Rev David Hann: 0431 685 172
An ancient mosaic of the oaves and fishes

How To Be Free From the Dreadful Reality of Death

Scripture readings:

Mark 15:34–47

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 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!” 

There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. 

And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and 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. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

Psalm 22:1–24

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, 
and by night, but I find no rest. 

Yet you are holy, 
enthroned on the praises of Israel. 
In you our fathers trusted; 
they trusted, and you delivered them. 
To you they cried and were rescued; 
in you they trusted and were not put to shame. 

But I am a worm and not a man, 
scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 
All who see me mock me; 
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 
“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; 
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” 

 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016).