Crucifixion of Jesus

Good morning, Livingstone Church. My name is Leona, maybe someone of you have seen my previous testimony sharing. A little bit about myself, I am friends with Pastor David and Esther, In fact, Esther was my last roommate before I got married to Andrew Wong. Andrew send his greetings to you guys, this quarter he is finishing off his last quarter of school and at the same time God opened up a position for him to start pastoring at a church. So this quarter you may be seeing me more often than him preach.

I see that you guy are coming close to the end of the study of the Gospel of Mark. The gospel of Mark is quite interesting as it is the narrative of Peter’s account of Jesus’ ministry and who he is. It reflects so much of Peter’s personality of directness: Jesus’ works, Jesus’ teaching, works, teaching… And the timeline started from “Big picture timeline of years”, to “months’, to weeks’, and today we will see it is to the account of hours. Which means, the climax of the story/ narrative is not the middle of the story, but towards the “end” of the book of Mark.

Today, we are recounting the hours towards Jesus’ death.

[Let’s begin with prayer]

The Passion Week

Let’s begin with a brief recap of what Pastor Vincent and Pastor David covered regarding the Passion week of Jesus and trails of Jesus.

[using the white board]

From the Passover meal, announcing betrayal, establishing the new covenant meaning of communion, lead the disciples to pray, BETRAYED by Judas in handing Jesus over to the Religious leader.

The main charge against Jesus and ultimately put Jesus to crucifixion, the death sentence of criminals, was the TRUE IDENTITY OF JESUS.

When the Jewish Leaders questioned him: “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus’ response: “I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (14:62)Result: Condemn to be worthy of death, spat at him, struck him with their fits (Leaders), have the (Guards) beat him. When Pilate asked, “Are you the king of the Jews”Jesus answered “Yes, it is as you say”Result; Out of Pilate’s people pleasing heart, he flogged (40 minus 1 lashes, torturous but make sure you are not dead) to JesusJesus and sentenced crucifixion. The Soldiers acted the scene of mockery of ‘crowning Jesus’ with thorns, struck his head of thorns with a staff. Hit him again this time with Staff and also spat on him. They did in secret the mockery of paying homage to Jesus and clothing him the purple robe. By the time Jesus is carrying his own cross to be crucified he was already very weak.

Let’s look at today’s passage, and as I am reading, I would like to invite you to take not of a few things:

The timeEventsPeople’s responses

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.

Simon carried Jesus cross for him (the fact that the names of his son is recorded, most likely is because people know who they are, which means they are one of “us’ listeners/ readers, which their names did come up in the book of Romans 16)9 am crucified (v.25) and the notice of the charge: The King of the Jews (not what he did (which none deserved the charge of criminal death); but who he is.)12-3pm darkness came over the whole land (v.33)

Before it was dark Joseph went to ask for the body of Jesus and put Jesus in the tomb. This is the 24 hour account of the trail to crucifixion to death and burial.

Psalm 22

Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” A line taken from the scripture in one of David’s Psalm (Psalm 22) ****In fact, it was not just the words of Jesus that reminds people of what is recorded in the Scriptures. Within the same passage of Psalm 22

“All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: “He trusted in the Lord (except in this case, Jesus is the Lord), Let the lord rescue him, let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”“They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”

Mark definitely recorded or narrate the situation helping the listeners and readers of the gospel recount the scripture that Jesus has fulfilled. And those who have been seeking, who are God-fearing, would be picking up these hints of who Jesus is “the Messiah” and the “king of the Jews” not in mockery, but in a shaken reality that this king did not come in ways they expected, yet it was already foretold in scriptures.

People’s Responses

The account from the passover supper started with Jesus’ most intimate and trusted disciples who one betrayed, all cannot keep up with the night watch of prayer, scattered when Jesus got secretly arrested, one denied knowing Jesus… and who is Jesus left with?

Hostile, jealous leaders who has only one agenda and that is to put Jesus to death. The soldiers under those leadership followed along (by the way, Jesus is so famous that everyone knew about him and his work!)

This 24 hours is the hour where Jesus is taken away from people who are for him. Those who are are afraid, helpless, and at a distance.

I cannot help but notice the level of hostility from those who hate Jesus the beginning, and the level of reverence, respect, and courage that shows gradually towards the end of Jesus’ death.

One fo the turning point I believe is the unnatural signs that are too coincidentally matched with Jesus’ crucifixion.: Darkness 3 hours when it is suppose to be the brightest time of the day (v.33), Jesus Cried out and he cried out with his last breath and died. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (v. 38) — the significance of that is no it is no longer by the physical veil that only 1 person per year comes to make the sacrificed for all. But Rather all through the veil of the blood of Jesus can come to God’s mercy seat with petition and requests.

The first person recorded that realize Jesus’ identity is real was actually this gentile centurion. Ironically, it was not by Jesus’ miracle, power, that made him realize Jesus was God BUT the way Jesus died. (Let’s have that sit in for a bit) Repeat: It was not the miracles, signs and wonders of Jesus that showed his identity but by the way Jesus died that he said “Truly this is the Son of God.”

What about for believers? Let’s look at Joseph of Arimathea

Prominent person of the councilWho himself is waiting for the kingdom of God

After the fact that Jesus was sentence, it says “he went boldly to pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.” Bought Linen and wrapped Jesus’ body and put him in (not mentioned here but other gospel) his new tomb he bought for himself. It was a rich person’s tomb. He refuses for Jesus’ body to be disposed like any other criminals.

— Analogy— it is like the movies where the most loved previous one of a person died, and they suddenly have a mount up “anger” or in this case “boldness” to care less about his reputation associated with this man that has now been publicly deemed as criminal and to take a stance with all the rest of his investments (reputation, money, even potentially persecuted for his association with Jesus). And he gave Jesus what he knows best of his honor.

As I read to this point, I cannot help but notice the names of the characters Joseph and Mary. Those knowing this is not the earthly parents of Jesus, but my mind gets brought back to the beginning of this King of the Jews, this Messiah, this Word that became flesh was humbly born, received by Mary and Joseph. Wrapped in cloth placed in the manger (a humble start of life). And this Joseph asked and received the body of Jesus, wrapped in linen and place it in the tomb.

None of these Josephs fully grasp the full meaning and agenda of God in flesh, or why is this all happening. Yet, we don’t know God by knowledge, but by the Spirit. We worship by Spirit. In this very moment of his ‘hope collapsing’, he made the choice to continue in his trust and faith not by sight.

Observer or Follower? Everyone started at the stage of being an observer of Jesus from a distance, or up close. Yet whether as an observer or as a persecutor of Jesus, when confronted with the identity of Jesus and we did not make the choice to believe, there is no affect at all in your life.

Only those that made a choice and put their bets in Jesus is further tested but also life is starting to be in affect in them. I will leave that for now.

I hate to end on the note of Jesus death and always want to rush through this stage. Yet if just by looking at the way Jesus died, a person like the centurion can believe, God purposed this detailed account for you and I to know this did not happen by random, it has been recorded before Jesus became flesh, and it is recorded for our account now that we can choose to be an observer or followers of Jesus.

[Let’s pray in worshipful heart and not an observer’s heart]