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    This passage of Mark records the last events of Jesus’ passion before His crucifixion, the last blows of the colossal battle between Jesus and the forces of sin, the world, and the power of the devil before Jesus defeated them all with His sacrificial death on the cross.
    What was that? Jesus’ death was a victory? Indeed, that is so, for it is Jesus’ death on the cross, that terrible sacrifice on our behalf, that ensures the forgiveness of all of our sins. In Jesus’ death, the law was fulfilled and the debt of sin that all mankind owed as a result of our failure to fulfill the law ourselves was paid in full.
    Because of that fact, Jesus’ death on the cross was the greatest victory ever won by mankind. Because of Jesus’ death, we are saved from the terrible consequences of sin by our faith in Jesus’ sacrifice. We have been freed by our gloriously victorious Savior who died for us.
DLH
