March 11

Same o’ same o’

And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, ~ Mark 15:29 ESV

The passersby repeated the false charge made during Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas (Mark 14:58). The charge was a misunderstanding of Jesus’ words in John 2:19-21.

From the very beginning, Satan has used the same tired tactic—deception. He twists the truth, distorts God’s word, and leads people to believe they are doing the right thing when, in reality, they are walking in darkness. This is nothing new. It is the same old trick he used in the Garden of Eden, the same old scheme he used against Israel, and the same old deception that led the crowds to demand the crucifixion of Jesus.

Those who passed by Jesus on the cross hurled insults, shaking their heads in mockery: “You who were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross!” (Mark 15:29-30). They thought they understood; they thought they were right. But they were blind to the truth. The temple He spoke of was not built of stone—it was His own body, the very temple of the living God, given as a sacrifice for them.

The religious leaders, those who should have known better, scoffed: “He saved others, but He can’t save Himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe!” (Mark 15:31-32). Yet their hearts were hardened. They had already seen His miracles, His power, His authority over sickness and death—and still, they rejected Him. Even the criminals beside Him mocked Him, joining the crowd in their ignorance.

Do you see the pattern? Lies masquerading as truth. People blindly following the voices of the world. The crowd joining in, shouting “Crucify Him!” (Mark 15:13), thinking they were right, but unknowingly fulfilling the enemy’s agenda.

And today, the same deception continues. Many hear false teaching and believe it without question, convinced they are walking in truth when they are only following the world’s lies. They do the same old, same old, blindly accepting whatever is fed to them instead of seeking the truth for themselves.

But you—yes, you—do not have to be like the crowd. Isn’t it time to wake up? This life is short, but it determines where you will spend eternity. Why let deception steal your soul? Why follow the words of men who serve the father of lies, Satan, instead of seeking the truth from the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life?

I urge you—don’t be among those on the broad road to destruction. Don’t keep repeating history. Stop listening to the lies, stop going along with the crowd, and stop shouting “Crucify him” with your rejection of the truth. Instead, open your heart, search the Scriptures, and see for yourself the salvation that Jesus offers. The truth will set you free.

Knowing what we are crying out about in the way we live our lives is vital. Does our behavior shout “Crucify him“? Now is the time to stand up and tell the world what the Bible has to say about the real Jesus. It’s time to stop believing Satan’s lies, to stop twisting the scriptures to suit our own selfish desires and to stop deceiving others. The Bible begins with Satan deceiving Eve in the garden. We only live once, so it is now time to decide who we will serve. It is not guaranteed that tomorrow will come.

And they cried out again, “Crucify him“” And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” ~ Mark 15:13-14

Read / Listen
Numbers 15:17-16:40
Mark 15:1-47
Psalm 54:1-7
Proverbs 11:5-6

New Testament

Mark 15:1-47

And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. ~ Mark 15:12-15

Barabbas