All posts by Luella Campbell

MARK’S GOSPEL…THE TRIAL – 39

Bible Study, ,

Mark‬ ‭14‬:‭53‬, ‭55‬-‭59‬, ‭61‬-‭62‬, ‭64‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together…The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’ ” Yet even then their testimony did not agree. But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer…Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” ….“You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death.”

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In a court of law, “A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.” This is the way justice is supposed to work. A justice system is responsible to examine the evidence objectively and make its judgment by determining the guilt or innocence of the accused based on the reliability of the evidence and the truthfulness of the witnesses. 

However, in Jesus’ trial, every rule of law and justice was overturned in favour of a predetermined verdict of “guilty as charged.” The judge and jury were determined to kill Him, so their “evidence” was contrived to confirm their verdict!

The legal team was made up of, supposedly, the most respected, most trusted, most honest men of integrity in the land of Israel, the representatives of divine justice which they were tasked to represent by dispensing the law of God truthfully and accurately.

So, they found Jesus guilty of all charges and condemned Him to death! First, the charges…blasphemy against God according to their law… , second, treason against Rome according to Roman law. 

Was Jesus guilty of blasphemy? No! Was He the Son of God? Yes! Why then, was He found guilty? The verdict depended on the perspective of the court. Jesus backed up His claim to be the Son of God by His words and works. His miracles were, primarily, evidence that He was who He said He was.

For example…

To His disciples, He said…

“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

His authority to forgive was backed up by a miracle. 

“Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

“Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?”

‭”But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭2‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

However, the religious leaders refused to believe the evidence.

Was Jesus guilty of treason? This charge was for Pilate’a benefit and for Pilate to decide as the representative of the Roman government. Did Jesus claim to be a king in rebellion against Rome?

“Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭18‬:‭33‬-‭38 NIV‬‬

Pilate was both mystified and convinced, by Jesus’ answer, that He was no threat to Rome. He released Him to be crucified only on the insistence of the Jews that He was guilty of blasphemy by the standards of their law. 

So, by the grossest miscarriage of justice in history, in the face of all the overwhelming evidence that Jesus was the Son of God, they condemned Him to death and crucified Him. 

Who was right? The Jews or Jesus?

Although Jesus was forced into this situation by the Jewish authorities, He went willingly because it was according to His Father’s will. He submitted, not to His accusers but to His Father because this was the only way to redeem His people from sin. 

Peter said…

“This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Paul said…

“…and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The war between darkness and light raged in the courtroom that day, and darkness won…or did it?

MARK’S GOSPEL…THE KISS – 38

Bible Study, ,

Mark‬ ‭14‬:‭43‬-‭46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. The men seized Jesus and arrested him.”

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Who doesn’t remember Judas Iscariot for his betrayal of Jesus with a kiss? Why a kiss and what was the deeper significance of this act?

Google explains…

“The kiss was a common cultural greeting that expressed deep respect and friendship, but in this case, it was a deceitful act by Judas, who was a traitor feigning affection to betray his master and lead to Jesus’ arrest.”

How low did Judas sink to betray the one with whom he had lived in intimate friendship for several years…heard His teaching, witnessed His compassion, and participated in His ministry! 

Judas needed to get as close to Jesus as possible without arousing suspicion and indicating his intention, so that the arresting mob would know whom to grab. What better way than to greet his Master with that friendly, intimate and perfectly acceptable gesture?

Now let’s unpack Judas’ hypocrisy, wearing a mask to hide his real self. In all of Jesus’ dealings with people during His earthly life, He loathed hypocrisy, and He never held back from exposing this abominable attitude in the religious leaders who fooled the people with their feigned obedience to “the Law”. 

Hence the Pharisees hated Him because, secretly, they knew Jesus was right, but they refused to admit their guilt.  Jesus accurately diagnosed their problem. Even some of their fellow Pharisees who followed Jesus would not acknowledge Him because, like their colleagues…

“…they loved human praise more than praise from God.”

‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭43‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus was never afraid, publicly to shame them, to tell them the truth, and to warn His disciples not to follow their example. For example…

““And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Judas’ act of betrayal was the pinnacle of hypocrisy, his gesture of respect, honour, and friendship the exact opposite of his purpose and motive, to hand Jesus over to His enemies. 

“What really stands out in the mode of Judas’s betrayal is that Judas used such an intimate expression of love and respect to betray Jesus. Judas’s actions were hypocritical in the extreme—his actions said, “I respect and honor you,” at the exact time he was betraying Jesus to be murdered. Judas’s actions illustrate Proverbs 27:6, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” Often, foes disguise themselves as friends. Evil often wears a mask to conceal its true purpose.”

(www.gotquestions.org – article “What is the significance of Judas betraying Jesus with a kiss?”)

It’s no wonder, then that, when the significance of his action hit him, there was no place in his heart for repentance. What he had done could never be undone. Did he watch while the soldiers drove nails through his erstwhile Master’s wrists and feet? Did he stop long enough to see the blood dripping from the dead body of Jesus? Did he realise that he could never make amends for what he had done?

Judas’ suicide was the terrible and final end to a life of pretense. For him, no hope of a “Well done, good and faithful servant!”, Judas, the only person ever born, the only man ever to have lived on planet earth, to bear this memorial…”the man who betrayed Jesus!”

With all his opportunities, Judas never repented of his unbelief, never received the grace of forgiveness, never felt the embrace of Jesus’ love. His heart was as hard as granite rock, as empty of life as a cold corpse, as lonely as a prisoner in solitary confinement. In the company of eleven of the most privileged men on earth, he carried his secret alone but carried it out before their eyes!

To the rest of humanity, Judas is known as, in the words of Jesus Himself…

“While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.”

‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

However, not only did Jesus give Judas his correct title, “the one doomed to destruction”, but He also put him, surprisingly enough, in the centre of the Father’s will, naming him as the one who would fulfil prophecy according to God’s plan prepared before time began.

So, as much as we pity Judas, and hate what he did, we marvel at the wisdom of God who chose Judas but, at the same time, gave him every opportunity to dodge his destiny. This is the mystery of God’s sovereignty. Only God knows how the intricacies of His sovereignty work!

MARK’S GOSPEL…GETHSEMANE – 37

Bible Study,

Mark‬ ‭14‬:‭32‬-‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.””

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Gethsemane…”the press”. For believers, Gethsemane arouses feelings of sadness, foreboding, impending horror, but…Gethsemane was just an olive grove outside Jerusalem, a garden of trees that bore an abundance of olives. Who owned Gethsemane? No on knows but…Gethsemane was the place Jesus chose for His final and greatest battle. 

The name of the garden, Gethsemane, means “press”, an apt title for the processing of olives, and an even more apt symbol of Jesus’ next few hours. As the flesh of the olive fruit was bruised, broken, and severely pressed to extract the precious oil, so the “flesh” of our Saviour, His vulnerable human nature, was pressed beyond human limit to extract…what? To press every other consideration to protect and preserve Himself except His commitment to do the will of the Father. 

Said Isaiah…

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The piercing, the crushing, the wounding He anticipated was not against but in complete harmony with the Father’s will. In His battle in the garden, He must, once again, as He did throughout His life, surrender His will to the will of the Father. 

“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

For Jesus, the issue of suffering and death was far more than the way He would leave earth and returned to heaven. It was how He made the transition from Gethsemane to Calvary, and Calvary to the tomb that would be the difference between life and death. 

Let’s consider one statement the writer to the Hebrews made that gives us a glimpse of the real nature of the battle.

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How profound is this insight into the relentless war Jesus waged, a war which reached its climax in Gethsemane! Death would be, if He failed to submit to the Father, not just the end of His earthly life but also the end of His eternal position in heaven and the destiny of all mankind. He would suffer the same fate as all fallen humanity, and be separated from the Father forever. 

From the eternal “now” of eternity, when Jesus embraced the Father’s will to be the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world, to the moment of His conception in the womb of Mary and to this moment, Jesus had one all-consuming objective…to do the Father’s will.

