Mark 15:16-32 At the Cross

Joel and Mary Nadel, Covenant United Reformed Church

From: The Holy Bible and J.C. Ryle’s “Expository Comments on the Gospels - Mark”

House Rules: Phones, Respect, Stay on the Text

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Review

Begin with the start of Jesus’ earthly ministry

Message: “Repent and believe the Gospel” - the Gospel was Jesus life and death

Preached, taught, performed miracles for three years”

Now in Jerusalem to fulfill the Gospel promise - to die for our sins

Mark 15:16–32 NASB95

The soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort. They dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; and they began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him. After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him. They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross. Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take. It was the third hour when they crucified Him. The inscription of the charge against Him read, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with transgressors.” Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. “Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.

Introduction

This passage of text shows us the “infinite” love of Christ for sinners

The suffering He endured should fill our minds with both horror and love - especially if we had been subjected to this treatment.

The fact that it was the eternal Son of God who suffered like this should amaze us

Even more amazing - He voluntarily suffered so that he could deliver sinful men and women like us from hell

Eph 3:19 “and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”

Rom 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

It will help us learn the lessons here if we work step by step through the Lord’s passion - from the moment He was condemned by Pilate until His last hour on the cross

We can learn a lot from every detail of His suffering - all these details are striking lessons of spiritual truths

We also need to remember that Christ had to endure all of this because of our sins

1 Pet. 3:18 “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;”

This is about the death of our own Saviour and Substitute that we are studying

Step 1 - Jesus is delivered into the hands of the Roman soldiers as a criminal

Jesus will one day judge the whole world and He allowed Himself to be sentenced unfairly and put in the hands of wicked men

Why: This is what we deserve! He did this so that we, the sinful children of men, by believing on Him, might be delivered from Hell

He did it so that we could be freed from every charge on judgment day, and presented sinless before the Father with joy

Step 2 - The Roman soldiers made him a laughing-stock

They dressed Him up in purple and put a crown of thorns on His head, to make fun of His kingdom

They beat on His head with a reed and spit on Him, treating Him like the scum of the earth.

1 Cor 4:13 “we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.”

Why? This is what we deserve! It was so that we, as sinful and disgusting as we are, might have glory, honor and eternal life because of our faith in Christ’s atonement

He did it so that we might one day enter into God’s kingdom with triumph, and receive the crown of glory that doesn’t fade

Step 3 - Jesus was stripped and crucified naked before His enemies

The soldiers threw dice to divide up His clothing

Why? So that we, who are so unrighteous, might be clothed in the perfect righteousness of Christ

We will not have to stand naked, and terrified, before a thrice holy God on the judgment day

He did it so that we, who are defiled by sin, might have a beautiful wedding outfit, and sit with the angels, without any shame

Step 4 - Jesus suffered the most awful and humiliating of all deaths - a death on the cross

This was a death reserved for the most terrible criminals.

The Jews considered this kind of execution a curse. Gal 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—”

Why? This is what we deserve! It was so that we, who are born in sin, and the children of God’s wrath, can be blessed for Christ’s sake

It was done so that we might not have to be cursed for our sins - Christ suffered for those sins

Step 5 - Jesus is punished and executed as a sinner and common criminal

Mark 15:27 “They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left.”

Jesus had committed no sin, and had perfect integrity, but “was numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53)

Why? This is what we deserve! He did it so that we, who are the real sinners, by our nature and actions, can be justified, or accounted innocent, for Christ’s sake

He did it so that we, who are only worthy of condemnation, can be counted worthy to escape God’s judgment and be declared “not guilty” before the world

Step 6 and last - Jesus is mocked while He died

They called Him a fake, and unable to save Himself

Why did He go through this? So that we, when we are in our last hours, through faith in Christ, may be strongly comforted

This all happened to strengthen our assurance and faith

that we may know who it is we believe in and go into the valley of the shadow of death fearing no evil

Bringing it home

This passage should leave us with a deep sense of how much all believers owe to Christ

All that we have, all that we are, all that we hope for, traces back to the life and death of the Son of God

Through His trial and condemnation, we are acquitted of our sins,

through His sufferings, we have peace

through His shame, we have glory

Through His death, we have life

Our sins are laid on Him

His righteousness is laid on us.

2 Cor 9:15 “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

This passage shows us the complete and perfect love of Christ for us - for our souls

Never forget what you really are - corrupt, evil, miserable sinners

Never forget who the Lord Jesus is - the eternal Son of God, the creator of all things

Never forget that Jesus went through all of this voluntarily, for our sakes - he experienced the most painful, horrible and shameful death imaginable

These thoughts should encourage us daily to live not for ourselves, but for Christ

Rom 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

Remember the cross of Christ often - nothing in Christianity will have such a purifying, sanctifying, and comforting effect on our souls.

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