ETB Mark 15:33-39; 16:1-8

Session #8 - p.73 - Our Savior

This week we take a break from our study in Peter’s letters to Asia Minor and briefly glimpse at the resurrection account in Mark’s Gospel (which was probably influenced by Peter.)

I am not sure how many of you all do any shopping in stores or online. Only if you do both regularly would the questions in the quarterly be able to be answered.

Is it easier to spend more while online shopping or shopping in the store? Why? [ETB:PSG Win'25]

For me, I tend to spend more than I planned to in stores. Although all the selection online is greater, the “hands on” of the item makes it easier to rationalize the purchase. Maybe it is the “inconvenience” to come back to the store for it that adds to the urgency.

Whichever way you buy things, I think the point the writers are trying to make is that everything has a cost. Physically and financially an item’s value changes based on a perception. Spiritually perceiving a cost is difficult. God knows this and therefore gave us His Son to “show us” the cost of our sins.

Understand the Context

Mark’s Gospel reads more like a newspaper than a novel. It lacks many details and moves at a faster pace than the other Gospel accounts, but Mark seems to slow down and get more detailed when it comes to writing about the crucifixion. Mark rightfully wants us to understand the incredible event not just theologically, but historically.

Mark’s Gospel culminates with the resurrection, an event that holds immeasurable significance. Without the resurrection, the life and death of Jesus would be merely a tragedy. The good news of Mark is that God has, through the resurrection of Jesus, conquered sin, death, and hell.

All four Gospels recount the resurrection with the same gravity and respect that they lend to the crucifixion. Just as the crucifixion was an actual historical event, so too was the discovery of the empty tomb on the Sunday morning after Jesus’s crucifixion. This fact is attested to by all four Gospel authors. [LifeWay Adults (2025). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide, Winter 2024-'25]

Our passage text today comes at the end of Mark 15 and finishes with Mark 16. Online several times this week I have seen a great summation of these two events. The crucifixion proves Jesus was a man. The resurrection proves that He is God. Mark’s Gospel has been building to these two truths and like the rest of his writing it happens quickly with just enough detail to make the point but not enough to answer every question.

Explore the Text

Mark 15:33–36 ESV

33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, 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.”

Sixth hour.. until the ninth

After a night filled with trials and physical abuse, Jesus was hung on the cross around 9 a.m. (see Mark 15:25). After about three hours, during the sixth hour, the events recorded in verses 33-36 took place. During this time, the soldiers cast lots for His clothing, placed a placard that mockingly proclaimed Him King of the Jews. Those around the cross also shouted curses and insults at Him. Even the chief priests and scribes were there, challenging Him to come down from the cross to prove that He was the Messiah (15:31-32). These events completed the first half of Jesus’s time on the cross. [ETB:ALG Win'25]

In dramatic fashion immediately after these calls for Him to come down from the cross, the darkness fell across the land. Whether this darkness was isolated to Israel or the covered the whole earth is not defined. But this darkness was not natural. Usually darkness symbolizes judgement in Scripture, like that which fell over all of Egypt in Exodus. It could also show the “victory of the forces of evil” however temporary they may be. Either of these would emphasize the supernatural nature of these 3 hours of darkness to any that felt and saw it that day.

which means

Aramaic - el·o·ee el·o·ee lam·ah sab·akh·than·ee

What does Mark infer for us by recording Jesus’ actual words, but then translating them into the Greek? What does it tell us about his expected readers?

He was writing to more than just Jews and expected his writing to be read by some that were not familiar with Aramaic. This also helps us understand the reason Mark uses a vast array of people in his account to try and connect with as large a group as possible.

Behold, he is calling Elijah

“Yea though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of Death, I will fear no evil”

What Psalm did I just quote from?

But if I said, “Und ob ich schon wanderte im finstern Tal, fürchte ich kein Unglück.”

Would you still recognize it?

Any of the scholarly Jews standing close enough to hear Jesus would have immediately recognized the beginning of Psalm 22 just as easily as you recognized the 23rd in our language. But to others who were only partially familiar with the some of the Prophets, they could have misunderstood what Jesus said “Eloi” for “Eli”.

