The Crowd around the Cross / Mark 15:24-32

What do Star Wars, Indiana Jones, andJurassic Park all have in common?

Industrial Light and Magic - visual affects studio, we are familiar with the scenes - but there is a whole world of activity and creativity behind the scenes.

Fun facts: death star trench scene was filmed in a parking lot, they used pul-apart toys to make space craft, they used potatoes in the asteroid fields to save time and money.

Sometimes there is more to a story than what meets the eye.

We are all familiar with the story of the cross, but you may not know about what was happening behind the scenes in the spiritual realm. To pull back the curtain, we will consider the story of the crowd around the cross.

The Roman Soldiers

24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take.

“Although the Romans did not invent crucifixion, they perfected it as a form of torture and capital punishment that was designed to produce a slow death with maximum pain and suffering.” (Edwards)

Fulfilled Psalm 22:18

What looked like a terrible tragedy, was fulfilling the plan of God.

Acts 2:23 “Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”

God can use what Satan intends for evil and use it for good.

Doubt example

No matter what you’re facing, God can use the situation for his glory and your good.

The Travelers

25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.

29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!”

“A placard noting the prisoner’s name and offense often accompanied those condemned to death by the Romans.” Alan Hultberg

Jesus made incredible claims about his coming kingdom. His crucifixion seemed to be proof that he was a failure. Imagine a big shot football player who claimed to be the best, only to lose by 50 points.

Imagine how James and John, who requested to sit at his right and left in glory felt when they saw criminals crucified to the right and left on the cross.

What they didn’t realize is that he is our temple - where we meet with God. And he would die and rise in three days. He was fulfilling that claim by embracing death.

“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Be gracious to your friends and family who just “pass by” Jesus, they do not know the full story, but God has put you in their life to teach them.

The Priests

31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.”

They were right that he saved others, perhaps some who had been healed, freed from demons, and given sight were standing in the crowd. But the irony of asking him to save himself is that it would illuminate their opportunity to be saved. “53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” It wasn’t the nails that kept him on the cross, it was his heart to save sinners.

“13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” - Jesus laid down his life for enemies.

The final group had a front row seat to all this mockery and shame, but instead of compassion, they joined in…

The Robbers

Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.

As they were reviling him, something began to change in the hearts of one of the criminals. Maybe it was Jesus’ forgiveness toward killers. Maybe it was silence toward accusation. Maybe it was the presence of loyal followers who he saved. Perhaps the criminal began to think, “if he saved others, maybe I could be saved.”

Luke 23:39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

If you do not know Christ, do not pass him by without believing. Maybe you’ve mocked him, he is willing to forgive you if you admit your guilt and receive him as your savior-king.

If you do know Jesus, let today’s story encourage you. No matter how dark life seems, God is working everything together according to a good plan. He’s asking you to trust him.

"God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them." - John Piper