Gospel of Mark Study #55

“Faith Blinded by Fear”

Mark 16:1-8

Study #55 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

This week, in our continuing series of studies on the Gospel of Mark we come to the very summit of Christian Theology—namely, the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. That singular event was the theme of most of the preaching in the Early Church. Every sermon recorded in the Book of Acts focuses on the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of its strategic importance, down through the centuries this doctrine has been a lightning rod and a constant target for those who want to disprove or discredit the Christian faith. However, despite all the attacks, despite the best efforts of the scoffers and the demons of Hell, the truth of Christ’s resurrection still stands firm!           

Jesus’ bodily resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith. The resurrection is not merely a concept, a metaphor, or a spiritual truth—it is a certifiable historical fact, and has never been disproved, and never will be! Of all the things for which we should be thankful today, the fact that Jesus came forth from that tomb on third day, just as He had said He would, is our greatest motive for gratefulness. 

TRANSITION:

The outline of chapter 16 of the Gospel of Mark falls neatly into two distinct divisions. First, in verses 1-8 we read of the visit of the three women to the tomb and their conversation with the angels. Then in verses 9-20, which we will take up in our next study, we have a summary of the Lord’s resurrection appearances, ending with His ascension.

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 1: And when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him.

• The three women listed here are the same ones mentioned in 15:40, the ones who witnessed the crucifixion “from a distance.” From Matthew 27:56 we learn that this woman, Salome, was the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Mark tells us that the other Mary was the mother of James the Less and Joseph [Joses] but we do not know anything about her. Mary Magdalene, on the other hand is a familiar biblical personage. She followed Jesus almost from the very beginning of His ministry after He cast seven demons out of her and set her free from that demonic oppression (cf. Luke 8:2; Mark 16:9).
• The Sabbath began at sundown on Friday and ended at sundown on Saturday evening. The women probably went out then and purchased the supplies that they would need the next morning (Sunday) to anoint and prepare Jesus’ body for burial. These spices were used to retard decay and mask the stench of the decomposing body. The Greek word here for spices is arōmata, which refers to aromatic spices in liquid form, such as perfumed oil. For this reason, the translators of the KJV rendered the word as “sweet spices.”

Verse 2: And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

• “And very early on the first day of the week…” John’s Gospel (20:1) tells us that it was still dark out when the women set out for the tomb, probably from Bethany, where the disciples had been staying at night. Mark tells us that they arrived just as the sun was coming up. 

Verse 3: And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away [or roll back] the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”

• This was a logical question. Up in 15:46 we read that Joseph had rolled the stone down into place but rolling it uphill would be much more difficult. However, apparently, they hoped that the three of them together would be able to move the stone out of the way.
• The stone itself was probably not more than about 4 to 4.5 feet in diameter since tomb openings were not usually as tall as regular door openings. It was probably about a foot thick. However, a solid stone that size would weigh hundreds of pounds and would not be easy to move, especially by three ladies.
• It is also interesting to note that the women make no mention of the Roman guard that Pilate had placed there at the request of the chief priests. Perhaps they were still unaware of that fact.

Verse 4: And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large.

• “And looking up…” With downcast eyes and heavy hearts, they made their way up the hill to Jerusalem. Approaching the tomb, I assume that they were looking down at the ground as they walked along in that early morning half-light. However, as they drew near to the tomb, they lifted their eyes to see something that left them surprised. The stone had already been moved out of the way of the doorway, even though it was huge and heavy.
• It is difficult to harmonize the Gospel accounts and come up with an exact chronology of events because each writer adds his own details to the story. For example, Matthew 28:1-4 tells us that as the women approached there occurred a severe earthquake, the angel rolled the stone away from the door of the tomb and then sat on it, and the Roman guards were so traumatized by the whole thing that upon seeing the angel, they “shook with fear of him, and became like dead men.” That is apparently the amazing scene that greeted those three women as they walked up to the tomb.

Verse 5: And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed.

• The Scriptures tell us that Joseph’s tomb was brand-new. It had never been used. It had been carved out of solid stone. Such a project would have required expert stonecutters and would have cost a fortune. There was only one door into the tomb. There would have been several shelves or slabs, at least four, arranged like bunk beds on each side of a narrow aisle.
• The night before Joseph and Nicodemus had carried Jesus’ body from Golgotha to the tomb and had laid Him on one of the cold stone slabs. Before they left for the night, they hurriedly wrapped His body with cloth grave wrappings using some of the dry spices that Nicodemus had brought with him. Then they sealed up the tomb.
• Now the women entered the dark tomb. They may have had an oil lamp or a candle with them. We just do not know. But immediately upon entering their eyes immediately fell upon a young man, dressed in shining white apparel, seated on the stone slab to the right of the entrance. Luke says in 24:4 that there were two young men there but apparently only one of them did all the talking. Mark refers to this shining personage merely as, “a young man,” but Matthew specifically identifies them as “angels” dressed in dazzling clothes, and he says in 28:2-4 that they had removed the stone from the door of the tomb.
• The KJV says that the women “were affrighted” meaning afraid. However, the Greek word used here really means “utterly amazed, greatly astonished, or dumbfounded.” At this point they were not stricken with fear so much as with confusion and questions.
• And one of the things that amazed them was the fact that the grave cloths were still lying there, neatly folded (cf. John 20:6-7).

Verses 6: And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified [lit. the crucified One]. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. ⁷ But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going before [i.e., going ahead of] you into Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He said to you.’”

