Mark 15:16-41. Follow the Suffering Savior One of the primary themes that we observe as we read the Gospel of Mark is the nature and cost of the form of discipleship that obedience to Jesus Christ both inspires and requires. Jesus taught, both by word and by example, uncompromised obedience to God, an obedience that sometimes requires significant cost or sacrifice. However, there is no example of sacrifice that is more dramatic than Jesus' passion as, through it, He both demonstrated obedience and sacrifice, but through the necessity of His death, He provided a means for forgiveness for all who place their faith and trust in God. Jesus was not a martyr. Like a martyr, Jesus was put to death by those in power around Him. Like a martyr, that death exposed the faults of those who killed Him. However, Jesus' death on the cross differed from that of a martyr in a very real way: His death was prophesied, had a specific redemptive purpose, and Jesus submitted Himself to the cross by His own choice, allowing those who tortured and crucified Him to do so. Though the gospel is simple: God offers unconditional forgiveness to all who place their faith and trust in Him, the cost that was paid for that forgiveness is not quite that simple. Jesus, the Son of God paid a price that we could not pay for a debt that he did not owe. From the beginning, God s plan was to redeem sinful man to himself through Jesus atoning death. From the beginning the shedding of blood was required for the forgiveness of sin. Hebrews 9:16-22. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. 18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
God cannot be mocked, and so the penalty for sin must be paid in some manner in order to find forgiveness for that sin. God s plan was that the debt for sin was suffering. However, God also demonstrated His grace by His determination that the one who sinned would not be the one who would suffer. Instead, God demanded a sacrifice from one that is perfect and innocent: a spotless lamb, an animal that is incapable of sin. Through this act, God was revealing his ultimate purpose to save mankind through the sacrificial death of His Son, who like the lamb, would die by the shedding of blood. Mark 15:15-18. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. 16 And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band. 17 And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, 18 And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! We have often looked at the passion week as a tragic story, without actually realizing the significance of the treatment that Jesus received before He was crucified. None of the gospels describes all of the events, but between the four we find many of the events that took place between the sentencing and the crucifixion. The gospel writers were more concerned with the purpose of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus rather than recording all of the historical details of events, something that we tend to demand in today's literate culture. However, just as Jesus was subject to the temptation in the wilderness, 1 His ability to circumvent these events serves to heighten their theological significance. As Jesus had done before, He could have simply walked away in the midst of the people. Instead He chose to be obedient to His called purpose and humble himself before evil, self-aborbed, cruel, and ignorant men who subjected Jesus to torture and death. Mark identifies some of the initial experience. Jesus was flogged (scourged) to the point of near-death. All of the torture and abuse that followed took place after the scourging, a particularly brutal beating that creates near deadly fluid and blood loss. Many weaker souls who were scourged prior to crucifixion died before the scourging was completed. 1 Mark, Chapter 1.
Mark 15:19-20. And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. 2 Mark then describes briefly the placing of the thorns on His head and then the soldier s beating it into his head with a staff. He only alludes to the facial beating that He received (described in Matthew) herein described as mocking, and the tearing off of the blood-soaked robe from the skin that had been so badly torn. Through all of this, Jesus remained silent. The Roman soldiers were skilled at torture, at breaking down the will of a criminal. Some have argued that Jesus silence added to His suffering, as it enraged the Roman soldiers who were more accustomed to enjoying the screams for mercy coming from those they tortured. They became more brutal than normal as they tried to get Jesus to break down. Mark 15:21. And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. This short statement reveals the extreme brutality of the treatment that Jesus received. The Roman guards were specifically charged by the Roman Governor to administer the crucifixion of Jesus on the hill of Golgotha. The trip to Golgotha by one so brutalized would be extremely arduous, and considered part of the humiliation that is exacted on their convicted criminals. However, had Jesus died before reaching the place of execution, the administration of the execution by the commander of the Roman guards would be called into question. It is evident that the Centurion who was in charge of the execution recognized the profoundly weakened state of Jesus' body and gave this very unusual order. Mark 15:22-23. And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. 23 And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. 2 Psalm 22:18.
