Devotions

the real last words

Posted on December 19, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

LOOK AT THE TOMB, GO TO GALILEE

Mark 16:1-8

¹ When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and James’ Mary and Salome bought aromatic spices,[a] so that they might go and anoint him^{. 2} And very early on the first day of the week, just after the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³ But they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” ⁴ Then looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back- it was very large. ⁵ Then entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were surprised. ⁶ But he said to them, “Do not be afraid. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. Look at the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” ⁸ And they went out and fled from the tomb, because trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

SOME OF THE EARLIEST MANUSCRIPTS DO NOT INCLUDE 16:9-20.

the real last words

Mark’s Gospel ends with an empty tomb, trembling witnesses, and a message that Jesus has gone ahead to Galilee. It feels abrupt, unfinished, almost jarring. But that is exactly Mark’s intention. The story is not over because the story is not meant to end on a page. It is meant to continue in the lives of those who believe. The women flee in fear, the disciples are summoned to Galilee, and the risen Christ is waiting to meet them there—not to wrap things up, but to send them out. Galilee is where the mission began, and Galilee is where it begins again. The apostles will discover that resurrection is not the conclusion of the gospel but the launching point of their calling. The excellent message is now theirs to proclaim, and the unfinished ending becomes an open door for ministry.

For anyone who feels drawn to serve, this is where our story begins as well. We stand before the same empty tomb. We hear the same commission. We face the same world that needs the same gospel. Mark leaves us with a question, not a conclusion: now that Jesus has risen, what will His followers do? The abruptness is an invitation. The silence is a summons. The risen Lord is already ahead of us, calling us to meet Him where the work is waiting.

LORD, You have now given us our ultimate evidence of Your reality and power. We stare at an empty tomb, and we do not ask where You are. We ask where You will send us.

[a] άρωμα

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take the corpse

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

DO YOU DARE TELL ALL ABOUT JESUS?

Mark 15:42-47

⁴² And the change to evening had already happened. Since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, ⁴³Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was also himself expecting the kingdom of God, boldly came to Pilate and requested the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead. So, summoning the centurion, he asked him whether Jesus was already dead. ⁴⁵ And when he learned from the centurion that Jesus was dead, he allowed Joseph to take the corpse. ⁴⁶ Then Joseph bought a linen shroud, and after taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses had seen where he was laid.

take the corpse

Pilate granted Joseph of Arimathea permission to take the body of Jesus. He let him wrap it in linen, place it in a new tomb, and roll the stone into place. He allowed the women to watch from a distance. To Pilate, this was the end of the matter. A dead prophet poses no threat. A lifeless body cannot stir a revolution. As long as Jesus stayed in the tomb, Rome could stay comfortable. The religious leaders could stay satisfied. The world could stay unchanged.

Much of our world still treats Jesus the same way. They are content for Him to remain a figure of history, a moral teacher, a tragic martyr—anything, as long as He stays in the tomb. A dead prophet can be admired, studied, even safely ignored. We can build shrines, weave shrouds, and hold services, as long as we never proclaim that the tomb is empty. As long as we keep Him buried, the world is happy to let us practice our religion quietly and know our place.

But we refuse to keep Him in the tomb. We dare to proclaim that our Saviour rose from the dead. We dare to confess that He is the only begotten Son of God. We dare to declare that He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And when we do, we unsettle the Pilates of our age—those who prefer a manageable Jesus, a silent Jesus, a Jesus who stays where they put Him. The risen Christ disrupts every system that depends on Him being dead.

To proclaim the resurrection is to challenge the world’s assumptions. It is to say that Jesus is not finished, not defeated, not contained. It is to say that He reigns. And that kind of truth will always provoke resistance.

LORD, give us the courage to proclaim the whole truth about You.

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the women who stayed

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

WHERE WILL YOU BE TOMORROW?

Mark 15:40-41

⁴⁰There were also women watching it from a distance, among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James (the younger one) and of Joses, and Salome. ⁴¹ When he had been in Galilee, they had followed him and took care of him, and there were also many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

the women who stayed

Salome and the two Marys belonged to that faithful circle of women who had followed Jesus throughout His ministry. They had listened to His teaching with open hearts. They had watched His compassion heal the broken. They had seen miracles that revealed the nearness of God. And now they had watched Him die. The apostles had scattered in fear, but these women remained—grieving, confused, and keeping their distance, yet unwilling to walk away. They stayed because love kept them there. They stayed because hope, though dim, was not extinguished. They stayed because something in them could not abandon the One who had never abandoned them.

