The Shadow of the Cross

Before you start todays devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As we come into the shadow of the Cross, the reverent heart realizes we are on holy ground. The time has come for Jesus to be delivered up to die. His earthly ministry is finished in the fulfillment of prophecy.

Both friend and foe are moving toward the Cross but by different routes. The religious rulers decide Jesus will be killed—it’s just a question of timing. At a dinner early in the week, Mary did what she could to honor Jesus before His death: She anointed Him for burial. At the same party, Judas set in motion his plan to betray the Lord.

Passover began at sundown. Jesus will deliver Himself into the religious ruler’s hands, but it will be according to His schedule. This last night of wonderful fellowship would be spent celebrating Passover.

As the evening drew to a close, Jesus revealed one of them would betray Him. With sorrow they asked, “Is it me?” If you have not yet discovered you are a sinner, thoroughly capable of turning your back on God, you don’t know yourself well. Each of us could ask, “Is it me?”

The Lord essentially tells Judas, “What you’ve planned to do—get it over with.” Judas must have rushed to the Pharisees and said, “You'd better go get Him now because our plot has been discovered.”

Now, as the clock ticked down, Jesus instituted a new feast—the Lord's Supper—on the dying embers of the Passover feast. The Passover looked forward to Jesus coming as the Passover Lamb, and now the Lord’s Supper looks back to His death. The bread speaks of His body that will be broken and the wine speaks of His blood He will shed. When we observe the Lord’s Supper today, we remember this night and what He did for us on the Cross two thousand years ago.

As Passover ends, they head over to the Mount of Olives across town. As they walk, Jesus tells them about His death—and then, for His plans to meet them in Galilee after His resurrection. The disciples must have felt overwhelmed.

The Garden of Gethsemane, a frequent spot for Jesus to be with His disciples, is where He now takes Peter, James, and John. He needs to pray and to face a soul struggle that was as great, if not greater, than the suffering His body endured on the Cross. Perhaps He faced Satan again here. There are mysteries we cannot understand but are allowed only to stand at the edge and watch Him pray.

And here comes Judas, leading in a troop of soldiers. With a treacherous kiss he betrays Jesus, who yields Himself “into the hands of sinful men.” The disciples all scattered—once again, in fulfillment of prophecy.

They led Jesus away through the empty streets of Jerusalem past midnight. First to Caiaphas, the high priest, then to Annas, who some believe was the real rascal behind the plot to kill Jesus.

Special midnight meetings were illegal, but so was their method to only hear witnesses against Jesus. All the while Jesus wouldn’t defend Himself, again fulfilling prophecy. Finally, under oath Jesus said He was the Messiah. He could make no higher claim. He added that someday they would see it for themselves.

Now they could condemn Him to die because He claimed to be the Messiah.

Jesus is now in the hands of His enemies. It is the night of sin! Jesus is now just hours away from the Cross and about His work of saving us.

1.What does it tell us about God that everyone who was acting against Jesus was also acting according to God’s plan?

2. It’s easy to recognize the blatant hypocrisy in the religious leaders who were planning a murder so that it didn’t interfere with Passover, but are there ways we act the same way?

3. What does it tell us about God that everyone who was acting against Jesus was also acting according to God’s plan?lize a sacrifice was needed because of your sins. This makes all of us guilty, both as individuals and as a group. How can Jesus’ sacrifice cleanse us from our sins?

Additional Resources

Listen to Dr. J. Vernon McGee’s complete teachings on Mark 14:1-21 and Mark 14:22-72.