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Lesson 13: The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ, Mark 15:21-16:20
Lesson 13: The Crucifixion and Resurrection
of Christ, Mark 15:21-16:20 by Brad Anderson
We now approach the final hours of Jesus’
earthly life. He’s been beaten, flogged nearly to death, mocked,
spat upon, and generally abused for several hours. Pilate finally
grants permission, and Jesus is led away to be crucified.
The Crucifixion (15:21-32)
Men condemned to die by crucifixion were often required to carry
the heavy wooden crosspiece (or even the whole cross) to the place
of execution. They were usually led through the busiest streets
of the city, and a large audience would gather to watch. Jesus started
out carrying his cross (John 19:17), but it proved too much for
him. No Roman soldier would demean himself by carrying a condemned
man’s cross. Who helped him? Simon of Cyrene. Since Cyrene
(in North Africa) had a large Jewish population, Simon was no doubt
a Jew (not an African black as some have suggested) and was on his
way to the city of Jerusalem for the Passover celebration.
Both Roman and Jewish executions were usually performed outside
the city. John (19:20) says that the place where Jesus was crucified
was near the city, but it was outside the city wall. “Golgotha”
is a slightly modified transliteration of the Aramaic word for skull.
The traditional site is located inside the famous Church of the
Holy Sepulchre, which is within the present walls of the city. Another
possible site is called Gordon’s Calvary, a hill outside the
city walls were there is currently a Moslem graveyard.
Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh when he arrived at the place
of execution. It must have been meant to deaden the pain. Jesus
refused the drink, choosing rather to experience the terrible sufferings
of the Crucifixion with his senses intact.
Read the handout, “What is Crucifixion Like?”
What did the sign on the cross say? “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
A wooden board stating the specific charge against the condemned
man was commonly fastened on the cross above his head. None of the
Gospels record the same wording of the inscription, but they all
assert that Jesus was crucified on the charge of claiming to be
the King of the Jews. For the Romans, this was high treason. The
sign probably said, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of
the Jews.”
What was the significance of the placement of Jesus between two
thieves (more probably rebels or insurrectionists)? It’s more
mockery—he claimed to be the messiah, but really he’s
just another rebel against Rome. C.f. also Isa 53:12 “He was
numbered among transgressors.”
Who insulted Jesus? The two robbers/rebels and the Jewish rulers
The Death of Jesus (15:33-41)
The cry of agony “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
suggests that Jesus was fully experiencing the wrath of God against
the sin that Jesus was bearing. This statement is a quote of Psalm
22:1, a messianic psalm. It was during this time that Jesus was
made sin for us (2 Cor 5:21) and became a curse (Gal 3:13-14). For
the first time ever, God the Father turned away from God the Son.
What did some people think Jesus was saying? They took it to be
a cry for Elijah, who was regarded as the forerunner and helper
of the Messiah and was also regarded as a deliverer of those in
trouble.
After six hours of hanging on the cross (from about 9 AM until about
3 PM), Jesus cried out and died. Crucifixion is an extremely slow
process—it was not uncommon for those crucified to live up
to four days on the cross. But Jesus had been previously flogged,
which often in itself kills the victim. So it’s no wonder
that Jesus didn’t last long on the cross.
The curtain referred to (.38) was the one that separated the Holy
Place from the Most Holy Place in the temple. What is the significance
of the tearing of this curtain? It signifies 1) the end of the OT
system; and 2) the free access of the believer to the presence of
God (cf. Heb 9:1-14; 10:19-22).
Who were the women standing near the cross? Mary Magdalene; Mary
the mother of James the younger and Joses; and Salome, the wife
of Zebedee and mother of James and John. These three women had been
with Jesus in Galilee (v. 41) and had served him there. They had
come up to Jerusalem, along with many other women also, especially
to be with him and to serve him.
The Burial of Jesus (15:42-47)
Preparation Day was the name given to the day before a festival
or a Sabbath (.42). Here it refers to the day before the Sabbath,
as Mark explains for the benefit of his Gentile readers. Since the
Jewish Sabbath began at sundown, and it was now late in the afternoon
(probably around 4:00 P.M.), there was not much time to take Jesus’
body down from the cross. This is apparently what spurred Joseph
of Arimathea into action.
Why was Joseph’s request for the body of Jesus a bold act?
Because it would inevitably have identified him with Jesus and his
followers. For a man in Joseph’s position (“a prominent
member of the Council,” i.e., Sanhedrin), such an act could
have serious consequences. But he was a pious man who, according
to Luke, had not consented in the decision and action of the council
(Luke 23:51); and he “was himself waiting for the kingdom
of God.” C.f. Isa 53:9 “He made his grave . . . with
the rich in his death.”
