Gospel of Mark – Follow Me XXV

Mark 15:33-34 34 "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Spiritual Punishment / Separation from God (II Thessalonians 1:8-9 /
Matthew 22:13, 25:41 / Revelation 21:6-8 / Luke 16:26) It is here that Jesus became our sin. It is here that the eternal and perfect fellowship of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit was for an instant interrupted. Sin allows God to choose to hand His Son over to this whole ordeal. It was the punishment for sin that caused this moment. One of the wages of sin is separation from God's presence forever. Here Jesus fulfills this punishment and cries out in agony to a Father who watched but could not and would not act.

Mark 15:35-37 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.
Physical Punishment / Death (Genesis 3:19, Romans 5:12, 6:23) The final wage of sin for the guilt that Jesus fulfilled is physical death. Here Jesus dies. He did not slip into a coma as was the norm for crucifixion. He dies quickly and is in full awareness as evidenced by His loud cry.

Mark 15:38 ... the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
Separated no more ... Since Adam's sin we had been separated from Holy God. We could not enter the presence of Holy God because of our sin. Death was the sure promise. The temple demonstrated this in practice and reality. The tearing of the curtain was a practical demonstration of two accomplishments of Jesus' death. 1) God would no longer be found in a place. He could commune – live in His people because Jesus had made a perfect way for us to become holy like God. 2) We could now come directly into God's presence. No longer would a curtain or priests separate us because of our sin. Jesus' death provides forgiveness which provides direct relationship for you and me.

Mark 15:39 ... "Truly this man was the Son of God!"
Jesus Christ glorified ... The centurion who had overseen the scourging and crucifixion is the first to realize who this was – the Son of God. Did he fully understand – we don't know. Was he fully overwhelmed by the great and majestic presence of Christ – yes. This is the meaning of Christ glorified. His perfect sacrifice had fulfilled all God's just requirements for the penalties of sin. In so doing – He would be glorified forever as King of Kings. In addition, He is glorified in the lives of those who by faith surrender their lives to forgiveness and rule.

Mark 15:40-41 40 There were also women looking on from a distance, ...
Side up ...These women were there. All the men bolted save John(we know this from John 19:26). While it says "from a distance" – remember they were they. Where will you follow from? God has chosen sides – His glory, the rejection of His Son, and He has chosen you. The work to justify God's wrath against sin is completely and forever done? Follow!

"I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather... Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car." Will Shriner - comedian

"According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy." – Jerry Seinfeld – comedian/actor

7-11pm 11pm-1am 1am 2am 3am 5am
Passover Gethsemane Arrest 1st Trail 2nd Trial 3rd Trial
Meal Praying Annas Caiaphas Pilate -1st

6am 7am 8am 9am 3pm 5pm
4th Trial 5th Trial Scourging Crucifx. Death Burial
Herod Pilate – 2nd

Side up ... It is very apparent as we move through these last hours of Jesus' life that every person He encountered was on one side or the other. There was no neutral ground with Jesus on this day. It is true today – there is no neutral ground – you find yourself a follower abandoned to Him or one opposed to the one who dares call for your whole allegiance. In addition, you will see God's choices this day. He first chose His glory – that through Jesus' death – He would be made great forever and ever. He second rejected His Son. Finally, He chose you. If you were a captain picking sides in game – it makes no sense. For God, His glory, and your eternity – it was the only way.

Mark 15:1-5 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.
Why no answer? Jesus answers none of the accusations. Why? First, it was prophesied as such in Is. 53:7. But why? Humility, obedience, love, - yes, yes, and yes. However, there was more...

Becoming our sin ... Jesus did not answer because at some point He would become guilty. If He were to take our place and assume our guilt, He had to own our sin at some point and time. At some point He did, however, at this point He remained silent because He knew He would be convicted as guilty before God's high court for all sin for all time.
(II Corinthians 5:21 / Galatians 3:13)

Mark 15:6-15 15 So Pilate, ... , released for them Barabbas, ...
Our place ... Pilate tries to release Jesus because he knows Jesus is an innocent man and he realizes this is a scheme of the leaders. However, he also sees a violent crowd eager to get their way. So, he releases a murderer who had led a rebellion against Rome (this was a Passover tradition to show good-will to the Jews). A known criminal is released for Jesus. Jesus took his place. Never was there a clearer picture of what Jesus did for us – the Innocent took our place.
Judgment Day – As Jesus became our sin, He became guilty and condemned by God for the wages of sin. Rom 8:3 tells us that God judged sin in His body. This was judgment day and the convicted was Jesus. (Roman 8:3-4 / Isaiah 53:4-10 / Colossians 2:13-15)

Mark 15:15-24 15 ... having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
Physical Punishment / Suffering – (Gen. 3:16-18 / Matt. 13:41-42, 25:41)
The first punishment for sin handed down at the garden was physical suffering. You and I live in a world of suffering as a result of God's judgment against sin. Sinful men will physically suffer for their sins and Jesus would have to physically suffer to take our place.
Scourging ... Josephus and other historians of the 1st century record that scourging was done as part of capital punishment. It was carried out by a part of two using leather whips with rock and glass embedded in the cords. Its intent was pain – but one could die from it if not careful. Jesus was scourged.
Beatings ... He was also beaten with rods and fists and spit upon. The beatings were intensely cruel, personal, and full of humiliation (notice the spitting).
Crucifixion ... This was not invented by the Romans but they did perfect it. The point was a long cruel and humiliating death designed to act as a deterrent for all who would question Roman authority. A four man squad would carry out the work supervised by a centurion. Death was by exhaustion, dehydration, or even drowning as fluids built up in the lungs and breathing became hard due to the position and pain in the body. 2 to 3 days on the cross was normal but often it could be a week. He did not accept this narcotic laced wine that was intended to dull the pain. This was prepared by ladies often. Jesus physically suffered fully and completely for sin.

Mark 15:24-30
Just like me ... Four soldiers below the cross of Jesus play games for His clothes. God is hanging over their head dying for their sin and they are playing games at the foot of the cross totally oblivious to the weight of the situation. Sounds like me and you. In the presence of the Almighty, yet we are in game mode, take mode, busy mode, doing our job mode – whatever mode – we just miss Jesus.

Prophecies galore ... Isaiah 50:6; (3 proph.) 53:3 (1 proph.), 5 (2 proph.), 7 (1 proph.), 9 (1 proph.), 12 (1 proph.) / Psalms 22:1-8 (5 proph.), 12-18 (9 proph.); 34:20 (1 proph.); 109:4, 25 (1 proph.) / Zechariah 12:10 (1 proph.)

There are 26 separate prophecies in these passages that take place the last day of Jesus' life. Amazing how God foretold this tragedy. Why? To show that His Word is true - yes. But more importantly – to show that this was His plan and not some accident, tragedy, or last second plan to save the day. God chose His glory, chose to reject His Son, and chose you before time began.

"I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens." Woody Allen – comedian/actor