Wednesday, February 12th | Mark 15

Passage:
12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.”

17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting 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 striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him.

29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.” 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.”

39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

(Mark 15:12-14, 17-19, 29-32, 39 ESV)

Song:
All Sufficient Merit by Bethany Barnard, Bryan Fowler, and Shane Barnard

Lyrics:
All sufficient merit shining like the sun
A fortune I inherit by no work I have done
My righteousness I forfeit at my Savior’s cross
Where all sufficient merit did what I could not

In love He condescended eternal now in time
A life without a blemish the Maker made to die
The law could never save us our lawlessness had won
Until the pure and spotless Lamb had finally come

It is done it is finished
No more debt I owe
Paid in full all sufficient
Merit now my own

I lay down my garments any empty boast
Good works now all corrupted by the sinful host
I'm dressed in my Lord Jesus
A crimson robe made white
No more fear of judgment His righteousness is mine

All sufficient merit firm in life and death
The joy of my salvation shall be my final breath
When I stand accepted before the throne of God
I’ll gaze upon my Jesus and thank Him for the cross
Yes I’ll thank Him for the cross

Oh Your merit now my own
Oh Your merit now my own

Prayer:
Lord, I believe and confess that you suffered under Pontius Pilate, and that you were crucified, dead and buried. It was all because of my sins. You redeemed and ransomed me from an eternal cross, from the pain, suffering, and death. And you did it by your own cross, suffering, anguish, pain, and bitter death—as well as by the pouring out of your blood. In this we poor humans recognize your greatest and highest love to us. For you have changed for us your heavy cross into a light yoke. You have turned your bitter sufferings into perpetual joys. And you have turned your death in the midst of anger … into eternal life. So I will praise and thank you, my gracious Lord Jesus Christ, forever and ever. Amen.
—Balthasar Hubmaier