Jesus Looking at His Own Cross

A Walk with Mark

#isovs Gu Na3i Ir Qa[in

Margosi Tidangivnen

Mark 14:10-11; 43-46; 66-71

Four Sundays ago we started a journey towards Calvary. I hope you are in this journey as a participant and not an admiring tourist. Love is offered by God through Jesus Christ on the cross. You either accept it or reject it. I can extend my hand to you as a gesture of greeting. I can offer my respect and love towards you. You can accept it or reject it. If you accept it, fine; if you reject it, it is the loss of a friend. However, the quality and substance of God’s love is different. Christ is offering a love on the cross that transforms your life. If you accept it, what a joy in your life, not only here but also in heaven. If you reject it, what a loss for you; it also has eternal consequences on your life.

Today we find two disciples who experienced the love of Jesus in their lives. Yet in their weakness, each went on a different journey.

Some say this was their destiny. Jesus predicted it about Judah, and also about Peter who would deny him three times. But there was no prophecy about how they would handle their sin.

We need to understand that it is not by our performance that we are justified or saved. We cannot be cleansed by our “good” performances. That is the message of the cross; Christ is demonstrating His costly unconditional love toward “sinners” like me and you.

Judah took the wrong direction. He thought he failed, and therefore he ended his life without experiencing God’s love on the cross.

Peter on the other hand, failed, denied, escaped, and cursed, yet he understood that whatever would happen on the cross was for him. That moment of realization took place when Jesus looked at him. Peter wept and was crushed.

Peter remembered that he became the disciple of Jesus not because he was a great fisherman. In fact, he was not; and he was loudmouth speaker.

Yet God chooses the weak, the big-mouth, the denier, the failure, and transforms our lives so we can be his instruments in this world.

How about you? Will you receive this offer of love or reject it?

We will continue in English by examining the account of the crucifixion.