The Arrest, Trial and Death of Jesus, Part 3
Mark 15:21-47
- Reminder, final msg in Mark, Wed Oct 22, will be “open forum” style
- Jesus is demonstrated in this book as a “servant”
-- Today we continue the final week of Jesus’ life and ministry
- On Sunday we saw the final day of Jesus’ life playing out
-- It is important that we keep ONE specific verse in mind here (prophecy)
-- Isaiah 53:10, “Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.”
- He has been betrayed a disciple … someone He trusted
- He has been abandoned by His friends … those He spoke life into
- He has been beaten beyond anything anyone should deserve … for you and I
- Yet, there is still more to come, and that is what we will examine tonight
- Read Mark 15:21-32
∆ Point 1 – Crucify Him! (21-32)
- While Jesus is carrying the cross, it is obvious this task is very difficult
-- From the beating to the ridicule, His strength is certainly diminished
-- Therefore, this man named Simon is forced to carry it with him (v21)
- The location of Golgotha has often been disputed (to where it was)
-- But, the other Gospels tell us that it is outside the walls of the temple
-- Therefore, considering the temple court wall is 450 yards … it’s a hike
-- At best guess, we could figure on 500 yards minimum, if not more
-- Exhausted, and without the energy, Jesus’ strength surely would fail Him
- He is crucified with two other criminals who deserve their punishment
-- They are most likely murderers, or thieves, and are being executed
-- But here we see something almost sad (v29) – the ridicule continues
--- “So, you say you are something special … do something about this!”
--- “Jesus, you are able to do things for others but you cannot save yourself?”
- I think the fair question in their minds is one that even we would dare not ask
-- Mocking, they ask: “If you are God, how come you cannot stop this?”
-- IMO, it may be where we get such angst against God today for not acting
-- Or at least, for not acting in ways that we think He should
- Consider: When we pray, we ask God to move how we’d like, don’t we?
-- How often do we pray for Him to move according to His desires?
-- How often do we submit totally to what He would have has us say/do?
-- IMP: This is exactly what Jesus does on the cross – He submits to God
- Even the criminals insulted Him (v32), asking out of their own selfishness
-- We know from Luke one criminal asked for forgiveness and he received it
-- Luke 23:39-43, “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
- Read Mark 15:33-41
- TRANS: Before we take this apart, it’s important to realize what’s happening
-- Read, “A DOCTOR’S VIEW OF THE CRUCIFIXION”, By Dan Bowden, M.D.
∆ Point 2 – My God, My God (33-41)
- All three Gospels report this darkness happening for three hours (v33)
-- More than likely, this darkness would’ve been a solar eclipse
-- APP: Even the heavens mourned the death of the Son of God
There are several statements that Jesus makes on the cross for us to note
-- “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (v34)
-- Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?”
-- The full weight of sin had been placed on Christ for our sake, as punishment
-- His cry rang clear and true to those watching, God had truly “forsaken” Him
-- Deut 21:23 (KJV), “His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God)”
- This is the promise of what Paul later writes about for us to rejoice
-- 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
- The crowd however, mistakenly thinks He is crying out for Elijah
-- Elijah was a forerunner of the Messiah, also regarded as a deliverer of those
-- But they are ignorant to the real cry, which is “Eloi” or literally, “My God”
- After six hours, Jesus mercifully collapsed unable to breath, and died (v37)
-- Yet, He certainly didn’t die quietly: “With a loud cry” … VICTORY!
-- At that moment the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies ripped in two
- The veil was forever lifted and ALL were welcomed into God’s presence
-- Before only a priest could enter this man-made sanctuary, now:
-- Hebrews 9:24, “For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence.”
∆ CHANGE SLIDE
- In v38 something unique happens, there is confession of the Christ
-- A Roman guard, a man charged with carrying this out, sees what Jesus has done
-- But why would he proclaim this? Simple: Who would do this for a lie?
-- Men will NOT die for a lie, they will not willingly lay down their life like this
-- APP: This man saw all that Jesus had endured, and did so to the glory of God
-- Luke 23:47, “The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man.”
- Then in v40, Mark pays tribute to several who’ve been with Jesus throughout
-- These women will play a key role in reporting the resurrection of Jesus
-- Mary Magdalene: healed of a demonic possession of lust/adultery
-- Mary the mother of James the younger (a later apostle of Jesus) of Joses
-- Salome, the mother of James and John (Zebedee’s wife, “sons of thunder”)
- TRANS: This brings us to the burial of Jesus, the Christ of our Lord
- IMP: Let me be perfectly clear: Jesus was dead; not passed out or anything else
-- Jews would NOT have buried a person who was still alive, for any reason
-- Jewish burial consisted of laying the body in a place to decompose fully
-- Then, it the bones would be crushed and moved into a burial box
∆ SHOW PHOTO OF BURIAL BOX
- This box would then join other family member’s bones in final rest (family tomb)
-- Jesus was 100% dead at the time He was removed from the cross
- Read Mark 15:42-47
∆ Point 3 – Burial of Jesus (42-47)
- There are two evenings in Jewish custom at this time (3p-6p is “early evening”)
-- Joseph of Arimathea understands that time is very short for burial
-- Jesus would’ve died around 3pm, and at 6pm the “new day” begins (Sabbath)
-- Therefore, he knew that Jesus had to be buried promptly by Jewish custom
- Joseph asks for the body of Jesus because there is no one else to claim Him
-- Remember, they’ve all fled at this time and Jesus needs a funeral
-- But for Joseph, this is a huge risk for him personally and legally
-- He is a member of the Council, the same group that executed Jesus (v43)
-- But in doing this, he is saying that he is a follower and wants to honor Him
-- APP: He wants to give Jesus a proper burial, with dignity as He would deserve
- Pilate hears that Jesus is already dead (v44), so he submits to Joseph’s request
-- Pilate is also still not convinced that Jesus deserved to die, so he agrees here
-- You see, family would normally claim the body – and none had been available
- John 19 tells us that Nicodemus, another Council member, also helped him
-- IMP: Obviously, not everyone on the Council wanted Jesus dead
-- Jesus’ body was ceremonially washed, and prepared for burial in a tomb
-- The tomb was nothing more than a small cave, a place for a body to lay
∆ SHOW PHOTO OF GARDEN TOMB FROM JERUSALEM
- In v47, we see the two Mary’s mentioned again making note of where He is
-- Why? Because the Sabbath is beginning and they can do no work on it
-- They must wait, even to visit and properly prepare/mourn Jesus … until Sunday
- Pray