• The angel’s first words to the women focused on their absolute amazement and his desire to calm their concerns. From his words it is obvious that he knew exactly who they were and what they were there to do. He also knew exactly what had happened to Jesus and where He had gone. He also knew exactly what Jesus had told His disciples about going ahead of them into Galilee and meeting them there.
• The English word “angel” comes directly from the Greek word, ángelos, which simply means, “a messenger.” That is their main function in relation to men, although they sometimes also serve us as guardians. They are heavenly servants of God, but they are the messengers that God uses to send specific messages to men. In this case, God commissioned these angelic messengers to bring a word of comfort and specific direction to these grieving disciples and to remind them that God was still in control of the situation, despite appearances.
• Notice how the angel singled out Peter from the rest of the disciples. He mentioned Peter by name. Why did he do that? I believe that it was God’s way of letting Peter know that despite what he had done in three times denying the Lord, God still loved him, and he had not been rejected. Comparing this passage to the other Gospel accounts we see that the disciples did not leave immediately for Galilee. We also learn in Luke 24:34 that the risen Christ appeared to Peter that very day and then to the disciples that evening (Luke 24:36). The meeting between Jesus and His disciples up in Galilee is recorded in John 21 and Matthew 28:16-20.
• One more thing—these three women were chosen by God as the first human witnesses to Christ’s resurrection. What an honor!

Verse 8: And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

• As soon as the angel finished speaking the women high-tailed it out of there. They were visibly shaken, from the top of their heads to the bottom of their feet.
• “…for trembling and astonishment had gripped them …for they were afraid.” What a cocktail of emotions these poor women were experiencing! Only moments before they were stricken with grief and sorrow as they walked to the tomb. Now that grief had been replaced by “trembling” and “astonishment.” The Greek word that Mark uses here for astonishment is an interesting choice. It is the word ekstasis from which we get the English word “ecstasy.” It is a compound word made up of the preposition ek, meaning “outside of,” and stasis, literally meaning “a standing.” It is used for any situation in which a person is thrown into a trance-like state of surprise or fear, or both. It is like our expression, “he was out of his mind,” or “he was beside himself.” It is usually translated “amazement” but often also carries the idea of “joy.” This emphasis is clearly carried by Matthew’s parallel account in Matthew 28:8 where he writes: “And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.”
• “…for they were afraid.”  This time, however, the word used really does mean “fear.” That sensation of amazement and astonishment was replaced by plain old stone-cold fear. The experience left them scared spitless, shaking in their sandals.
• “…and they said nothing to anyone.” This statement must be understood in the light of the other Gospels because we know that they quickly went back and told the other disciples. I believe that what Mark means is that they did not stop on the way to share with anyone what they had seen and heard. They went as quickly as possible directly to where the other disciples were gathered in the upper room.

CONCLUSION:

“He has risen; He is not here.” Those are some of the most thrilling words in all of Scripture. They form the basis for our hope, the foundation of all we believe. An interesting sidelight—the Greek voice of the verb the angel used, “He is risen,” is passive, and clearly indicates that Jesus was raised by an act of God. It could be translated, “He was raised,” simply emphasizing the part the Father played in raising the Son once the work was accomplished.           

In looking at the love and deep devotion of the three women we cannot help but be impressed and moved. However, theirs was an adoration of a dead Christ, just like we have in a large part of the Church today. They were committed to care for His beloved dead human body, not realizing that He was alive, and risen from the dead just as He had predicted.           

This problem was just the same old same old. For the past 3½ years the disciples had found it difficult to wrap their minds around the fact that Jesus was God incarnate. For this reason, every miracle surprised the daylights out of them and troubled them greatly. Here once again we see disciples of Jesus not getting it, not genuinely believing that He could be alive. And it was not just these three women—the men of the group who were huddled in the upper room were convinced that hope was gone, and everything had ended in tragedy. The fact is if Jesus had not risen from the dead, we would have never even heard of Him. However, the existence of the Christian Church is by far the best proof of the Resurrection.           

Jesus is not just a character in a book, He is a living presence. He is not just a memory. Moreover, our faith has a bedrock foundation and cannot be shaken by scoffers, critics, sceptics, or naysayers. Down through the centuries the fact of the Resurrection has changed sad and despairing men and women into people radiant with joy and flaming with courage.

We have much to be thankful for as Christians. However, of all the things that should top our gratitude list should be the fact that today JESUS IS ALIVE! We should celebrate and give thanks to God every day for that truth. And every Sunday should be Easter Sunday for us, the Lord’s Day, the day that Jesus rose from that tomb, victorious over death and the grave. There is a song by Bill Gaither that comes to my mind that says it all beautifully:

God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus; He came to love, heal, and forgive.

He lived and died to buy my pardon; an empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives all fear is gone.

Because I know He holds the future, now life is worth the living just because HE LIVES!

Gospel of Mark Study #54

“Darkness Over the Land”

Mark 15:33-47

Study #54 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

I remember back in 1959 when as a 5^th grader our teacher told us that a solar eclipse would take place in a couple of days. She explained to us that a solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the earth and the sun, temporarily blocking out much of the sun’s direct light. We were issued smoky lenses and warned not to look directly at the sun because it could blind us. When the day came, the tension mounted and sure enough for a few minutes the moon blocked out the sun and the world dimmed down a little bit. When it was over, we marched back into the classroom and continued our school day. No big deal. Nothing scary. Not particularly impressive.

TRANSITION:

In our text for this week, we learn about a day long ago when the whole land of Israel went black, not just dim, and not for just a few minutes, but totally dark for THREE HOURS! It happened at high noon and lasted until three o’clock. It scared the bejeebers out of people and sent them running to their homes. That is because they figured out very quickly that this was not a normal solar eclipse. In fact, they realized that this was not a “natural” phenomenon. During those last three hours that Jesus hung on the cross, God the Father turned out the lights. I believe He did it to call attention to the fact that the Savior was dying for the ugly black sins of the whole world, and according to the Scriptures the darkness continued to cover the land until Jesus breathed His last and died. Let’s look at the text.

