Mark 15:15-39

We will read two short passages from the Gospels this evening. May the blessed Spirit, who taught the Evangelists to record the sad story of our Lord's sufferings and death, give us fully to enter into the blessed meaning of it while we read it! First turn to Mark 15:15.

Mark 15:15. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium;

The guard-room of Herod's palace, where the Praetorian guards were wont to gather.

Mark 15:16. And they call together the whole band. And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, and began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. And when they had mocked him,

To the utmost, and gone the full length of their cruel scorn,

Mark 15:20. They took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.

They did for him what they did for others who were crucified, they gave him myrrhed wine, as a stupefying draught; «but he received it not.» He came to suffer, and he would bear even to the end the full tale of his suffering.

Mark 15:24. And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.

They gave him the place of eminence, as if he were a greater offender than either of the two thieves.

Mark 15:28. And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.

Sinners to the right of him, sinners to the left of him, sinners all round him, compassed about with those who sinned in the very highest degree by putting him to death: «He was numbered with the transgressors.» Oh, that sweet word! It is the hope of transgressors now that he was counted with them, and for his sake all the benefactions of heaven now descend upon transgressors who accept him as their Substitute and Saviour.

Mark 15:29. And they that passed by railed on him,

Not only those who sat down to gloat their cruel eyes upon his miseries,

but even the passers-by, «They that passed by, railed on him,»-

Mark 15:29. Wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three day, Save thyself, and come down from the cross.

He never said he would destroy the literal temple. He did, however, say concerning the temple of his body, «Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,» and he did raise it up in three days after they had destroyed it.

Mark 15:31. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.

What they said in bitter scorn was true; for mighty love had bound his hands for self-salvation. Infinite in love, found guilty of excess of love to men, «He saved others; himself he could not save.»

Mark 15:32. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

A supernatural darkness, which could not have occurred according to the laws of nature. It did, as it were, «set a tabernacle for the sun,»-the Sun of Righteousness was canopied a while in darkness, that no longer might those horrible eyes gaze upon his terrible anguish.

Mark 15:34. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

There was a denser darkness over his spirit than was over all the land, and out of that darkness came this cry of agony.

Mark 15:35. And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.

Ah, me! This was either a cruel jest upon our Saviour's prayer, or an utter misapprehension of it.

Mark 15:36. And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.

Jesus did receive this vinegar, and so fulfilled Psalms 69:21 : «In my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.»

Mark 15:37. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

Even as the flesh of Christ, which is the veil of the Incarnate God, was rent, so now was the veil of mystery taken away. The temple in her sorrow rent her veil. The old ceremonial law passed away with this token of grief by the rending of the veil. It was a strong, I might say, a massive veil; it could not have been rent by any ordinary means; but when the hand of God takes hold upon the veil of Jewish types, it readily rends, and into the innermost mystery of the holy of holies we may gaze, yea, and through it we may enter.

Mark 15:39. And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

Convinced by the cross. Oh, the triumphs of Christ! The last word he speaks won this testimony from the centurion in charge of the crucifixion. Now we will read part of Luke's narrative.

This exposition consisted of readings from Mark 15:15; and Luke 23:27.