He Came...to Do It for YOU!

Mark 8:34-38 New International Version (NIV)

The Way of the Cross 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Saturday - March 6 - Read Mark 8:34-38

The ancient cultures of Persia and Greece used crosses to publicly display an already executed corpse. The Romans took crucifixion a step further. They used the cross as the shameful, humiliating, slow, torturous execution; similar to how the Muslim extremists of ISIS record the beheading of an enemy and publicly broadcast the video on the internet for the whole world to see. The Romans crucified on main roads so passersby could see the dying person suffer, naked and exposed. Birds and dogs would also eat at their flesh. That is what Jesus said he came to do for you! He was willingly humiliated and rejected so that you would be forgiven, welcomed and loved.