The Gospel of Mark Chapter 15:22-47 15:22 “And they brought Him to the place of Golgotha”: Our word “Calvary” is from the Latin and means the same thing, that is, skull. Why this place was named, “the place of the Skull” is not known. The usual explanation is that Jesus was crucified on a hill that was in the shape of a skull. Yet nothing in the Gospels tells us that Jesus was crucified on a hill. Another explanation is that the skulls from the executed victims lay there, even though a place of burial was nearby (19:41). According to Jewish law the bodies were buried. In Roman law the criminal’s body was not buried, but was simply thrown away for the vultures and the crows and the pariah dogs to dispose of. “All that we can know certainly is that it was outside of, yet near, the city (Hebrews 13:12; John 19:20)” (McGarvey p. 724). 15:22 “Which is translated, Place of a Skull”: “Golgotha is a slightly modified transliteration of the Aramaic word for skull” (Gaebelein p. 778). 15:23 “And they tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it”: “This mixture of sour wine mingled with gall and myrrh was intended to dull the sense of pain of those being crucified. Jesus declined it because it was the Father’s will that He should suffer. He would not go upon the cross in a drugged, 1
semi-conscious condition” (McGarvey p. 724). Mark notes that the wine was mixed with myrrh (Mark 15:23), which is not a contradiction to the other accounts, but an additional piece of information. The “drug” in the wine was “gall”; this was also “spiced wine”, that is, with myrrh added as well. “Gall” is the drug in the wine; “myrrh” is the specific favoring. “Charitable Jews and Romans both customarily gave condemned men a heavily drugged drink. The former aimed at deadening pain. The latter were simply facilitating their work of crucifixion: it is easier to handle a drugged man” (Fowler p. 843). According to the Greek tense in Mark 15:23, they kept trying to give Him this drink. Even while Jesus was on the cross, He had to be fully aware of what was happening. 15:24 “And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, castings lots for them, to decide what each should take” 15:24 “They crucified Him”: “What incredible restraint! Especially when one considers that crucifixion was, as Cicero said, ‘The cruelest and most hideous punishment possible’ (In Verrem 5.64.165) (Gaebelein p. 779). “Among the astounding things in the Scriptures are these records of the supreme events in all history---one word for the scourging, one word for the crucifixion, one word for the resurrection. Events so tremendous, words so brief and so restrained!” (Lenski p. 1279). “It has been well said that the person who was crucified ‘died a thousand deaths’. Large nails were driven through hands and feet (20:5; Luke 24:40). Among the horrors which one suffered while thus suspended (with the feet resting upon a little tablet, not very far from the ground) were the following: severe inflammation, the swelling of wounds in the region of the nails, unbearable pain from torn tendons, fearful discomfort from the strained position of the body, throbbing headache, and burning thirst (19:28)” (Hendriksen p. 427). “Then, the cross, with its human burden, was raised to a perpendicular position, and dropped into a hole dug for the purpose. It was not unusual when this was done for bones to become disjointed as the body lurched downward against its supports…The wrenched position made every movement one of agony; the pierced hands and feet soon became inflamed and then infected, arteries were 2
distended and blocked, fever shot upward, intolerable headaches often drove those thus being put into death into insanity” (Woods p. 402). “By Roman law a criminal must hang upon his cross until he died, from hunger and thirst and exposure, a torture which sometimes lasted for days” (Butler p. 390). There has been some discussion concerning what type of cross was used. Whether the shape was an X or T or something like a small t. The fact that a superscription was placed on the cross above the head of Jesus (Luke 23:38), reveals that a portion of the cross extended above His head. Which means that the shape was either like a capital T or a small case t. 15:24 “Divided up His garments”: It was the custom to assign four soldiers to each victim. By Roman law, these four soldiers assigned to Jesus claimed His clothes. In addition to the outer robe that Jesus wore, there were also sandals, probably a sash, and possibly other articles of clothing, including some form of head gear. Since all these articles were of unequal value, lots were cast to see who got what. Remember, clothing in the first century was not as easy or cheap to come by, as is clothing in our own time. The Old Testament had predicted that lots would be cast for the Messiah’s clothing (Psalm 22:18). Someone has pointed out that there are 332 distinct prophecies in the Old Testament that have been literally fulfilled in Christ, and that the mathematical probability of all these prophecies being fulfilled in one man by chance, manipulation or accident is 1 in 84000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000000000000000000000000000000000. The text also infers that Jesus hung upon the cross covered only with a loin cloth, if that much. Roman soldiers often cast lots or played dice. “A common way was to place lots in a helmet and shake them until one flew out; another way was to reach in and to draw a lot” (Lenski p. 1288). Remember these men who by their actions are fulfilling a prophecy written 1000 years previous are men who are completely ignorant of the Old Testament Scriptures. “There is no picture which so shows the indifference of the world to Christ. There, on the Cross, Jesus was dying in agony; and there at the