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire— but my ears you have opened— burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.””

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭40‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus submitted to Him in every thought, word, and deed during His life on earth. What, then, was the battle that He fought, that caused Him to suffer, and to learn obedience through His suffering? Was it the relentless temptation to choose self-will over the Father’s will?

Again, Hebrews answers the question for us. 

“For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Please note these Scriptures because in them is the heart of what Jesus came to do!

  1. Jesus was as fully human as we are…flesh and spirit. 
  2. Like the first Adam before he sinned, Jesus, the last Adam, was able to sin and able not to sin, able to obey or not to obey the Father. 
  3. To be a perfect high priest and atoning sacrifice, He had to do the Father’s will perfectly. 
  4. He had to endure and overcome the same temptations we suffer, to obey the father, no matter what. 

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In what way did Jesus suffer being tempted?

Here, Peter answers the question for us.

“But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The crux of the issue was…how would Jesus react to unjust suffering, His way  as a man or God’s way as His Son? Suffering unjustly is the expression of what Jesus’ people did to Him…rejection…and produces one of two reactions…of the flesh or of the spirit? The flesh retaliates to protect self, the spirit responds to glorify and trust the Father. 

Again, Peter explains…

“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The way Jesus responded to unjust suffering was the greatest evidence of His commitment to doing the Father’s will. In those final moments, in the heat of the fire that lay before Him, before His arrest and trial, He had to settle the issue once and for all, His will or the Father’s will?

For Jesus, this was “the press”, so intense that the sweat poured from Him like the flow of blood from a fatal wound. With His choice came the peace that carried Him through to His final breath. Compassion for His tormentors and His killers spoke forgiveness from His parched lips, and assurance to a lost soul hanging on a cross beside Him of a place in paradise with Him.

So, as for Jesus, so for us, His followers, our suffering in temptation and our victory over temptation is to choose Him over ourselves and His way over our way. The way of non-retaliation defeats every demand of the flesh for vindication. 

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭19‬ ‭NIV‬

Then we will be in the safest place on earth, in the will of God. 

MARK’S GOSPEL…EXPOSED – 36

Bible Study, ,

Mark 14:27-31 NIV

“You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written: “ ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.” But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.”

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Oh, the cockiness of the flesh! So arrogant…and so weak!

In a matter-of-fact, almost “by-the-way” manner, Jesus foretold the disciples about their desertion and Peter about his denial. He spoke as though the cowardly abandonment of their Master  was a foregone conclusion. For Him, it was done, so He brushed aside their failure with an instruction…

“But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

Isn’t that strange? It’s almost as though Jesus were replaying everything that was yet to happen as if it had already happened…yet what they did to Him didn’t faze Him. It was part of a process, and He knew the conclusion. 

For Peter, though, this prediction heralded an unforgettable moment…a terrible humiliation that would unlock his understanding to the real Peter, open his eyes to the real Jesus, and change his life forever. 

Until the moment when the cock crowed, Peter was in charge of his own life. He was cocksure of his abilities, his strengths, his ways. He could cope with every eventuality on his own, thank you very much. 

Peter brushed aside Jesus’ warning with a self-confident  retort… “Me, Jesus! No, never me! All the others may fail you but not me!” …implying, of course, “I can do it, all by myself.”

Little did Peter know how far he would fall. He didn’t just run away like the  others. He denied any knowledge of Jesus with oaths and curses…just as if he were a known criminal denying his guilt! From self-proclaimed head disciple to coward and liar, Peter crashed…and he only woke up to the truth when he heard the rooster crowing in the distance. 

Imagine that! Peter was so self-assured that he thought the bystanders would believe him until…the truth hit him. He had done exactly what Jesus said he would do! How he hated the sound of the rooster at that moment. It was as if it were announcing his guilt to the world.

Peter was devastated, humiliated, destroyed. That look…that compassion so palpable he could feel it…those eyes boring into his soul, unpacking every thought, every motive, every intention…not anger, not judgment, not “I told you so”…just sorrow, grief, and pure love. 

