THE DEATH OF THE KING OF THE JEWS

Mark 15:16-47

Key verse 15:34

“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’---which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”

Today’s message describes how Jesus died. We sometimes don’t like to study or hear about Jesus’ death because it seems too sad and sorrowful that such a good person like Jesus had to suffer and die by crucifixion. However, Jesus’ death on the cross shows God’s great and unconditional love towards sinners. Because God is a holy and perfect God, he could in his righteous justice punish and wipe out sinners just as he did when he flooded the earth in Noah’s time. However instead of punishing man, God punished his Son Jesus in our place. God in his will allowed Jesus to suffer and be crucified on a cross like a condemned criminal, in our place. Though the price was heavy, that God had to sacrifice his one and only Son, through this, all our sins, both past present and future, were forgiven by Jesus. Through Jesus’ death, God could finish his promised work of salvation.

I pray that through this message that we may all come to the foot of the cross and look up at Jesus who shed much blood, who suffered and was crucified for our sins. May God help each of you to accept God’s great love and forgiveness in your hearts so that you may take up your cross and serve others with this good news of God’s great love.

Part one. The Soldiers Mock Jesus (16-20)

By this time, Jesus had been without sleep for a long time. In addition to this, according to verse 15, Jesus had been flogged. Then Pilate handed Jesus over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified. Let’s read verse 16, “The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.” Now, this large group of soldiers began to mock him without mercy. What did they do to Jesus?

Let’s read verse 17, “They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.” This purple robe represented royalty. They put the crown of thorns on his head. These thorns were large thorns, almost two inches long. Then they mocked him more. Let’s read verses 18-19, “And they began to call out to him, ‘Hail, king of the Jews! Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.”

They mocked Jesus by pretending to worship him because he claimed that he was a king. When they hit him on the head with a staff, the staff hit the crown of thorns, digging the thorns into Jesus’ head and scalp. Now his head was bleeding and blood was flowing down his face. His head also must have been ringing and pounding from being struck repeatedly by the staff. The he was spit on again and again. These soldiers were loud, abusive and insensitive and uncaring. They did not care about suffering Jesus. They didn’t know that Jesus was an innocent man, not a criminal. If Jesus was an ordinary man he would be feeling not only great physical pain, but also great humiliation.

However, Jesus was the Son of God and all of this was planned by God in order for Jesus to heal us from all our sins and take all our sins away. Isaiah 53:4 says about this very scene like this, “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted.” It was God at this time, using the soldiers to strike his son, to smite his son and to punish his son and to afflict his son, instead of us. This is the great love of God for us.

What more does it mean? To us, and to those like Peter who denied Jesus, it means God’s way to heal us from all the wounds in our hearts caused by our sins against God. 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness, by his wounds you have been healed…” After they mocked him, they led him away to be crucified. Let’s read verse 20, “And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.”

Part two. The Crucifixion (15:21-32)

When a person was going to be crucified, he was made to carry his cross until he came to the place of crucifixion. The Roman soldiers made sure that these people would have to take the longest way there in order to exhaust them even further. While Jesus was carrying his cross through the streets of Jerusalem and to the place where he was to be crucified, he suffered great exhaustion. Already the flesh on his back had been ripped up from the flogging and his back was bleeding greatly when he had to carry his cross. More than that, he could not go far as he kept falling down by the weight of the cross.

At this time, someone else comes into the picture. Let’s read verse 21, “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.” Simon was a Jewish pilgrim from North Africa. He had made his way to Jerusalem in order to celebrate the Passover. However, as he came into the city, he noticed something was happening. He seemed to be caught up in a stream of people going somewhere. He did not know. He saw and heard some women crying and saw a group of soldiers. Then in the next moment he saw Jesus. When he got next to Jesus, he was grabbed by a Roman soldier. The soldier grabbed him in a rough manner and then he was forced to carry Jesus’ cross. He probably carried Jesus’ cross all the way up to the point of the crucifixion.

