Mark | Chapter 15

Mark 15:1-15

“Two bound men”

1. Introduction
2. Vs. 1-5 Jesus before Pilate
3. Vs. 6-15 Decision day

Introduction

At the end of chapter 14 we realize that religion has decided to kill the true High Priest, the only mediator between fallen man and a holy God. Now Jesus comes before government and politics to a man who was the epitome of the Roman system a freed slave who had risen to a position of power by way of the influence of the emperor’s mother and wife. The other gospel accounts spend more time on Jesus trial before the Sanhedrin where as John’s gospel chooses to focus more on Jesus trial before the Roman authority, Pontius Pilate. Jesus’ trial as priest before the religious leaders is over now He comes to the Roman authority on trial for being king. It most likely around 5 AM when Jesus came to the Praetorium. The Jews did not come to this trail so as to not defile themselves, so they could keep the feast of unleavened bread as Passover was earlier that night. They were more concerned with ceremonial defilement than they were moral guilt. The irony of this situation is amazing and yet another example of self righteousness religious pride. These religious leaders were about to commit murder but they were concerned about defiling themselves by stepping on a Gentile area which would have disqualified them to participate in the Passover celebration.

Vs. 1-5 Jesus before Pilate

Vs. 1 The three trials at the hands of the Jewish authorities had been going on all night. The Sanhedrin had convicted Jesus of blasphemy, but the problem was that the Roman Government did not recognize this as a capital offense. So they had to come up with some charges that they could apply to Jesus that would get Him sentenced to death by the Roman’s. According to Luke 23:2 they came up with two false ones:

2.) He was telling people that they didn’t need to pay taxes to Rome.

3.) He claimed to be a King in opposition to Caesar.

There was no proof of any of either of these, but they were all capital offenses. It appears based upon Luke’s account, as well as John’s (18:28-38) that the one that Pilate was most interested in was the one that dealt with Him being, King. To which Jesus had to explain that His kingdom is not like the kingdoms of the world it is a kingdom in men’s hearts.  

            Capital punishment had been outlawed accept when the Roman Government did it and the Jew’s would never think of crucifixion as a form of punishment. What they did was to stone a person. Yet it is clear that Jesus was crucified as the Bible was clear on the way in which Jesus would die.

            A.) Deut. 21:23 say’s, “cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree.”

            B.) Ps 22: 14-18 explains the physical characteristics of crucifixion.

It is here in Matthew’s account in 27:3-10 we are told of Judas decision to commit suicide by hanging himself, but Mark leaves this detail out. One thing that does interest me with regards to Judas death is: “If Jesus was really not sinless and the religious community wanted to find something to convict Jesus with why not just ask Judas?”  The fact that they don’t proves that Judas’ betrayal of Jesus had nothing to do with any inconsistency, or hypocrisy in Jesus. Judas hadn’t witnessed any sin Jesus had of done, nor any wrong attitude that He He manifested. There was not one time Jesus boasted, stretched the truth or lost His temper or else Judas would not have said as he does in Matthew 27:4 that Jesus was “innocent”. Instead Judas would have said, “Hey I’ve been with Jesus 3 1/2 years and “I remember the time He did this, or said that.” Judas knew that there was nothing phony about Jesus!

Vs. 2-5 When you examine this passage you discover that it was really the trial of Pilate, not of Jesus. As I said the only thing that interested Pilate was the accusation against Jesus that claimed that He said that He was King.

            Pontius Pilate was an interesting historical person. John records his reluctance to execute Jesus but at the same time his inability to stand up for what was right. For many years the Bible’s naming Pontius Pilate was a source of doubt and ridicule as there was no ancient record of such a man that governed in Israel. But in 1961 during an archeological dig of Caesarea by the Sea they uncovered a plaque near the steps to the amphitheater that bore his name. There is more to this story then most realize as Pilate had been given this position from Rome. After Herod the Great had died his three sons became Tetrarchs or rulers over three regions of Israel but they had done such a lousy job that the Jews asked Rome to send someone else. Rome did so in sending Pontius Pilate a former slave who through marriage and political maneuvering became overseer. Upon his arrival he came into Jerusalem carrying banners bearing the image of the emperor and as he neared the temple area a riot broke out and people were killed all because the religious leaders saw the image of the emperor as idolatry. Rome sent a warning to get it together or he would be replaced so to appease the Jews he undertook a building project to bring water into Jerusalem by way of an aqueduct but to finance the project he diverted funds from the temple treasury. This again brought a riot in which blood was again shed and Pilate was issued a second warning and he wasn’t sure he’d get another chance. So it appears that Pontius Pilate feared another outburst from the Jews so he gave them what they wanted even though he felt uneasy about it.

Jesus answers Pilate just as He had said to Caiaphas. “You’ve made the right assessment of who I am.” And with that Jesus does not again defend himself as the chief priests and the elders make accusations against Him. All of which amazed Pilate, as he had never witnessed a defendant quite like Jesus.

            Pilate looked at the battered face of Jesus and asked in wonderment, “Are You the King of the Jews” who would think of treating their King with such hostility? According to John 18:24 Jesus asks Pilate the reason for his inquiry are you asking Me this from the perspective of the Jew’s or the Roman’s? And by Pilate’s response in John 18:35 we can tell that Pilate knew of the hostilities of the religious leaders. To the Romans the title “King” meant a political rival so Jesus tells him that “His kingdom is not of this world”. “What kind of King do you think I am a political one or a spiritual one”, Jesus asked Pilate. It is interesting that Pilate calls Jesus king four times during His trial; he even insisted on having a plaque placed over the cross with the words attesting to that fact written three languages.