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 33: When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour.

• The Roman day started at sunrise, approximately 6:00 AM. That was Zero hour. According to Mark 15:25 Jesus was nailed to the cross at the “third hour,” which would have been approximately 9 AM. The “sixth hour” would have been high noon, when the sky suddenly went dark. And this was not just a big cloud temporarily blocking out the light from the sun. No, this was a major event in the heavens, which lasted for three full hours and affected the whole land of Israel. People have postulated that it was coincidently a solar eclipse where the moon passed in front of the sun. Listen, I have seen a couple of those, and they do not darken the whole sky. Things get a little bit darker for 2 or 3 minutes, but it is nothing frightening. When God blotted out the sun, He did it for three full hours and it scared the willies out of the people in Israel, especially those who were there witnessing the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. This was no coincidence, not by a long shot! Darkness at noon, by its paradoxical nature, was a fitting sign for God to give to those who had rejected His Son, who was the Light of the world.

Verses 34-35: At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  ³⁵ When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, “Behold, He is calling for Elijah.”

• “At the ninth hour Jesus cried out…” That is, at 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon. At that point He had been hanging on the cross for approximately 6 hours. By Roman crucifixion standards that was not a long time. Depending on how the crucifixion was carried out some men suffered for days until death finally put them out of their misery. However, Jesus had already been severely beaten and had lost a lot of blood.
• What about these Aramaic words that Jesus uttered? “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  Many people believe that the God the Father abandoned God the Son on the cross. They base it on this statement by Jesus. I do not agree, however. I believe that in those last words Jesus was quoting Scripture, Psalm 22 to be exact, and that this was a triumphal statement of faith and victory rather than defeat and sorrow. Jesus cried out the words from Psalm 22:1, a familiar Messianic Psalm, one that most of those standing around the foot of the cross knew by heart. This Psalm of David starts with this plaintive cry but ends with a triumphant victory cry of praise for the God who rescues him. But the Psalm is full of references to the cross and that is why Jesus quoted it. By the way, David penned this psalm hundreds of years before the rise of the Roman Empire and the invention of crucifixion as a means of execution. Let’s see how this psalm points directly to Christ:

v  Verses 6-8: But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all!  ⁷ Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, ⁸ “Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!”

v  Verses 14-15: My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. ¹⁵ My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. 

v  Verses 16-18: My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet.  ¹⁷ I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat.  ¹⁸ They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing. 

• What we do know for a fact is that in that moment when Jesus died on the cross the desolation and pain of what He felt must have been excruciating because in that moment in some way that we cannot fathom the Father regarded Jesus as sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21 explains it this way: “He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus the Son] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [in Christ].” If there was a barrier between the Father and the Son at that moment, it could only be because of sin, but Jesus had no sin, so it could only be our sin that cost Him such agony. In that horrible moment, if the Father turned His back, it was not on His Son, but upon the burden of sin that He carried, our sins.
• Note too that some of the scoffers standing there misunderstood and concluded from Jesus’ words that He was calling to Elijah to come and save Him. This was because of the similarity between the words, “Eloi, Eloi…” and the Hebrew name of Elijah. 

Verse 36: Someone ran and filled a 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.”

• This sour wine they gave Him was basically just vinegar. It was old wine that had gone bad, but at least it helped to quench His thirst. However, it was not the drugged potion that the soldiers had tried to get Him to drink earlier (v. 23).
• Their statement about Elijah possibly showing up was just more mockery. They did not really believe anyone would or could come to rescue Jesus. Little did they know, He could have removed Himself from that cross at any moment. However, if He had chosen to do that we would still be in our sins and headed for Hell. I am so glad He stayed the course. 

Verse 37: And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed His last.

• Neither Matthew’s nor Mark’s Gospels tell us what that loud cry was, but Luke’s and John’s do. They record Him saying two things: “Father, it is finished! Into Thy hands I commit My spirit.” After He shouted these words, He “expired,” that is, He breathed out one last time and gave up His Spirit unto death.
• “…and breathed His last” In Greek this is just one word. The KJV gives us the expression, “He gave up the ghost.” It has become a euphemism for death in English, but it grows out of a misunderstanding of the Greek word used here: exépneusen, which simply means to breathe out, literally, to “expire.” Notice, Jesus did not die because His organs ceased to function. He died because He had finished His work and now it was time to surrender up His spirit.
• The Jews had been very anxious all afternoon to get this whole thing over with because they all had someplace to be. Mark does not mention it, but John’s Gospel says that late in the afternoon the Jewish leaders went to Pilate to request that the legs of all three men might be broken to get them to die more quickly so that they could get on with their Sabbath rituals (cf. John 19:31-37). You see, with their lower leg bones shattered the condemned men could no longer push themselves up against the nails that were pounded through their feet into the lower wood block to relieve the pressure on their diaphragms. This would hasten their deaths because of lack of oxygen. In other words, they would die of asphyxiation. Pilate granted the request of the chief priests, so his soldiers were sent word to break the legs of the three prisoners. They first broke the legs of the two thieves, however, when they came to Jesus’ cross, they discovered that He was already dead, so they did not break His bones, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Psalm 34:20 and Exodus 12:46 that “not a bone of Him shall be broken.”
• However, just to make sure that Jesus was truly dead one of the Roman soldiers rammed a battle spear into Jesus’ side. John 19:34 tells us, “…immediately there came out blood and water…” proving that He was indeed dead because His blood serums had already begun to separate. 

