The Suffering and Crucifixion of Jesus

Welcome
Prayer
Song

Mark Chapter 15

Alright – the penultimate – Mark Chapter 15. Let’s read as Jesus has been taken and illegally tried by the religious leaders. And as soon as it was morning the chief priests, with the elders, scribes and the whole counsel held a consultation. And they bound Yeshua and carried him away, delivering him to Pilate.

2 And Pilate asked him, Are you the King of the Jews? And he replied, You have said so. 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he said nothing. 4 And Pilate asked him, You say nothing? Look at how many charges they bring against you. 5 But Yeshua said nothing; and Pilate marveled and wondered. 6 Now at the feast he released to them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, bound, who had committed murder in the insurrection. 8 And the crowd began to cry aloud and ask for him to do what he had always done. 9 And Pilate asked them, Will you that I release to you the King of the Jews? 10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him up out of envy. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him set Barabbas free. 12 And Pilate said again to them, Then what should I do with the man you call the King of the Jews? 13 And they cried out again, Crucify him.

Jesus' Trial and Sentencing

14 And Pilate said to them, Why, what evil has he done? But they cried out all the more, Crucify him. 15 So Pilate, wishing to satiate the crowd, released Barabbas and scourging Yeshua, delivered him to be crucified. 16 And the soldiers led him away into the court, which is called Praetorium; and they called together the whole band. 17 And they clothed him with a cloak of purple, and braided a crown of thorns, and put it about him. 18 And they began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! 19 And they thumped his head with a reed, and spit upon him, and knelt in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped off the cloak of purple and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.

21 And they compelled a passer-by, 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 is interpreted, The place of a skull. 23 And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh: but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him, and divided his clothing, casting lots upon them to decide what every man should take. 25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the accusation against him said, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27 And with him they crucified two robbers; one on his right hand, and the other on his left.

28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which said, And he was numbered with the transgressors. 29 And those that passed by him mocked him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, you that destroys the temple and rebuilds it in three days, 30 Save yourself, and come down from the cross. 31 So also the chief priests mocked him with the scribes, saying, He saved others, but he cannot save himself 32 Let the Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. 33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour 34 And at the ninth hour Yeshua cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is interpreted, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

The Death and Burial of Jesus

35 And some of the bystanders, when they heard this, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. 36 And one ran and, filling a sponge full of vinegar, 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 Yeshua cried with a loud voice, and expired. 38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. 39 And when the centurion, which stood opposite of him, saw that he cried out and expired, said, Truly this man was the Son of God. 40 Also, there were 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 who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered to him; and also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

42 And now when the evening had come, because it was the Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathaea, a respected council member who was also looking for…

The Trial and Crucifixion of Yeshua

the kingdom of GodGod’s spiritual reign—fulfilled and present, not political or future. himself, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Yeshua. 44And Pilate wondered how he was already dead: and summoning the centurion to him he asked him whether he was already dead. 45And when he was informed by the centurion that he was dead, he gave the body to Joseph. 46And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

Yeshua Before Pilate

And as soon as it was morning the chief priests, with the elders, scribes and the whole counsel held a consultation. And they bound Yeshua and carried him away, delivering him to Pilate. (see, Psalm 2:2; Acts 4:26) CLA: (See, Pontius Pilate) 2And Pilate asked him, Are you the King of the Jews? And he replied, Thou sayest. You have said so. PO “You have said so” or “you say it” is an affirmation, like saying, yes. (see John 18:34-37 for a more in-depth and meaningful discussion) CLA: (see, Understanding Gospel Inconsistencies) 3And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he said nothing. (see, Isaiah 53:7; Acts 8:32; 1st Peter 2:23) 4And Pilate asked him, You say nothing? Look at how many charges they bring against you. 5But Yeshua said nothing; and Pilate marveled and wondered. Herod nothing either.

Pilate's Dilemma

6Now at the feast he released to them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. 7And there was one named Barabbas, bound, who had committed murder in the insurrection. 8And the crowd began to cry aloud and ask for him to do what he had always done. 9And Pilate asked them, Will you that I release to you the King of the Jews? 10For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him up out of envy. 11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him set Barabbas free. The release of one prisoner at Passover was a custom (see, Matthew 27:15; Luke 23:17; John 18:39) (see, Matthew 27:18; Acts 7:9) Envy is a reaction to lacking something; Jealousy is a reaction to losing something possessed. Healthy jealousy in scripture is justifiable (see, Nahum 1:2) but envy is not. (see, Job 5:2; Proverbs 3:31;14:30) PO In a worldly mindset, the criminals and villains are often showed favor or support over the God-honoring.

