The story of Jesus’ death and burial that we will discuss today is recorded in all four Gospels. This shows the significance of this event. Let’s read Mark 15:33-47.
Verse 33 – “At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.” Jesus was crucified at nine in the morning. Three hours later the sky suddenly became dark for three hours, or from twelve to three in the afternoon. Luke tells us that the sun became dark (Luke 23:45). What happened? Was it a coincidence? Or, as those who do not believe the Bible’s testimony allege, a myth to dramatize the story of Jesus’ death?
It turns out that the darkening event is mentioned in the historical record. Origen and Eusebius quote Phlegon (a Roman historian) who mentioned a great solar eclipse and earthquake around the time of the crucifixion: “In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was a great eclipse of the sun; at the sixth hour the day was turned into darkness, so that the stars of heaven were visible; and there was an earthquake.”
The event was extraordinary because during the full moon – which is always celebrated on Easter – a natural solar eclipse is impossible. So, it was an extraordinary miracle in the sky. Darkness fell over the land: The extraordinary darkness signified the suffering of creation itself in the suffering of the Creator.
Verse 34 – “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” (which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) Why did Jesus say this? This is a quote from Psalm 22. Jesus states that He fulfilled that passage, both in His suffering and in His victory. Jesus had experienced great pain and suffering (both physical and emotional) in His life but had never experienced separation from His Father. Now He did. There is a significant sense in which Jesus felt truly abandoned by God the Father at this moment.
This happened in the sense that God “made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus endured not only the Father's withdrawal of fellowship, but also the actual outpouring of the Father's wrath upon Him as a substitute for sinful humanity. Although terrible, this fulfilled God's good and loving plan of redemption. Therefore, Isaiah could say, “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,” (Isaiah 53:10). But through Jesus’s sacrifice, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:19 – “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ.”
Verses 35 – 36. Malachi 4:5 says, "See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes." Based on this prophesy, Jewish tradition always taught Elijah would be there when the Messiah arrived. Remember, he didn’t die; He went to heaven in a chariot. So, tradition said that Elijah returns in times of crisis to protect and rescue the righteous. Perhaps because of that, they thought Jesus was calling Elijah.
In His life and ministry, Jesus was often misunderstood. He was misunderstood by the Jewish religious leaders and now at the end of His earthly ministry, He was also misunderstood on the cross. Sour wine was not only a soldier’s ration, but also an everyday use. Sour wine is mentioned in the Old Testament as a refreshing drink (Numbers 6:3; Ruth 2:14), and in Greek and Roman literature it was also a common drink favored by laborers and soldiers because it was more effective in quenching thirst than water and was inexpensive.” (Lane)
Verse 37. In His extreme weakness and pain, Jesus was able to speak and cry out. John 19:30 tells us what He said when He cried out with a loud voice, “It is finished!” or “Tetelestai” in ancient Greek, which means “It is paid in full.” This was the cry of a conqueror because Jesus had paid our debt for sin and had completed the eternal purpose of the cross.
Verse 38. Before He cried out that it was finished, an extraordinary spiritual transaction took place. God the Father has placed upon Jesus all the guilt and wrath that we deserve for our sin, and Jesus bore it in himself perfectly, fully satisfying God’s wrath against us.
The statement “The curtain of the temple was torn” signifies that humans now have free access to the throne of grace through the cross and that no one should ever think again that God dwells in temples made with hands.
Jesus’ death on the cross was and is the ultimate demonstration of God’s love for all mankind (Romans 5:8). It is the power of God for salvation, though it seems foolish to those who reject it (1 Corinthians 1:18). On the cross, Jesus brought the record of our sin and rebellion against God, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14). If Jesus did not endure the cross, it could be said that there was a limit to God's love, that there was something God could do but was unwilling to do to demonstrate His love for humans.
Verses 39 – 41. The centurion saw Jesus as he really was and was a picture of all those who come to Jesus through the cross. On the cross, people saw that Jesus was the Son of God and this fulfilled Jesus' promise in John 12:32 – “And I, when I am lifted up[a] from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” This centurion had seen many people crucified before, but there was something so extraordinary about Jesus that he said something he could not say about anyone else.
There were also women watching from a distance: Finally, Jesus’ most faithful disciples were revealed. They were His female followers: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome and many other women.
Verses 42–47. There was one thing that Jesus needed only once in all time. Yes, only once, namely someone who could care for His body after He died on the cross. Jesus' death only happened once in all human history. So, it will not happen again. And Jesus' need was met by Joseph of Arimathea. Mark 15:46 tells us: " So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb." What Joseph did had a deep meaning. At that time, according to historical records, 30,000 people were executed by crucifixion.
Since many people were crucified, the Roman soldiers often left their bodies hanging on the cross, to be eaten by vultures, unless a family member asked for the body to be taken down. When Jesus died, there were no disciples to take care of His body. Even if there were, they did not dare to ask Pilate for Jesus' body. Even if Pilate had allowed it, they probably didn’t have enough money to buy a new tomb to bury Jesus in. At that point, Joseph dared to go to Pilate and ask for Jesus’ body. After being given permission, according to the Gospel of John 10:30-41, he and Nicodemus took Jesus’ body down, wrapped it in linen cloths and spices according to the Jewish burial custom, and then buried Jesus.
What can we learn from this story? While Jesus was still alive, Joseph did nothing for Jesus. However, at the right time, when he only had three hours before the Sabbath, he could take care of Jesus’ body so that his name was mentioned in all four Gospels. If you have never done something for Jesus or have not been involved in a ministry, now is the opportunity to do so.
Another lesson, Joseph did what Jesus needed at the right time. We need to find out what calling or task God has entrusted to us and do it immediately. Don’t procrastinate. Maybe the Holy Spirit moves you to visit a sick friend. Do it soon, because maybe later you want to visit him, but he has already died. Or there is a friend who needs financial help. If you can help, help him. Because later you may want to help him, but he will not need it anymore.