Verse 38: And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

• In that moment, when the Son of God completed His sacrifice for your sins and mine, some amazing events took place. Mark only recorded one of them but there were more. Mark, as well as the other Gospel writers tells us that in that moment, at the hour of the evening sacrifice in the Temple located just a few blocks away, when the maximum number of priests would have been present, the giant curtain that hung from the ceiling inside the Temple and divided the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, was suddenly ripped in two. It was instantly split down the middle. That by itself was amazing, but what made it even more amazing was the fact that it tore, not from bottom to top, but from top to bottom.
• For those who witnessed it, that was proof that this was not a natural phenomenon. It was not the result of fabric fatigue. That veil was super-strong and very thick. It was made of many layers all woven together to form a thick, opaque curtain. But in that moment when the Son of God died, God Himself ripped the veil in two, from top to bottom.
• But why? What was the significance and symbolism of that veil? For that we turn to Hebrews 9:7-8 and 10:19-22. There we read: “But only the high priest entered the inner room [i.e., the Holy of Holies], and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. ⁸ The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning… ¹⁹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” In other words, when God ripped that curtain from top to bottom in that moment when Christ died, He was showing to everyone that the blood of Jesus had made a way for us to have direct access to God, into the Holy of Holies through the shed blood of His Son. The Final Atonement had been made.
• Just an interesting sidelight: I believe that the ripping of the veil in the Temple must have had a profound effect on many of the priests because the Scriptures tell us that many of those priests later came to saving belief in Christ. Acts 6:7 says, “And the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.” I believe that some of those must have been present in the Temple that day when God tore the veil down the middle.

Verse 39: 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!”

• A centurion normally had 80-100 men under his command and was roughly equivalent to a Captain in our modern US Army. However, on that day the officer oversaw a small detachment called a contubernium (i.e., a squad of 8-10) assigned to carry out the crucifixion. Without a doubt, he had seen many men die, probably many of them by crucifixion. But this man, Jesus, was different from all the rest. That soldier stood facing the cross, looking up into Jesus’ face. He heard the words that Jesus spoke. He saw the love in His eyes. He heard the conversation between Jesus and the thief on the other cross. As Jesus breathed His last breath, the old soldier said, “Truly, this man was the Son of God.” Some scholars have said that we must understand his statement in light of his pagan religious views, but I believe that this man was given an insight into who Jesus really was and his testimony comes all the way down to us. He was not merely stating that Jesus was “a son of a god.” He was correctly concluding that Jesus was “the Son of the True and Living God.” In one sense, that battle-scarred Roman soldier was the first to take his stand, “beneath the cross of Jesus,” like the old hymn puts it. And that is all God has asked any sinner to do. He asks him to come in faith to Jesus. I believe that is what this centurion was doing. 

Verses 40-41: There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less [i.e., Little James] and Joses [i.e., Joseph], and Salome. ⁴¹ When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

• It is interesting to note that these women were the last disciples to leave the foot of the cross and the first ones to arrive at the tomb. It says they looked on from a little way away but at least they were there, and they remained faithful to the end. John’s Gospel in 19:25-27 tells us that Mary, Jesus’ mother, and the apostle John were also standing near the foot of the cross.
• Mary Magdalene [i.e., of the village of Magdala] loved the Lord Jesus with all her heart and followed Him through most of His ministry. Luke 8:2 and Mark 16:9 tell us that Jesus had freed her from the demonic oppression of seven demons, which unshackled her spirit to believe in Him and become a child of God. She never forgot what Jesus had done for her.
• By the way, by comparing this text with Matthew’s account we learn that this lady, Salome, was the mother of James and John, and therefore was the wife of Zebedee (cf. Matthew 27:56).

Verses 42-43: When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 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.

• This was Friday (i.e., “Good Friday”), and the Sabbath was about to begin. Sundown marked the beginning of Sabbath and so everything had to be fast-tracked to get it done before nightfall. Joseph of Arimathea, a good and righteous man, who was also a member of the Sanhedrin, and as far as we know, the only member to vote against the death of Jesus, went to Pilate at great personal risk and asked for Jesus’ body. Mark does not comment on the condition of Joseph’s soul, but John fills in the gaps for us. In John 19:38-40 we learn, “Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away.  ³⁹ With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes.  ⁴⁰ Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth.
• It is too bad that it took this tragedy to get Joseph and Nicodemus out of the closet. It is sad that they waited so long to decide to fly their flags. But better late than never. I am certain though, that for the rest of their lives they were plagued with guilt over having done so little for Jesus before His death.  

Verses 44-45: Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead.  ⁴⁵ And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

• The centurion that Pilate summoned was almost certainly the one we met up in verse 39, the one who had concluded that indeed, Jesus was “the Son of God.” Upon hearing the report of Jesus’ death Pilate granted Joseph’s request. 

Verses 46-47: Joseph bought 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. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.

• The newly hewn stone tomb where Jesus’ body was laid to rest belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. According to Matthew 27:60 it was a brand-new family burial chamber and had never yet been used. The place where Jesus was laid was almost certainly the very spot where Joseph planned for his own body to be laid someday. The friends of Jesus were as poor as church mice. They had no tomb, no money for burial clothes or for spices. But the two rich guys, Joseph, and Nicodemus, apparently provided everything that was needed. John 19:39 tells us that Nicodemus brought over 75 lbs. of spices and herbs for the burial. By the way just as a side note, according to Middle East experts that was about what would be called for in a royal burial. Nicodemus was giving Jesus the honor of a king’s funeral. In fact, both Joseph and Nicodemus are to be honored and commended because, as secret disciples of Jesus, they took a bold stand when most of the disciples were absent, hiding in terror.
• Joseph rolled the stone down in the track in front of the door. Then the Romans sealed the tomb and posted a squad of soldiers to guard it. Matthew tells us that this was done at the insistence of the Jewish chief priests and Pharisees who went to Pilate and said: “Sir, we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’  ⁶⁴ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”  ⁶⁵ “Take a guard,” Pilate answered.  “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.”  ⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard” (Matthew 27:63-66).
• This is an amazing part of the story because it was a fulfilment of prophecy. Isaiah 53:9 says, speaking about the Messiah who would appear more than seven hundred years later, “And they made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth.” 
• “Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.” Evidently these were the only two mourners who stayed until the very end to witness Joseph and Nicodemus closing the tomb. But God bless them! They were faithful to the end.