Their loyalty placed them in the path of grace. From this quiet, steadfast group would come the first witnesses of the resurrection. While the world slept, while the disciples hid, while despair seemed final, these women walked toward the tomb with spices in their hands and devotion in their hearts. And because they stayed near when others fell away, they were the first to hear the angel’s announcement, the first to see the empty tomb, the first to meet the risen Lord. Their faithfulness in the dark became the doorway to joy in the dawn.

There is a lesson for us in their courage. Faith is not proven only in moments of clarity or triumph. It is proven in the hours when God seems silent, when circumstances feel overwhelming, when others drift away. Loyalty to Christ in the shadows prepares us to see His glory when the light returns. The women at the cross remind us that staying near Jesus—especially when it costs us something—is never wasted. It positions us to witness resurrection.

LORD, give us the loyalty to stay with You in the times when all others fall away.

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really the Son of God

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

WHO DO YOU SEE ON THAT CROSS?

Mark 15:37-39

³⁷ Then Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed his last. ³⁸ And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. ³⁹ And after the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “This man was really the Son of God!”

really the Son of God

God had one created son—Adam, formed from the dust and given life by the breath of God. And throughout history God has gathered many adopted children, men and women who trust Him for salvation and are welcomed into His family by grace. But there has only ever been one unique, only‑begotten Son: Jesus Christ. He was not created. He did not begin in Bethlehem. His Sonship did not start in Mary’s womb. He existed before creation, sharing the glory of the Father, participating in the divine counsel when the words were spoken, “Let us make man in our image.” He is the One of whom the Father declared, “You are my Son; today I have begotten You,” revealing not a beginning but a relationship—eternal, divine, unbroken. Before the world existed, the Son shared the Father’s glory; before time began, He was already the beloved.

Maybe the centurion glimpsed this truth. Maybe he didn’t understand the theology, but he knew that Jesus’ death was unlike any other. The way He suffered, the way He prayed, the way the earth responded—it all pointed beyond humanity. Something in that moment convinced him that this crucified man was more than a victim. He was the Son of God.

And each of us must face the same reality. Who is Jesus, truly? Not who the crowds say He is, not who culture imagines Him to be, but who He has revealed Himself to be from eternity. One day He will return, and every knee will bow. On that day, no debates will remain, no theories will stand, no arguments will matter. Submission to a conquering Lord will be unavoidable. The real wisdom is shown now—when we choose, like the centurion, to see His eternal Sonship in the cross, to recognize glory hidden in suffering, and to confess Him before the day when confession becomes universal.

LORD, we confess that You are truly the Son of God.

[1] Genesis 1:26.

[2] Psalm 2:7.

[3] John 17:5.

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last miracle

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

HOW WILL YOU DIE?

Mark 15:34-36

³⁴ Then at the ninth hour Jesus cried in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”[1] which means, “My God, my God, why have you given up on me?”[2] ³⁵ And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Watch, he is calling Elijah.” ³⁶ And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, because they said, “Leave him, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”

last miracle

The crowds gathered at the cross had heard the stories—how Jesus healed the sick, opened blind eyes, cast out demons, even raised the dead. Some in that crowd may have seen those miracles with their own eyes. So when Jesus cried out the opening line of Psalm 22, they misunderstood Him and assumed He was calling for Elijah. In their minds, this was their last chance to see something spectacular. If He really had power, perhaps He would put on one more display before dying. They wanted entertainment, not truth.

But the real miracle was not the one they were waiting for. It was the Scripture Jesus was quoting. Psalm 22 begins with the raw cry of abandonment, but it does not end there. The psalm moves steadily toward confidence, hope, and victory. It is a declaration that God will not forsake His righteous one. By quoting its first line, Jesus was pointing to the entire psalm—a psalm that ends in triumph, not despair. His final miracle on the cross was not a dramatic rescue but unwavering faith in His Father. He trusted that death was not the end, that resurrection was certain, and that His suffering would accomplish salvation for the world.

In that moment, Jesus left us a pattern for our own final moments. When our lives draw to a close, when strength fades and the world grows dim, the greatest testimony we can leave is trust—trust that the God who raised Jesus will raise us as well. A life that ends with confidence in the Lord becomes a final sermon, a final witness, a final miracle of faith.