12And Pilate said again to them, Then what should I do with the man you call the King of the Jews? 13And they cried out again, Crucify him. CLR: (see, Crucifixion) The details of Yeshua’s crucifixion were not entirely unique to him as all prisoners condemned to this fate endured the same or similar things. The major difference in His deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. by crucifixion was the fact that he was innocent, he bore the sins of the world, and for a time being he experienced spiritual separation from his Father, YHWY. The incomprehensibility of these factors are what made Yeshua’s death by crucifixion, along with other merciless injustices, so utterly… and eternally horrific.

14And Pilate said to them, Why, what evil has he done? But they cried out all the more, Crucify him. 15So Pilate, wishing to satiate the crowd, released Barabbas and scourging Yeshua, delivered him to be crucified. PO It is extremely difficult to serve popularity and truth in the same life. One will ultimately have to take a back seat to the other. Yeshua said it best, “No man can serve two masters.” (see, Luke 16:13)

Mockery and Humiliation

16And the soldiers led him away into the court, which is called Praetorium; and they called together the whole band. 17And they clothed him with a cloak of purple, and braided a crown of thorns, and put it about him. PO This was mockery limited to Yeshua as purple was seen as the color of royalty and a crown for a King. It is of interest that because of Adam’s sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace., the world would bare forth thorns (among other things – see, Genesis 3:18) and here Yeshua, called the “last Adam” by Paul (See, 1st Corinthians 15:45) assumes this element of the curse upon himself.

18And they began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! 19And they thumped his head with a reed, and spit upon him, and knelt in homage to him. The Roman soldiers were not worshipping Yeshua as Lord and Savior; context tells us that this was in mockery of him. CLA: (see, the Dangers of Literalism).

20And when they had mocked him,

The Crucifixion of Jesus

they stripped off the cloak of purple and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
21And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.

PO Had God wanted the chosen Messiah to save the world by might he would have had His only human Son be like Samson in terms of physicality. But God, through weak and broken things, best manifests His strength in this world (see, 1st Corinthians Chapter 1). The Messiah was not a superhero physically. He was antithetical to such. (see, Isaiah 53) As the King of the Faith, he was superior in the things of the Spirit; this is the established Christian template.

22And they brought him to the place called Golgotha, which is interpreted, The place of a skull. 23And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh: but he did not take it.

PO Matthew 27:33-34 says the wine was “vinegar” and calls the myrrh, “gall.” All are in some way correct and pose no conflict. Myrrh was known to dull pain and it is probable that Jesus did not want to take a substance that could have rendered him incapable of being insensate to his offering.

24And they crucified him, and divided his clothing, casting lots upon them to decide what every man should take.

Fulfilled Scriptures

(see, Psalm 22:18).

25And it was the third hour when they crucified him.

MI CLA: (see, The Third Hour Controversy, Understanding Gospel Inconsistencies)

26And the inscription of the accusation against him said, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

MI CLA: (see, Understanding Gospel Inconsistencies) (see, Matthew 27:37; John 19:19)

27And with him they crucified two robbers; one on his right hand, and the other on his left.

A copy of the Itala Version (or Old Latin Vulgate) says that the one on the right hand-was named Zoathon; and one on the left hand-named was named Chammatha.

28And the scripture was fulfilled, which said, And he was numbered with the transgressors.

(see, Isaiah 53:12) MI This passage is missing entirely from the Critical Text versions of the Bible.

29And those that passed by him mocked him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, you that destroys the temple and rebuilds it in three days, 30Save yourself, and come down from the cross.

The Meaning of the Cross

PO The purpose, even the value of the cross cannot be overstated in the faith as it represents much more than just a type of barbaric death but serves as a template for approaching Christian life. CLA: (see, the Cross).

