The CROSS

Introduction

Jesus was brought before Pilate and falsely accused of Treason. The jews did this because Rome had the authority for the death penalty

Pilate attempted to let Jesus go because it seemed he knew Jesus wasn’t guilty of anything

At Passover the Romans would release one prisoner so Pilate saw it as an opportunity to let Jesus go but the Jews demanded Barabbas a known violent man and a murder to be set free and Jesus to be crucified

in verse 15 it says So Pilate wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas and delivered Jesus over to be crucified. He was mocked by the romans soldiers. They made a crown of thorns and put it on his head. Remember thorns came as a result of humanity’s sin. The curse of sin being placed on son of GOD. The majesty of the LORD, the King whom Isiah saw in the king of Kings and Lord of lords, spit on and mocked. After this they led him out to be crucified.

That is where we pick up this morning

Please stand with me for the reading of the word of God

Mark 15:21-

Mark 15:21–47 ESV

And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 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, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 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?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 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.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 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!” There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

THE CRUCIFIXION

A condemned man would be made to carry the cross beam called a patibulum throughout the streets. This was a sign of dominence. This was to discourage anyone from rebelling or commiting crimes against Rome

Crucifixion was one of the worst ways a person could be killed. The Romans invented it. It was so brutal if you were a Roman citizen you weren’t allowed to be crucified.

Some details of crucifixion

verse 21 says they compelled a passerby Simon of Cyrene (North coast of Africa) who was coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus to carry his cross. The word compelled was a common word used to force Slaves or animals to work. Again Rome’s dominance over the Jews here. The fact Alexander and Rufus if named shows they were prob believers and known to the Roman believers who would be reading Mark’s Gospel. We hear of Rufus mentioned in (WITNESS)

The place called Golgotha which means Place of a skull. It was both Jewish law and Roman custom to execute victims outside the city limits.

Leviticus 24:14 ESV

“Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him.

Num 15:

Numbers 15:35–36 ESV

And the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Jesus was led out of the city because he was to become the cursed one

Sometimes the place Jesus was crucified is called Calvary. For a long time I never understood why and no one every explained it. Well today you’ll learn if you don’t already know. The term Calvary comes from the Latin Vulgate bible. The Word Calvus which means Scalp or skull.

Golgotha was a area where the rocks appeared to look like a human skull. In Jerusalem there are two places that lay claim to the site. There is a catholic Church called The holy sepulchre that was erected in AD 335 and in the 19 th century a man by the name of Otto Thenius proposed Golgotha being a distinct Skull appearance outside the present city walls. The site can be seen today overlooking the Arab bus station in Jerusalem.

It was rabbinic tradition for jewish women to provide sedative drinks for those about to be crucified to decrease their pain. Verse 23 says they offered it to him presumably the roman soldiers, the wording here is literally “attempting to give” but Jesus refused to drink it, Choosing rather to face suffering and death in full control of all of his faculties.

This was fulfilling Messianic prophesy, the suffering Righteous man in

Psalm 69:21 ESV

They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

Ps

Verse 24 They crucified him, and divided his garments unwittingly fulfilling the messianic prophesy

Psalm 22:18 ESV

they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

Verse 25 it was the third hour when they crucified him

discussed the AM sacrifice 9am and 3pm the hour of prayer

and

While Christ was on the cross, the oral teachings (Mishnah) and prayers of the priests in the Temple focused on four topics: redemption, forgiveness, the coming of the Messiah, and the resurrection of the dead. The priests and people prayed these topics every day at the time of the morning and evening sacrifice.

It was custom to write the inscription of the condemned above their heads “King of the Jews”

29 they crucified two robbers one on his right and one on his left

This again fulfilled Messianic prophecy

Isaiah 53:12 ESV

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Again Jesus was subjected to verbal abuse. Passersby hurled insults at Him (lit., “kept slandering Him”). Shaking their heads refers to a familiar gesture of derision

Psalm 22:7 ESV

All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;

Again Jesus was subjected to verbal abuse (cf. 14:65; 15:17–19). Passersby hurled insults at Him (lit., “kept slandering Him”). Shaking their heads refers to a familiar gesture of derision

Psalm 109:25 ESV

I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads.

Jeremiah 18:16 ESV

making their land a horror, a thing to be hissed at forever. Everyone who passes by it is horrified and shakes his head.

Lamentations 2:15 ESV

All who pass along the way clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?”

The Jewish leaders wanted so bad to kill him, now at last had him. They were able to hurl all their insults at him.

Mark 15:29–32 ESV

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

Mark 15:29-

They couldn’t deny his miracles. They could only taunt him to perform a miracle for himself.

Jesus saved others but rejected himself. He saved all of you who believe but did not save himself. This is the ultimate example of the heart of GOD. We are to follow after Jesus. As HE said, deny your self take up your cross and follow his example. Is this a reality in your life? Do you serve others? Do you love others? Do you pray for others?

verse 33 the sixth hour which was about noon. There was supernatural manifestations taking place here. The sun was covered and there was darkness. There is alot of evidence of a miraculous solar eclipse (star of beth) This was a cosmic sign of God’s Judgement on human sin

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.

Micah 3:6 ESV

Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be black over them;

This was the sin of humanity being placed on Jesus

Isaiah 53:5–6 ESV

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isa 53:5-6

2 co 5:

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

verse 34

at the ninth hour which was exactly 3 pm Jesus cries out in a loud voice

Eloi, Eloi, Lama sabachthani

My God My God why have you forsaken me?

Jesus crying out to his father, and for the first time ever in all eternity. His father did not answer. The Wrath of God being placed on Jesus at the same time just a few hundred yards away in the city, the passover lamb was being sacrificed. Behold! The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the word

This crying out to God also fulfilled another messianic prophecy

Psalm 22:1 ESV

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

Jesus died for sinners. He became sin and a curse and suffered the wrath of GOD experienced the unfathomable horror of separation from God who cannot look on sin ()

He died forsaken by God, so that you who believe will NEVER be forsaken. YOU who believe will never be rejected! Does that affect the way you live?

verse 36 Elijah, It was popular belief that Elijah would come in distress to deliver righteous suffers

Jesus DIES

verse 37 and Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last

Jesus said it is finished! Tetelestai It means “Paid in full” this was the word for a transaction. A price for something being paid in full.

How does these words Jesus Cried out affect your life?

verse 38 as soon as the work was finished and Jesus was dead, the curtain of the temple was torn in two. There was a curtain in the temple separating the holy of holies. Once the sacrifice of Jesus was accomplished now we have access to the Father.

Don’t waist you life spend much time in prayer dear christian. The father desires you and you now have direct access to him through Jesus. NO need to go to a temple.

They didnt break the legs of Jesus because he was already dead. They pierced his side with a spear and out came blood and water (pericardial effusion)

There was a gentile centurion a roman officer said in verse 39 “Truly this man was the son of God!” He was convinced and converted.

Jesus being buried

This being Friday it was the day of Preparation for the sabbath.

Joseph of Arimathea - a member of the council

Mark 15:42–47 ESV

And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

Mark 15:42-

Conclusion

What needs to change in your life so that you reflect the reality of what was accomplished by Jesus on the cross?

With the curtain being torn and now having access to the father as a adopted son or daughter, what does your prayer life look like? How much time do you spend cultivating your relationship with God?