LORD, when our lives are drawing to a close, give us the wisdom to trust You for resurrection life, and leave the world a message of confidence in You.

[1] Aramaic.

[2] Psalm 22:1.

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three hours of darkness

Posted on December 14, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LIGHT?

Mark 15:31-33

³¹ And in the same way even the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He delivered others; he cannot deliver himself. ³² Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. ³³ And as soon as the sixth hour had come, there was a darkness over the whole land, lasting until the ninth hour.

three hours of darkness

The three hours of darkness at the crucifixion were not a passing cloud or an atmospheric oddity. It was a darkness so complete that even the full Passover moon vanished from sight. Creation itself seemed to hold its breath. This was no sign of weakness, no evidence that Jesus was overpowered by the crowd or abandoned by God. It was a declaration that the One hanging on the cross was not helpless at all. The same Lord who prayed in Gethsemane under the weight of spiritual darkness now allowed the world to feel a shadow of what He bore for us. The eclipse was heaven’s testimony that something cosmic was taking place—something far deeper than the mockers understood.

The Light of the World had been rejected, and for a moment the world experienced what it had chosen. Jesus came as light, but humanity preferred darkness because darkness hides our deeds. Yet on that day, the darkness did the opposite. It exposed us. It revealed the depth of our rebellion and the cost of our redemption. The shadow that fell over the land was not merely the absence of sunlight; it was the unveiling of the price Jesus paid to bring us back into the light. The darkness testified to the seriousness of sin, but it also magnified the love that held Him on the cross. He entered our night so that we could enter His day.

And now we wait for the moment when that Light returns—not dimmed, not hidden, but blazing in glory. The world still feels dark, still groans under the weight of sin, still longs for dawn. But the One who once allowed darkness to fall will one day banish it forever.

LORD, come again. Return the light to our darkened world.

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those who passed by

Posted on December 13, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

WHO’S MINISTERING AMONG THE DECEIVED?

Mark 15:26-30

²⁶ And the epigraph giving the reason for his crucifixion read, “The King of the Jews.” ²⁷And along with him they crucified two robbers, one at his right and one at his left. ^28[1] ²⁹ And those who passed by expressed contempt for him, wagging their heads and saying, “Ha! You who were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, ³⁰deliver yourself, and come down from that cross!”

those who passed by

It is a grief to the church and a grief to the heart of God that there are still people who live and die without ever hearing the name of Christ. Entire communities remain untouched by the gospel, and unless someone is sent—unless someone goes—they will never hear the story that can save them. The Great Commission is not a slogan; it is a rescue mission. Those who have never heard need messengers.

But there is another tragedy, one that hides in plain sight. Even in nations saturated with churches, Bibles, and Christian vocabulary, countless people live their whole lives deceived about who Jesus truly is. They have heard His name, but not His gospel. They have seen symbols of the cross, but not the meaning of it. Like the passersby at Calvary who mocked Jesus without understanding Him, many today dismiss Him based on distortions, half‑truths, or shallow impressions. They wait for Jesus to “prove Himself,” not realizing that He already has—just not in the way they demand. He will not step down from the cross to satisfy their curiosity. He has already stepped out of the tomb to satisfy their deepest need.

What they need now is not a spectacle but a witness. They need to hear the gospel clearly, and they need to see it embodied in people whose lives have been reshaped by grace. Authentic believers—humble, repentant, transformed—are often the clearest evidence that Jesus is alive. When the world sees Christ’s character in His people, the mockery fades and the truth becomes harder to ignore.

We are not called to be impressive; we are called to be faithful. We are not asked to prove Christ by arguments alone, but by lives that bear His likeness. Through us, the world can see that He is exactly who He claimed to be.

LORD, use us to prove that You are who You said You are.

[1] some manuscripts add και επληρώθη η γραφη η λέγουσα, Και μετα ανόμων ελογίσθη.

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unforgettable visit

Posted on December 12, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE?

Mark 15:21-25

²¹ And they forced a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. ²² And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). ²³ And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. ²⁴ And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each would take. ²⁵ And it was the third hour when they crucified him.

unforgettable visit

Simon of Cyrene was just passing through Jerusalem, a visitor caught in the wrong place at the wrong moment—or so it seemed. He had no intention of becoming part of an execution procession. He was not a disciple, not a follower, not even a bystander with interest in Jesus’ trial. He was simply a man from the countryside, swept into a story far larger than he imagined. Yet that single moment changed everything. He saw Jesus up close—saw the exhaustion, the wounds, the dignity, the silence. He felt the weight of the cross that would soon hold the body of the One he carried it for. And according to early Christian tradition, that encounter eventually led Simon and his sons, Alexander and Rufus, into the faith. Something convinced him that Jesus was more than a condemned man. Something persuaded him that the One he saw die was also the One who rose.