31So also the chief priests mocked him with the scribes, saying, He saved others, but he cannot save himself! PO The irony of this mockery is that is was appropriately true – had Yeshua saved himself, He could not have saved others and the only way He could save others was by offering himself up as a living sacrifice. CLA: (see, Why the Death of Yeshua)

32Let the Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

PO The purpose and point of the promised Messiah was that he would save the Nation spiritually from the bondage of their sins. The leadership long misunderstood this, and supposing that he should have saved them from physical bondage and suffering, expressed the errant view that if he was to come down from the cross they could then receive him as their Messiah rather than Him remaining on it for their sin.

MI There is some issue with the word they here. It appears that Yeshua was only crucified with two others, but one of them, according to Luke 23:39, sided with Yeshua. Either he accused him and then changed his mind and sided with him, or there were more than two others crucified with him, or the texts use of “them” is incorrect.

33And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

PO Prior to this darkness, Yeshua has referred to YHWH as father. But during these hours of darkness he cries out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (see, verse 34) Shortly thereafter, the light returns to the region and Yeshua returns to calling YHWY Father. These events suggest the possibility that during the three hours of darkness Yeshua experienced spiritual death on behalf of the sinful world – something

Event of the Ninth Hour

34And at the ninth hour Yeshua cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is interpreted, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (see, Psalm 22:1)

35And some of the bystanders, when they heard this, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.

PO Elias is the Greek way of writing Elijah, who was expected to come before the Messiah. Yeshua clarifies that Elijah had already come in the person of John the Baptist and fulfilled this expectation (See, Matthew 17:10-12)

36And one ran and, filling a sponge full of vinegar, 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." 37And Yeshua cried with a loud voice, and expired.

BGT Most translations suggest the giving up of the ghost or spirit, but the Greek word these phrases are translated from is ekpneo, and best means expired, which stands in opposition to “inspired” which means, filled with; so instead of filling his body with oxygen, Yeshua exhaled his last breath at this point, giving up, as it were, the breath in him or the ghost.

38And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

Significance of the Torn Veil

PO In the construction of the temple of Ancient Israel, God commanded that a curtain or veil be placed that would completely separate the Most Holy Place from the Holy place, making them two compartments (see, Exodus 26:31-33). The only person permitted to enter in through the veil into the most holy place was an appointed high priest who had been washed and sanctified. Once a year this High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place with the blood of an unblemished animal and would sprinkle the blood on the altar for the sins of the Nation. Upon the death of Yeshua, YHWH torn this veil (from the top to the bottom) signifying the end of a number of things that were once in place in the Nation: 1) the end of a separation between God and Man; 2) the end of the need for priestly intermediaries to offer sacrifices on behalf of others; and 3), the end of separation between Jews and the rest of the world. The “middle partition” had been removed once and for all, never to be put up again by anyone, anywhere at anytime. (see, Ephesians 2:14-17). We also note from Matthew 27:51 and Luke 23:45 that several events in nature occurred at this same time (sun darkened, earthquakes, rocks rent) which could have been the means that the veil was torn in two.

39And when the centurion, which stood opposite of him, saw that he cried out and expired, said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

PO This expression from the Roman soldier, who knew not the living YHWY, was in all probability due to the earthquakes and darkness that accompanied Yeshua’s death. (see also, Luke 23:47 and, Understanding Gospel Inconsistencies).

Witnesses at the Cross

40Also, there were women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome, (see, Psalm 38:11) CLA: (see, The Mary’s of the Bible) 41who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered to him; and also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. Yeshua had a following of devout women who remained with him, often from a distance, but always at hand to serve Him, throughout His ministerial life. This was true even in his death, resurrection and at Pentecost.

42And now when the evening had come, because it was the Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathaea, a respected council member who was also looking for the kingdom of God himself, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Yeshua. (see, notes on Matthew 27:57)

Role of Joseph of Arimathaea

44And Pilate wondered how he was already dead: and summoning the centurion to him he asked him whether he was already dead. 45And when he was informed by the centurion that he was dead, he gave the body to Joseph.

PO It was a Joseph that took responsibility for the infant Yeshua, and a Joseph who took responsibility for his dead body. The Hebrew name Joseph means, “he will add,” and in the case of Yeshua’s mortal life, these Josephs’ added to his. Note also the wrapping.

The Burial of Jesus

46And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. (see, Matthew 27:59-60; Luke 23:53; John 19:40)

47And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

Anticipation of the Final Study

And we are left with the last chapter of Mark for next week, our final Meat Gathering in the Ministry.

Discussion Points

Questions/Comments
Prayer