Vs. 6-15 Decision day

Vs. 6-15 There are two things I notice in verses 6 and 7 that I find interesting:

A.) Vs. 6 First we are told that there was a political custom in place at feast time instituted by the Roman government to cause people to be more peaceable, releasing one prisoner to the people. This was already implemented; but with the added friction of an administration led by Pilate and at the same time the common people being dissatisfied with the religious leaders Pilate mistakenly thought he had away to kill two birds with one stone by releasing the popular Jesus back to the people which would also infuriate the religious leaders whom the populace already despised. No doubt Pilate was further convinced of the decision of releasing Jesus as Matthew 27:19 tells us that his wife who was a convert to Judaism had suffered in a dream concerning Jesus.

B.) Vs. 7 Second we are introduced to this fellow named Barabbas who we are told by Mark in verse 17 was a murderer and a guy who had been held for starting a riot. His name Bar-Abbas is an interesting name. It was kind of like a last name. The first part of it “Bar” you might recognize from what Peter was called “Bar-Jonah”; Bar means “son of”. Now Abba, other then being a 70’s Swedish rock band, you may remember is the Hebrew word for father, today we would say “Daddy”. So Barabbas means “son of the father”. What we don’t know is what was his first name? I think we can make a reasonable guess by the way Pilate asks the question to the crowds in Matthew 27:17 when he asks, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” Why would Pilate use Barabbas last name and then distinguish Jesus from Barabbas as the one who is called the Christ? Well according to some ancient manuscripts of Matthew it is because both men shared a common first name JESUS!

As you go down and read Pilate’s question to the crowds as to which person he should release it brings up some interesting realities. A few blocks away in some cell lay this guy Barabbas and as far as he knew this was his last day to breath. His only hope was in this pardoning deal that Pilate did. Yet he was on death row for murder and trying to over throw the government that was going to put him to death. He no doubt couldn’t hear what Pilate was asking the crowd in verse 12, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” but I bet Barabbas could here the large crowds response to Pilate’s questions, which according to Matthew’s account in chapter 27 would have been two things over and over:

            A.) Vs. 21 Barabbas

            B.) Vs. 22-23 Let him be crucified

And the more Pilate asked the more they shouted. I am thinking that old Barabbas must of lost all hope in that cell.

I offer this narrative up so that we may look at verse 15 a little more closely as Barabbas would have been the first person to recognize that Jesus the true Son of the Father died for him.

The last thing to notice is the tragedy of Pilate, a man who did not want to do something to Jesus but followed popular opinion. To all those in the crowd who are swayed by public opinion be careful because group think has a history of leading people right to hell! No matter how much Pilate tried to divorce himself from his action he could not. Washing his hands did not change the facts. Saying that Jesus was a just man only made his cowardice even more unbearable. Pilate knew what was right, but did nothing about it because he was wanting to please people. I know of a lot of people who today do the same thing with Jesus. They know what they need to do is receive Him as their savior, but because they are afraid of what other will think they do nothing. Be careful what you do with Jesus for you will either by standing on His blood or His blood will be on you! 

Mark 15:15b-20

“From Gabbatha to Golgotha”

1. Introduction
2. Vs. 15b-16 The scourging
3. Vs. 17-20 The right ruler

Introduction

This section of scripture takes us from Gabbatha (the pavement) to Golgotha, (the hill of Calvary), too finally the tomb in which Jesus was laid. There is a lot of this story that Mark in his account doesn’t mention but I believe is very important that we place into the story so we will again spend time piecing together the events. I’ve heard from many of you how much you have enjoyed looking at the event including all the accounts as it has enabled you to understand the significance of the events more personally. 

Vs. 15b-16 The scourging

Vs. 15-16 To have Jesus scourged after Pilate had already declared Him not guilty was a huge miscarriage of justice! Pilate no doubt thought in doing this it would gain Jesus sympathy as the Romans mocked Jesus but it didn’t. Roman scourging had three main purposes:

1. It was used to beat the prisoner as a form of punishment.
2. It was used to extract a confession from the prisoner. As a tool to extract a confession, the Roman solider would beat the victim harder and harder until they confessed their crime. Because Jesus had nothing to confess, the blows never lightened on His back.
3. In cases of crucifixion it was used to weaken the victim so he would die more quickly on the cross. Scourging was a preliminary to every Roman execution the only exceptions being women and Roman senators or soldiers. The goal of the scourging was to weaken the victim to a state just short of collapse and death.

In Isaiah 50:6 we are given part of the prophecy with regards to the scourging as it says, “I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.” Consider this:

3. In Matt. 27:4 Judas declared that Jesus was innocent
4. When you put all the gospel accounts together you can see that seven times in the course of Jesus trial before Pilate he pronounced Jesus innocent
5. Finally, in Matt. 27:19 the thief next to Jesus proclaims that Jesus was innocent

The question every person needs to ask is: If Jesus is innocent than who is guilty? Paul wrote the truth in case you aren’t ware in Romans 3:10-12 where he says, “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.” Ultimately what people are the most prejudice against is not religion or race but rule who is it that is in control of their lives.

The people choose the terrorist over the truth giver, the taker of life instead of the giver of life. According to Matthew 27:19 it was at this point a message arrived from Pilate’s wife warning him, “Have nothing to do with that just man. I have suffered many things in a dream about him”. As a result of these words Pilate shipped Jesus off to Herod where Herod tried to question Jesus but Jesus wouldn’t say a word. Herod then returned the favor by sending Jesus back to Pilate and in a desperate attempt to get Jesus off the death penalty he scourged Jesus hoping that this would satisfy the Jews.                  