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foot of the Cross the soldiers threw their dice as if it did not matter” (Barclay p. 296). 15:25 “And it was the third hour when they crucified Him”: That is, about 9 in the morning. 15:26 “And the inscription of the charge against Him read, ‘The King of the Jews’”: “A wooden board stating the specific charge against the condemned man was commonly fastened on the cross above His head” (Gaebelein p. 780). 15:27 “And they crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left”: This may have been intended to be the final indignity inflicted by the Jewish leaders. “The Jews had asked that Jesus die a base criminal’s death; Pilate grants them their wish, sending two actual criminals to die with Jesus” (Lenski p. 1281). “In the central position, and thus, by implication, the greatest criminal of the three” (Woods p. 401). “These two may have been crucified at this time for convenience’ sake, but the fact that Jesus was placed between them suggests that they were crucified with Him to heighten His shame and indignity. For, though Pilate had no personal ill will toward Jesus, he wished to show contempt for Judah’s King” (McGarvey p. 725). 15:28 “And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘And He was numbered with transgressors”: Isaiah 53:12. 15:29 “And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, ‘Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild in three days”: “If crosses were located near a main road for maximum publicity of this exemplary punishment, then they that passed by would be many” (Fowler p. 855). This mocking and “wagging of the head” is another fulfillment of prophecy (Psalm 22:6-7). The wagging of the head appears to be a shaking of the head in astonishment as if saying, “see this is what everything as come to”. Because they had misapplied His prophecy about the temple of His body (John 2), they assume that someone who could replace the Temple of Herod in three days could surely come down from the cross. “Consequently, they wrongly interpret His inaction 4
now as proof He had made exorbitant, unjustified claims” (Fowler p. 855). Yet, Jesus was fulfilling the very prophecy they were ridiculing, His body was being destroyed and it would be raised in three days. 15:30 “Save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”: 15:31 “In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, ‘He saved others; He cannot save Himself’”: Observe the admission from Jesus’ enemies that Jesus did save others. “They promised to believe if He will come down from the cross, yet His being lifted upon the cross was the very act which would convince them—John 8:28” (McGarvey p. 728). These men had attempted to save their positions of authority (John 11:47-53), and by trying to save what they deemed the most important things in their lives, they lost them (Matthew 16:24). The claim that they would believe in Him if He would come down from the cross was a false claim, just as false as those who today need some supernatural display to convince them that there is a God or the Bible is His word. 15:32 “Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!’ And those who were crucified with Him were casting the same insult at Him”: The robbers might have been angry with Jesus for His crucifixion was the reason why they were being crucified sooner than expected. “There is no inconsistency with Luke’s account of the penitent bandit. Matthew and Mark simply report how the two robbers began insulting Him together” (Fowler p. 859). Luke will note how one of these men changed in his attitude toward Jesus. As we read these passages in which Jesus is mocked and ridiculed one needs to read Psalm 22:12f. 15:33 “And when the sixth hour had come, darkness feel over the whole land until the ninth hour”: That is, from noon to three in the afternoon. This appears to be a supernatural event, for even though a solar eclipse may take four hours from the first moment that the moon begins to cover the sun until it reveals it completely again, the usual duration of a total eclipse lasts rarely longer than nine minutes. In addition, the Passover occurred during the time when the moon was full (Exodus 12:18; Leviticus 23:5). The relative positions of sun, moon, and earth 5
during an eclipse are more like their conjuncture around the time of a new moon, rather than a full moon. Seeing the sun was obscured, this would affect the entire daylight hemisphere. Fowler notes, “It is as if heaven and earth where in convulsion, mourning Him who created them. There is a hint that all creation depends upon Him, for He sustains it by His mighty word (Colossians 1:17)” (p. 864). This darkening of the sun may also signal a change in world affairs, and the time when the prince of darkness seemingly had his way. “Because the crowd seems to be considerably less vociferous at the end of the phenomenal black-out, the terror of the darkness must have quieted the bitter enthusiasm of the majority of the mockers” (Fowler p. 865). “Origen and Eusebius quote words from Phlegon (a Roman historian) in which he makes mention of an extra-ordinary solar eclipse as well as of an earthquake about the time of the crucifixion” (Geldenhuys p. 616). 