He Was Crucified, Dead, and Buried

HE WAS CRUCIFIED, DEAD, AND BURIED

An Exposition of Mark 15:21-47

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date: November 14, 2021

Series: Mark: Knowing and Following God’s Son

Note: Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard   Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT

I invite you to turn to Mark 15. I'm going to read verses 21-47.

Holy Scripture says,

²¹ And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. ²² And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). ²³ And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. ²⁴ And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. ²⁵ And it was the third hour when they crucified him. ²⁶ And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” ²⁷ And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. ²⁹ And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, ³⁰ save yourself, and come down from the cross!” ³¹ So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. ³² 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.

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!”

⁴⁰ There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. ⁴¹ When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

⁴² And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. ⁴⁵ And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. ⁴⁶ And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. (Mark 15:21-47)

This is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let's pray:

Father, we thank you that you gave your one and only Son for our salvation. Father, we pray that the Holy Spirit would enable us to see the weightiness and wonder of this sacrifice. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

PART 1: MEN CRUCIFIED JESUS AND VERBALLY ABUSED HIM (v. 21-32)

We're going to walk through this passage in three parts. The first part, in verses 21-32, tells us that men crucified Jesus and verbally abused him.

You can see that the context of this passage has been set up in verse 15. At the end of verse 15: “he [Pilate] delivered him [Jesus] to be crucified.” And then at the end of verse 20: “they [the soldiers] led him [Jesus] out to crucify him.” And now, in verses 21-32, we come to that moment of crucifixion.

Jesus ordinarily would have carried the horizontal crossbeam on his back as he was walking to the place of crucifixion, but presumably – although Mark doesn't spell it out – he was so weakened from the flogging that had taken place in verse 15, that it was necessary for someone else to carry the crossbeam. And so, the soldiers compelled this man Simon to do so (v. 21). It's really interesting to think about Simon carrying the cross of the Lord, when you think about a passage like Mark 8:34, where Jesus said,

“And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”” (Mark 8:34)

Of course, Jesus’ point in Mark 8:34 is not the physicality of having a literal crossbeam on your back, but Simon’s act of carrying our Lord’s cross is still very illustrative of that truth, that cost, that suffering.

They brought Jesus to “Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull).” (v. 22) “Place of a Skull” seems like a very aptly named place for crucifixion. In verse 23, “they offered him wine mixed with myrrh.” Mark doesn't explain what this means. Some people think that this “wine mixed with myrrh” would have had a narcotic, pain-deadening effect to help Jesus in the midst of his suffering. But in any case, Jesus refused it. He would drink the bitter cup of suffering that the Father was pouring out on him (Mark 14:36), but he refused this offer of wine. Then verses 24-25 tell us that “they crucified him”.

Perhaps you have, over the years, learned about what is involved in crucifixion. Once at the site of crucifixion, the one being crucified would have his forearms – not the middle of the palm – but his forearms either tied or nailed to the crossbeam. And we know from elsewhere in Scripture that Jesus’ hands were nailed to the crossbeam. And then that horizontal crossbeam would be attached to a vertical beam that was already in the ground, thus forming a T-like structure. They would then tie or nail the feet to the vertical beam. There might also have been a peg in the middle of the vertical beam where he could have leaned a little weight.

Crucifixion is a very shameful and physically tortuous way to die. The exertion required simply to hold yourself up and breathe was exhausting, and would take its toll. Ben Witherington wrote, “Eventually the man could no longer hold up his chest cavity, and the result was suffocation, often after great gasps for breath.”[1] Of course, the gospel writers are very restrained – they don't go into great detail about Jesus' physical suffering. One reason may be out of simple respect. Another reason may be because the physical suffering, as bad as it was, wasn't the heart of the suffering that he endured.

We are told that they crucified him at “the third hour” (v. 25) – which is a way of referring to around 9:00am. When they “divided his garments among them, casting lots for them” (v. 24), this was in fulfillment of Psalm 22. Psalm 22 is a powerful prophecy that foretells the suffering, abandonment, and death of our Lord, and ultimately foretells His triumph also. But in Psalm 22, it is specifically foretold that they would divide his garments and cast lots for them (Psalm 22:18). And so, Scripture is being fulfilled right before our very eyes.

In verse 26, you have the charge against Jesus. We talked about this last week. The public incriminating charge against Jesus is that he claimed to be “The King of the Jews.” And so, that phrase “The King of the Jews” is placed over his head. The idea there is that he was claiming to be a political-worldly king, when in fact he was not that kind of king. Nevertheless, Jesus’ enemies viewed his claim to be king as insurrection and treason against the empire. Of course, we talked about that last week (see the November 7, 2021 sermon for more information).

