Reading Plan for Mar. 29 - Apr. 4

March 29, 2026 | Mark 15:1-5 
Reflection:
Throughout Mark’s Gospel, we rarely catch a glimpse of the Romans. They are there, though. The whole region is tense because of the presence of these occupiers. We could say that the Romans “haunt” the gospel accounts. At this point in Jesus’ story, the Romans step front and center. All of the Judeans’ angst is centered on this man, and he probably thinks very highly of himself. Most likely, Pilate has no interest in being in Jerusalem, a backwater town compared to Rome. But here he is…and Jesus’ presence is a nuisance. Pilate, most likely cranky, is mostly just confused that this Jesus before him is the one causing such frenzy among the people he’s charged with keeping in order. Jesus has ever since been a conundrum to the world’s leaders. 

March 30, 2026 | Mark 15:6-15 
Reflection:
The action that takes place in these 10 verses flies by. If we read it fast, we miss the hours of painstaking detail that lie in the cracks between the verses. Take some time with this passage of scripture. Don’t rush by. Each verse could represent a half hour or an hour of real, lived time. Let your mind fill in every excruciating moment that Mark leaves out. There are empires conspiring for dominancy in these verses. The Romans think they rule the day. The religious hierarchy in Jerusalem thinks it’s achieving its ends. But it is the vulnerable and broken Jesus around whom their lives swirl. Their stories are subordinate to his…in terms of history…and even as these events were playing out. Our minds and hearts are attentive to Jesus, the stone that was rejected, and through God, became the very cornerstone of God’s kingdom. Keep your eyes on this Jesus. 

March 31, 2026 | Mark 15:16-20 
Reflection:
Like yesterday’s passage, these five verses fly by if we let them. Take time to dwell with the grandness of this unfolding story. We move from palaces to army barracks and parade grounds. At the center of it all is Jesus. A whole cohort of soldiers (480 men) surround him. In the midst of this horde, Jesus stands alone. He faces, alone, all the degradation and humiliation and the pain. Earlier in Mark’s telling of the gospel (chapter 5), we hear that Jesus has power over a whole Legion of demons. A legion was a grouping of 5,000 to 6,000 Roman soldiers. With great ease, Jesus dismissed that Legion. Now, Jesus faces a demonic crowd of soldiers. And in their presence, Jesus is submissive. He chooses this vulnerability. How do you respond to Jesus’ great submission? 

April 1, 2026 | Mark 15:21-24 
Reflection:
There are two important happenings in this passage. First, a named person, Simon of Cyrene, is pressed into service when Jesus is not able to carry the cross himself. Always pay attention when someone is named in the story. Simon would have come from the area of North Africa that is now part of Libya. Jewish people lived throughout the Mediterranean area, in Roman cities. Simon mostly had journeyed to Jerusalem for the Passover. He never suspected he would enter Jesus’ story, nor be remembered 2000 years later. Sometimes we find ourselves in the right place at the right time, even though it doesn’t feel like it, to be pressed into the service of God’s kingdom. Pay attention to these moments. Also, notice how quickly Mark speaks of Jesus’ crucifixion, “And they crucified him.” Take time with this partial verse. This is the place to encounter God in our midst, who “emptied himself and became a slave.” Don’t rush by this verse. 

April 2, 2026 | Mark 15:25-32   
Reflection:
Our modern media is quick to label things, to give us a headline. These headlines can be sensationalist and eye-catching, but they tell only one sliver of a much bigger story. Headlines can even skew our perception of what has happened. Above Jesus’ head are these lines: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. It’s the Roman equivalent of a TikTok headline. It tells us something…but not enough. None of those who passed by would have thought, “Oh, look! They crucified the king!” No, they all knew this was mockery at its most scandalous. The whole scene is a spectacle. If we pass by too quickly, reading the headline and moving on, we miss the bigger story of God in our midst, of this humble servant who “became obedient even unto death.” 

April 3, 2026 | Mark 15:33-41
Reflection:
Again, pay attention to every excruciating detail in this story. Hours have passed since nails had been driven into Jesus’ hands and feet, since he had been lifted up to public display. Then, after the torturous hours, things shift into fast gear. Jesus cries out, “Why, God?” Someone runs to get sour wine for him to drink. Then the crowd waits with bated breath to see if God will rescue Jesus. Then, then…Jesus cries out again and breathes out his last breath. Then the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then we focus on one man: a centurion. Was he part of the cohort that mocked Jesus? Was he part of the merciless legionnaires that scourged him? Why, in the midst of all this agony, does this one man, unnamed, turn and see past it all to ask, “Was this God’s Son?” Surely the man saw something. Stand with this centurion and see if you can see what he saw. Notice the women, many of them named. These are the testimony (witness) bearers. Stand with these women at the cross. See if you can see what they see.

April 4, 2026 | Mark 15:42-47 
Reflection:
Another named individual steps into the drama, just as it looks like the story is winding down, coming to a tragic end. It is Joseph of Arimathea. He was a member of “the council.” He knew all that had happened in the past couple of days. Mark tells us that Joseph is seeking after the kingdom. Perhaps at some point, Joseph had encountered Jesus and had seen in him a glimpse of the kingdom. He exposes himself to the Roman leadership and risks and dares to ask for Jesus’ body. Word would certainly get out that Joseph had done such a thing. Joseph doesn’t draw attention to himself. He acts out of great compassion…to wrap the body of the one who had proclaimed the kingdom of God come near. Joseph gives at the very moment that the world has taken away. Joseph provides a place of dignity and rest for the much-maligned and broken Jesus. And the women see.