Mark 15:33-39

INTRO

TWO WEEKS AGO: Sheer brutality, contempt, and hatred of our Lord as his was scorged and his body mutalated.

-Crown of thorns driving into his head

-The mockery as they said HAIL KING OF THE JEWS AND BOWED BEFORE HIM TO HUMILATE HIM

LAST WEEK: A glimps into the depth of His love.

-LED TO GOLGOTHA

-The nails driven into his hands and feet.

-The charge placed on public display for all to see

-It was the 3rd hour, which was about 9am that morning.

-demostrates his love for us in this: That while we were yet sinners, CHrist died for us.

-It was the 3rd hour when they crucified him, which was about 9am that morning.

-Today, in our Text or Lord is still on the Cross and about to taste death.

I. THE SCRIPTURE WAS FULFILLED VS 33-36

a. darkness over the whole land

-”The 6th hour” - This is 12 NOON

-lated “until the ninth” hour - 3pm

-It covered “the whole land” could be translated whole earth

-This was not a natural occurrence!

- at the hardening of Pharaoh’s hear, there was the plague of darkness over Egypt

-This was not a natural occurrence!

Some have suggested this was a solar eclipse

This was taking place during the passover

Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar

During the passover, it is a full moon at night.

Solar eclipses do not happen when there is a full moon

Other suggested that this was a dust storm

It is true this area is prone to dust storms

HOWEVER, this is taking place in the wet season of the spring

Which makes a dust storm highly unlikely

-The was a work of God as a result of the Cross, but did it mean?

Judgement & Curses

-Darkness is viewed in the scriptures as a manifestation of Judgement

-In Exodus, when God’s people was in bondage and the first Passover lamb was slain there was the plague of darkness over Egypt

-In Mark, when people are in the bondage of their own sin and the Ultimate Passover Lamb was slain there was a plague of darkness over the whole land.

-The judgement covered the “whole land” because the whole earth is deserving of His judgement

-The curse covered the whole land because the whole earth is deserving of the curse.

-BUT JESUS TOOK THE JUDGEMENT

The wrath of God was poured out on HIM

-JESUS TOOK THE CURSE

Galatians 3:13 ESV

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

THE SCRIPTURES WERE FULFILLED THAT DAY!

2. Mourning

-Darkness is also associated with grieving

Amos 8:9–10 ESV

“And on that day,” declares the Lord God, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.

Amos 8:

-Interesting, isn’t it?

-700 YEARS BEFORE, GOD SPOKE ABOUT A DAY THAT WAS COMING.

-A DAY WHEN THE SUN WOULD GO DOWN AT NOON

-…WHEN THE EARTH WOULD BE DARKENED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT

-…WHEN FEASTS (LIKE THE PASSOVER FEAST) WOULD BE TURNED INTO MOURNING

-…WHEN THEIR WILL BE MOURNING LIKE WHEN AN ONLY SON DIES.

-WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY 2000 YEARS AGO WHEN CHRIST WAS BEING CRUCIFIED AND THE WHOLE LAND WENT DARK WAS A WORK OF GOD AND A FULFILLMENT OF THE SCRIPTURES.

Another way the Scriptures were fulfilled is the Words of Jesus.

Mark 15:34 ESV

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?”

Jesus is pointing us to something here.

A Psalm that was written 2000 years before!

This is a quotation from

Psalm 22 ESV

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. 3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” 9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. 10 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. 12 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— 17 I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. 19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! 21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! 22 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: 23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. 25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. 26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. 28 For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. 29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. 30 Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; 31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

OH PRAISE THE LORD…HE HAS DONE IT!

BUT WHAT HAS HE DONE?

-Reconciled sinners to a holy God fully

-Died in our place, vicariously

-Fulfilled the word of God exceptionally.

-Met the standard of God’s righteousness perfectly.

-Atoned for our sin sufficiently

-Died totally

-Was resurrected completely

-That we might live, Holy

-And He is Coming Back QUICKLY

-That we might live with Him Eternally.

HE HAS DONE IT.

II. THE SON OF GOD GIVES US ACCESS TO GOD Vs 37-39

The text tells us that the curtain of the temple was town in tow from top to bottom.

The Curtain - reference to the large woven curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the outer sanctuary.

-Only one person was allowed into the Holy of Holies.

-The High Priest.

-Only allowed to go in one day a year.

-Yom Kippur

-Behind the Curtain in the Holy of Holies is God’s presence

-There too is his foot stool, the Ark of the Covenant

-One top of the Ark was the “Mercy Seat”

-The High Priest on the day of atonement would take the blood of a sacrifice and sprinkle it on top of the mercy seat.

-It was only with the blood of a sacrifice that a single person, the High Priest, could enter behind the curtain and into the Presence of God.

-Now, because our High Priest Jesus Christ, gave himself as a sacrifice and shed his own blood, all my enter by faith into the presence of GOd

Because of this....

-know God

-be saved

-be converted

-be regnerated.

-be born again

-have fellowship with God

-Be filled with the spirit.

-Set free from bondage

-have a loving Heaving Father

-Worship in Spirit and in Truth

-take the Gospel to all nations

-he will be with you always

-Never leave of forsake you

-No one can snatch him out of his hand.

-YOu will abide in Him AND HE IN YOU

-and bear much fruit because with out HIM you can do NOTHING!

THIS IS TOTALLY A WORK OF GOD.....

TOTTALLY....

GOD DID THIS....

SOME MIGHT SAY

-No no....the jews did this

-the romans did this

-the cheif priests…the scribes…the elders did this...

-Certainly they had a role…responsible for thier sins....

But let me ask him....FROM WHAT DIRECTION DID THE CURTAIN TEAR....AND WHY WOULD MARK MENTION THAT?

Why would Matthew Mention it?

Matthew 27:51 ESV

51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

I think it is clear they are trying to communicate something to us.

Luke 23:25 ESV

25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.

Luke 23:45 ESV

45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

Tearing down the barrier between God and man was somethign that no mere man could do. Only God could give us access to himself.

Luke 23:46 ESV

46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

I cannot find that anywhere in the writings of Josephus

It did through the blood of His Son!

We are forced then to ask the question…what do we believe then…about this man Jesus…who died on the Cross?

There are only two options.

There is no middle ground.

With either do like the crowd did....did not believe

OR

WE DO AS AT THE CeNTURION DID...

READ VERSE 39