Simon’s personal encounter with Jesus and being forced to carry Jesus’ cross later impacted his life and changed his life. According to Romans 16:13, his son Rufus was a coworker of St. Paul’s. In Acts 13:1, a man named Lucius of Cyrene is mentioned. He was a prophet and teacher in the church at Antioch which was the largest church at that time. The point here is that when Simon was forced to carry Jesus’ cross he could began to know the power and meaning of the cross. He could later teach his sons about it and his people back in Cyrene. He became a great man of God because he carried the cross. When we are forced to carry Jesus’ cross we can begin to meet him and know him personally and we can begin to have spiritual power. Sometimes we might be asked to do something by our Bible teacher and we may wonder why and complain. We are asked to participate in the work of God. Why? This is the cross. Someone may ask for us to sing with others for a Sunday Worship song or to do some other kind of activity. We may be asked to write a testimony and share it at Sunday Worship. It may sometimes feel like we are forced out of our little comfort zone. But this is how Simon of Cyrene met Jesus and he was changed. He was forced to carry the cross. We all have to carry the cross, if we are to follow Jesus. Jesus said that if anyone wants to come after him he must deny himself and take up the cross and follow him. Sometimes we want to remove the cross and just stay in our own personal comfort zone as a spectator. But this is impossible if we want to follow Jesus.

I remember going to my first international Summer Bible Conference. I couldn’t wait to see Niagara Falls and visit Canada for the first time. However, I was shocked on arrival to see my name listed as one of the group Bible teachers even though I had been only studying the Bible for six months. I complained that I could not do it because I didn’t know enough. Inside I felt I was forced to do it because no one asked me first or even told me about it. However, when I participated, I began to experience Jesus and gain confidence to be a shepherd. Later that Fall, I began to teach my first sheep. I believe that being forced to carry the cross as a Group Bible teacher for the Summer Conference was the way God was growing me and getting me ready to teach the Bible as a shepherd and to know Jesus personally.

Let’s read verses 22-24, “They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the Place of the Skull). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him.” Now Jesus was given the chance to dull the terrible pain that he was experiencing. But he refused in order to suffer fully for our sins. Now, they crucified him. In those days, crucifixion was only for the colonial people, not for Romans. Crucifixion was reserved for the worst criminals such as robbers, thieves and murderers and especially towards anyone who rebelled against Roman authority. When people were crucified, they were usually crucified out in the open and not in a private location. They were crucified along the road to the city so that all people who traveled could take warning. This could be you, if you don’t respect and obey the Roman rule.

The punishment of crucifixion was not only shameful, but terribly painful. Large iron nails were hammered into Jesus’ wrists and hands. As Jesus hung on the cross, he shed large amounts of blood. Jesus lost strength and the weight of his body made breathing more and more difficult. There are accounts that those who were crucified took a long time to die. Sometimes three days; sometimes even up to one week. As the person was hanging on the cross, his lungs and all his vital organs would begin to collapse. Jesus’ suffering and pain was too unbearable to watch. It was a very dark and gruesome scene to see the innocent Son of God nailed to this wooden cross with blood on his head and streaming down his arms and his face in pain.

What does this scene mean to us from a spiritual point of view? Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’” Because of our sins against God, even one sin, we are under God’s curse. This means we are all under the wrath of God. But Jesus became a curse for us when he was crucified in our place. While he was being crucified, God was cursing him with the pain and sorrow and punishment that should have been given to us. Praise God for Jesus who became a curse for us when he was crucified for our sins.

While Jesus was being crucified and shedding his blood and suffering great pain, the Roman soldiers remained insensitive as ever. Verse 24 shows us that the life of sinful man in this world dulls a man’s spirit towards the sufferings of others. While Jesus was being crucified, these soldiers gambled for Jesus’ clothes. Let’s read verses 25-26, “It was the third hour when they crucified him. The written charge against him read: ‘THE KING OF THE JEWS.’”

This charge was most ironic. Sure, he is the king of the Jews. He is the one who came to set them free from sin and from Satan’s grip. He is being condemned by his own people who were waiting for him. In ignorance they did this, but at the same time, they had no excuse because Jesus’ whole life fulfilled the Scripture. At the same time, Jesus is our spiritual king. He is the King of kings and the ruler of the universe. He wants to rule our hearts with his peace and love. Yet, here he is being treated like a condemned criminal and being punished for something he did not do all because of our sins. Let’s read verse 27, “They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.” Jesus looks like a robber here. If people saw him they could say that he is a robber because he is being punished with other robbers. We see here that Jesus was identified with sinners and dwelt with sinners from the beginning of his life up to his death on the cross.

Jesus’ whole life was to dwell with sinners and to save sinners. No one likes to be identified or be with those who are poor or those who have some kind of a physical problem or mental problem or with those who are just hard for us to bear. We also certainly don’t like to be around with those who have committed bad crimes. We like to identify with and be with those who are successful, make us happy and with whom we can benefit from. However, Jesus suffered and died for us who are the worst criminals because we broke God’s laws and caused him much pain and sorrow in his heart. Yet Jesus humbled himself to die a criminals death. He suffered shame and condemnation for us.