15:34 “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani?’ which is translated, ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me’”: This is the only response from Jesus while He is on the cross that Mark records. By this time Jesus had been hanging on the cross for nearly six hours. The following words are pronounced, “EE lie, EE lie, LUH mah suh BOCK thuh NIE). This is a quotation from Psalm 22:1. Some view these words as proof that the Father turned His back on Jesus at this moment, because Jesus was bearing the sins of the world, and the Father cannot look upon sin, yet the Father looks upon sin every day, for this is the only way that He could judge men for what they actually said and did (2 Corinthians 5:10). Others feel that in bearing the sins of the world, Jesus became sin and as a result suffered spiritual death or separation from God. Yet consider the following points: 1. Jesus bore our sins, but this is not the same as saying that Jesus became a sinner as a result (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus became an offering for our sins, and yet the Bible is very clear that Jesus never sinned or had any taint of sin (Hebrews 7:26). 2. Neither do I believe that Jesus is wondering why this is happening nor that this is the human side of Jesus. In Jesus the divine and the human were 6
perfectly fitted together (John 1:14). In addition, we have already noted that Jesus had been clearly talking about the time and hour of His death was at hand and that He knew exactly what awaited Him (John 18:4). 3. Notice that Jesus cries, “My God”. This statement “expresses no conflict with the divine purpose, but a first-hand experience of the price demanded by His total cooperation with the divine plan. His My God breathes the same unwavering confidence and obedient spirit of His earlier, ‘Not My will but Thine be done’” (Fowler p. 867). 4. “For the sensitive Hebrew, this significant choice of words would communicate His application of the entire Psalm 22 to His own life” (Fowler p. 867). On the cross Jesus did look like a man that God had forsaken. I believe this cry is genuine, for the Father allowed Jesus to experience intense pain and suffering because of our sins. This cry should have reminded the onlookers of Psalm 22 and the many things mentioned by Psalm 22 that were also being fulfilled during this time (22:6-8; 22:11-18). This is the same Psalm that speaks of His feet and hands being pierced, of people mocking His trust in God, and of His garments being divided. If Jesus looked like a man forsaken by God then there must have been a divine purpose for His suffering, that is, He was not suffering for His own sins, but for the sins of others (Isaiah 53). When you read Psalm 22, the writer begins with the question, but the rest of the Psalm is one of faith and trust in God (22:19-21; 22-31). It is not a Psalm that questions God’s deliverance, but one that wholeheartedly depends upon God for His vindication. Jesus is not questioning the Father’s plan or His care, rather He is expressing the pain, suffering, and confidence that is described in Psalm 22. 15:35 “And then some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, ‘Behold, He is calling for Elijah’”: The Jews did expect Elijah to literally come back to earth at the last days (a misuse of Malachi 4:5f). Some feel that this is a misunderstanding of what Jesus said and mistook the Hebrew “Eli” for a prayer to “Elijah” (Elei). 7
Notice that not everyone came to this conclusion, but only “some” of the bystanders. “Elijah was regarded as the forerunner and helper of the Messiah and was also regarded as a deliverer of those in trouble” (Gaebelein p. 782). 15:36 “And someone ran and filled sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, ‘Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down’”: “Sour wine” is a term for cheap wine. The fact that everything was readily available, the sponge, hyssop, and wine itself, implies that such was typically provided for those being crucified. The reader should note that Jesus refused a mixture of drugged wine that had been offered to Him (Matthew 27:34; Mark 15:23). It appears to have been a custom for such drugged wine to be offered to those being crucified. The drugged wine was not intended to quench the thirst, but to dull the pain. “Men who were to be crucified were generally doped in this way in order to quiet their struggles during the ordeal” (Lenski p. 1304). Jesus went through the whole ordeal without any pain medication. The Hyssop plant has a woody stalk that can be used as a sort of pole to which a sponge can be attached. Jesus, obviously has thirsted long before this, but such physical needs have been put on hold that the Scriptures might be fulfilled and the will of God accomplished. “Because terrible thirst also characterized this torture, that a sponge and vessel of vinegar were present argues that this was the normal way the soldiers gave drink to the executed. This wine was sour to the taste and was the regular diluted drink for soldiers because it relieved thirst more effectively than water, and it was a favorite beverage of the lower ranks of society and those of moderate circumstances. Jesus may have requested this drink so He could speak one last time. Compare this passage with Psalm 22:15 “My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth”, and Psalm 69:21 “They gave me vinegar for my thirst”. 15:37 “And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last”: The other accounts have Jesus saying a couple of things at the end. First, “It is finished” (John 19:30), and “Father into Thy hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46).