For a good while they tortured and terrorized our Lord after letting off a terrorist. Roman scourging involved leather strips with pieces of metal and bone embedded in them that stripped all the skin off his back; the result was leaving the victim bloody and torn.

Vs. 17-20 The right ruler

Vs. 17 The first scene is that of Pilate bringing Jesus before the multitude. Our Lord is bloodied and torn by the scourging he has suffered. He is still wearing his crown of thorns and the purple robe with which the soldiers had dressed him and repeatedly mocked Jesus but He with all this around Him He stands in regal majesty. A crown of thorns was pressed upon his head, and the soldiers mocked and taunted Him. Then after the beating was over Pilate presented this grotesque figure of a person who looked more like road kill then He did a man by this time. Nothing proved Jesus words before Pilate more than this, “I am a King” as we ponder the choices of three people:

• Pilate chose compromise and ended up murdering an innocent man.
• The crowd chose Barabbas and ended up crucifying the Son of God.
• Jesus chose the cross and ended up King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

At that very moment Pontius Pilate consented to not only putting Jesus Christ on the cross he placed his conscience there as well. Perhaps he was hoping that the 39 stripes would have been enough to spare Jesus’ life but even that didn’t satisfy the religious leaders. On the cross provision was forever made for our salvation and at the scourging we are told in Isaiah 53:5 “by His stripes we are healed” so provision was made for healing in our bodies. Jesus’ judge and jury bowed their heads to Caesar in order to murder the King of Kings. But God had done what He had promised He would do, raise up a king for the Jews and for all humanity. As the Jews rejected their King choosing to place Him on a cross their King also became their redeemer.        

Vs. 18-20 Isaiah the prophet foretold this in 52:14 saying that “many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men”. The truth of the matter is that the unspeakable horrors our Lord endured was done for you and me. He received upon Himself that which was due us for our sin! With every punch to the face and whip upon His flesh, every nail that slammed into His body each and every one of them is a concert of His love for you! Jesus’ death serves as a reminder of two powerful truths:

1. God does not take sin lightly
2. And God loves us all very deeply

According to John’s account in 19:6 the mob was whipped up into frenzy as they cry out only the words “Crucify Him, Crucify Him” and Pilate went on official record that Jesus was an innocent man. History still has not been able to reverse Pilate’s official decision of “finding no fault in Him”. There are still some who claim that Jesus never communicated that He was the Son of God but clearly Jesus’ adversaries thought that He did and it is the reason that they insisted upon His death. Pilate’s words were meant to illicit pity from the crowd and not to mock Jesus but the religious leaders. Paul said in Romans 1:25 that fallen humanity “exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.” Pilate was trying to find away to set Jesus free and when that didn’t work he was trying find away to keep Jesus off the cross but in the end when it came down to either Jesus dying on the cross or Pilate losing his way of life he chose to send an innocent man to death.

According to John 19:7 the religious leaders told Pilate why they wanted Jesus dead as they plainly declared “He made Himself the Son of God”. That’s a very interesting declaration by the religious leaders as no one can “MAKE themselves the Son of God”. They may DECLARE themselves as such but the fact is they either are or they aren’t. In John 19:8-11after having learned the true nature of the religious leader’s charge against Jesus Pilate had even a greater phobia with regards to Jesus. This tells us that their words were supported by what Pilate had observed in his brief time with the battered Jesus. Then upon not hearing any response from Jesus concerning where He was from; Pilate tried to let Jesus know that it was in His best interest to answer as he had the power to release Jesus. But Jesus replies in John 19:11 “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore, the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” These were Jesus’ final words to Pilate reminding him that he has been granted power to fulfill God’s plan thus the ones who were making a willful choice were more responsible than was Pilate. The final two acts of Pilate are gain recorded in John chapter 19 verses 12-15! What they reveal is more about Pilate then Jesus as someone has well said that “Great occasions do not make heroes or cowards, they simply unveil them to the eyes of men.” Pilate sat down that day to judge a man and didn’t realize that it was he who was going to be judged based upon his decision. Pilate fully knew what was right but choose to do what was wrong for political gain. There are countless people who know what is right with regards to Jesus but chose to do what is wrong for temporary gain. Pilate did not posses the courage of his convictions and would rather compromise and go against his own conscience then go without the comforts of this world. There will always be people who think that if they just, “Don’t believe in Jesus” that some how that will cause Him to ceases to exist. Jesus is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and as we are told in Philip. 2:10 “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth”. According to history, Pilate was dismissed as governor and summoned back to Rome to answer to Tiberius’ charges against him. On his way there, Tiberius suddenly died and Pilate was freed from the charges, then went on to southern France, then known as Gaul. There, according to tradition, he committed suicide. It is then that according to Matthew 27:35 “They crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” Underneath the buildings that presently occupy the north side of the temple mount in Jerusalem, archaeologists have uncovered a pavement stone that bears markings of an ancient game, rather like the game tick-tack-toe, which was played by soldiers of the Roman Empire. It has been established that that is the actual pavement of the judgment seat of the Roman governors, the spot on which our Lord himself stood as he was condemned to death by Pilate. The pavement is called “Gabbatha” (pavement in Hebrew). There is a lesson for all of humanity to be learned from Israel as they brought upon themselves needless destruction and heartaches throughout their history for the refusal to be ruled by God:

1. In 1 Samuel 8:6-7 the people cried out, “Give us a king to judge us. So Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” So way back in the early stages of the nation the people rejected the Father’s rule choosing rather to be ruled by kings like the other nations around them.
2. In John 19:15 at Pilate’s question, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” They again reject the Son desiring again to be ruled by earthly kings instead of the King of Kings.  
3. In Acts 7:51-53 at the trial of Stephen he charged them with “always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.” The people rejected the Holy Spirit who continued to testify of the words and works of Jesus and chose again to be ruled earthly leaders instead of a heavenly Lord!

