Mark 15:34-47

Concerning the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall read in three portions of the New Testament. First, in the Gospel according to Mark, the fifteenth chapter, beginning at the thirty-fourth verse.

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?

It is, «My El, my strong God, my mighty One, why hast thou forsaken me?» the bitterest words that were ever uttered by mortal lips, and expressing the quintessence of agony. Alas! that my Saviour should ever have had to say as much as this when he hung upon the cross, suffering and dying for me.

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

Did they misunderstand his bitter cry of woe? Could they mistake what he meant? Was it not, on the part of these people that stood by, a willful wicked witticism upon what our Lord Jesus had said? We fear that it was so.

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. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

His last words were, «It is finished.»

«It is finish'd!»

Oh what pleasure Do these charming words afford!

Heavenly blessings without measure Flow to us from Christ the Lord:

«It is finish'd!»

Saints, the dying words record.»

Mark 15:38. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion, which stood over against him,

The officer who had charge of the arrangements for the execution: «when the centurion, which stood over against him,»

Mark 15:39. Saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

Probably saying a great deal more than he understood. There was something so extraordinary about this central Sufferer that the Centurion could not understand who he could be unless he was truly «the Son of God.»

Mark 15:40. There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.

Where was Peter? We know that John was near the cross; but James and the rest of the apostles were apparently hiding away; yet the holy women were there.

Mark 15:42. And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, an honourable counselor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

I have no doubt that Pilate was very surprised that a member of the Sanhedrim should come and ask for the body of Jesus, when, a little while before, he had put him to death really by the mandate of that body of men.

Mark 15:44 ; Mark 15:46. And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.

This very centurion, who had declared that Jesus was the Son of God now came forward to bear witness that he had seen him die; and then Pilate told Joseph that he might go and take the body.

Mark 15:46. And he bought fine linen,

This was probably the first time that fine linen had touched the flesh of the Son of man; he had been accustomed to much coarser stuff in his lifetime, but now Joseph «bought fine linen.»

Mark 15:46. And took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulcher which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulcher. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.

That is Mark's account of our Lord's death and burial, very terse, and very suggestive. Let us now read John's description of the sad scene.

This exposition consisted of readings from Mark 15:34; John 19:38; John, 1 Corinthians 5:1.