In verse 27, we find out that “with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.” (v. 27) Does verse 27 make you think of a passage that we read earlier in the Gospel of Mark? It's very powerful to think about this connection, because our conception of glory is very upside down in comparison to God's perspective. So, if you go back to chapter 10, James and John had asked Jesus, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” (Mark 10:37) Jesus replied, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” (Mark 10:38) You see, when James and John asked to sit at Jesus’ side in His glory, they were thinking in terms of worldly glory and power. But what they should have been thinking is taking up their cross and laying down their lives and being crucified at Jesus’ side. The world wants glory without suffering. But the way of Jesus is to set your feet on the God-appointed path of suffering and humility and service and love, knowing that this path is the path that leads to final glory. Of course, there is nothing praiseworthy that the two criminals are being crucified with Jesus, “one on his right and one on his left”, for they are only paying for their crimes. Nevertheless, their being crucified at Jesus’ side gives us a picture of what Jesus calls us to – namely, to take up our cross and die with him!

In verses 29-32, men verbally abused Jesus. They derided and reviled him. They mocked him by saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” (v. 29-30) But here’s the thing we must understand: if Jesus had saved himself, then he would not have saved us. He came to offer himself as a sacrifice for sin. Back at the end of Chapter 10, Jesus said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) It is actually by laying down his life, by sacrificing himself, by not saving himself, by drinking the bitter cup of judgment and death, that he saves others and builds a living temple, a spiritual house in the Lord.

The mockers claim that they will “see and believe” if Jesus saved himself from the cross (v. 32). But they are blind! In order to see Jesus rightly, you cannot see him as an ordinary, worldly, self-serving king. Instead, you have to see him as the King who lays down His life for others. This is central to the gospel message! And it is only when we see him this way – as the Savior who bears the sins of his people – only then can we truly believe in him and enter into fellowship with him.

So, in verses 21-32, men crucified Jesus and verbally abused him. Now I want you to notice something, because there is about to be a shift in emphasis in verse 33. What I want you to see is that verses 21-32 are emphasizing the activities of men. Jesus is very passive in these verses. God is not overtly present in these verses. The activity of men takes center stage. In verse 21, men compel Simon. In verse 22, they brought Jesus to Golgotha. In verse 23, “they offered him wine”. In verse 24, “they crucified him”. In verse 25, “they crucified him.” In verse 27, “they crucified two robbers” with him. In verse 29, they derided him. In verse 31, they mocked him. In verse 32, “Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.” It is very clear that men were doing these things to him or concerning him. But all of this changes in verse 33. As we come to verse 33, what men are doing recedes into the background. And what comes to the foreground is what God is doing. The question “What is God doing?” is always the key question!

PART 2: GOD IS AT WORK IN THE DEATH OF HIS SON (v. 33-39)

My summary of verses 33-39 is that God is at work in the death of his Son, in three particular ways.

God Gives Up His Son to the Darkness (v. 33-34)

First, God gives up his Son to the darkness. Verse 33 says, “And when the sixth hour had come” – “the sixth hour” refers to noontime, this is the middle of the day – “when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.” That darkness should descend in the middle of the day is evidence that God’s hand is at work.

And there's a very rich background to understanding what is going on here. You might recall, from the teaching on Mark 13:24, how Jesus described the judgment that would destroy Jerusalem about 40 years later in 70 AD. In describing that judgment, Jesus said in verse 24 of Chapter 13: “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light”. Do you remember that verse? I talked about the cosmic lights going out, so to speak. The language of verse 24 is backgrounded in the Old Testament where there are various judgments of God that came upon such places as Babylon and Egypt, and the Old Testament uses this language of the sun being darkened and the cosmic lights going out as a way of describing God’s judgment being brought upon particular people. One of those passages is in the Book of Amos, Chapter 8, verses 9-10. This is a judgment passage – a judgment upon God's people. It says in Amos:

““And on that day,” declares the Lord God,
  “I will make the sun go down at noon
    and darken the earth in broad daylight.
I will turn your feasts into mourning
    and all your songs into lamentation;
I will bring sackcloth on every waist
    and baldness on every head;
I will make it like the mourning for an only son
    and the end of it like a bitter day.”” (Amos 8:9-10) 

There is one more very important passage to the background of this darkness. It is in the Book of Exodus, Chapter 10. Do you remember the ten plagues, which were all demonstrations of God's judgment upon the Egyptians, as God was ready to bring His people out of the land of slavery and into the land of Canaan. There were ten plagues, and a few weeks ago when we reflected on the Lord's Passover, we dealt with the tenth plague – the death of the firstborn. But do you know what the ninth plague was? Darkness – thick, impenetrable darkness. It says in Exodus 10:

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven,

that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.”

