I've been Showed

"I never would have been able to understand.  I had to see it to comprehend."  My friend had given  me the written instructions to make a pillowcase.  But it must have been in a language I didn't read since I could not understand the written instructions.  So she had a demonstration of the layering technique.  It's amazing!  I understand and have now made dozens of pillowcases!

I come from Missouri, "The Show Me State".  Too often I have to see it to believe it and comprehend it!  After I read Mark 15: 1-42 I realized I'd been showed about Jesus.  Jesus showed "His Alls".

Mark relates the events of Jesus' last day.  After a night before the Jewish   Supreme Court  (as The Living Bible describes the gathering of the religious leaders), Jesus was handed over to Pontius Pilate.  Again, Jesus only answered the direct question of "Are you the King of the Jews?"  Jesus replied, "Yes, it is as  you say."  He did not respond to Pilate's query on why He didn't answer the accusations.

It was a custom to release a prisoner during the Feast.  Pilate offered to release Jesus but the religious leaders had stirred up the crowd so that they demanded the release of an insurrectionist named Barabbas.  When Pilate asked "what about Jesus?"  The crowd answered with "Crucify Him."  The soldiers led Jesus away to be mocked and crucified.

Today as I read the familiar account of Jesus' crucifixion I realized Jesus showed me some of His "ALL" attributes.  Jesus is

1.         ALL Knowing.  Jesus foreknew the sequence of events exactly as they happened.  He knew each tiny event must happen just as  it did so prophecy from hundreds of years would be fulfilled and so His mission to love and save would be completed.

2.         ALL Powerful.  Jesus is the master of time.  The gospel writer Mark was careful to mark the time of day so we could have a frame of reference.  "It was the third hour when they crucified Him." .  "At the 6th hour darkness came..." (about noon)   "...at the ninth hour Jesus cried out..."  (about 3 pm).  In our world there are dozens of methods for managing our time.  But Jesus invented time, is beyond time and controls time.  He chose the exact moment for His death.  Verse 37, "With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His  last."

3.         ALL Loving.  So many people surrounded the Cross that day.  The women who had followed Jesus and cared for His earthly needs.  The religious leaders.  His disciples who knew Him better  than most.  The Roman soldiers.  If I had to pick the one to make the proclamation which would echo through eternity, "Surely this man was The Son of God!", I would not have selected a Roman soldier.  The centurion standing in front of Jesus, at the worst he could have participated in crucifying Jesus and at the least   he served with those soldiers who mocked and killed.  Jesus' love for ALL people was obvious to this soldier because Jesus came to save and love us ALL, good, bad and guilty.

There are so many more ALLS of Jesus.  Today I am reminded He is ALL I need because  He is THE ALL of ALL.