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15:38 “And the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom”: “Jewish tradition declares the veil consisted of two exceedingly heavy draperies about 50 cm apart” (Fowler p. 874). “The veil was the heavy curtain which hung between the holy and most holy places in the sanctuary. By shutting out from the most holy place all persons except the high priest, who alone was permitted to pass through it, and this only once a year, it signified that the way into the holiest, that is, into heaven, was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was standing (Hebrews 9:7-8)” (McGarvey p. 731). This rendering may have happened exactly while the priests at that time were offering the evening incense offering. This rendering also signified that the First Covenant had ended and it with the Levitical priesthood and the temple ((Hebrews 8-10). “The Temple’s obsolescence is being dramatically revealed to men just at the hour that the Nazarene, Jesus of Nazareth, expired” (Fowler pp. 874-875). Some feel that the rendering of this veil is one reason why so many priests became obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7). “The fact that the veil was rent in twain would obviously soon become known among all the priests, even had there been only a few of them in the ‘holy place’ when it happened” (Geldenhuys p. 616). 15:39 “And when the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him saw the way He breathed His last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’”: Several Roman soldiers who were standing guard were equally impressed by the events that took place (the darkness and earthquake), and the manner in which Jesus died. The centurion had stood facing Jesus and so stood in an excellent position to observe everything. “There is little opportunity for deception in his case. Most impressive for military men who have witnessed many men die is the lordly composure and self-mastery evident in the way this man concluded his life. I do not believe that we must reduce down this confession is something like, “a son of the gods”. This centurion knew exactly why Jesus had been crucified that day, that is, Jesus had claimed to be the Son of God, the King of the Jews, the Messiah. This was a well-known fact. Jesus had also addressed God while on the cross by the title “Father” (Luke 23:34,46). “Most remarkable is that they make this startling admission, even though Jesus did not utilize the power typical of the Son of God to save Himself from execution” (Fowler p. 881). The very fact that the Holy Spirit inspired this statement to be recorded infers that the centurion was confessing what was true, that he really was convicted that Jesus was the Son of God.
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“In view of Mark’s opening words—‘The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God’ (1:1)—the confession of the centurion at the climax of Jesus’ passion takes on added significance” (Gaebelein p. 782). 15:40 “And there were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses and Salome”: The mother of Jesus had also been present (John 19:25ff). Mary Magdalene was a grateful disciple from Magdala in Galilee (Luke 8:2). Mary the mother of James and Joseph or Joses was presumably wife of Clopas, brother of Joseph, hence Mary’s sister-in-law. If Salome was the mother of the sons of Zebedee, then she was Mary’s sister (John 19:25). 15:41 “And when He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem”: “These constituted an essential support group, preparing food, washing clothes, etc.., so that Jesus and the apostles might labor unhindered” (Fowler p. 882). They also had helped with financial resources as well (Luke 8:13). We know that some had been near Jesus (John 19:25), but with the onslaught of darkness the soldier may have cleared the area near the cross for security reasons. 15:42 “And when evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath”: The Sabbath during Passover week was viewed as especially sacred. It was late afternoon on Friday heading towards sundown and the Sabbath Day. Mark is giving us some explanation here that would be beneficial to non-Jewish readers. The Jewish Sabbath would begin at sundown on Friday evening. Right now it is around 4:00 in the afternoon. 15:43 “Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus”: From the other Gospels we learn that Joseph was a rich man (Matthew 27:57), a respected member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43), and was a devout man who was looking for the kingdom of God. Luke 23:50-51 “a good and righteous man (he had not consented to their plan and action)”. He believed in Jesus, but not enough to confess Him openly and take the consequences (John 19:38). We are not told why Joseph manifested such boldness at this time. Possibly, Joseph thought it was now safe to come 10