Jesus was offered wine mixed with aloe or myrrh to deaden the pain that He was about to be subjected to. Jesus refused, preferring to remain alert. He was then laid down across the wooden beam (pentibulum) that was carried to Golgotha, and iron spikes were driven through his hands/wrists near the ends of the beam. The beam was then lifted up to the top of the vertical post where it was dropped onto the post, centered on a hole or bracket on the pentibulum. Once in place, they took another spike, placed it over Jesus crossed feet and nailed his feet to the vertical base of what now was a cross. Jesus ministry of serving people, and the suffering He received at the hands of the ignorant and wicked are well-documented. In the previous chapters of the gospel of Mark, Jesus has called us to a similar ministry to people, and told us that as we take a stand for the truth, we will experience persecution at the hands of the ignorant and wicked. We are today witnessing a significant amount of persecution against the Church that includes torture and death. We are, for the most part, protected in this country from torture and death, so the persecution we may face as we exercise of our faith is not so significant. As a result we might be willing to give our lives for our faith, but we are living it in a way that will subject us to lesser persecution. We have become an army that has infiltrated the camp of the enemy so well that, not only are we often unidentifiable amongst them, our impact in the community is lessened. This occult ministry has protected us, not only from persecution, but from the mocking insults of those who hate God. We cringe when we see others abused for their faith, so why do we experience so little ourselves? (The word, occult says it all our faith is hidden.) Mark 15:24-26. And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. 25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. 26 And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. The third hour would have been about 9 a.m. It was customary for the Romans to post the charges against a criminal at the point of execution. Typically a sign would be hung around the criminal s neck where it would be carried to the place of execution. The sign would then be posted at the execution site. The problem here was that there were no Roman charges. Pilate s final statement, meant to mock the Jews, came in the form of a charge to be posted as he proclaimed this crucified Jesus as the King of the Jews. Little did Pilate know that his spontaneous proclamation would be the only truth to come out of the Roman government throughout this
entire event. Mark 15:27-32. And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. 28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. 29 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, 30 Save thyself, and come down from the cross. 31 Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. 32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. Though the words robbers and thieves are used to describe the others crucified next to Jesus, the term translated as such more likely describes those who are guilty of leading a rebellion; these would be those who rebelled against the Jerusalem leadership ina substantive way. These might be referred to as insurrectionists. As such, Jesus was identified with them: an insurrectionis Jesus to be innocent of the charge. 3 Note that verse 28 is missing from the New International Version of the Bible, and several other modern, literal, translations. This verse is considered an addition by later redactors to provide an additional explanation for what is taking place. The passage refers to a quote from Isaiah, And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. 4 Jesus had quoted the same verse in the upper room. 5 By placing this statement at this point in the narrative, there is little doubt of the connection between the event and the prophecy. Fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, Jesus was also mocked by the people who passed by, All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 6 As one who could save others, his inability to save himself seemed incongruous to those who had witnessed His true power over life. A third group that mocked Jesus were the Jerusalem elite: the religious leaders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They needed 3 Luke 23:41. 4 Isaiah 53:12. 5 Luke 22:37. 6 Psalm 22:7.
vindication for their actions, and found it in Jesus apparent helplessness on the cross. They said more than they knew when they said He saved others but he cannot save himself. Jesus could have saved himself. However, Jesus could not save Himself and remain faithful to His identity as the Messiah who would be the sacrificial lamb who would die by the shedding of his own blood. If Jesus had survived the cross, He would have been merely another human messiah, attempting to make his own pathway to meet God s demands for righteousness. Twice before Jesus had resisted this same temptation to turn away from the cross. 7 The chief priests stated that they would believe if Jesus would demonstrate an other miracle and come down from the cross. Would they have delivered on their promise? They did not believe when they had witnessed other miracles, and they ultimately did not believe when Jesus was resurrected. Consequently, after the resurrection, Jesus appeared only to people who had been faithful prior to the resurrection. God s purpose was always one of faith, and Jesus did not perform an I told you so message to any unbelievers. Though we most likely will never endure insults and persecution like Jesus experienced, we can expect to suffer for our commitment to God if we express our obedience openly, as we are called to do. Mark 15:33-35. And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. From about noon until 3 p.m. a darkness came over the area. Most likely, it was a time of relative silence. There would have been heard the crying from those faithful women who were there. The apostle John was there, probably consoling Mary and bewildered himself. The mocking crowd would have been bored and left by this time. The other apostles were gone, in hiding, also fulfilling prophecy. 8 All but a faithful few, and the required Roman guards, remained after Jesus was hung on the cross. Jesus next statement has kept Biblical scholars busy. Mark recorded his 7 Matthew 4:6,16:23; Mark 14:36. 8 Zechariah 13:7.
words first in Aramaic, and then provided a Greek translation. Of course, ours is an English translation of that. There are several varying positions, and a couple are worth considering: (1) At this time Jesus was carrying the sins of the world. Because of that sin character, God would not relate to him in the same way as was always true before. Jesus, YAHWEH in the flesh, who had been in complete communion with God for eternity, found Himself alone for the first and last time in all eternity. Jesus drew on the words of David in Psalm 22:1 to communicate the grief of how he had been abandoned by both the Apostles and by God Himself. (2) By quoting from Psalm 22:1, Jesus was doing far more than reciting its first verse. The Jews of the day had a much better understanding of the scriptures than average people today. The first statement in the Psalm reveals the message of the entire Psalm. Our ignorance may serve to cause us to perceive only the spoken words. People who were present on that hill would be reminded of what they had learned about that Psalm, and would recognize Jesus' statement for what it is: an initial expression of anguish and abandonment that describes the literal events that are taking place in front of them, one that ends in a message of hope and confidence in a promise of God s ultimately delivery. Rather than seeing a testimony of abandonment, Jesus is proclaiming a testimony of hope, one that is predicated by the events of the crucifixion. Jesus testimony was one of hope and promise that underlines the purpose for His suffering and the redemption that would be the product of its completion. We may find ourselves at moments when we think we have been abandoned. If we fully depend upon other people, the potential for discouragement, abandonment, or betrayal is great. We can always remember that God promises never to abandon us or forsake us. 9 Jesus knew that He would not be abandoned, we can know the same. Mark 15:36. And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. As is the case today, not all understood what Jesus was proclaiming by quoting Psalm 22:11. The same was true on the hill of Golgotha. Some, who heard the quote were ignorant of the Psalm, and thought that Jesus 9 Deuteronomy 31:8; Matthew 28:20.