What was Jesus’ attitude like as he hung suffering and dying on the cross? First, according to Luke’s gospel, he prayed for them that God would forgave those who were accusing him and crucifying him. Is it easy to forgive those who wronged us? It seems too painful for us to bear. It is easier to complain and accuse. When our coworkers or spouses or sheep do something wrong, we complain that they caused us trouble. When they have a problem we don’t want to hear about it and be burdened by it. We want others to be perfect, but we often forget that our sins caused Jesus to suffer and to bleed and to be nailed to the cross. Yet he in his grace prayed for us and forgave us. When my wife had a job problem for many months I could not bear with her anguish over her situation, though she suffered great pain and unjust humiliation. I became insensitive and complained in my heart that her job problem and her reaction towards it was making me suffer too much. But I realize now that I expected her to react about her job problem in a super spiritual way. I expected a perfect response from her. But the problem was not her, but me. I could not forgive her in my heart of what she said. But when I look up at Jesus on the cross I must hear him forgiving those who crucified him and those who caused him pain and sorrow. This is because he forgave me and took all my weaknesses and sins who also condemned him.

Secondly, while he was on the cross, Jesus saved one of the robbers next to him. One of robbers next to him asked Jesus to remember him when he gets into his kingdom. Jesus promised this man that he would be with him in paradise (Lk.23:34, 39-43). In his pain and suffering, Jesus did not think about his suffering. He only thought how he could save others and bring them to the kingdom of God. What amazing love of Jesus!

As Jesus hung on the cross, those passed by hurled insults at him and taunted him. Let’s read what they said. Let’s read verses 29-32, “Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘So! You who are going to destroy this temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!’ In the same way the chief priests and teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.’ Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.”

There is a common word here that these taunters are using. It is “Save yourself!” This was a great temptation for Jesus. Perhaps it was the greatest temptation for Jesus to go through. As the Son of God, he could easily have saved himself. He could send for twelve legions of angels, that is about 72,000 angels to come to his rescue. It would look impressive and be fantastic. Then they would sweep him away into heaven and he would not have to suffer any more pain. He would go right to Paradise and leave everyone else in the dust. However, if Jesus saved himself, we would not have salvation nor the kingdom of God. Even while he hung bleeding and dying on the cross and hearing these taunts and temptations, Jesus did not cry out or call out or say anything to get the last word. A lot of times we want to get the last word back at someone if they taunt us or say something to us that even in a small way hurts our human pride and ego. Jesus was greatly offended here. But still, he remained silent. He simply entrusted himself to God and endured all the suffering and pain and insults for our sake. This is because he loves us so much.

Like Jesus, we are often tempted to save our lives when we go through even a little suffering. The devil will tempt us not to teach the Bible when we are tired from work or from school or have a lot of school work. Yet our little suffering for doing God’s will can save others. Jesus said that whoever wants to save his life will lose it, while whoever wants to lose his life for me and the gospel will save it. We see here a clear indication of this. Jesus became like a kernel of wheat that fell to the ground and died. He did not try to save his life, though he could. Instead he was willing to lose his life and suffer the cruel pain and suffering and death on the cross for each of us.

Part three. The Death of Jesus. (15:33-41)

Let’s read verses 33-34, “At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani?’---which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”

The time here refers to 12 noon to 3PM. These are the brightest hours of the day. Yet when Jesus was crucified and dying on the cross for the sins of the world, the world plunged itself in utter darkness. We can say that the whole world, even nature, was mourning over the dying of the Son of God. The whole world was in deep darkness over man’s great sin to crucify its savior.

What were Jesus’ last words on the cross? It was , “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” What did Jesus’ cry mean? Up until this time, we have never heard Jesus cry or complain. Even when he was being flogged and hit and struck on the head. But now he cries. His cry came from being separated from his Father God. Until now, Jesus had never experienced being separated from his Father God. This is because Jesus was completely sinless and perfect. But now, with the weight of the world’s sins upon him, he is experiencing the pain and separation from God. It is not just from one sin, but for the sins of the whole world. It is for the sins of those who are not even yet born. To Jesus, this forsaken state was for him the most painful.

We can hear the utter loneliness Jesus felt when he cried out like this. Why did the holy and perfect Son of God have to be forsaken by God? It was because of our sins. Our sins caused him to be separated from God and to suffer for us and die for us. For Jesus, all other pains and sorrows he could bear. But being forsaken by God was too much for him, so all he could do was to cry out like this. How lonely Jesus must have felt! His suffering and agony here seems too much for us to look at and bear.

