Mark 15:20-24

"And [the soldiers] brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means "Place of the Skull"). They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he..."

"A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside [as Jesus was led away to be crucified], and the soldiers forced him....."

"When [the soldiers] were finally tired of mocking [Jesus], they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away...."

"A golden truth is couched in the fact that the Saviour put the myrrhed wine-cup from his lips. On the heights of heaven the Son of God stood of old,....."

"Then the soldiers nailed [Jesus] to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece."

As Jesus journeyed into Jerusalem that last time, he had reached the point where he was going to gamble everything on the cross. Phil Ware continues his series of insights on living the CRUCIFORMED life Jesus calls all disciples to live on his way to the cross.

What's so awful about that? We often take our own sin too lightly and need to be shocked into realization of how bad it is.

Have you wondered how long Mary remembered the aroma of myrrh? Stacy Voss is trying to prepare our hearts for advent and the coming of Jesus by asking us to gather in pungent and hard to smell things.