Lenten Reader | Day 39

April 18th, 2025

Son of God

They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.

They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 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?”).

When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

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.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

Mark 15:22-39

In Mark 15:33-39, we encounter a profound moment that reveals Jesus’ divine identity as the Son of God through His sacrificial death. As Jesus hung on the cross, darkness came over the whole land from noon until three in the afternoon. Jesus then cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus faced ridicule, mockery, shame, and humiliation. He felt abandoned and separated from God. This expression of abandonment reflects the weight of humanity’s sin that Jesus bore, experiencing separation from the Father, so that we might be reconciled to God. How can we not praise Him for His deep love for us?

Following his final cry, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This significant event symbolizes the removal of the barrier between God and humanity, granting us direct access to the Father through Jesus’ sacrifice. As Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time."

The Roman centurion who stood there in front of Jesus and saw how he died, exclaimed, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” First, this Roman centurion recognized Jesus’ identity as a man, fully human. He then recognizes Jesus as part of the divine Trinity, the Son of God. I imagine after witnessing everything that the centurion did in those hours – the darkness during the middle of the day, the loud cry from Jesus, Jesus’ final breath, and the temple veil being torn – how could he not exclaim, “Truly this man was the Son of God!?”

Jesus, by his death on the cross, paid the full debt for our sins and removed the barrier that kept us from entering into fellowship with God the Father. We are forgiven and free to draw near to God for everything we need. We are reminded of the depth of Jesus’ love and the magnitude of His sacrifice. May we respond to this revelation with gratitude, acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God who offers us redemption and restored relationship with the Father.

Emily Betson