After being properly prepared for burial (cf. John 19:40), Jesus’
body was placed in “a tomb cut out of rock.” The location
of the tomb was in a garden very near the site of the Crucifixion
(John 19:41). Archaeological excavation has shown that the traditional
site of the burial of Jesus (Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem)
was a cemetery during the first century AD. Tombs cut out of the
rock were closed by rolling a stone against the entrance. This stone
was likely a flat stone disc that rolled in a sloped channel.
The Resurrection (16:1-8)
The climax to Mark’s Gospel is the Resurrection. Without it
the life and death of Jesus, though noble and admirable, are nonetheless
overwhelmingly tragic events. With it Jesus is declared to be the
Son of God with power (Rom 1:4), and the disciples are transformed
from defeated and inactive followers into the flaming witnesses
of the Book of Acts. The Good News about Jesus Christ is that God,
by the resurrection of Jesus, defeated sin, death, and hell. It
was this message that lay at the heart of the apostolic preaching.
When the Sabbath was over (about 6:00 P.M. Saturday evening), the
three women mentioned at the Crucifixion (15:40), two of whom were
also present at Jesus’ burial (15:47), bought aromatic oils
to anoint the body of Jesus. The anointing was not for the purpose
of preserving the body (embalming was not practiced by the Jews)
but was an act of love and devotion probably meant to reduce the
stench of the decomposing body.
What were the women concerned about as they walked to the tomb?
Their chief concern was with the heavy stone they knew had been
rolled in front of the opening of the tomb (cf. 15:46-47). They
probably didn’t know about the sealing of the tomb or the
posting of the Roman guard (cf. Matt 27:62-66).
Whom did the women see in the tomb? An angel.
How did they react to the angel and the empty tomb? “They
were dumbfounded” (NEB)
What did the angel say to the women? “Don’t be alarmed,”
he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was
crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they
laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, `He is going ahead
of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’
“
Why is Peter singled out? Because he had denied Jesus (14:66-72)
and now needed reassurance that he was not excluded from the company
of the disciples. Jesus had forgiven and restored him.
Note: Some manuscripts of The Gospel of Mark end with 16:8.
The longer ending is contained in the great majority of the manuscripts
and is attested from a very early date. For our purposes, we will
assume that the longer ending is genuine. [Lenski argues for the
longer ending, the author in Expositor’s argues against it.]
The Appearances and Ascension of Jesus (16:9-20)
What were the disciples doing at this point? They were in a state
of shock and sorrow.
Did the disciples believe Mary’s testimony? No. The reluctance
of the disciples to believe her is certainly understandable (v.
11; cf. Matt 28:17; Luke 24:11). A resurrection is no ordinary event!
The rebuke Jesus gave his disciples on this occasion is particularly
severe--more severe, in fact, than any other rebuke he gives them
elsewhere in the Gospels.
Note how belief and baptism are so closely associated here. The
inward reception (belief) is immediately followed by the external
act or witness to that faith (baptism). Professed belief with baptism
following should be the norm.
The promise of signs (.17) is not limited to the apostles. They
will accompany “those who believe.” These include the
converts of the apostles. The evidence of the Book of Acts suggests
that such signs did indeed characterize some believers throughout
the apostolic age. Once the apostles died, so did the sign gifts
such as those mentioned here.
The Ascension was predicted by Jesus (cf. 14:7) and witnessed by
the apostles (cf. Acts 1:9). It was the resurrection and the ascension
of Christ that energized the disciples to go forth and preach the
gospel everywhere, as is recorded in the Book of Acts. If these
events did not actually occur, the church would not exist today.
Conclusion:
This last section of Mark presses home the point that Jesus truly
is the Son of God, the Messiah. His death, burial, resurrection,
and ascension prove that beyond doubt.
Applications:
1. Sinful men are capable of the worst imaginable brutality and
cruelty. The heart of man is “desperately wicked” (Jer
17:9).
2. The death of Christ on the cross was a vicarious atonement. That
is, Jesus died as a sacrifice for sin in the place of the sinner.
God poured out His wrath against sin on Jesus. Jesus suffered in
our place. Such suffering satisfied the wrath of God against sin.
3. The Resurrection of Christ is the single most significant event
in the history of mankind. If it never really happened, then believers
are of all people most miserable and deceived (1 Cor 15:19). But
the tomb really was empty, because Jesus rose from the dead.
4. The Resurrection proved Jesus to be exactly who he said he was.
Everything he said about himself is true.
Discussion:
1. Can one be a Christian and not believe in the resurrection? No,
it’s a fundamental, necessary element of Christianity.
2. Why do the writers of the Gospels not record the exact same information?
Because each writer had his own purpose for his work. Each also
has his own point of view. Remember that Mark is probably getting
his material from Peter.
3. What is the state of those who believe but do not get baptized?
They are saved but disobedient. Baptism should follow belief—this
is the NT