CONCLUSION:

As I read these verses one thing just jumps out at me—not even one person in this story really seemed to believe that Jesus would rise from the dead. Not the 11 apostles, not that band of righteous women, not Joseph or Nicodemus, and apparently not even Jesus’ own mother. None of them said, “Cheer up guys. We don’t have to worry because He won’t be in this cold tomb for long. In a couple of days, He will rise again, just like He told us.”           

Despite all they had seen and heard over the past 3½ years, their faith had just been beaten up by the “facts.” They had seen Jesus be scourged and had watched Him die. That was their new reality. Those were the facts. The darkness had blotted out the light just as surely as the sky had been dark all afternoon.         

But is this not what often happens to us too? When something horrible happens we immediately jump to the conclusion that all is lost, that God has fallen off His throne, or that He has suddenly contracted Alzheimer’s regarding us and our personal situation. We start to “awfulize.” That is a word I made up. It means to see things in the most awful way possible.

The disciples were so busy “awfulizing” that they totally lost sight of the fact that everything that had happened was written on Jesus’ Day Planner. He and the Father had it all under control, but they lost sight of that and went all weak in the knees.

There is an old saying that goes, “Seeing is believing,” meaning that we believe in what we can see with our eyes. However, our eyes can easily be tricked. Ask any magician or sleight-of-hand artist. The reality is that “Believing is seeing.” Faith opens our eyes to see what is there, behind the scenes, behind the so-called “facts.” The fact was that everything was running according to God’s timetable. They just could not see it. Their minds and hearts were darkened to the truth. Oh, that we would learn to walk by faith rather than by sight! It is a sad commentary that none of the Jesus followers in this story managed to do that, and as a result, they missed out on much of the blessing that could have been theirs if only they had trusted in God’s plan and God’s promises rather than give in to what their lying eyes told them.

Gospel of Mark Study #53

“Hail, King of the Jews”

Mark 15:16-32

Study #53 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

This is a familiar story. We have all heard it many times. We have seen it portrayed in movies. We have a fairly good idea of the details. But I am not sure that any of us really understands what Jesus suffered for us. We often focus on the physical aspects of the story—the beatings, the cross, the nails, the pain. However, the worst pain was not physical but mental, emotional, and spiritual. 

TRANSITION:

The astonishing thing is that Jesus was going through all that agony to save the very people who were cursing Him, spitting on Him, beating Him, and blaspheming Him. That is amazing! Our natural tendency is to fight back, to protect ourselves. Jesus did not do that. He allowed His enemies to prevail over Him so that He could die to save them. It makes no sense, but that is exactly what He did. In human terms, it is incomprehensible. 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 16: And the soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort.

• These were Roman soldiers under Pilate’s command. Up until now He had been guarded and escorted by the temple police. Jesus was most likely taken to the barracks area of the Fortress of Antônia, which was on the far end of the temple mount. The Latin word, “Praetorium” simply means the portable tent of a Roman commander (“praetor”) and over time came to denote a military headquarters.
• Technically speaking, a Roman “cohort” consisted of 600 soldiers divided up into 6 “centuries” of 100 men, each led by a “centurion.” Here the term is used more loosely simply to refer to a large group of soldiers.  

Verses 17-19: And they dressed Him up in purple, and after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; ¹⁸ and they began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”  ¹⁹ And they kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting at Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him.

• Purple was the color reserved for royalty or at least, people of great importance. The term could apply to colors all the way from rose to deep purple. But where did they get the purple garment? We must turn to another Gospel writer for our answer. In Luke 23 we learn that Pilate sent Jesus to Herod’s court, hoping that Herod would pass judgment on Jesus and save him the trouble. Herod questioned Jesus but Jesus refused to even answer his questions. Disgusted and offended, Herod had Jesus dressed in a royal robe, probably one of his old castoffs, to show his contempt and disdain of this pretender to the title, “King of the Jews.”
• When Jesus arrived back at Pilate’s residence, He was still wearing this robe. At that point both the royal purple robe as well as Jesus’ white tunic were stripped off Him and He was scourged. After sentencing He was sent to the Praetorium with orders for His crucifixion. It is almost certainly the same purple robe that the soldiers dressed Jesus in again as they proceeded to beat Him senseless. To add to the humor of the situation someone came up with the bright idea of using branches from a thorn bush to fashion a makeshift crown for Him. To make sure that it did not fall off, they proceeded to pound it down onto His head. The Greek verbs in verse 19 are all in the imperfect tense, emphasizing the repeated nature of the beating, spitting, and mock worship.

Verse 20: And after they had mocked Him, they took the purple [robe] off Him and put His garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him.

• Once they had had their fun, they stripped Him of the royal robe and put His simple cotton tunic back on Him. By this time, it was probably soaking wet from sweat and bright red from His blood because He had already received 4 beatings: (1) he was beaten by members of the Sanhedrin; (2) He was beaten by the temple guards; (3) He was publicly scourged; (4) now He was beaten again in the soldiers’ barracks.

Verse 21: And they pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), that he might bear His cross.

