THE WITNESSES TO THE DEATH OF JESUS.
Mark 15:39-47.
After Jesus ‘cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost’ and ‘the veil in the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom’ (cf. Mark 15:37-38), the first person to realise the full meaning of what has just happened was not one of the ‘religious’ people, but the Roman centurion. “Truly,” he announced, “THIS MAN WAS THE SON OF GOD” (Mark 15:39).
It would be wrong to say that there were only women around the Cross, since Joseph was near enough to be aware of the moment of Jesus’ demise (Mark 15:43) – and John was evidently there (John 19:26-27).
Nevertheless, the following account is very much about the women. In the first scene, they are “afar off” (Mark 15:40), attentive to all that is happening. In the second scene they take centre stage (cf. Mark 16:1).
Then of course, in our list of characters, there is Pilate (Mark 15:43-45) – although by now he is falling into a shadowy background.
Yet the main character remains – Jesus. Or at least, His body, His corpse (Mark 15:45). Jesus was surely dead, and certified so by the authorities.
The Beloved Son was forsaken, but only for a season, that all might come in. There is no trial of His people in which He is not a present participant as THE way of escape (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:13). To His Name be glory.