That is always at the heart of human rebellion: Who is are we going to chose to rule over our hearts this day? Joshua possessed this same question to Israel in Joshua 24:15 when he said saying, “if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Mark 15:21-32

“Easter at Christmas”

1. Introduction
2. Vs. 20-23 The road to Calvary
3. Vs. 24-28 The cross
4. Vs. 29-32 The mocking

Introduction

There are so many people this time of year that are totally oblivious to the “Reason for the Season”.  And there are equally as many who see no link between the birth of Christ and His death burial and resurrection. This truth reminds me of the story of two elderly women who were out on the town driving the their old 64 Buick when they came to an intersection. The stoplight was red but they just plowed right on through. The woman in the passengers seat thought to herself, “Did we just run a red light?” Not being sure she did not say anything. A few moments latter came another red light and again they drove right on through. The passenger was getting a little bit more nervous but she still was not 100% sure that the light was red. So she determined that she would watch real careful at the next signal. Sure enough as they came to the next intersection, the light was definitely red and they went right on through. This time the passenger spoke up quite frantically, “Mildred! Did you know that we have just ran through three red lights in a row! You could of killed us both!” At which point Mildred turned to her friend very surprised and said, “Oh, am I driving? I thought you were!” There are many in life today just plowing on through the intersections of life thinking someone else is driving with out a thought of the consequences! All because they fail to examine the “Red Light” known as the cross of Christ!

Going back to the 16^th verse we note that it says here that a whole “garrison” gathered around Jesus to mock and torture Him, the word “garrison” is rendered “cohort” in other translations and represents a Roman military unit with capacity of 1000 men. What this informs us is that roughly a 1000 men surround Jesus with the sole purpose of being cruel!

We are also told that they wove a crown of thorns and pushed it into His brow. What’s interesting is to realize that in Genesis 3:17-19 God said to Adam, “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground,..” The thorns came as a result of Gods curse against man’s sin and that curse is now being placed upon the head of Jesus.

How little the world understands what Jesus has done for us! It is unthinkable that anyone would mock and despise the person who saved their life.

Vs. 20-23 The road to Calvary

Vs. 20-21 Says that they put His clothes back on Him as they led Him through the streets to Golgotha or in Latin Calvary. Again, I want to remind you that this is a historical fact it is not fantasy, this all happened. The march to the actual crucifixion was used by Rome as a warning to potential troublemakers that this would be their fate if they challenged Rome. It was led by a centurion on horseback, who shouted out the crime of the condemned. It was required that the prisoner carry his own crossbeam and a placard around his neck that announced his crime.

            I remind you that Jesus had been up all night being whipped and beaten, so He was unable to complete the gauntlet of carrying the crossbeam. So the Roman’s enlist a Northern Africa man and forced him to carry the crossbeam. Simon, who lived far away most likely came only this once his whole life to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. He had saved up for years to go to this feast and when he arrived he perhaps saw Jesus riding on a donkey with people claiming He is the Messiah. Then a week later, he like thousands of others line the street to watch this same man carry a cross on His way to Calvary. Suddenly Jesus falls right in front of him and he feels the point of a Roman spear in his back and he is forced to carry that crossbeam up to Golgotha. Ever wonder what happened to Simon? Well we are told in Mark 15:21 that he was the “..the father of Alexander and Rufus.” This is an indication that these two boys of Simon were well known in the Christian community. Further more in the book of Roman’s 16:13 Paul writing to the church in Rome salutes them saying, “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.” I believe that Simon became a strong believer and his family walked with God. Simon had come to Jerusalem to sacrifice his Passover lamb, and in stead he met the Lamb of God who was sacrificed for him. 

Vs. 22-23 There are several interesting things to consider:

1. First, the hill called Golgotha was the very spot in Genesis 22:8 where Abraham said to Isaac his only begotten son, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” And just as Isaac had to bear the wood up the hill so too did God’s only Son.
2. Second, someone has well said that Jesus being placed between two thieves is a fitting place as He stole my heart and He wants to steal yours as well.

In the original language “gall” and “myrrh” are the same word that describe a gummy substance that had many different uses. Here we see it mixed with “sour wine” or vinegar and it would have been used as a narcotic to deaden pain. It was customary to offer this extremely bitter narcotic drink to those who were to be crucified, as it would help ease the pain of being crucified. Yet Jesus refuses it. What this tells us is very important: What Jesus was about to do He did so with all of His faculties. Even Jesus’ refusal of this drink is a fulfillment of scripture as we read in Ps. 69:21 “They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” There are a lot of people who use drugs, alcohol and other stimulants to deaden the pains of their lives, but Jesus took every bit of our pain so that we wouldn’t turn to something to deaden our pain instead we would trust Him who took all our pain with Him on the Cross and it was nailed there!

Vs. 24-28 The cross

Vs. 24-25 Mark very simple states the crucifixion. The word crucifixion is where we get our English word “excruciating” from. None of the gospel describe the act it’s self in any detail. Instead they all describe the crucifixion as historical fact where the New Testament letters explain the meaning of the event. Or better put: History states Jesus died but the Epistles explain that He did so for our sins, (1 Cor. 15:3). In 1968, archeologists discovered the remains of a man crucified in Jesus’ era; (the skeletal remains are in the museum in Jerusalem.) It is clear by the remains that the person being nailed to the cross was in a sitting position, both legs over sideways, with the nail penetrating the sides of both feet just below the heel. The arms were stretched out, each stabbed by a nail in the forearm. Dr. Hass, an anatomy professor at Hebrew University observes that this was “a difficult and unnatural posture”, which would have increased the agony of the sufferer. What is interesting about this archeological find is that corrects the traditional view of the crucifixion which has both palms nailed to the cross and the legs stretching straight down with a nail piercing the feet in the front.