The other option puts the “bystanders” in a worse spiritual and moral state by understanding what He said, and intentionally twisting it to make a course joke. Not only of Jesus, but of the Prophets words also. Twisting God’s word to deride God’s Son takes an especially callous heart.

gave it to him to drink

This action may have been in response to another of Christ’s words from the cross when He stated, “I thirst.” However, Mark does not note that but again focuses on the callousness of those watching.

Later in the Psalm 22 which Jesus started quoting, verse 19 says

Psalm 22:19 “19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!”

This is probably what prompted the call to “wait” as they assumed an instantaneous fulfilment of the verse.

What about us, do we ever pray and ask God for deliverance and expect instant results?

Was verse 19 fulfilled for Jesus, did God “come quickly” to His aid?

2-3 days may not seem very quick to us but compared to the millennia building up to the moment, that is a barely perceptible amount.

Thankfully, Jesus’ torment of the past few hours on earth is now complete and Mark’s account finishes His life rather succinctly.

Mark 15:37–39 ESV

37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

loud cry and breathed his last

This is the second time that Mark specifically says that Jesus was “loud” while on the cross. We know from the other Gospels what the words were.

John’s account reminds us that this last breath was timed and taken at the moment of Jesus’ choosing.

John 10:18 “18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.””

By not stating what the words said were, Mark is drawing attention to how they were said instead.

Why was important that Jesus was loud?

It confirmed that what He said was audible to any.

It showed Jesus was still in total control of all His faculties.

It reveals that Jesus life was not taken from Him, but that He gave it in His timing.

curtain of the temple was torn

Exodus 26:31 “31 “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it.”

An image of "the heavens" comes to mind with a sunset and angels being depicted.

Ask: What message did the curtain tearing apart communicate about access to God?

The inches thick curtain was what protected the priests from the awesome presence of God upon the “mercy seat” atop of the Ark. By God removing this access deterrent, He was proclaiming a new acceptable access was now available.

Remember that Mark was not an eyewitness to these things but wrote this Gospel later, most believe with Peter’s input. But Peter was not in the Temple with the veil when it was “rent in twain”, and certainly not in the Holy place.

Who saw this happen?

Whether this caused them to believe in Jesus as the Christ or not we do not know, but the event was noticed and made known. Mark, by the Holy Spirit, correlates the timing and the purpose of the two events occurring in Jerusalem that day together.

in this way he breathed his last

What events has this centurion witnessed up to this point surrounding Christ’s crucifixion?

Darkness, earthquake, rocks splitting, forgiveness offered while in torment, supernatural strength to continue speaking, and dying at the final moment He verbalized.

Some commentators and scholars point out that the wording in the Greek could be translated as “son of a god.” We know that at least 2 other centurions came to faith in Christ. One is recorded in Matthew, and one Peter witnessed to in Acts. This may be Mark’s final witness to who Jesus’ was before moving to the burial. This would be the literary book end to his first verse of his Gospel account.

Mark 1:1 “1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

The NIV Application Commentary on the Bible Mark 15:21–47

The confession marks the beginning of the fulfillment of

This confession also forces the reader to re-consider all the evidence that Mark has presented up to this point. If this “enemy” believes, should I?

True to form, Mark does not dwell on the death of Christ long and moves quickly to the next major event a couple of days later.

Mark 16:1–8 ESV

1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

We studied these verses fairly well in the fall of ‘23 but God’s Word is new to us every time we read it because we are different person after every reading.

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome

Women were considered highly unreliable as witnesses in Jesus’s day. That Mark and the other Gospel writers included this can only lead readers to conclude that it must have actually happened, for a manufactured story would not have leaned on the testimony of women in order to give their account weight. That Mark repeated their names in chapters 15 and 16 emphasizes the importance of the women as witnesses. [ETB:ALG Win'25]

Anoint him

These women were acting on the premise that Jesus’ was dead before the Sabbath and His body was not “properly prepared.” Because of the timing of some of the women arriving before the sun came up in other Gospel accounts, the spices were probably purchased after the Sabbath was over on Saturday evening but before all the marketplaces closed after dark.