Simon knew Jesus truly died; he had carried the instrument of death on his own shoulders. For him to later follow Christ, he must have encountered the living Jesus or the undeniable testimony of those who did. Only a risen Lord could turn a random passerby into a lifelong disciple. Only resurrection power could transform a moment of forced service into a lifetime of willing devotion.

And that brings the question home to us. What would it take for you—and for your family—to commit yourselves fully to Jesus? For Simon, it was seeing the reality of Christ’s suffering and the truth of His resurrection. For us, the same evidence stands. The cross shows His love; the empty tomb shows His power. The invitation is the same: to let the One who died for us become the One we live for.

LORD, thank You for dying for us. Show us how to live for You.

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purple cloak

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

WE ARE BULLIES

Mark 15:16-20

¹⁶ And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (in other words, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole cohort. ¹⁷ And they dressed him in a purple cloak, and weaving together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ¹⁹ And they were hitting his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down, pretending to honour him. ²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of that purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him on so they could crucify him.

purple cloak

Our Lord was humiliated by soldiers who pretended to honor Him, draping Him in a purple cloak and bowing in mock worship. What they did was not thoughtful or deliberate cruelty—it was the kind that grows when people lose themselves in a crowd. One soldier alone might have simply stood guard, doing his duty without malice. But together, they became something uglier. They fed off one another’s laughter, one another’s bravado, one another’s scorn. Like children on a playground who discover the power of ganging up, they pushed each other further, turning mockery into violence. That is the sad truth about human nature: we are easily shaped by the worst impulses of the group, and we often find courage for cruelty long before we find courage for compassion.

Yet Jesus came precisely for people like that—for people like us. He did not recoil from our brokenness or our bullying hearts. Instead, He stepped into the center of it. He allowed Himself to be wrapped in that purple robe, not because He deserved the shame, but because we did. He let the mockery fall on Him so that mercy could fall on us. He endured the sneers, the blows, the false honor, and the real humiliation so that He could rescue us from the very instincts that nailed Him to the cross. The purple cloak meant to degrade Him became a symbol of the love that would not turn away. He took our cruelty into His own body so that we could be freed from it forever.

This is the love that saves us—not sentimental, not shallow, but sacrificial. A love strong enough to absorb our worst and still offer us His best. A love that sees what we are and chooses us anyway.

LORD, thank You for Your sacrificial love.

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the man you call king

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

WHO IS JESUS TO YOU, REALLY?

Mark 15:12-15

¹² And Pilate again answered, saying to them, “Then what should I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” ¹³ And they yelled out again, “Crucify him.” ¹⁴ Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they yelled even more, “Crucify him.” ¹⁵ So Pilate, wanting to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

the man you call king

They called Jesus “Rabbi,” a title of honor, yet in their hearts they dismissed Him as nothing more than a provincial Galilean. They called Him “teacher,” but His words never shaped their lives. They called Him “Lord,” but their obedience stopped the moment His commands pressed against their desires. Some even dared to call Him “Messiah,” but when His mission did not match their expectations, they quietly withdrew their hope. This was the generation that crucified its own Saviour while still using religious language to describe Him.

And the pattern has not disappeared. Our generation is fluent in Christian vocabulary yet slow to embrace the weight of Christ’s identity. Many admire Jesus at Christmas, when He is small, safe, and silent in a manger, but they resist Him as King when His authority confronts their lives. They speak of His love but ignore His call to repentance. They appreciate His compassion but reject His claim to rule. To them, His death is nothing more than a tragic end to a good man. But if we believe that Jesus died merely because an angry crowd overpowered Him, then we have aligned ourselves with that very crowd. We have reduced the Lord of glory to a victim of circumstance rather than the willing Lamb of God who laid down His life.

The cross exposes the truth about every generation: it is possible to say the right words about Jesus while refusing to bow to who He truly is. But the cross also reveals His mercy. The One we rejected is the One who saves. The One we misunderstood is the One who intercedes. The One we crucified is the One who rose to give life.

LORD, we acknowledge You for who You truly are. We confess Your Son as God’s Son and our Saviour.

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