Mari Ikeda
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❖ Audio
Jesus Died
(Mark 15:33-37, Isaiah 53:6, John 10:11-16)
1. In despair (Mark 15:33-37)
33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). 35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” 36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. 37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
2. For our sin (Isaiah 53:6)
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
3. Because He is a good shepherd (John 10:11-16)
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me― 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father―and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
Summary
Jesus died in the ultimate form of despair, by being betrayed by his friends, by receiving people’s mockery and violence, and even by being forsaken by God. It was God’s will to take our place by Himself though Jesus to suffer such pain on our behalf. We are on the wrong track leading only to destruction by not recognizing God as God and living selfishly. But Jesus is calling and leading us back to him so that we can live in accord with God’s good will.
For Discussion
1) What does it mean that Jesus was forsaken by God?
2) Jesus says, “ I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” But how can we listen to his voice?