#1347 Mark 15 Being Born From Top To Bottom

 

And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked

16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

21 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. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29 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, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 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.

The Death of Jesus

33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 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?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 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.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 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!”

40 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. 41 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.

Jesus Is Buried

42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 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. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46 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. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. Mark 15 ESV

Mark 15

Are You the King of the Jews - The Jews were originally accusing Him of blasphemy, for making Himself out to be God, and for saying He would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. Now before a Romans governor they will accuse Him of saying He is King, and He is the Messiah, but He has not come at this advent to rule but rather to die as and according to the words of the prophets. Pilate would not be impressed with a charge that this man claimed to be God, that just sounds like any other lunatic, but the Jews can press him when it comes to the charge of King, for this would set Christ against Caesar. They had already dealt with insurrections in this area so this allows them to press Pilate a little more.

…11Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.” 12From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.” 13When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat on the judgment seat at a place called the Stone Pavement, which in Hebrew is Gabbatha.… John 19: 11-13

More on this from Matthew's account

You have said so - Jesus does not deny Who He is, but watch because Pilate does something really clever, and it doesn't save Jesus but it let's Pilate know that their claims are insincere. 

Among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas - Pilate is going to take a known criminal, one who is actually guilty of insurrection against Rome, an assassin, and offer to release him or Jesus. Now if the Jews were really concerned with loyalty to Rome then they would be very concerned about releasing Barabbas, for he was a proven enemy of Rome. Pilate made a good last ditch effort, I mean the man is a murderer and was probably headed for the very cross that Jesus will take. What a picture, but so deep is the hatred of the religious leaders, so hurt are their egos, that they will sacrifice the King of Glory.

What evil has He done - Pilate could find no real wrong in Him, and their answer, "crucify Him". This wasn't about wrong doing, otherwise Barabbas, according to their own law, as a murderer, he should be the one killed. That would be justice.

…5And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man: 6Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind. 7But as for you, be fruitful and multiply; spread out across the earth and multiply upon it.”… Genesis 9: 5-7

To carry His cross - What a request, to carry the cross of someone so despised. 

Father of Rufus: Apparently Rufus was known in the early church and was himself a Christian. If this Rufus is the same one mentioned in Romans 16:13, we can surmise that Simon came to know what it really meant to take up one’s cross and follow Jesus. Perhaps his sons became leaders among the early Christians. - Enduring Word

iv. “His name was Simon: and where was that other Simon? What a silent, but strong rebuke this would he to him. Simon Peter, Simon son of Jonas, where wast thou? Another Simon has taken thy place. Sometimes the Lord’s servants are backward where they are expected to be forward, and he finds other servitors for the time. If this has ever happened to us it ought gently to rebuke us as long as we live. Brothers and sisters, keep your places, and let not another Simon occupy your room.” (Spurgeon)

Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down from the cross that we may see and believe - Imagine what it will be like for them to stand on that great day of judgment. It should give us who believe a holy fear, and we should find their souls so precious that we take no personal offence in this life. 

Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani - My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me. This is from the Psalmist, the prophet king, David. It is the beginning of a chapter that describes crucifixion in such detail, an amazing prophecy, for it was long before Rome's rise to power and this process had been developed.

1For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning? 2I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest. 3Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.… Psalm 22: 1-3

More on Psalm 22

And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom - God was satisfied with the offering of His Son. The curtain divided 

The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom: The tearing of the temple veil signified that now man had free access to the throne of grace by the cross and that no one should ever think again that God dwells in temples made with hands.

i. Significantly, as the wall of separation between God and man was removed, the veil was torn from top to bottom. God tore it from heaven instead of man tearing it from earth.

b. Truly this man was the Son of God! The centurion saw Jesus for who He was and is a picture of all who come to Jesus through the cross. At the cross, people saw that Jesus was the Son of God and this fulfilled Jesus’ promise if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all peoples to Myself (John 12:32). - Enduring Word

Took courage and went to Pilate - Both Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus risk everything by associating with Jesus in His death and burial. So yes, it took courage, great courage.

When He learned from the Centurion that He was dead - This is the man's profession, and Jesus gave up His life of His own will, united with that of the Father. Pilate wanted to be sure though given the drama surrounding Christ.