Scripture
Today is the fourth week of a seven-week series of messages based on a book that is titled Christianity Explored by Rico Tice and Barry Cooper, out of England.
The purpose of this series is to explore Christianity, primarily through the writing of Mark in his book we call The Gospel of Mark. On Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. we are doing the Christianity Explored course. I encourage you to come back tonight again. My messages in the mornings are the same as the ones you will hear in the evenings, and that is by design. Some of you are not able to make it in the evenings, and I want all of you to be exposed to the same messages. And for those of you who are able to make it in the evenings, it is an opportunity to reinforce what you hear in the mornings.
Previously, we asked: Who Is Jesus? Mark asserts that Jesus is “the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). That is, Jesus is God in human form. Moreover, Mark gives five evidences that Jesus is God in human form because he shows us that Jesus has power and authority to teach, heal, calm storms, raise the dead, and (most importantly and significantly) forgive sin.
Secondly, we asked: Why did Jesus come? Mark teaches us that Jesus came to rescue rebels (Mark 2:17). Further, he teaches that we are all rebels (because of our sin), and that we are all in danger of facing God’s judgment (unless we accept God’s way of escape).
What is God’s way of escape? That is what we will learn about today. We will be looking at many texts, but let me draw your attention to Mark 15:33-39:
33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:33-39)
Introduction
One of the biographies on my bookshelves is that of General Douglas MacArthur, the well-known general from World War II, which is titled American Caesar by William Manchester. Even though it is a big book with almost 800 pages, only 3 pages (which is less than 1%) are devoted to his death. Interestingly, that is about the same amount of space that is given to the deaths of most great leaders.
So, it is striking to read in the Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the Bible) that about one third of each Gospel is given to the subject of Jesus’ death. Clearly, Jesus was an astonishing individual. But why spend so much time dwelling on his death?
And further, why is it that the mode of his death – the cross – has become the universally-recognized symbol of Christianity?
Christians might have chosen something different to symbolize Christianity. For example, they could have chosen:
• A manger – to symbolize his birth and incarnation, or
• A scroll – to symbolize his teaching, or
• A lamp – to symbolize his brilliant life lived in a dark world, or
• An empty tomb – to symbolize his resurrection.
But, instead, Christians chose a cross, which of course symbolizes his death. But why?
Why a cross to symbolize Christianity? No other world religion celebrates the death of its founder. Not only that, but the cross was a particularly horrendous form of execution by the Romans reserved only for criminals.
Imagine if a company started selling necklaces with a pendant that was shaped as a little electric chair. We would think that it was incredibly distasteful. Why would anyone want to wear a symbol of death that is reserved for the worst in our society?
Well, it was just like that in Jesus’ day. The cross was the way in which the worst in society were put to death.
But right after Jesus died Christians were not ashamed of the cross on which he died. In fact, they seemed proud of it. The Apostle Paul, another writer in the Bible, said this, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14a).
Why boast in the cross of Christianity? Look at Mark 8:31, “And he [i.e., Jesus] began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.” Notice the word “must.” Jesus is saying not only that he will die, but that his death is necessary in some way.
Similarly, notice Jesus’ words in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” You see, Jesus died to rescue rebels by paying the price to free them.
Suddenly, the thought of the cross as the symbol of Christianity seems less strange. Because although the danger we are in is very real, the cross has something to do with our escape from that danger. Indeed, the cross is how Jesus rescues people.
Lesson
So, today, we learn about the significance of the cross as well as various reactions to the cross.
I. Significance of the Cross
First, let us look at the significance of the cross.
A. God Was Angry (15:33)
The first thing we learn about the significance of the cross is that God was angry.
Mark 15:33 says, “And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.”
Mark is counting hours according to the Jewish system, so the sixth hour would have been noon. At the moment when the midday sun should have been at its brightest in the sky, a darkness fell over the whole land and remained until three in the afternoon.
That is very unusual. What happened? Some people say that it was an eclipse. But it could not have been an eclipse, for two reasons. First, Jesus was crucified at Passover, and since Passover always falls on a new moon, a solar eclipse is out of the question because solar eclipses do not take place during full moons. And second, solar eclipses never last more than 6 minutes, and the darkness that fell when Jesus was crucified lasted 180 minutes.
So, something else was taking place. Something unusual, even supernatural, was taking place when Jesus was crucified.