So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch

darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another,

nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel

had light where they lived.” (Exodus 10:21-23)

This is remarkable. When you understand this background, then you can begin to understand what was really happening on the cross in the middle of the day when darkness covered the land. In the Book of Exodus, all of the houses of the Egyptians, which included all of those firstborn sons of Egypt who were soon to die, were engulfed in thick darkness for three days. And then soon afterwards those firstborn sons would be slain by the angel of destruction. Meanwhile, in the houses of the Israelites, there was light – and their firstborn sons would be spared. The death angel would pass over their homes because the blood of the Lamb was shed.

All of this comes together in a most unexpected way in Mark 15. Now the true and holy and beloved Son of God who deserves nothing but the highest praise throughout the creation enters into the darkness, the place of judgment. The Egyptians suffered darkness for three days. All of the judgment of God was compressed into three hours, particularly in terms of the darkness, at the cross. God withdrew his light. To be clear, the darkness in Mark 15:33 was real and physical. But the absence of physical light signified a more significant darkness. God was withdrawing his light and his loving countenance and his gracious presence. He was withdrawing all indications of his favor and kindness from his son. Jesus entered into the thick and impenetrable darkness of the Father's absence. And this takes us right into the heart of the gospel. It's remarkable.

Do you know how Mark 1 begins in terms of the ministry of Jesus? It begins with Jesus being baptized in water, and the heavens open up and the Spirit descends on Jesus (Mark 1:9-10). And the Father said, “You are my beloved Son; with whom I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11) In other words, Jesus’ ministry begins in the fullness of the presence of God. But how does his ministry end? It ends with the terrifying absence of God. Jesus is the sin bearer. He bears our sin, our guilt, the judgment and punishment that we deserve. He is treated as if he is guilty of all of the sins of his people, and then the judgment of God and the wrath of God is poured out on him in full. Jesus entered into the darkness on our behalf. He experienced God's judgment in our place. And Jesus felt the reality of it.

It says in verse 34, after these three hours of darkness, that Jesus cried out. Jesus takes upon his lips the opening words of Psalm 22, which I already referred to earlier about the dividing up of his garments and the casting of lots. Psalm 22 begins, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Well, we know why. Because he was bearing our sins in our place on the cross. God treated Jesus the way that we deserve to be treated, so that he could treat us the way that Jesus deserves to be treated. Jesus entered into the darkness so that we could be brought into God's light. Jesus was forsaken so that we could be reconciled to the Father. Jesus was judged in our place, so that we could be forgiven and justified. Jesus was exiled from the presence of God, so that we could be brought home. That's the gospel.

Now here is a practical application: What do you do with your sins? You and I have this in common: we are sinners. We have many sins to our name. What do you do with the brokenness? What do you do with the guilt and the guilty conscience? What do you do with the darkness of evil that abounds in our world, both external evil and internal evil? What do you do with that? What do you do with the threat of judgement and punishment from a holy God? We are always trying to find ways to manage our brokenness. The world has a lot of proposed ways to manage our brokenness. Here is the one and only one appointed way to successfully deal with sin: behold God bearing your sin in your place. As the hymn says,

“And can it be that I should gain

An interest in the Savior's blood?

Died He for me, who caused his pain?

For me, who Him to death pursued?

Amazing love! how can it be

That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?”[2]

Go to Golgotha and see the outstretched arms of the One who tasted death for you, so that you might live in Him.

A Brief Word about Verses 35-37

Now in verses 35-36, Mark tells us something about some bystanders, and I think that these bystanders are a great example of missing the point. This utterly profound relational transaction is taking place between the Father and the Son, and these bystanders think that Jesus cried out for Elijah (v. 35) – that the prophet Elijah might make a heroic return and rescue him (v. 36). Then they give Jesus something to quench his thirst, and everybody's waiting to see what happens next (v. 36).

But what's important for our purposes is to go on to verse 37: “And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.” Jesus finally dies, and at the moment of His death two other things immediately happen that God is evidently doing.