The casting lots for Jesus’ garments is again a fulfilment of scripture; in Exodus 28 we are told that the High Priests robe was to be made seamless and Jesus being the Great High Priest had such a garment and rather than dividing it which would have ruined they cast lots for it. A 1,000 years before this took place the palmist wrote in Psalm 22:18 “They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” In garden of Eden, God sacrificed an innocent lamb to cover the nakedness of man’s sin and here at the cross what began in the garden was fulfilled on a hill called Calvary where the Father sacrificed His only begotten son to clothe us in His righteousness. Little has changed I the world today as there are still those in the world like these soldiers who are playing games at the foot of the cross. There has always been people who will call Jesus a prophet or a teacher, but play games when it comes to Him being on the cross for their sins. The world wants a Cross-less Christ, because if they accept the cross then they are forced to accept the reason for it!   

Vs. 26-28 They put this sign over Him in written in three languages Hebrew, Greek and Latin, which for ever would serve as the official charge and true reason He was put to death, “This is Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews.” Hebrew is a theological language, Greek is philosophical language and Latin is an intellectual language and as such Pilate placed the first gospel tract ever written above Jesus to declare the truth to the theological, philosophical and intellectual that Jesus is the true King of King’s. And as it was being nailed into place above Jesus head Pilate finally stood up to the religious leaders and said “What I have written, I have written.” This was the only thing that Pilate did not waver on and in so doing he did not realize that he had ordered the first gospel tract. It announced to all including the revolutionaries on either side of Him that He was being put to death because He was the Savior and King. On that very day one of the thieves would believe Pilates gospel tract and become the first person saved by trusting in that message. According to John’s gospel 19:21-22 the religious leaders objected to Pilate’s gospel tract on the basis that they didn’t believe it even though Jesus proclaimed it. I’m afraid far too many people put way too much stock in what they believe instead of whether or not what they believe is true.  

The word “robbers” in the Greek would better be rendered revolutionaries, for the word means “robbery with violence”. Most likely they were part of Barabbas gang who were trying to cause insurrection against Rome by killing and stealing. And once again Jesus’ placement between these two “revolutionaries” is a further fulfilment of scripture.

Vs. 29-32 The mocking

Vs. 29-32 Those that mocked Jesus said, “Save yourself, if you are the Son of God come down from the cross.” The irony is that if He would have saved Himself, He could not have saved you and I! So instead of coming down from the cross; He chose to rise from the dead instead!

This twofold indictment of the religious leaders made on Jesus was:

            A.) He saved others

            B.) He trusted in God

And although they are the correct observations they lead these religious leaders to the wrong conclusions:

1. First, they determined He couldn’t be the true King because if He was then He should save Himself first. They reject Jesus as their King but he wasn’t self centered and instead was as God the son always is, thinking of others first which proves why He is the King of Kings.
2. Second, they said, “If He is the Son of God then, God should deliver Him.” But the truth is His trust of the Father is seen in the fact that He was delivered to death for our sins! 

Mark 15:33-41

“The impact of the cross”

1. Introduction
2. Vs. 33-34 The darkness of sin
3. Vs. 35-36 Cross at the cross
4. Vs. 37-38 A torn veil
5. Vs. 39-41 Changed by the cross

Introduction

This morning we will note only see the impact of Jesus’ death upon the cross for our sins, we will also focus upon the devotion of 5 people who remained while Jesus hung on that cross and breathed His last breath. Devotion is a difficult thing to measure but one thing is for certain it can’t be measured by words it must be measured by action. Consider the following truths:

1. When Jesus began His ministry with works and words the multitudes flocked around to the degree that he was endanger of being trampled.
2. When He began to speak of the cost of following Him the numbers declined to hundreds.
3. When He invited those to share in ministry proclaiming the truth in towns it shrunk to 70 (Luke 10:1)
4. When He spoke of His death and the cost of following Him there were only 12.
5. In the Garden of agony only three came forward and one of them (Peter) couldn’t stay awake.
6. Finally, at the foot of the cross there was only one of His disciples (John) left.

But when you look at John chapter 19:25 you see that along with John there were four women who stood devotedly by Him. Think of those four women looking up at the One they loved, watching Him die, hearing the insults being hurled at Him, watching the blood drip from His battered body. Yet they didn’t shrink away they stayed there at His feet no matter how hard it was. What caused them to remain when all but John had left? These four women reveal to us what true devotion looks like! Their devotion was not fixed upon His ideals, nor upon His promises, they weren’t thinking of what benefit might be gained to them with there affiliation. No they simply followed Him even though they didn’t fully understand His words or His works they were there because they loved Him. When I consider this I realize I have much to learn from John and these ladies about being devoted to our Lord no matter how difficult we find it to be at times.

Vs. 33-34 The darkness of sin

Vs 33 As we examine this moment in light of the Godhead one of the interesting things to note is the silence of God the Father.

• At His Son’s baptism the Father spoke: “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.”
• At the Mount of transfiguration, the Father spoke when He said, “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased, hear Him.”

Yet here there is silence and the only communication is a darkness that fell upon the land. We know that Jesus was put on the cross around 9: AM and that around noon darkness covered the land that lasted three hours. A search of historical records through out history reveals that even in different cultures they speak of this time when the sky went dark. The Roman historian Tertullian speaks of this darkness at the time of Jesus’ death in the Roman archives. Of further interest is the reality that based upon the fact that this was the Passover season we know that it would have been a full moon. That reveals that this could not have been caused by an eclipse because the moon is on the opposite side of the sun.