• There has been much speculation about this man, Simon, over the centuries, and several legends have grown up around him. Cyrene was an ancient Greek colony in present-day Shahhat, Libya. Tradition states that Simon’s sons, Rufus, and Alexander, became missionaries. The inclusion of their names in Mark’s Gospel suggests that they were of some standing in the early Christian community at Rome. It has even been suggested that the Rufus mentioned by Paul in Romans 16:13 was the son of Simon of Cyrene. However, this is all conjecture. We simply do not know who he was other than to say that he was probably a Jew who had come to Jerusalem with his two sons for the Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread.
• Luke tells us that he carried Jesus’ cross and followed along behind Him. But why did Jesus need someone to carry His cross? Easy—because He had already been beaten half to death four times and had lost a lot of blood. On top of that He was weak from hunger and thirst and weary from lack of sleep.

Verse 22: And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.

• Golgotha is an Aramaic word and simply means, a skull. It probably got its name because of its shape. However, we do not know for sure the exact location where the crucifixion took place despite what the Israeli tour guides tell everyone.

Verse 23: And they tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it.

• Matthew 27:34 says that when He tasted it and recognized what it was, He refused to drink it. This drugged potion was to deaden pain and make prisoners easier to handle. Jesus did not want anything that would cloud His senses. 

Verses 24-26: And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them, to decide what each man 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.”

• “And it was the third hour…” The Jewish day began at sunrise, at approximately 6:00 AM. That was when Jesus appeared before Pilate for the first time. He was nailed to the cross three hours later, at approximately 9:00 AM. It was the Roman custom to place some kind of placard or sign over the condemned man to indicate his name and the exact nature of his crime. Pilate knew His name but had trouble coming up with a crime, so he ordered the sign to read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the KING OF THE JEWS” (cf. John 19:19). But truer words have never been written for He was just that. 

Verses 27-28: And they crucified two robbers with Him; one on the right and one on the left.  ²⁸ And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was reckoned [i.e., numbered] with transgressors.”

• These two guys were not mere common thieves. The Greek word means “robber, highwayman.” These were bad men. They would cheerfully slit your throat to get your wallet.
• Verse 28 is placed in the margin in some versions because it is missing in some of the oldest Greek manuscripts. However, it is not a problem and there is no doubt that it clearly refers to Isaiah 53:12, which says, “Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.” 

Verses 29-30: And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha!  You who were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, ³⁰ save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”

• “…were hurling abuse at Him,” Literally, they were “blaspheming” Him. It is so easy to abuse someone who cannot fight back. They had no idea who they were talking to. If He had chosen to do it, He could have struck them all dead in their tracks with just a look or a word. But he even loved those who cursed Him and spit at Him and said such awful things. 

Verses 31-32: In the same way the chief priests along with the scribes, were also mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself.  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 religious leaders got in on the mocking too. Standing there in their lovely robes you could hardly even see the blood on their hands. But it was there all right. These were the men who had made the plans, paid the betrayer, hauled Him before Pilate, stirred up the crowd, and testified against Him.
• Look again at the words they hurled at Him: “He saved others; He cannot save Himself.  ³² Let this Christ [i.e., Messiah], the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” If they had not seen and believed up until now, Him coming down off that cross would not have changed their minds. Many of them had already witnessed His miracles and walked away in unbelief, making plans to kill Him. One more miracle was not going to melt their rock-hard hearts. There is an old saying that goes, “The same sun that softens wax hardens clay.” The difference is what the heart is made of to begin with. Another miracle would have just served to harden them further.
• One more thing, the two robbers who were crucified with Him were joining in too, hurling abuse at Him. We know that later one of them repented and asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom. But in the beginning, even he was cursing Jesus and saying horrible things to Him. That makes Jesus words to him even more remarkable: “Today, you will be with Me in Paradise.”

CONCLUSION:

I have told you that Mark’s Gospel is the most concise of the four. He sometimes leaves out details that one or more of the others include. Such is the case of a comment couched in among the verses of Matthew 27:22-26, which reads: Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!”  ²³ And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”  ²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.”  ²⁵ And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!”  ²⁶ Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Verse 25 is horrible to read because it is so true, not just for those Jewish leaders who shouted those words at Pontius Pilate, but because we are just as guilty as they were. Our sins put Jesus on that cross, just as surely as theirs did. And the curse has fallen on us and our children and our grandchildren, just as it fell on theirs. His blood is on our hands, and it condemns us. But when we turn to Him in faith and repentance, that same blood washes us white as snow and cleanses us from every stain. How amazing! The same blood can save, or it can condemn.   

His blood was shed even for those who hated Him and who did everything in their power to kill Him. But the instant a sinner turns to Jesus and believes on Him as Savior and Lord, that person is changed into a new creation, a blood-washed child of God, leaving us to exclaim... 

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Hail, Jesus, King of the Jews! 

Gospel of Mark Study #52

“The Longest Night”

Mark 15:1-15

Study #52 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

Time is very elastic. It can stretch long and thin, or it can tighten up into a bunch. It can fly by on eagle’s wings, or it can drag past, ever so slowly, at a snail’s pace. On certain occasions we are hardly even aware of its passing because our mind is so occupied by other things. However, at other times we are painfully aware of every second, beating its deafening, deliberate, largo rhythm in our ears.

If you have ever spent the night at the bedside of a dying child, or parent, or spouse, or dear friend, then you know what I am talking about. If you have ever waited for hours at an airport for a loved one to come in from some distant place, then you know what I am talking about. The time seems to go on forever. Each minute of waiting is interminable.           

On the other hand, if you have ever taken a Caribbean cruise or a week-long vacation in Hawaii you know how swiftly time can slip away. Before you know it, you are on the plane headed back home saying to one another, “Where did the time go?” 