However, this scene here is the reason why we should love Jesus the most. Because our sins have been forgiven we can experience the power of God’s grace and forgiveness. From the time he was forsaken by God until he breathed his last, the power of sin that held all men bondage, has been destroyed. This is why the cross of Jesus is not the instrument of shame for Christians. It becomes the instrument of salvation and freedom when we believe and look up at Jesus on the cross. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

The power of God is evident to us when we look up at Jesus on the cross and believe that he is the one who solves my fundamental sin problem. Then we can experience a great change in our life. It is a matter of personally accepting that he was forsaken for me and died in my place.

It is a matter of looking up at Jesus on the cross and not looking at our problems, weaknesses and failures. Sometimes we look too much at these things----our problems, weaknesses and failures, instead of Jesus. We become overwhelmed and say, “What can I do?” and “There is no hope for me!” But Jesus is our hope. He can free us and refresh us and restore us because he was forsaken by God for us and died for our sins. When we believe in Jesus, God does not see our sins, mistakes, weaknesses and failures. He sees our faith and he sees Jesus who died for our sins.

Let’s read verses 35-38, “When some of those standing near heard this, they said, ‘Listen, he’s calling Elijah.’ One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ‘Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,’ he said. With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”

We see that as soon as Jesus died, the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom. What does this mean? This curtain separated the holy place from the most holy place. No one could go into the most holy place except the high priest and that was one time each year to sacrifice for the sins of the people of Israel. Now through Jesus’ death, through his body, the curtain and the way has been opened up for those who believe in Jesus to go directly to God as they are. This means anyone from any part of the world, Jew or Gentile. We go to God in Jesus’ name now not by the blood of a lamb or a goat.

In these next few verses we will begin to see the immediate impact of how Jesus’ death began to transform lives. Let’s read verse 39, “And when the centurion, who stood there in the front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’” How could a tough and hardened Roman soldier who had seen so many people suffer and die by crucifixion make such a confession? It was the way that Jesus died. The way a person dies, that is his last words often tell about them. Mark Twain, the great American writer of the 19^th century who wrote many funny and witty stories had these last words, “It might have been.” They say that Leo Tolstoy a great Russian writer said these last words, “Tragedies, Tragedies!” Many people die with regret and bitterness. But Jesus died victoriously because he completed God’s mission to his last breath. So the way he died was a testimony to the power of God and the love of God. This centurion saw that Jesus could be nothing but the Son of God. His heart was moved so much that he became a Christian. Perhaps he had his own Centurion’s fellowship and ministry for Roman soldiers. His change marks a very important part in the history of the gospel. It means that the Roman world will come to believe in Jesus. It clearly also means that God’s salvation is for anyone as long as they believe.

Jesus’ death also began to work in the hearts of many women. Let’s read verses 40-41, “Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.” These women were faithful, devout and dependable. Each received Jesus’ grace. Where were the men? They were afraid and fled for their lives. These days, we have much more young women in our ministry than young men. They are faithful young women who love Jesus and want to follow him and even participate in his sufferings. Now we have to pray hard for many young men to come out of their hiding and come to Jesus at the foot of the cross and also participate in Jesus’ sufferings.

Part four. The Burial of Jesus (42-47)

These verses confirm the facts that Jesus was dead and buried. This is the gospel which prepares for the coming resurrection. Verse 46-47 sows that Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where Jesus was laid and saw that the stone was rolled in front of the entrance of the tomb where Jesus’ body was.

Also in these verses we find yet another person who was being changed by Jesus’ death almost immediately. Verse 43 says that his name was Joseph of Arimathea. Who was he? He was a prominent man. He was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He had been a secret believer. Now, Jesus’ death had made him bold. When he heard that such a good man like Jesus had been crucified, his heart began to open and he did not fear what consequences might happen to him if he identified as a follower of Jesus. According to verse 43 he went boldly to Pilate to ask for Jesus’ body. He took Jesus’ body and wrapped it in linen and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock.

We can see here that believing Jesus’ death can make us bold and powerful. This is because when we believe Jesus, our sinful nature and sinful selves die with Christ. We are raised with Christ when we believe and become a new creation, full of spirit and power. In all human history, no one’s death has impacted the world like Jesus. This is because no one could be sinless and die for the sins of the world. Only Jesus is able because he is the Lamb of God. Only he is worthy of our praise and worship. Only he is the one we can give our lives to and not feel regret or disappointment.

Jesus’ death saves us from God’s final judgment, the second death. Now wee must decide for ourselves to believe that he was forsaken for me and took my sins on his body and suffered for me. Let’s examine our hearts and look at Jesus on the cross who was forsaken by God for us. May God help you to experience his forgiving grace and the power of his cross in your life.