Reflections On Mark 15 and 16

The ministry of Jesus began following his baptism, filling of the Spirit, and forty days in the wilderness. The wilderness can be seen as a contest between Jesus and Satan. Satan’s goal was to bring Jesus down. Jesus represented a huge threat to Satan and his kingdom.

Satan failed to bring Jesus down. Jesus saw through his temptations and left the wilderness, ready for ministry. Satan's plans crashed.

Satan lost the battle, but he was determined not to lose the war. If Satan could not bring Jesus down, he would use others to accomplish his goal. He worked in the hearts of the Religious Leaders. Satan used their jealousy, fear, and anger, and he manipulated their desire for power to accomplish his purposes. Satan also convinced Judas to betray Jesus. Together, the Religious Leaders and Judas made the death of Jesus possible.

The Religious leaders mocked Jesus as he hung on the cross. Satan rejoiced. When Jesus cried out,

"My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34)

Satan may have said, Didn’t I tell you to forget God and follow me? I offered you the world, and now look at you—you are dying on a cross. You were a fool to trust God with your life.

God, it turned out could be trusted. He raised Jesus from the dead! The rejoicing in Satan’s kingdom was silenced. Satan had lost. Satan’s power over death was broken.

We read in Hebrews 2:14:

"Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death."

This week we remember Christ’s death on Friday, then on Sunday, we celebrate his resurrection. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can know the forgiveness of sins and experience eternal life.