God Tears the Temple Curtain from Top to Bottom (v. 38)

In verse 38, God tears the temple curtain from top to bottom. Now, this is really interesting because there were two curtains at the temple. By the way, we have to understand that we’re not talking about little curtains such as these on our sanctuary stage. We're talking about massive curtains. For example, the first century historian writer Josephus describes the curtain that was between the courtyard and the temple, which was the more visible and public curtain. Josephus writes,

This gate had golden doors 83 feet high and 24 feet wide. In front of these doors hung a curtain of equal length, a Babylonian tapestry worked in blue, linen-white, scarlet, and purple. This was a wonderful piece of artistry, but the combination of colours also had symbolic meaning as an image of the universe. Scarlet suggested fire, linen the earth, blue the air, and purple the sea–two of the colours in an obvious relation, and linen and purple reflecting their origin, linen produced by the earth and purple by the sea. Worked into the tapestry was a panorama of the heavenly bodies….”[3]

That is no ordinary curtain, and the tearing of it would be a big deal.

Now people debate whether Mark is talking about the outer curtain that was between the courtyard and the holy place, or if he was talking about the inner curtain that was between the holy place and the most holy place. I've kind of gone back and forth on it, and I don't know that it matters much. Mark doesn't even tell us what it means. He doesn't do any big reflection on it. He just tells us that at the moment Jesus died, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. I think it might signify any or all of three things.

As we've been walking through the last chapters of the Gospel of Mark, you will remember that one of the things that Jesus has been teaching is that the temple is about to be destroyed. In Chapter 11, Jesus pronounced judgment on the temple. In Chapter 13, he said that it is going to be destroyed within a generation. In Chapters 11 and 12, he said that in the place of the old temple, there is going to be a new temple – this new temple is going to be built around him, a living temple, consisting of his followers. And so, when Jesus dies, God tears the temple curtain. It is a way of saying, ‘Hey look, the temple's days are numbered and it is going to be destroyed.’ At the same time, the tearing of the temple curtain can be a vindicating sign because Jesus is the One who had been talking about these things and prophesying these things, and they were laughing at him and mocking him. And now when he dies, this sudden and momentous thing happens at the temple. It is a way of indicating that Jesus has been speaking the truth, and those of you who know what he's been teaching, you’d better listen up and take heed.

So, first, the tearing of the temple curtain could be an ominous sign of impending judgment.

Second, it could be a sign of vindication, indicating that what Jesus has been saying is true.

Third, I also wonder if it could be sign that interprets the significance of Jesus’ death. In verse 37, Jesus dies. And in verse 38, the temple curtain is torn. And I wonder if God is saying, ‘Jesus’ death is like the tearing of the temple curtain.’ In the Book of Hebrews, the writer actually says:

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…” (Hebrews 10:19-22) 

The curtain of Hebrews 10:20 is not the temple curtain, but is Jesus’ flesh, his body, his broken body. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we have access to the presence of God.

I think that the tearing of the temple curtain might mean any or all of those three things. But certainly God is saying, ‘Pay attention to the death of my Son!’

God Reveals the Dignity of His Son (v. 39)

And then in verse 39, God reveals the dignity of his Son to a Roman Centurion. This is remarkable when you contrast verse 39 with verse 32. In verse 32, some people said mockingly, ‘Hey, if you come down from the cross, then we will see your power to save and we will believe.’ But it's actually only in the death and self-sacrifice of Christ that we can really come to see his full dignity and glory.

And it is a remarkable thing how the Roman Centurion came to have such sight, to see the dignity and glory of Jesus. How did the Romans Centurion gain such sight? Jesus has been condemned, flogged, crucified, mocked, disfigured. How can the Centurion’s eyes be open to behold the glory of Jesus at this very moment when it looks like he is an utter failure?

Earlier in Mark's Gospel, the Father declared over Jesus, “This is my beloved Son” (Mark 9:7; see also Mark 1:11). Earlier in Mark's gospel, the demons called out, identifying Jesus as the Son of God (Mark 3:11). Earlier in Mark's Gospel, Jesus acknowledged that He is the Son of God (Mark 14:61-62; see also Mark 12:1-11). But up until this point, no man (except for Jesus, the God-Man) has confessed that Jesus is God’s Son. But it happens now, right here in Mark 15:39, at the very moment of Jesus’ death. Verse 39 says: “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 doesn't go into detail here, but there must have been something about the way that Jesus died, the way that he carried himself, the way that he cried out, such that the Centurion perceived that Jesus was not the guilty fraud that the religious leaders had made him out to be, but instead that Jesus was the real deal. Something about the way Jesus died was unique and compelling. Do you have eyes to see? Do you have eyes to see that what looks like weakness and foolishness is actually the glory and power of God? Do you have eyes to see that?

The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
    and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)

Do you look at the cross – “the old rugged cross”[4] – and see the glory and the victory of your Savior?