Vs. 34 Jesus’ quote comes form the 22^nd Psalm which is often called the 5th gospel because it is quoted 5 times in the gospels. But why did Jesus utter these words? To answer this question, we need to understanding what was happening here at the cross.

A.) First in Hab. 1:13 we read the words of the prophet where he declares of God, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness.” Thus at this moment our sin, our “evil and wickedness” was placed upon Jesus and God the Father was not beholding His only Son.

B.) Second, we read in 2 Cor. 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,..” The Father had no choice but to turn His back to His only Son! And Jesus felt the isolation of that agony which was far worse then any physical pain. With the darkest of our sin being placed on the One that is the Light of the World the only thing that could happen is that the world was dark.

As it relates to this moment, in John 10 :17-18 Jesus said, “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” Jesus didn’t have His life taken, He gave it away! He gave His life away for you and to you. In 1 Cor. 8: 6 we read, “..there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.”

Vs. 35-36 Cross at the cross

Vs. 35-36 In this section Mark’s account focuses in on a great amount of individuals and groups that were gathered around the foot of the cross. His purpose is so that his readers may witness their reactions to the crucifixion and evaluate which group they would fit into. Theses groups tend to be in one of two categories and contrast each other. They are truly timeless and if Jesus was to be crucified today in; Hamilton, Montana we would still find these two groups gathered around His cross. The faces would be different but the characterizations with their individual attitudes and actions would be the same.   

Mark has already introduced to some of them:

1. Vs. 16-20 The Roman soldiers with their experience with death and crucifixion had become callous to suffering. It’s the only explanation to their gambling under the cross while Jesus suffered above them. These soldiers represent a group of people that have continued to exist since the death of Able, those who are more interested in entertainment and the appearance of authority and power. They can’t be bothered with the personal examination of a failed life. There have always been people who are consumed with the immediate at the expense of the eternal!
2. Vs. 27 The two robbers or better said the two revolutionaries. These two men had lived by a philosophy that says, “What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is mine!” Living by this philosophy inevitably gets you in trouble but people like this will always be convinced that their situation is not their fault and their interest in spiritual matters is limited only to not get what they don’t believe they deserve in the first place. Mark doesn’t record the final responses of these to “revolutionaries” bur else where we find out that one of these two becomes a follower of Jesus.    
3. Vs. 28-36 This group is comprised “mockers” that included the two revolutionaries but it also included the priests and the morbid curiosity seekers. Some of these “by-standers” would have remained just that had it not been for the fact that they had heard Jesus make great claims that from their perspective didn’t appear to be going to happen. Because of this they just couldn’t resist the opportunity to taunt Him in His hour of agony. Also in this group who had plotted His death who couldn’t resist to take one more shot at Him. Among this group Mark records, the individual only identified as “someone” who ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, and offered it to Jesus. At first glance this would seem to be a rare heart of compassion until we read that what was offered to Jesus came at the price of a tease saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.” This person is the worst, as they are like the people who see a person high up on a ledge ready to plummet to their death and offer the encouragement to “jump”!
4. Vs. 39-41 The last group is made up of what remained of Jesus followers and one by-standers observation. And we will examine them more in a moment.
5. Vs. 37-38 A torn veil

Vs. 37-38 At this point as it relates to the earthly life of Jesus Mark just simple tells us that Jesus called out and breathed His last. Before we get to this last group Mark draws his readers attention to the spiritual implication of the veil being torn in two from top to bottom.

First the veil was what separated the Holy Place, made up of tables of show bread and the alter of incense from the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant was at. The veil was massive, 60 feet tall, 30 feet wide, and 10 inches thick. It was made of 72 braids, each braid had 24 cords. It was so heavy that it took 300 priests to put it up or move it. Originally behind the veil is where the visible presence of the Lord was seen in the Shekinah glory which was between the wings of the cherubim over the mercy seat on the Arch of the Covenant. No one ever entered the Holy of Holies accept the high priest and him only once a year, on the Day of Atonement. On that day the high priest would go through the veil into the small room called the Holy of Holies and sprinkle blood about the mercy seat and pray on behalf of the nation and its sin. The truth of the matter was that the veil of the temple excluded men from God, the people were outside.

            The high priest had to be properly cleansed, if not he would die. On the hem of his robe were silver bells and pomegranates, which signified the gifts and fruit of the Spirit. As long as the priests could here those bells ringing behind the veil, they knew everything was good. Years later they realized that if a person died in their that no one could get them so they would tie a rope around their ankle, so they could pull him out. Heb. 10:31 reminds us that “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” What this reminded the people was that God takes sin seriously. Heb. 9:22 says, “..without shedding of blood there is no remission.”

            When the veil was torn it was torn from top to bottom, it was God who created the access to Himself by the sacrifice of His own Son. We can do nothing to gain access other then receive His Son. Can you imagine those priests there in the Holy place setting out the showbread and all of the sudden they see the 10-inch-thick veil being ripped in two exposing the Holy of Holies for the first time in 1,000 of years’ light shone upon the mercy seat? Because Jesus took all of our sin, offering Himself He has opened the door for us to come into the presence of God! Not just once a year, at a certain place and only certain people. Anyone, who has accepted Jesus sacrifice at anytime, at any place! That’s why Heb 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

In Matthew’s account he records three reactions to the death of Jesus that Mark doesn’t record.

A. The earth quaked, and the rocks split: Rom. 8:22 tells us that “..the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.” Jesus only days before in Luke 19:40 said that, “If these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” So, here were the rocks quaking and splitting out a worship song that was declaring that the curse had been lifted!

