Mark 15, Part Two

Jesus’ crucifixion and death (vs. 21-41)—From my comments on Matthew 27:32-50: “Jesus was so weak that He couldn’t carry His own cross, so the Romans found a man, Simon of Cyrene, and “compelled [him] to bear His cross” (v. 33). They took Jesus to a hill called Golgotha, or “Place of a Skull,” because it looks like one (v. 33). He was offered sour wine mixed with gall to drink, which was supposed to alleviate the pain at least somewhat, but Jesus wouldn’t drink it (v. 34). Once they had Him on the cross, the soldiers divided up his garments—a fulfillment of prophecy, Matthew tells us (v. 35). Two robbers were crucified on either side of him; initially, both of them reviled Him (vs. 38, 44), but eventually we know that one of them had a sincere change of heart and asked for Jesus’ forgiveness. We’ll discuss that in Luke, where it’s found. And there were other people around, chiding Him: “Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him’” (vs. 41-42). That last statement was a bald-face lie. They wouldn’t have believed in Him, regardless of what He had done. The problem with the Jewish leaders was not a lack of evidence; Jesus had given them plenty of proof that He was the Son of God. The problem was an impure heart (Matt. 5:8). In the parable of the sower, Jesus had made it plain that it is the “honest and good heart” (Luke 8:15) who will receive the Word and bear fruit. The evidence is there if we have the right kind of heart to accept it. Those leaders did not.

At about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, Jesus died. Matthew says, He “yielded up His spirit” (v. 50). Nobody took it from Him, He freely offered it for our sins.”

Both Matthew and Mark have a Roman centurion, who watched the crucifixion, saying “Truly this Man was the Son of God” (Matt. 27:54; Mark 15:39). The original Greek text, in both locations, has the soldier saying, “Truly this Man was a Son of God.” It is highly doubtful the soldier was converted to Jesus at that time, but it does appear that he wasn’t far from the kingdom of God, and hopefully at some later date became a Christian.

Jesus’ burial (vs. 42-47)—From Matthew 27:55-61: “He hadn’t died completely alone. John tells us that His mother was there (John 19:26), and Matthew tells us that Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and “the mother of Zebedee’s sons” (her name was Salome) were also present, though “looking on from afar” (vs. 55-56). A rich disciple named Joseph, from the city of Aramathea, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate consents, and Joseph lays the body in his own tomb (v. 60). It was getting late on Friday, and the Sabbath began at 6 PM. No work could be done on the Sabbath, so the preparations for the burial were not complete. Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” (v. 61) saw where He was laid, intending to return on Sunday morning to finish the burial process. They did return, of course, and received a surprise.”

Some skeptics have argued that Jesus didn’t really rise from the dead, and that on that fateful Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” actually went to the wrong tomb. When they saw it empty, they assumed He had risen from the grave. This is utterly ridiculous, of course, and nothing but desperation. Both Matthew and Mark are clear that “Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid” (v. 47), a noteworthy historical point that cuts short any claim that they didn’t know where He was buried and thus visited the wrong sepulchre. The “they went to the wrong tomb” theory doesn’t take the angels into account at the tomb, nor does it explain, if the women did go to the wrong tomb, why the Jews, once Jesus’ resurrection was being preached, didn’t go to the right tomb and procure His body. They could have stopped Christianity almost before it had begun if they had produced His dead body. That empty tomb has been a source of consternation for skeptics for…almost 2,000 years. What happened to Christ’s body if He wasn’t resurrected?