The first man in Mark's Gospel to confess that Jesus is God's Son is not a disciple but an outsider, not a Jew but a Gentile, not a friend but one who up until this very moment functioned as an enemy and persecutor. And this also reveals the glory of the gospel – that God reveals the dignity of His Son to unexpected people, to outsiders, pagans, and enemies. This gospel will conquer the world.

PART 3: JESUS IS HONORED AND BURIED AFTER HIS DEATH (v. 40-47)

The final section of this passage is verses 40-47, which show us that Jesus is honored and buried after his death.

It is interesting to think about how this passage is structured. In verses 21-32 men are dishonoring Jesus. Then in verses 32-39, we see what God is doing in the death of His Son. And now in verses 40-47 Mark wants to encourage us to honor this One who has died.

Of course, the first one in our passage to honor Jesus is the Roman Centurion (in verse 39). Now, in verses 40-41, we learn about several women: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome, and other women. These are women who had followed Jesus for some time. They were among his wider group of disciples. They ministered to him out of their own means. They helped to fund the ministry of Jesus and his apostles. And here, they are looking on in quietness, and in that quietness they are honoring their Lord. We know that their intention is to honor him. After the Sabbath day, their plan is to come and anoint his body (see Mark 16:1).

Isn't it interesting the way that Mark presents this? The male disciples – they fled (Mark 14:50). Peter tried to hang on a little longer, but he failed (Mark 14:54, 66-72). But these faithful women remain there, and they remain there as witnesses. They were witnesses of his death (verses 37-41). Verse 47 tells us that two of them, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, were witnesses of his burial. And in Chapter 16 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary and Salome will become witnesses of something else that they were not expecting!

Finally, in verses 42-46, we learn about Joseph of Arimathea. He was a member of the Sanhedrin – the Jewish High Council – that condemned Jesus to death. However, Joseph of Arimathea was not in agreement with that decision to condemn Jesus (see Luke 23:51). He was a secret disciple who believed in Jesus, but he was covert about his loyalty (see John 19:38). Joseph was “looking for the kingdom of God” (Mark 15:43). So, Joseph “took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.” (Mark 15:43) Why did it take courage? Well, would you want to be identified with a condemned criminal who had just been publicly shamed and crucified outside the city? What might happen if other council members found out? Well, Joseph's loyalties are revealed in his decision, and he took courage. Pilate was surprised that Jesus had already died (v. 44), because frankly, sometimes those who were crucified would linger for hours or even days on the cross. Jesus was only on the cross for six or seven hours, and then he died. The Centurion confirms Jesus’ death (v. 45), and then Pilate “granted the corpse to Joseph” (v. 45). So, Joseph takes down the body, wraps him in a linen shroud, buries him in a tomb, and rolls a stone in front of that tomb (v. 46).

BEHOLD THE BEAUTIFUL SAVIOR

Here we are at the end of Mark 15. Jesus, early in Mark’s Gospel, is anointed with God's Spirit. Jesus proclaims the gospel, casts out demons, heals the sick, calms the storm, feeds the multitude, forgives sin, raises the dead. This same Jesus makes himself last of all and servant of all, offers himself as a sacrifice, drinks the bitter cup, is betrayed and denied and condemned and ultimately abandoned to the darkness. Jesus is the sin-bearer crushed under the weight of God's judgment. And Chapter 15 concludes with Jesus wrapped in linen and laid in a tomb.

Do you have eyes to see the beauty of his self-giving love? Do you have eyes to see the grace of his descent into darkness and death?

As the hymn says:

“On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,

The emblem of suff’ring and shame;

And I love that old cross where the dearest and best

For a world of lost Sinners was slain.

“O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,

Has a wondrous attraction for me;

For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above

To bear it to dark Calvary.

“In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,

A wondrous beauty I see;

For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died

To pardon and sanctify me.”[5]

Let's pray.

Worthy are you, O Lamb of God, for you were slain and, by your blood, you ransomed people for God. And blessed are you, Father, for you have given us the true bread from heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

ENDNOTES

[1] Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001: p. 395.

[2] From the hymn “And Can It Be?” by Charles Wesley.

[3] Josephus, The Jewish War (Oxford World’s Classics). Translated by Martin Hammond. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017 (orig. 1^st century): 5.211-214 (p. 272).

[4] From the hymn “The Old Rugged Cross” by George Bennard.

[5] From the hymn “The Old Rugged Cross” by George Bennard.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark (The New International Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.

R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark (The New International Greek Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

Eckhard J. Schnabel, Mark (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries Vol. 2). Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017.

Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.