"save Yourself, and come down from the cross! Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save:

The most poignant understanding is that He could have, He could have saved Himself. He could have descended from the cross and with a Word He could have destroyed those in a moment who were mocking Him, but He didn’t. I’m reading through the New Testament, reading a Gospel book and then several epistles. What a joy it is to read the Word of God, His Word to us, His elect and dear children.

As I was reading through Mark and came to the last chapters and the account given by Mark of these last days of Jesus I kept thinking of the difference between those who believe and those who don’t, it is obvious in these accounts. Those who didn’t believe mocked Him and I recoiled greatly at their mocking. I remember when I didn’t believe and mocked Jesus myself. Oh what shame I now have in remembrance of those years. And yet, I cannot live in that shame either for His willingness to stay on the cross, to bear the shame was in effect for my very sin that gives me shame. I wonder at Peter who denied the Lord three times, the shame he must have known. Upon the women’s report that Jesus was no longer in the tomb but risen I read in Luke’s account: “But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened: (24:12). It was Peter who arose and ran to the tomb, and he marveled at what had happened. Marvel…..’to be filled with wonder, miraculous’. Oh yes, do you imagine that Peter was filled with wonder and joy that the Lord he had denied was risen and he again had hope, hope that his sin of denial was forgiven and hope that he would see His Lord once again.

I too marvel at what happened!