forward, seeing that the anger of the Jewish rulers had been satisfied. Or, maybe he had seen so much hypocrisy, cruelty, and ungodliness in his fellow council members that finally he decided to do something. “Either they (Joseph and Nicodemus) had absented themselves from the meeting of the Sanhedrin which examined Jesus and which formulated the charge against Him, or they had sat silent through it all…We so often leave our tributes until people are dead. How much greater would loyalty in life have been than a new tomb and a shroud fit for a king in death! One flower in life is worth all the wreaths in the world in death” (Barclay p. 306). 15:44 “And Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead”: “Roman law provided that the bodies of executed persons might properly be claimed by their relatives” (Woods p. 416). “It may be that he felt that in Jesus’ lifetime he had paid Him little honor, and that he was now presented with his last opportunity. The Jews of that day regarded proper burial of their dead as most important. Many went out of their way to see that fellow-countrymen received proper burial” (Morris p. 825). “Crises produce different reactions in people: those who had no hesitancy about admitting their discipleship to Jesus do not even come forward to claim His body, while it is the secret disciples who boldly step into to do this” (Fowler p. 887). It took courage for Joseph to go and claim the body of one who was branded by his associates as a condemned criminal. It is important to note that Pilate did not just hand over the body of Jesus to Joseph. Pilate first made sure that Jesus was dead and only then was the body released. Pilate is surprised that Jesus is dead by this time because it appears that Joseph had come shortly after the Jews had requested that the legs of the crucified be broken and the bodies removed before the Sabbath. At this point Pilate did not know that Jesus had died before such an order was given. 15:45 “And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph”: Joseph was a prominent member of the community, and may have been acting on the part of Mary to get the body of Jesus. The fact that Pilate handed the body over seems to be an additional indication that Pilate did not view Jesus was guilty and had some sympathy for the family.
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15:46 “And Joseph brought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb” The other accounts note that Joseph had help in all this, including the help of the various women and Nicodemus (John 19:39), who brought a large amount of burial spices. “Spices in powder-form were sprinkled liberally into the various wrappings of the linen cloth as it was being wound around Jesus’ body before being bound. Theirs His head was covered by a large special cloth (John 20:7)” (Fowler p. 888). Such burial preparations prove a couple of things: 1. Jesus was truly dead. In addition to the action by the soldier and personal inspection, many people handled His body and detected no signs of life. In addition now His body including His head is tightly wrapped and covered with strong smelling spices. 2. These disciples did not believe He was going to be raised from the dead in a short time. 15:46 “In a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock”: This tomb belonged to Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27:59-60). It was new in the sense that it had never been used. Tombs often housed many bodies. This tomb was not out in the middle of nowhere, rather it was easy to find. It was located in a garden very near the place of crucifixion. Obviously, we must reject the theory that claims that the women and the disciples went to the wrong tomb. This tomb had been cut into solid rock, it only had one entrance, and the stone rolled before the door was very heavy (Mark 16:4). Once again, we see the fulfillment of prophecy, “His grave was assigned with wicked men, and Yet He was with a rich man in His death” (Isaiah 53:9). God is still in control. This was a prophecy that a mere man could not duplicate or control. No mortal could have known what Joseph would have done after the death of Jesus. “The unused state of the tomb is mentioned to show that there is no shadow of doubt as to whose resurrection opened it” (McGarvey p. 736). This stone was large enough that the women who returned to the tomb on the first day of the week were unable to move it (Mark 16:3). Clearly, this stone could not have been moved from the inside either.
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Mark 15:47 “And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid”: “The women’s observing the tomb and the position of the body became a precious part of the evidence for Christ’s resurrection, since they knew precisely which tomb had contained the body of Jesus. On the resurrection morning they did not return to the wrong tomb and mislead others into thinking He has arisen” (Fowler p. 892). Sadly, many of Jesus’ male disciples were hiding at this time for the fear of the Jews (John 20:19). Mark will mention these women in view of what happens in the next chapter. These two women could easily find the tomb on Sunday morning because they had been there at the burial on Friday night.
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