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“Jesus, whom you crucified”         [Acts 2:22-36]     In the creation myth of the ancient Korean kingdom, there is a verse in an inserted song that goes like this: ‘Thick and thick, I'll give you my old house, build a new one.’   Do you know what this means?   There is a frog with a venomous bite called the ‘Om toad.’   When this Om toad lays eggs, it used to be afraid of snakes and avoided them.   But after laying eggs, it goes to find a venomous snake and fights with all its might, spewing venom.   Eventually, it gets eaten by the snake, but in the process, it leaves behind its venom.   This venom, left behind in the belly of the snake, eventually kills the snake as well.   Moreover, the eggs in the belly of the mother Om toad are born as healthy baby Om toad, fed by both the mother Om toad and the snake.   In the phrase ‘Thick and thick, I'll give you my old house, build a new one,’ the old house ...

  Day 16: Acts 2:22-33       "Jesus, whom you crucified“       ‘The Jesus whom you crucified on the cross’ (Acts 2:36), is indeed the Jesus who was delivered up to the cross according to the predetermined plan of God and His foreknowledge (v. 23).  He was delivered up to atone for our sins, both to the Jews and the lawless.  However, He is the Jesus who cannot be held by death (v. 24).   The God who raised Him from the dead has allowed our mortal bodies to dwell in hope through His resurrection (v. 26).  Our Jesus is the way to life (v. 28).  He is the Lord who, through His death and resurrection, bestows salvation upon us.  Thus, our spirits and bodies have received salvation.   Therefore, death is not our end but the first step towards a life in eternal heaven.  Our Jesus is exalted on high (v. 33).  God has seated Jesus at His right hand, making Him our Lord and Christ.  Je...

Jesus crucified (3)         [Mark 15:21-32]                       When Jesus was suffering on the cross, people laughed at Him, insulted Him, mocked Him, and cursed Him.   Who mocked, insulted, mocked, and cursed the crucified Jesus?   Those passing by insulted Jesus.   Look at Mark 15:29-30: “Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, ‘Ha!   You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!’”   The chief priests mocked Jesus.   Look at Mark 15:31-32: “In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, ‘He saved others; He cannot save Himself.   Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!’   Those who were cruci...

Jesus crucified (2)         [Mark 15:21-32]                        Mark 15:22-23 says, “Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.   They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it.”  Jesus did not receive the wine mixed with myrrh before He went to the place of the skull, that is, Golgotha, and was crucified.  This wine mixed with myrrh was given to those who were crucified as an anesthetic so that they could suffer lesser.  But Jesus did not take it because He did not want to get drunk with anesthesia.  The reason is because Jesus did not reduce the suffering in saving us but was willing to fully receive it.   Jesus suffered enough in this way to save us, who were worse than the robbers, and to become saints who resembled Jesus.   It is to the Lord's glory that Je...

Jesus crucified (1)         [Mark 15:21-32]                        Mark 15:22-25 says, “They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).   Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.  And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.  It was the third hour when they crucified him.”  Here, “the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull)” is the place where Jesus was crucified.   In other gospels, it is written like this: “a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull)” (Mt. 27:33), “The place called the Skull” (Lk. 23:33), “The Place of a Skull (which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha)” (Jn. 19:17).   The ”place called the Skull” (Lk. 23:33) is translated as “Calvary” in the King James Bible.   Today...