B.) Second, we are told that because the of the earthquake the stones that covered over the tombs were opened. The word “raised” here would better be rendered “appeared”. So the bodies of the some of the believers were made visible! In 1 Cor. 15:55-58 we read, “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?…Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” God was showing that death could not hold the believers in the grave.

C.) Lastly, we are told that these same believers came out of the graves after Jesus resurrection, went into Jerusalem and appeared to many. The word “appear” means to “to exhibit (in person) or disclose (by words), declare (plainly), to inform.” Paul tells us in Eph 4:8-9 that when Jesus “..ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. (Now this, “He ascended”; what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?” Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:19 that Jesus “preached to the spirits in prison,” It’s my opinion that it is to these O.T. saints that Jesus went to share the liberty that they had looked forward too. And they responded by going out in Jerusalem to share that only through Jesus could you be made perfect! It is interesting to think that King David came up to somebody and proclaimed the victory won in Jesus!

Vs. 39-41 Changed by the cross

Vs. 39 The first person Mark introduces his readers to after Jesus’ death is the last person you would expect to be one of Jesus’ admirers, as it was one of His executioners. Centurions were in command of 100 men. They were tough guys, chosen to be in command of 100 men because they were the meanest, bravest fighters around. He was no doubt making fun of Jesus when he saw the sky darken and the earthquake. It shook up even this tough guy! He heard Jesus say in Luke 23:34 “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” He heard Him say in John 19:30 “It is finished!” He watched as Jesus bowed His head, He gave up His spirit. And for this Centurion there was only one conclusion, “This was the Son of God”.

Vs. 40-41 The final group of people impacted by the Cross are made up of four women and the apostle John. There was Mary Magdalene the lady who had seven demons cast out of her. Then you have two mothers who had two sons each that were a part of the disciple’s, Mary the mother of James (called the less) Joses. Then there was Salome the mother of the sons of thunder James and John. She was the one who went up to Jesus and asked Him if her two boys could be given the right to have special thrones one on the left and on the right of Jesus. I wonder as she was looking up at the Jesus if she understood His words about not knowing what she asked! Most folks believe that Mary’s sister’s name is Salome and if that is true that means that James and John were cousins of Jesus.According to John chapter 19 Jesus’ mother Mary was witnessing the brutality being placed upon her Son as she heard the tender words of her Son for her care. In the midst of His agony Jesus eyes met the eyes He first saw when He came into this world and He felt her agony as a sword was piercing her heart and He was at that very moment providing for the rest of every person who has ever been provided the rest for His mother. All Mary had to do was say that all of Jesus’ claims were false but she didn’t. Then there was Mary the wife of Clopas also spelled Cleopas. According to Luke 24:18 one of the disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus was named Cleopas, perhaps this was his wife.

In John 19:26 Jesus’ uses an interesting choice of a word when He calls His mother “Woman” it is a term of respect but not one of intimacy. Why did He use this word at the very moment that His mother was watching Him die? The answer lies in the 2^nd chapter of John three ½ years earlier. Jesus and His followers were invited to a wedding feast at Cana only three miles from the town Jesus grew up in. And Mary made her statement to her Son “They have no wine”; for 30 years she had treasured thing in her heart, 30 years she had waited for vindication as she had put up with all the disrespect and harsh words regarding her pregnancy, (no doubt it had gotten worse after her husband Joseph had died). She had waited for the time that Luke recorded in 1:48 when, “He will regard the lowly state of His maidservant” at time when “all generations will call me blessed.” That is what I believe she meant as she made her request that day in Cana. “Do something that will show these people who You are, something that will show these folks that You were born by way of the Holy Spirit”. And although He fulfilled her request for the wine He did so with out anyone realizing what He had done. Now Jesus upon the cross uses the same word “woman” instead of mother and I believe He did so to bring her back to those 3 ½ years earlier a way of saying “Mom now is the time. During My shame and then My glory that you will finally be called blessed”. As she stood there gazing up at her Son next to her we are told in Matthew 27:54 was a centurion who had witnessed “the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” I wonder as she heard that word “woman” and understood what He meant by it that she would have gladly taken a life time of shame for one more day with her Son?

Mark 15:42-47

“More than a fashion statement”

1. Introduction
2. Vs. 42-43 Secret saints
3. Vs. 44-47 The greatest real estate deal

Introduction

As we close out the 15^th chapter of Mark it’s important that we realize that Jesus wasn’t a victim on that cross; He was instead a sacrifice! This morning our focus will be upon His burial and the events that surround it. Mark is quite brief in this regard but we will be using the other accounts to fill in some of the missing details. As I contemplated Jesus death and the cross I remembered a story I read about a man who was Jewish in Russia because of the political climate he had been sentenced to the gulag for 15 years. While there he met a Christian man who introduced him to his messiah. Those hard 15 years were only survivable because of his faith in Jesus and has longing to be with his son who was 4 years old when he went to prison. When he was finally released and reunited with his fully grown 19-year old son. He noticed that his boy had a cross around his neck and he elatedly asked him when he had become a Christian, as he shared that he too had come to know Jesus while in prison? His son looked at the cross that was around his next and said, “Dad my generation doesn’t ware this because we believe in the superstition called Jesus, we ware it as a fashion statement.” There is a great deal of difference between warring the cross as a “statement of faith” and warring one as a “fashion statement”. That is what we will examine this morning as we look at the two men who took Jesus body for burial.   

