, the women could bravely go where the men did not. They knew that the priests would not deign to recognize them as supporters of Jesus. Mark tells us that Mary Magdalene was there. She could never stay away from Jesus in life or death. She had already anointed Jesus’ body and now she watched Him die. I’m sure she longed to go closer but could not. What happened to her in later years? She is in the center of the gospels, but then we hear nothing more.
Salome may have been John and James’ mother. She also may have been Mary the mother of Jesus’s sister-in-law or some other relative. I don’t know who Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses is. One thing we do know is that these women had traveled with Jesus and taken care of Him. We are also told that there were a lot of other women who traveled with Jesus and followed Him to Jerusalem.
(Application) I don’t really have an application or any deep thoughts this morning. I am speculating that maybe Mark’s mother was one of those women at the crucifixion and that He learned a lot about what happened from her. She was probably farther back and so did not have all the details that John knew. What is the significance of the centurion and his statement? Maybe that a Gentile recognized Jesus’ divinity even through the blood, pain, and humiliation while the religious leaders saw only a hated enemy brought low. The significance of the women is partly that they were the witnesses who gave Mark his information. Other than that, I’m coming up empty this morning.
(Understanding the Text) Guzik’s commentary says “i. Joh_19:30 tells us what He said when He cried with a loud voice: it is finished, which is one word in the ancient Greek language, the word tetelestai. This ancient word tetelestai means, “Paid in Full.” This is the cry of a winner, because Jesus paid in full the debt of sin we owed, and had finished the eternal purpose of the cross.” Thus, it makes sense that the distant listeners may not have heard “tetelestai” clearly but simply as a cry. The Thayer dictionary says that the word was /teleo/. “τελέω teleō Thayer Definition: 1) to bring to a close, to finish, to end 1a) passed, finished 2) to perform, execute, complete, fulfil, (so that the thing done corresponds to what has been said, the order, command etc.) 2a) with special reference to the subject matter, to carry out the contents of a command 2b) with reference also to the form, to do just as commanded, and generally involving the notion of time, to perform the last act which completes a process, to accomplish, fulfil 3) to pay 3a) of tribute.” While the Thayer definition can agree with Guzik, I think he is taking a little liberty in his choice of definitions. However, it does bring out the extra meaning of the word. It was not just finished, but paid in full, and the commanded action has been performed. Jesus was saying that He had successfully completed His mission in all ways according to the command parameters and that the legal transaction was paid in full delivering to Him the keys to this world that Satan had claimed previously.
(Prayer) Thank You that You made sure that everything was accomplished and that You left nothing unfinished. You won by letting evil do what it wanted with You. I pray that whatever evil attacks me and whatever deceptions surround me that I will follow Your example and respond with forgiveness and love. I cannot do this by myself, but with You all things are possible.