EmmDev 2026-04-07 [Moments with Mark] The Faithful Women

The Faithful Women

Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed Him and cared for His needs. Many other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem were also there. (Mark15:40-41)

From the other gospels we know that there was only one male disciple at the cross and that was John. We think it is because he was young, possibly just a teen. This is why he could call himself "the one that Jesus loved." Being the young one it is likely that all the disciples and Jesus had a soft spot for him. This, probably, is also why Jesus assigns him and Mary to look after each other. To be fair, John is there only by advantage of his youth. The other disciples were older and potentially have been considered as "enemies of the state." It would have been dangerous for them to be at the cross.

In gentle contrast, Mark tells us of a number of women who were there, supporting Jesus. There are some variants in the names of the women as given by the four gospel writers, but we won't be considering the individuals for now.

What is interesting is that Mark portrays women positively in his gospel:
- The woman with the bleeding disorder had courageous faith.
- The Syrophoenician woman understood grace.
- The widow with her two coins gave sacrificially.
- The woman who anointed Jesus recognised His impending death when others didn't.

Here, the women stay at the cross, continuing their faithful devotion to Jesus. Mark tells us that they came to Jerusalem with Jesus and that in Galilee they had followed Jesus and cared for His needs. Luke tells us that some of them "... were helping to support them (Jesus and the twelve) out of their own means."

In a society where women did not enjoy rights and standing of men, it is significant that Mark (who was known for brevity and focus on key aspects) devotes some time to describing their presence. Especially just after the dramatic events of Jesus' death.

These women are examples of "a long obedience in the same direction."
They have been faithful, and, despite being undervalued by society, they are just faithfully there.
Let's take a moment to give thanks for the faithful women who are role-models to us as they faithfully and practically practice a long obedience in a God direction.

---

EmmDev 2026-04-02 [Moments with Mark] Triumph: Demonstrated and Recognised

Triumph: Demonstrated and Recognised

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard His cry and saw how He died, he said, "Surely this Man was the Son of God!" (Mark15:38-39)

Yesterday I suggested that Jesus' "loud cry" was one of triumph.

Our reading today supports this...
At His death, the temple curtain, which separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple, tore from top to bottom. We should never underestimate the visceral impact this event would have had. Normally the Holy of Holies was "off limits" - The High Priest entered only once a year, on the Day of Atonement. Jesus' sacrifice changed all of that. The torn curtain was a powerful symbol of the success of the atonement offering Jesus made.
The letter to the Hebrews explains that Jesus, our High Priest, sacrificed for our sins, once and for all.

Now the Roman Centurion didn't see the curtain tear. He saw the darkness. He may have felt the earthquake mentioned in Matthew. He heard Jesus' cry. He saw how Jesus carried His agony and how He died. He didn't hear a helpless victim. He didn't see a tragic ending. He wasn't left hopeless. He was moved to make a significant statement. "This Man was the Son of God."

This statement is one of the most powerful creeds or declarations of faith in the New Testament.
There's deep theology in this one line.
- He was a Man (God made flesh)
- He was the Son of God (Not just a good man - He was God)

Think about it...
This seasoned Roman soldier had simply been doing his duty.
He'd executed a man considered an enemy of the empire.
And yet, as he contemplated this grisly death which should have simply been a demonstration of Rome's crushing power over anyone who would dare to oppose, he came to a completely unexpected conclusion:

This was the Son of God.

Today we think about Jesus walking the dusty byways of history. We can reduce Him to a relic of our Sunday School stories - an artifact of a quaint religious upbringing. But what happened to the Centurion should grab our attention. At Jesus' death, he should have smirked and said something like "See? You don't mess with the power of Rome."
But instead, he is shaken to the core.
Even in death, Jesus conveys majesty.
His sacrifice means something significant.

And we should take note!

---

EmmDev 2026-04-01 [Moments with Mark] Victim or Priest?

Apologies: this is yesterday's devotion sent out late. Today's one will come a little later.

Victim or Priest?

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last. (Mark15:37 )

As we have seen, Mark keeps things short and simple.
From the other gospels we know that this "loud cry" included
"It is Finished" ("Tetelestai" - "Paid in Full")
and "Father into Your hands I commit my Spirit".

Mark captures the sense of this with his simple account.
The loud cry is one of triumph and victory.
Breathing His last indicates that Jesus was in control.
His life wasn't taken from Him by us - He gave His life for us.

This is a vital distinction.
Jesus is not a helpless victim, He is our Great High Priest who offers Himself.
Tomorrow we will see that the manner of His death is so striking that it moves a senior Roman Officer to utter one of the New Testament's greatest statements of faith.

Take a moment to reflect on a Saviour who
- experienced the excruciating (pun intended) agony of the cross,
- refused narcotics,
- fulfilled scripture,
- offered mercy to a hardened criminal,
- took care of His earthly mother and youngest disciple,
- and traversed God-forsakenness that reduced Him to His "mother tongue."
Then even in His final moments even death is His choice and not ours.
He is not a victim losing His life, but a Priest offering it.

As Charles Wesley's hymn asks:
"Amazing Love, how can it be, that Thou, O God, shouldst die for me?!"

---