July 31 - Crucifixion
by Audrey Bauman
Mark 15: 16 - 41 NLT
“The Soldiers Mock Jesus
16 The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the governor’s headquarters (called the Praetorium) and called out the entire regiment. 17 They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head. 18 Then they saluted him and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 19 And they struck him on the head with a reed stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship. 20 When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.
The Crucifixion
21 A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, (a city in North Africa) was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. (Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.) 22 And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). 23 They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it.
24 Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece. 25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 A sign announced the charge against him. It read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 Two revolutionaries (criminals) were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
29 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. 30 Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
31 The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.
The Death of Jesus
33 At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 34 Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
35 Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 36 One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!”
37 Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
39 When the Roman officer (centurion) who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
40 Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome. 41 They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there."
While Jesus was hanging on the cross, there were taunts thrown at him. One was the label at the top of the cross – King of the Jews. They thought – especially Pilate – that claim was ridiculous. The Roman Empire was in control, and Israel certainly didn’t have a king. The fact that Jesus did not deny it (v. 2) showed just how pathetic Jesus was, didn’t it? The temple leaders had used the term, King of the Jews, as a rough translation of Messiah, thinking Pilate would be more upset with the idea of someone who thought he was a king. That sign nailed to the top of the cross actually stated the truth. Jesus was the Messiah!
Many walked by the cross taunting by saying, “Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!” (v. 29 – 30) Where did they get that idea? In John 2, we read the account of Jesus going to the Temple close to Passover time earlier in his ministry.
John 2: 13 - 21
“It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. 14 In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. 15 Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. 16 Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”
17 Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.”
18 But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.”
19 “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” 21 But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body.”
As they yelled at Jesus on the cross, you can imagine them saying the Temple looks quite wonderful. It’s still standing firm this morning. Haha. Yet that taunt was the truth. We know that Jesus raised from the dead in 3 days. Maybe that taunt was actually a calming reminder to Jesus that this horror would be over in 3 days.
Others taunted him with “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! “Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!” (v. 31 – 32) For three years they had watched him heal many. We’ve read the stories as we’ve gone through the Gospel of Mark. Jesus had even raised people from the dead. The priests and religious leaders thought they had it right. Jesus may have done some mysterious things, but he sure couldn’t save himself now. But … actually they spoke the truth. Jesus had saved many people from disease and death. But he would not save himself. His purpose for being here on earth was to save us by his own death.
“He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.”
That day was the most important day in history. It was the day that changed everything. It was the day that made our relationship with God possible. We humans, both the Jews and the Romans, thought we were getting rid of am imposter, a pathetic man. Actually, we were the recipients of God’s incredible love and forgiveness. Why didn’t God ‘write us off’? I would have if someone I was trying to help treated me like they treated Jesus. We can never thank him enough, serve him enough, love him enough – but that didn’t matter to Jesus. He loved us so much more!
Our song for today is At the Cross by Hillsong