TRANSITION:

In our continuing study of the Gospel of Mark we are moving into chapter 15, the penultimate chapter of the book. Here we see Jesus, still in that last night before His crucifixion. The night began hours before when at around sundown Jesus and His 12 disciples entered the upper room to celebrate the feast of the Passover together. At the close of that Last Supper meal, Jesus took the bread and the cup and told them of a New Covenant in His blood. Then He led them out to the Mount of Olives and asked them to keep watch while He went a little way on ahead to pray. Three times He came back and found them sleeping. Yet He used that time to prepare His heart and mind for the trial that was at hand.

Finally, He awakened the disciples and told them that His time had come. While He was still speaking Judas and the mob stepped out of the trees, and after the betrayer’s kiss, Jesus was arrested and bound. He was led first to Annas, the retired high priest. Then He was taken before Caiaphas and the religious leaders who had been hurriedly called together in the middle of the night.           

They deliberated briefly and determined that Jesus was indeed guilty of blasphemy and deserving of death. They beat Him senseless, mocked Him, and spat upon Him. Then they turned Him over to the soldiers so that they too might have some fun beating on Him. While all that was going on, Peter denied the Lord three times, swearing to all those gathered down there in the courtyard that he did not know this man, Jesus. As the words left his mouth for the third and final time, Jesus, who apparently was being led out into the courtyard to await the wishes of the Sanhedrin, turned, and locked eyes with Peter. Filled with regret, remorse, and gut-wrenching sorrow Peter went out and wept bitterly, remembering Jesus’ words: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

All these things happened on that same night, within the space of just a few hours. To Jesus, and probably to Peter and the other disciples, this was undoubtedly the longest and worst night that they had ever experienced. Every minute was torture. Let’s pick up the story at verse 1.

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 1: And early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes, and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away, and delivered Him up to Pilate.

• You will remember that during the night they hurriedly pulled together as many of the Sanhedrin members as they could find to meet at the home of Caiaphas to serve as an ad hoc Grand Jury. However, as I mentioned last week, in doing this they broke several of their own laws. In Jerusalem only the 71 member Sanhedrin had jurisdiction. On top of that, any “courts” were forbidden to meet at night. Moreover, an accused person had a right to counsel. The accused also had legal protection against being forced or coerced to incriminate himself. All these laws were simply ignored in Jesus’ case, along with several others.
• Now, “…early in the morning…” the whole Sanhedrin was summoned to appear, this time in their official chambers in their “Hall of Hewn Stone” next to the Temple. The time was approximately 6:00 AM. Mark once again does not use the word Sanhedrin, but rather describes the three groups that comprised it—the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. Matthew, Luke, and John on the other hand use “Sanhedrin.”
• At this meeting, the decision was almost unanimous, except for Joseph of Arimathea (cf. Luke 23:51) and possibly Nicodemus. Regardless, Jesus was judged to be worthy of death, although they could not carry out the sentence. For that they had to enlist the aid of the Roman Prefect/Governor, Pontius Pilatus. Jesus was again bound and led out of the Temple court to Pilate’s residence to stand before him.

Verses 2-3: And Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And answering He said to him, “It is as you say.”  ³ And the chief priests began to accuse Him harshly.

• Although the Romans were almost obsessive about their record-keeping, little information has survived about the Roman Prefect, Pontius Pilatus. We know that he was the 5^th in a line of seven Prefects that ruled over Judea from A.D. 6-41. Pilate governed for ten years, from AD 26-36.
• The primary functions of a Prefect were military, but as appointed representatives of the Empire they were responsible for the collection of imperial taxes, and had limited judicial functions, one of which being the appointment of the Jewish high priest, which, as you can imagine, thoroughly aggravated the Jews. Normally, Pilate resided in Caesarea on the coast, but he travelled throughout the province, especially to Jerusalem, while performing his duties. As governor of Judaea, Pilate commanded a relatively small auxiliary force of soldiers stationed in Caesarea and Jerusalem, such as at the Antonia Fortress, and temporarily anywhere else that might require a military presence. The total number of soldiers at his disposal numbered approximately 3,000. According to Philo, the Jewish historian, Pilate was “…inflexible, he was stubborn, of cruel disposition. He executed troublemakers without a trial.” He goes on to comment on Pilate’s “…venality, his violence, thefts, assaults, abusive behavior, endless executions, and endless savage ferocity.” 

Verses 4-5: And Pilate was questioning Him again, saying, “Do You make no answer? See how many charges they bring against You!”  ⁵ But Jesus made no further answer; so that Pilate was amazed [astonished].

• Why was Pilate amazed? For one thing, most people brought before him under possible sentence of death would be groveling at his feet begging for mercy, insisting on their innocence. However, this Jesus of Nazareth stood there before him in total serenity, like a visiting monarch, a true king. Jesus showed no fear. He was the perfect calm in the eye of the perfect storm. I also think that Pilate was amazed because he could not comprehend the degree of hatred being leveled against Jesus. It was totally out of proportion and thus made no sense to him. Pilate was confused by this whole situation.   

Verses 6-7: Now at the feast he used to release for them any one prisoner whom they requested.  ⁷ And the man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection.