I like how some of the more basic English translations say, “anoint Jesus’ body.” Jesus had no need to be anointed as He was the one who anoints or sanctifies all others. His body however, if it had still been there, would have required preparations before it began to decay.

When the sun had risen, they went

The various accounts of this Sunday morning have different people coming to the tomb at different times. I do not think all the women were coming from the same place so waiting and gathering before proceeding to the tomb would be a reasonable expectation.

We have mentioned before that there are different times for sunrise and sunset depending on which “charting” you use. Romans, Jews, and Greeks had different methods as well. This morning the sunrise was at 5:09, 5:42, 6:14, or 6:41 depending on if you are using astronomical, nautical, civil, actual charting. Mark’s gospel says, “the sun had risen” being the account of Peter a fisherman it would not be surprising if this we an hour earlier then Matthew’s “at dawn.” Although John was a fisherman too, he wrote to the widest audience and his “still dark” comments would allow his readers to attribute the time their own way so that the women could “see” the tombstone which they were discussing in the next verse.

The stone

The women likely had been discussing for some time how the stone to the tomb could be managed so they might anoint Jesus’s body. Not having an answer did not deter them from going anyway. It was an act of faith, and one that led them to experience a supernatural occurrence. [ETB:ALG Win'25]

Their willingness to go despite of a substantial obstacle is rather convicting. If it had been raining today, some people would have stayed home. The reason not to come to church or even do personal Bible study in our homes seems to grow smaller with each passing moment. What faith these ladies had! They started to prepare to honor Christ the night before when they bought the spices and did not let the literal “roadblock” stop them from their worship until they were already on the way.

But God had already removed that obstacle for them and had prepared an even greater opportunity to worship for them.

entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting

Whether by faith or curiosity, they entered the tomb and found a young man sitting there.

Why do you think he was sitting?

Someone sitting, implies that they were waiting. It is also less imposing to find someone sitting than standing. His call for them to “not be alarmed” would also be received better and put them at ease more quickly. But once he delivered the message, the women left, and he probably did too.

Despite his unimposing posture and reassuring words, the women were overcome emotionally.

They fled… trembling and astonished… they were afraid.

Mark finishes his gospel by using the word that we get our “phobia” from. Our definition for that is a “debilitating or irrational fear” which is what these women appear to have as it preventing them from doing that which they were told to do.

Unfortunately, they were so shocked by the encounter that they didn’t do all of those things right away.

They didn’t tell anyone, but some of them did get to see Jesus.

Mark’s Gospel if often compared to an action movie in the way it reads. In most of the oldest manuscripts the story ends here with verse 8. Instead of an action movie, it is now a cliff-hanger.

How it would this ending have impacted the first readers? What questions would you have?

If you were a believer already, and you read how the women did not tell anyone, would you be convicted to tell for them?

There is a reason for the abrupt ending, but we may not know it until we get to ask Mark ourselves. Until then, let us be like these women - undeterred in our worship and overcoming our fear to tell others of His power.

Apply the Text

[Christ] honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. —From “God the Son,” Article II.B, Baptist Faith and Message (2000)

Consider the statement on the wall about Jesus’s resurrection taken from the Baptist Faith and Message.

Are there any parts of this statement express that have deeper meaning of Jesus’s death on the cross and His resurrection for you?

His “personal obedience” is a reminder to me that is now expected of me as His follower. His “substitutionary death” for “redemption” gives me the means to be able to obey and live in a way the honors and magnifies that death on my behalf.

Pray: Thank You God for the gift of Your Son and Your plan of salvation for all. May we be about Your work to help those we encounter to accept that gift and provision for redemption. Guide us to show them how much You love them by Your willingness to endure the cross in obedience to the Word. May the empty tomb continue to draw people in and examine the evidence for themselves and respond in belief and salvation.