In the Bible, light sometimes symbolizes God’s presence and blessing, while darkness is a sign of God’s anger and judgment. For example, for three days the Egyptians experienced a “plague” of darkness for not letting the Israelites leave Egypt (Exodus 10:21-22). When Israel did escape, darkness foiled Pharaoh’s host in their pursuit (Exodus 14:20).
So when Jesus dies and darkness comes over the land, we know right away that God is angry.
Now, we won’t understand this if we see anger as something that is unpredictable, wild, and irrational, the product of a quick temper. God’s anger is not like that. It is his settled, controlled, personal hostility to all that is wrong. And a God who cares about injustice is right to be angry about sin, and right to punish it.
God is a God of holiness, of blazing purity, and he hates what is evil. When it comes to evil he doesn’t lean back in a rocking chair and pretend that nothing has happened. No, evil matters to God. So, lying matters to God, as does selfishness. Likewise, adultery matters to him. Greed matters to him. Stealing matters. Bitterness matters. Murder matters.
So, as Jesus was dying on the cross, darkness came over the whole land. God was acting in anger to punish sin.
But that leaves us with a question: Whose sin was God angry at? The staggering answer is that God seems to be angry at Jesus.
B. Jesus Was Abandoned (15:34)
The second thing we learn about the significance of the cross is that Jesus was abandoned.
Mark 15:34 says, “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”
Now there is no doubt that Jesus suffered physical agony on the cross. But what is being spoken of here is spiritual agony, that is, being forsaken by God. And the word Jesus uses for “God” here is “Eloi.” Normally Jesus uses the word “Abba,” which is close to our word “Daddy.” But “Eloi” has none of that warmth or intimacy.
On the cross, Jesus was abandoned by God. It was Jesus that God was punishing. But Jesus had led a sinless life. Not even his fiercest enemies could find any fault with him. So why should God be punishing him? And why has Jesus allowed himself to be subjected to this?
The answer is so that we can be rescued.
How can this be?
Jesus willingly took upon himself all of our sin. He willingly paid the penalty for all of our sin.
It is as if he said, “Father, I know that Freddy has rebelled against you in countless ways. He has broken your perfect Law, and the penalty for breaking your Law is death. He deserves to die. But, Father, I am willing to be his substitute. I shall die in his place. Punish me, Father, instead of Freddy.”
That’s why Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” as he hung on the cross. It couldn’t have been his sin that made him feel separated from God, because the Bible tells us that Jesus had no sin. No, it was my sin that separated him from God. In those agonizing moments, Jesus was taking upon himself all the punishment that my sin deserves. The Bible says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus died as my substitute, in my place, taking the punishment I deserve.
Jesus’ extraordinary self-sacrifice is simply this: I can be accepted by God. Jesus paid the price for sin so that I never have to. The amazing truth is that Jesus loved me enough to die for my sin. He died for my sin, and for the sin of each person who puts his or her trust in him.
C. We Can Be Accepted (15:37-38)
The third thing we learn about the significance of the cross is that we can be accepted.
Mark 15:37-38 says, “And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.”
Now, here Mark records the exact moment of Jesus’ death, but then he turns our attention to something that happens simultaneously at the temple, which is on the other side of the city. He wants us to understand that the two events are connected in some way.
When Jesus died, the thirty-foot high curtain in the temple, which was several inches thick, was torn from top to bottom. Why is that significant? Well, this thick curtain used to hang in the temple, dividing the people from the place where God was said to live. The curtain was like a big “Do not enter” sign. It said loudly and clearly that it is impossible for sinful people like you and me to walk into God’s presence.
Then, suddenly, as Jesus died on the cross, God ripped this curtain in two, from top to bottom. It’s as if God was saying: “The way is now open for people to approach me.” And that’s only possible because Jesus has paid the price for our sin.
And it’s not as if Jesus was some innocent third party, being picked on by God. As Paul said in Colossians 1:19, “For in him [i.e., Jesus] all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” The remarkable truth is that God himself was making peace with us by willingly sacrificing himself so that we can be accepted by God.
II. Reactions to the Cross
Mark’s description of Jesus’ death focuses not only on Jesus, but also on the reactions of those who witness his death. And it’s interesting to see how they respond.
So, in the second place, I want us to look at five reactions to Jesus’ death on the cross.
A. Busyness: The Soldiers (15:24)
The first reaction to the cross is that of busyness. The soldiers are busy.
The soldiers brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.