was crying out for the prophet Elijah. Like those who do not recognize the Messiah today, they missed entirely the message that Jesus was proclaiming, a message that would draw a line across the ages, a message of redemption for all who would place their trust in God. Mark 15:37-39. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. 38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. 39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God. After only six hours on the cross, the time of Jesus death was near. With his body mortally drained of fluid, Jesus blood oxygen level at its lowest possible to sustain life, Jesus still was able to make one last statement before His death. The wine vinegar offered would moisten Jesus mouth and throat enough to speak, a task in and of itself nearly impossible considering the suffocation that accompanies crucifixion. The gospel of John records the final cry as the statement, It is finished. 10 Luke records, Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit. 11 Consequently, it was both. There is a notable significance concerning the rending of the temple curtain from top to bottom. This was a very heavy curtain, several inches thick, that served to separate the Holy Place in the temple from entry by anyone except the high priest. The Jews interpreted this as a barrier between themselves and God. There was probably no tool in their technology that could have accomplished the tearing of the curtain. God physically and theologically destroyed that barrier, linking its destruction to Jesus death on the cross. No longer would people have access to God only through the priest, but through the Holy Spirit. Because of what took place on the Cross of Calvary, all who put their faith in God have full and complete access to the presence of God. The temple and the priesthood no longer had any spiritual significance in bringing people to God. With the tearing of the curtain, came an end of the Old Testament era. The temple would never be used again as a place of sacrifice and solitary access. For a while its use would be no more than symbolic tradition, and a few years later it would be permanently destroyed. A Moslem mosque now sits on what most believe is the site of the temple. The centurions were leaders over a unit of approximately 100 soldiers. 10 John 19:30. 11 Luke 23:46.
They were pagans, not Jews, and were not subject to the prejudice toward the gospel that was typical for the Jewish leadership. When they observed the miracles of Jesus, they were often turned to faith. 12 The centurion who testified here certainly knew very little of Jesus purpose, or of the good news that Jesus brought. However, he did understand the first fundamental truth that we must all grasp in order to come to God in faith, that Jesus is, Surely the Son of God. He saw the Jesus we know: His calm submission to an excruciating death, his lack of hateful words towards the soldiers that brutalized him, His forgiveness towards those wo placed Him on the cross, His concern for his mother s welfare at a time when his own was so much in stress. The Centurion saw a unique dignity and strength to the very last breath. He had never seen anything like this before. Seeing Jesus for what He really is, the centurion could come to only one conclusion. The centurion represents millions of Gentiles who would follow his testimony in the many years to come. When we show people who Jesus is, what He came for, what He did, and what He continues to do, people will see someone they have never seen before. They will be able to come to the same conclusion that the Centurion did. Jesus death on the cross was God s plan for providing redemption for sinners. The way Jesus faced His death provides a model for today s believers to imitate. This Gospel passage describes Jesus crucifixion as fulfilling prophecy. 13 It also shows the insults of the crowd, the priests, and the thieves crucified with Jesus. It presents the moment of Jesus greatest agony. It also shows Jesus as He faced death courageously in such a way as to convince the Roman centurion that He was God s Son. People who follow Jesus in committed discipleship leave an example and a pattern for believers and nonbelievers to view and imitate. Mark 16:1-8. And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. 3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone 12 Matthe 8:5-10; Acts 10:1-2. 13 Scholars have noted a minimum of 28 Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled during the week of Jesus' passion.
was rolled away: for it was very great. 5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. 6And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 7But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. 8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid. Many who observe the drama of the Passion Week leave Jesus hanging on the Cross. They view His suffering and are reminded of our sin debt that put Him there. They are reminded of His tremendous pain and suffering that He took upon Himself for our benefit. Such a position can serve to lead us to miss the most important fact concerning the Crucifixion: The very point of Jesus' death is found in His resurrection. After appearing to the women at the tomb, then to the Apostles, and then to as many as 150 of the disciples over a period of about 40 days, Jesus ascended into Heaven having commanded the disciples to love one another, and to go to all the nations and preach the good news of the salvation that God offers to all who will place their faith and trust in Him. Through His resurrection Jesus demonstrated His power over death, a power that He promises to exercise on the behalf of everyone, despite their sins and shortcomings, who place their faith and trust in Him. Through the crucifixion Jesus placed upon Himself the penalty that we all owe for our sins so that, through Him, we can find forgiveness when we stand before the One Holy God. He suffered so we will not have to.