• Politicians are no different today than in the days of old. Everything they do has a political reason and is evaluated on a cost/benefits basis. Pilate was a consummate politician, trying to maintain the balancing act of keeping both the Romans and the Jews happy at the same time. As a good-faith gesture to the conquered Jews he showed the mercy and benevolence of the Romans by annually releasing one prisoner at Passover time. It made him look good. It made him seem more approachable, more a friend to the Jews. However, it really was just a political scam. He knew it and the Jewish leaders knew it too.
• And this guy, Barabbas, was a real piece of work! A Jewish jihadist, if you will, he was working for the destruction of Rome. He was trying to stir up a rebellion among the Jews to throw off the Roman yoke of tyranny. In carrying out this mission his actions had recently resulted in people getting murdered. He was a fanatical nationalist who would have been happy to kill every Roman in Judaea.
• You can bet that Pilate did not want Barabbas released to once again prey on the Romans. On top of being an insurrectionist and a bandit (cf. John 18:40), he was also a murderer. Members of the zealot group known as the Sicarii (lit. “dagger-bearers”), with which Barabbas was likely connected, were known for coming up behind Roman soldiers in the crowded marketplaces and stabbing them through the spaces in their armor. Many soldiers had already died just that way, possibly some of them by Barabbas’ own hand. By the way, one of the twelve Apostles, Simon the Zealot, was part of this same band of murderers before Jesus called him to become a fisher of men rather than a killer of men. 

Verses 8-10: And the multitude went up and began asking him to do as he had been accustomed to do for them.  ⁹And Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?”  ¹⁰ For he was aware that the chief priests had delivered Him up because of envy.

• Pontius Pilate knew that many in Jerusalem liked Jesus and probably thought that some in this crowd wanted Him released. But the religious leaders were the ones pushing for crucifixion. Moreover, I think he must have been thinking to himself, “Surely, they don’t really want me to have this guy killed. He’s a rabbi, and a Jew, after all. They would never want one of their own people crucified. Such a horrible death is reserved for evil people. They probably just want me to put a scare into him.” 

Verse 11: But the chief priests stirred up the multitude to ask him to release Barabbas for them instead.

• Notice this, the priests stirred up the people to demand that Jesus’ be put to death. The crowd was manipulated by their leaders. This put Pilate in an awkward spot. He did not want Barabbas released because he was clearly an enemy of Rome. On the other hand, this Jesus fellow seemed totally benign and harmless. So, what was he to do? 

Verses 12-14: And answering again, Pilate was saying to them, “Then what shall I do to Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”  ¹³ And they shouted back, “Crucify Him!”  ¹⁴ But Pilate was saying to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”  But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!”

• Pilate had seen enough condemned men to know that this man Jesus was not guilty of anything. He did not want to have to condemn an innocent man to death, not even a Jew. 

Verse 15: And wishing to satisfy the multitude, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he delivered Him over to be crucified.

• Here is a case of political expediency trumping the rights of an innocent man. Pilate knew that Jesus had done nothing worthy of death. By his own testimony, based on his own interrogation of the witness, he knew that Jesus was not an evildoer and posed no threat to Rome. However, as an act of political expediency, to make the Jews happy and keep them from raising a stink that might get all the way back to Rome and cause him grief, he signed the paper to have Jesus beaten and then crucified, as though He were a common criminal. He did this knowing full well that he was sending an innocent man to a horrible death. For this I am confident that Pontius Pilatus will roast in Hell for all eternity.
• “…and after having Jesus scourged…” This act was accomplished with a leather whip with rough pieces of metal or bone tied at the ends of the strips. The victim was bent forward over a short post, and the punishment was administered to his naked back, buttocks, and legs. It literally tore the man’s back to ribbons. Often the resulting deep gashes opened the flesh all the way to the bone. Sometimes an ear would be torn off or an eye gouged out. Some men died under it. Some men came out of the ordeal raving insane. Very few retained consciousness through it. That is what Pilate ordered done to Jesus despite knowing that Jesus had done nothing to deserve such treatment.

CONCLUSION:

We usually think of this passage as describing the trial of Jesus. However, it really turned out to be the trial of the Jews, especially the religious leaders, and the trial of Pilate himself. They were the ones who were really on trial before the court of Heaven. In much the same way that Peter was inexorably forced toward a verdict defining his relationship with Jesus, so also Pilate and the Jews were given an opportunity to take a stand for or against Him. We see Pilate self-revealed as he attempts first to skirt the issue, and then to escape responsibility for the decision. In the end he knowingly freed a guilty man and condemned an innocent one.        

However, this story reminds us that ultimately every one of us must answer the question, “What is your decision about Jesus? What are you going to do with Him?” and our eternal destiny depends upon our answer.          

Nothing could be more cynical than the disregard for truth in this man, Pilate, who, knowing Jesus to be innocent, yet flogged and crucified the Son of God, through a selfish desire to ingratiate himself with the Jewish leaders. He was perfectly conscious of the wrongfulness of what he did, and this just increased his guilt.           

But I would submit to you that anyone who rejects Jesus Christ is essentially doing the same thing. To say “NO!” to the Savior, to reject His sacrifice on the cross, to turn away from the sinless Lamb of God for your own selfish reasons, whatever they might be, puts you in the very same category with Pontius Pilate. Pilate wanted to distance himself from Jesus. Now, for all eternity, he will get what he wanted. He will be eternally separated from the Savior and the salvation that Jesus died to give us. Likewise, if you reject Jesus, you too will be separated from Him forever, along with all that is good, and gracious, and kind, and beautiful. For, you see, He is the Creator and the Giver of every good and perfect gift, and to reject Him is to lose all that He has provided for us to enjoy. All that will be left for Pilate and those like him, will be an eternity of regret, remorse, and sadness.           

But on the other hand, the Bible clearly says that “whosoever will, may come.” In Acts 16 a Roman soldier asked the question, “What must I do to be saved?”  The answer he received was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” You too can do that today, right now, by believing the Gospel, repenting of your sins, and asking Christ to come into your life to be your Savior and Lord. Don’t put it off again. Do it now. You might not get another chance.