 

Vs. 42-43 Secret saints

Vs.42-43 The focus of this section is the burial of Jesus’ body in the hands of His friends albeit secret ones, Joseph and according to John’s account 19:39, Nicodemus. John tells us that two “undercover brothers” came forward and did in His death what they weren’t willing to do in His life, be identified with Jesus. There are a lot of folks like these two who are perfectly willing to go along with Christianity, as long as there is no price to pay. The unasked question is: “What made these two fellows who had been content to be secret saint’s come out of the shadows and into the day light?” The only conclusion I can come up with was there was something about Jesus’ death that caused them to personally recognized what Jesus had done for them on that cross! 

We learn from the other accounts that Joseph was a wealthy member of the Sanhedrim yet he had not voted for Jesus death, which means that the vote of the ruling council of Caiaphas was not unanimous as Joseph and we assume Nicodemus both voted against putting Jesus to death. I’m impressed by these two secret disciples who did not succumb to the popular vote but instead voted with their conscience. Nicodemus, you will recall first came to Jesus at night, heard His powerful truths believed but remained at a distance but in the end is brought out into the open. And in this hour of darkness these two who had remained in the shadows stepped boldly, courageously into the light, Joseph coming into the presence of Rome in Pilate and asking for Jesus’ body and Nicodemus bring with Him a 100 pounds of spices to prepare Jesus’ body for decay but those spices wouldn’t be needed. These two had both become followers of Jesus yet they were not hanging around the 12. Before you are to hard on these men for being secret disciple’s, may I’m reminded that the others are no where to be found. These two men that step forward at a time when all other shrank away. It is to celebrate with a winner, it takes no special courage, character or maturity to associate with someone when they are top, but these men are willing to identify with Jesus when it looked as if all He had said was a lie, a time when every promise looked as though it had been defeated! To me that take courage, character and maturity! In coming out in the open like this they risked, their lives, their reputation, and at very least as soon as they touched the body of Jesus they were ceremonially unclean and could not take part in the “Passover feast”. Yet it did not matter to them for they had met the real “Passover” Lamb who had just taken away their sin and they Loved Him more then their position and even their lives!

There was another man named Joseph who 33 years earlier only a few miles from here wrapped a little lamb on strips of linen and laid Him in a stone manger. As they lay Jesus in the tomb wrapped in lined would His sacrifice work, would He emerge from the tomb? In Hebrews 9:12 we read that Jesus, “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” 

Vs. 44-47 The greatest real estate deal

Vs. 44-46 When we compare Mark’s account with John’s we discover that John records for us three symbols surrounding the burial of Jesus:

1. Buried in a garden: The Bible records that sin began in a garden and John records that sin met its conqueror in a garden. Jesus entered into death so that he would conquer sin and loosed its hold upon our race.
2. Placed in a tomb where no one had ever been placed before: In the Garden of Eden man entered into an experience he had never been in before death. But here in this garden in Jerusalem was a new tomb where no one had ever been laid, no person had ever conquered death and in that new tomb death was conquered for the first time.
3. The tomb was near the cross: That beautiful garden, just a few yards from the cross, was this tomb where no one had ever lain, and there they put the body of Jesus. Friends when we have been to that cross, laid aside our pride, been broken of our self-sufficiency we will find ourselves broken crying out for help then now this the place of resurrection is just around the corner. You see when you are standing at a cross, the resurrection is just ahead if you walk with God.

Matthew 27:62-66 records something that amazes me as it shows that the enemies of Christ believed Jesus words more than His own disciple’s. In verse 63 we are told that they came to Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, After Three days I will rise.” They are afraid that some how Jesus’ body would come up missing remembering His promise that He was gong to rise from the dead, but the disciple’s who Jesus said these words to are no where to be found! Even though countless times He talked to them about His resurrection they just didn’t get it! So the enemies of Jesus believing His words decided to seal up the tomb up and set up guards who under the penalty of death if that seal was broken kept watch. History records for us that a year after this Pilate leaves Judah and goes to Germany where he commits suicide. It seems as though he never got over his cowardice of sending this innocent man to death. He never understood that this person that he condemned to death died to set him free. Pilate could have had free access to the King of Kings, but he chose otherwise!

Joseph gave up his garden tomb the place where he would one day lay to Jesus; it was the greatest real estate deal ever made; Joseph traded his tomb for Jesus’ room in His Father’s house. The greatest thing I want you all to realize is that every person can make that same deal: All you have to do is be willing to give up that which is death that you may step into that which is life! In John’s account he adds his poetic commentary in verse 41; “Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.” You may wish to underline that verse as it is not only picturesque it is a promise, that doesn’t come into view until you read Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25-34 where He says “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

• In the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden where the birds of the air neither sowed or reaped yet their heavenly Father fed them.
• In the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden where the lilies of the field neither toiled nor spun yet where more beautifully provided for then the earthly splendor of Solomon.

What a great invitation as when you draw near the cross of Jesus you will find this garden!

            No matter how we wish to look at these two friends of Jesus they treated Him as dead. Further more they treated Him two things in view:

1. Love: They came and took Him because they loved Him, again it was His death that forced that in the open but they truly loved Him and His death didn’t separate that love.
2. Faith: They still believed in Him, oh not fully but enough to risk being disbarred from the Sanhedrim, they believed in Him more than they believed in the religious institution that they had dedicated their lives two.     

But there was something missing, something they lacked that day that the words of John that we just read that in the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden should have spoken to this lack. What did they lack? HOPE! They were looking for answers and love and faith drove them to do what they had done that day but hope wasn’t present with them but it was all over that garden!

• The world believed that Jesus was dead and they were glad
• The worshippers of Jesus thought He was dead and they were sad
• Ah but friend’s no matter what your circumstance to day read with me again “the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden” and you will be filled with peace and joy!   

This is a placeholder. Notes will be added