Peter couldn’t handle it. He turned and ran…away from the people who had witnessed his shame…away from the glowing fire where he had warmed his hands…into the cold, dark night where he could weep alone. He was broken, all his bluster and self-confidence gone. He could never look Jesus in the eyes again, the words of his denial replaying inside his brain like a stuck record. 

We would be left hanging if it were not for John’s story of reconciliation and restoration, but that is for another time. 

It had to be. For Peter, at that moment, it was death to his ego as real as the death of his Master. How often did the recollection of his failure return when his old natural self threatened to destroy him again? 

Was it a lesson well learned or just another bump in the road? Only time and experience would tell.





MARK’S GOSPEL…THE MEW COVENANT – 35

Bible Study, ,

Mark‬ ‭14‬:‭22‬-‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”

Just another Passover celebration in the life of Jesus…or was it?

I wonder if the disciples ever realised what a life-and-world-changing event was about to happen at that moment. Centuries before, Jeremiah had predicted that what Jesus Christ was about to do, to make a new covenant between the Father and Himself, was God’s solution to His people’s dismal failure as His own covenant nation. 

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31‬:‭31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A New Covenant? Why? What was wrong with the covenant God had cut with Israel at Mount Sinai? Centuries of disobedience, lawlessness, and idolatry defined the Israelites despite God’s pleading, patience, and expressions of love and mercy towards His people. Israel’s history was stained with defiance and betrayal. 

There was nothing wrong with the covenant but everything wrong with the people. Their hearts were hard and incurably wicked. A new covenant, based on what God could do rather than on what they could never do, was the answer. 

Included in the promise of a new covenant was the promise of new hearts. 

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭36‬:‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Now, at this moment, in the Upper Room, in the presence of His eleven closest companions (Judas had left the company), Jesus set up His New Covenant, not another ceremony signed in animal blood but an eternal agreement between Himself and the Father, to be signed in His own blood. 

So significant was this covenant for the eternal redemption of the human race that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could not entrust to sinful humans the honour of being in covenant with God. The only perfectly obedient human who was eligible to be in covenant with Father was Jesus Himself. 

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many…”

An ordinary, everyday event…eating bread and drinking wine…was elevated, in this moment, to an eternal truth. Bread, the staff of life…wine, the blood of the grape, speaking of life and death…so, in symbolic simplicity, Jesus revealed the heart of God in the inauguration of His New Covenant…a covenant between Father and Son signed in His blood…with us, condemned sinners, as His beneficiaries. 

What so many of God’s people have sadly missed is that the New Covenant is not an addition to the Old but completely replaces it. 

“By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.”

Hebrews‬ ‭8‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

According to Google, 

“Obsolete” means no longer used, in general use, or useful because something newer or better has been invented. For example, an old model of a cell phone might become obsolete when a new smartphone is released, or an old programming language might be deemed obsolete when it’s replaced by a more efficient one.”

God’s people need to get the impact of this word “obsolete”! If the Old Covenant is obsolete, outdated and discarded, why do many of God’s people still observe some of its laws, rituals, and practices as though they still apply…for example food taboos, Sabbath observance, holy festivals, even prayer rituals? 

This little scene in the Upper Room is a line in the sand, a deciding moment in history, a new dispensation in God’s dealings with humanity…law as a way of acceptance with God forever declared redundant…grace, the new way forever because mercy, redemption, and forgiveness are freely given through the body and blood of Jesus. 

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth….Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬, ‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The only safe place in which we can take shelter from God’s wrath against sin is in the body and blood of the one who is in covenant with the Father on our behalf. No law, ritual, tradition, or sacrifice can add or substitute for what Jesus has done for us. 

Paul issued a serious warning…

“Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Law and grace can never live in peace together because the one cancels the other. 

In this breathtaking scene in the Upper Room, history stood still, then made an about-turn, retracing its step to the moment when the Lamb of God was slain in eternity and the magnitude of that sacrifice cast its shadow across time. Instead of the covenant at Sinai, with its exposure of humanity’s evil heart, the cross of Jesus will always be the defining moment for every sinner…”Yes!” Or “No!”