And this is how they react to the cross in Mark 15:24, “And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take.”
For these soldiers, the point of the cross is Jesus’ clothes. They are absorbed in just doing their job. They see nothing special about this man. They’d seen it all before. No doubt they did their job well but, in doing their duty, they missed the true significance of the cross.
There are many people who go through life doing their duty, working hard, saving for the mortgage, raising children, and planning for retirement. Intent on their day-to-day activities, they are too busy to notice what the cross means for them.
B. Self-Righteous: The Religious Leaders (15:31-32)
The second reaction to the cross is that of self-righteousness. The religious leaders are self-righteous.
Mark tells us that they mocked Jesus among themselves. Look at what they said in Mark 15:31-32, “So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.’ Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.”
These self-righteous religious leaders are convinced that they know the way to God, and Jesus Christ is not a part of that route. As far as they’re concerned, they already have a relationship with God. They already consider themselves to be spiritual people, and they certainly see no need for the cross.
It is often those people, who have created their own religion with their own formula of religious or moral observance, who are the most vicious enemies of the cross.
C. Cowardice: Pontus Pilate (15:15)
The third reaction to the cross is that of cowardice. Pontus Pilate is a coward.
Pilate ordered a sign to be attached to the cross. It read: “The King of the Jews.” All the Gospel writers assure us that Pilate was convinced of Jesus’ innocence. He offered to release Jesus, but the crowd wanted a man called Barabbas released instead. Time and again, Pilate stuck up for Jesus. But eventually he handed Jesus over to be crucified. So why did Pilate hand over an innocent man?
Look at Mark 15:15, “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.”
Pilate was a crowd-pleaser. Although he knew that Jesus was innocent, peer pressure caused him to lose his nerve and made him give in to the evil desires of others. Here was a coward who abandoned Jesus. When he faced a world that despised Jesus, his good intentions were overcome.
D. Detachment: The Bystander (15:36)
The fourth reaction to the cross is that of detachment. The bystander is detached.
Mark also records the reaction of some other bystanders. They hear Jesus cry out and think he’s calling to Elijah. In Jewish legend Elijah, who was an Old Testament prophet, was celebrated as a helper of those in need.
Then Mark records the reaction of one man in particular. He says this in Mark 15:36, “And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’”
This man just came for the show. He wanted to see Elijah perform some spectacular miracle and rescue Jesus. The sight of Jesus on the cross doesn’t move this man at all. Instead, he was totally detached and refused to get involved.
There are lots of people like that. They know about the cross, they come to church at Christmas and Easter for the show, but they don’t see how Jesus’ death affects them personally.
By showing us all these different reactions, it’s as if Mark is saying, “Okay, this is how others responded to what happened at the cross. What about you? What will you make of the cross?”
Are we too busy like the soldiers? Too self-righteous like the religious leaders? Too cowardly like Pilate? Or are we too detached like the bystander?
There is, however, one other possible reaction to the cross.
E. Belief: The Roman Centurion (15:39)
The final reaction to the cross is that of belief. The Roman Centurion believes that Jesus was “the Son of God.”
Mark records it for us in verse 39. It’s the reaction of a Roman centurion, a hard-bitten soldier who was a high-ranking military officer. He had doubtless fought in many campaigns and seen many men die, but he had never seen a man die like this. This is how Mark describes it in Mark 15:39, “And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’”
And that is our final option as we look at what happened at the cross. We can recognize that Jesus is telling the truth: that he is indeed the Son of God.
Conclusion
When I was a boy I was playing with my younger brother. I was about eight years old and he was about six years old. At some point our play become somewhat rambunctious. Just then my Dad came into the room and determined that I had done something wrong – I forget what it was! – and that I needed to be punished. He started to take his belt off in order to give me a spanking. Of course, I was upset and terrified that I was going to get punished. And then, suddenly, in a tender-hearted moment, my younger brother pleaded with my Dad to punish him instead of me. Frankly, I was astonished! But, I also was happy that he would take my punishment in my place.
In a far more significant way Jesus knows that I have broken God’s Law, and that I deserve to be punished to the full for my sin. But, he wonderfully, graciously, and voluntarily took my punishment upon himself. He paid the penalty for my sin that I should pay.
And the glorious offer of the gospel is that Jesus will do that for every single person who comes to him in faith and repentance. So, will you go to Jesus today so that he will pay the penalty for your sin? I pray that you do. Amen.
