Sunday School 3/28/26

Mark 15: 16-39

At 8:25a, we begin to ask everyone to prepare themselves for class. So by 8:30am, we can begin on time. The presenter has 5 minutes or less. Find someone to open up in prayer, find someone to read left side and then the right side of the scripture.

1. Musical Selection Hymn Melody by Trina Hairston

2. Opening Prayer Assign

3. Women's History Presentation

4. Reading of Scripture

"Praetorium" can be translated to the following: headquarters, palace, residence, the courtroom camp, or hall of judgment.

The soldiers brought Jesus out, but there was a whole band, a division of those coiled up with anger at the very audacity of Jesus. The soldiers took him, but there were some folks wound up, ready to see a show. For some, this was like entering a place like Navy Pier, a carnival, if you will. This was like showtime at the Apollo. I can imagine those in the audience are ready to say, "Oh wow, how the mighty have fallen."

So now we find Jesus in the place of judgment. All through this, they attack his identity. The One who is God in flesh, the One who is the very righteousness of the King of Glory, is being led to a parody. Again, we have to think about the conversations that were happening at this time. They said, "Hey, you say you are the king, welcome to the palace of judgment. You are the king, right? Let's clothe you in the royal colors. Let's give you what you want. Let's ordain you right here." Purple was expensive in this day because of its cost; it made owning and wearing it an elite status. As they are mocking him in this place, they are mocking his status—his very placement in the world and the kingdom of God.

Then they gave him a crown. Not the crown he deserved, but one of ridicule. Uncomfortable, harmful, pesky. Just like sin, right? They went all in on this ordination, striking him with reeds instead of anointing him with the kingly staff, spitting on him instead of singing his praises, and bowing their necks to worship him. This was a shame. This was the entrance to the wrath of God. This was the entrance to his place on the cross.

We will hear about it today, but some of the same people shouting "Hosanna, Hosanna" could have been the same people shouting "Crucify him, crucify him." While they were mocking Jesus, his status, his relationship, and his reign, aren't we glad we know that Jesus is the Son of God? We know that he is not just King of the Jews, but King of the whole world. And they were playing with their worship and bowing their knees. I'm glad that we know that one day every knee must bow, and every tongue must confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. They thought they were playing, but they were prophesying. Jesus was in their midst, and they did not know it.

This mocking is important because how many times do we take for granted the status of Jesus? How many times do we clothe him in our own biases and perceptions instead of honoring who he is? How many times do we mock Jesus, spit in his face, and withhold our worship? We love to say we would be on the right side, but we are on the wrong side every day.

Then it wasn't enough that they got a band together for all the foolishness. Simon was minding his likely Black-owned business. The father of Alexander, which means "defender, helper of men" or "one who turns away evil," and Rufus—red and reddish. I don't know about you, but this sounds prophetic: the father of the one who is the defender of men and the turner away from evil. And the father of one called "red," the same red that could be described running from Jesus' head, is now bearing the cross.

Now I have always had this question, brothers, sisters, and friends: These people were so big and so bad, why didn't they want to bear the cross? It was a symbol of shame; it was beneath them. They were too high and too holy, so someone else had to bear it. And isn't it just like us, too? In Matthew 16:24 and Mark 8:34, it says, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself." I'm going to add this too: deny your flesh. Take up YOUR cross and follow me. We've been talking a lot about "heavy." The cross is heavy. It's something to bear and not just behold. It has got to be picked up if you want to follow God. It's a new one daily. Are you willing to deny yourself to carry the cross to follow God? To follow Jesus—not one who just beheld, not just one who beared, but the one who hung, bled, and died.

This is talking about Simon, but I got so excited writing this: what are you willing to pick up to follow Jesus? What are you willing to carry for the one who carried it all? They thought Simon was the least of these; that's how he was compelled, forced, persuaded. And I know and believe in my heart that he had a reward, too.

They brought him to the place of Golgotha, the place of the skull. They took him from the palace of judgment to the pit. They said, "Drink this." But that was not the cup that he would drink. Does anyone out there know what myrrh represents, or what other times have you seen myrrh? It was to prepare and preserve bodies for death. Used as perfume, too. And mixed with wine, it was probably used to relieve pain. Myrrh was also used in the oil priests used to anoint holy prophets. Jesus was also presented with myrrh and other gifts when he was born. He didn't take it. He took all the pain. He continued to lay down his divine DNA to endure fully, fully, fully on the cross.

Crux—Cross, figure to fix or fasten. Crucifixion is a place of total defeat, the ultimate ridicule reserved for enemies and serious offenders. In the third hour, they put him up. I want to point out that in the third hour, just a few weeks later, the apostles were gathering in one place being filled with the Holy Spirit. So in this hour, in one season, he went up, and in the next season, in the third hour, he poured out. A few hours later he would give up his spirit, and a few weeks later he would give and fill his people with a new one: His Holy Spirit.

He had a superscription with "The King of the Jews." That was what his sign said. What does your sign say? What should Jesus' label be? What should he really be illuminated by?

And they crucified him with one thief on the right side and one on the left. Before Jesus ascends to the throne, he is numbered with the thieves. I'm reminded of when the brothers' mom was like, "Hey, now can you put my boys in position in the kingdom, let one sit on your right and one on your left?" And Jesus told her, "Oh mom, you don't even know what you are asking. Are you willing to drink my cup?" "Oh nah." That's what I am reminded of here.

The ridicule doesn't stop. They just continue on. They heard what he said, but they didn't believe. They were around Jesus, but they didn't know him. They mocked him, not knowing that the things that were used to mock him would make meaning. They mocked his body, which is the temple. They mocked his identity as the savior, like, "You can save yourself, come on down." These voices sound like the voice of the enemy: "If you are the Son of God, save yourself. If you are the Son of God, do this. Show us your majesty." The people mobbed him! The religious leaders mocked him; the scribes mocked him. They said, "We will see and believe."

Like, I'm thinking, what more do you need to see? Were the miracles not enough? Was the healing not enough? Were there not enough signs? Come on. I ask that for you, too. What more do you need to see? What more do you need to know from God to really believe that Jesus is really who he said he is?

Alright, the sixth hour represents and recalls the creation, God's creation, and how he created all things in heaven and earth in six days. And the first thing God said: "Let there be light." And the sixth hour of the day in Christ's crucifixion, the light went out. That's heavy. This is the noonday.

The night hour, especially in prayer, is associated with angelic intercession, divine interference. One passage says this is the hour that there is especially the supplication of angels standing before God's throne. This is where Jesus cries out. The people say, "Child, he calling on Elijah," but in reality, He is crying out to God.

That word "forsaken" means "abandoned me." "Why have you abandoned me? We have been together this whole time," and in my humanness it burns, it hurts—this is pain. It doesn't say what Jesus says in this text, but we see in other texts... But let's make it personal. "Father, I feel forsaken, but never forsake them. Father, I feel deserted, but never desert them. Father, don't count this against them, forgive them. I'm bearing everything for them." This cry is for you. It's what we deserve. He spent his last breath crying out so we could spend our breath doing the same. In his last moments, he felt separated, and in the moments after he died, we were cultivated; we were brought back into our rightful place. The veil was torn, we are now free to be in relationship with God. No longer separated, but spared from God's wrath, so we can say without a shadow of a doubt: Jesus truly, truly is the Son of God.