Mark Bradford's Bible Blog

Jesus’ Death

⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

As I mentioned in my post on Mark’s account of the death of Jesus (Mark 15:33-39), the darkness at noon (the sixth hour is noon) which happened at the crucifixion was no natural event. Passover is held during a full moon, and a total solar eclipse is impossible during a full moon, and solar eclipses don’t last for 3 hours. However, I did see this quote from the Roman historian Phlegon in David Guzik’s commentary today:

“In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was an extraordinary eclipse of the sun: at the sixth hour, the day turned into dark night, so that the stars in heaven were seen; and there was an earthquake.”

Apparently this wasn’t just a local event. It was seen all the way in Rome. But it could not have been a natural solar eclipse. This was a supernatural event. The NIV translates the first part of verse 45 the sun stopped shining. This is one of my pet peeves, when I hear someone say the sun isn’t shining. The sun is always shining, folks. The sun never stops shining. If it did, we’d all freeze to death. The sun even shines at night! It’s just shining on the other side of the earth. The Greek word that is used there is ekleipo, which is the word for eclipsed. Something blocked the light of the sun so much that the stars could be seen, but it wasn’t the moon. What was it? No one knows. I’ve always been taught and believed that the darkness at Jesus’ crucifixion was God turning away because he could not look at his Son while he bore the sin of the whole world on the cross. But I’ve seen other possible explanations of it in Dr. Ralph F. Wilson’s lessons on JesusWalk.com.

He proposes that it could symbolize the reign of moral darkness which Jesus talked about in Luke 22:53: “Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour — when darkness reigns.” It could also be a portent of the last days, if not a complete fulfillment of prophecy of the last days (Joel 2:31, Amos 8:9-1). In a strict Biblical sense, we have been living in the last days ever since the death of Jesus on the cross. Dr. Wilson even suggests that God may have turned away in anger over how his Son was being treated. I don’t suppose we’ll ever know the answer in this life.

Luke goes on to say in verse 45 that the curtain in the temple was torn in two. Mark says it was torn from top to bottom (Mark 15:38). The veil or curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the temple (Exodus 26:31-35) was large (60 feet long and 30 feet wide),  and as thick as a man’s hand. I’ve always pictured the invisible hand of God tearing the veil in two from the top down. But it’s also possible that the earthquake caused the fall of one of the lintels that held the curtain up, starting the tear at the top. Josephus, the Talmud, and others do describe a catastrophe of this type in the sanctuary at this time. They took it as a sign of the coming destruction of the temple. It’s also seen as a sign that we can all now enter into the presence of God. We don’t need a High Priest to approach God for us. Jesus is our High Priest. (Hebrews 9)

At the moment of his death, Jesus called out with a loud voice. In his weakened state, he should not have been able to shout at all. Most victims of crucifixion were exhausted or unconscious when they died. They died of suffocation, and when you’re suffocating, you can’t cry out. This passage shows how nobody took Jesus’ life from him. He gave it willingly. After having had the threat of death hang over him for so long, when it came time for Jesus to give up his life, he breathed his last. He said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” The word for spirit used here is the Greek pneuma, which means life or self. Jesus’ whole life and self were committed to his Father’s will and plan, right up until the final moment. The really remarkable thing to me about this final statement of Jesus is that he was again quoting scripture (Psalm 31:5). Jesus used his last breath on earth to quote scripture.

⁴⁷The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” ⁴⁸When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. ⁴⁹But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Mark tells us of the centurion’s reaction to Jesus’ death (Mark 15:39), but Luke tells us that he praised God. I’m still dubious on the idea that the centurion became a Christian at this point. There’s no confession of sin here as there was with the thief on the cross. But the centurion did recognize that this man was different than all the others he had crucified. The tense of the word for praised suggests it was continuous, that he kept saying this over and over. Perhaps this does amount to a confession of guilt. This centurion had been in charge of many crucifixions in his time. I’m sure most, if not all of the men he crucified protested their innocence. If you talk to prison inmates, most will tell you they’re innocent. But this was probably the first time this centurion had realized he really had executed an innocent man. Rather than a confession of faith, the centurion’s statement may have been an admission of his own guilt in crucifying a righteous man. This same centurion was questioned by Pilate who wanted to make sure Jesus was dead (Mark 15:44-45). I wonder how much of this story he told to Pilate.

The crowds who came to witness the spectacle of crucifixion went away sorrowful. Instead of the execution of the guilty, they had been witnesses to the murder of an innocent. But those who knew him, including women that John identifies as his mother Mary, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene (John 19:25), stood at a distance, watching. These same women would be the first to witness the resurrection. They stayed with Jesus until the end, and they were the first to know when he rose.

Mark Bible crucifixion, Jesus, Luke

³⁹One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

⁴⁰But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.^[f]“

⁴³Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Only Luke tells us of this exchange between Jesus and the criminals on the cross. The word Luke used for criminals is kakourgos in Greek, which indicates someone who has committed serious, violent crimes. Other gospels use the word lestes, which means highwayman, robber, or bandit. These men may have been the sort of bandits that Jesus talked about in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37, blog). They were a serious problem on the roads in Jesus’ day. They swooped down on travelers, stripping them of all their possessions and leaving them for dead. For this reason travelers traveled in large groups whenever possible. Jesus’ family traveled with a large group when he was a boy on their way to and from the temple for this very reason (Luke 2:41-52, blog). These men were not just political opponents of Rome, guilty of some petty offense. They were dangerous men, violent criminals.

The first criminal showed the same attitude as the others who were taunting Jesus. In fact, insults were probably being hurled at the criminals as well as Jesus. This was the custom at crucifixions, as I mentioned yesterday. So this criminal joined in with the others who jeered at Jesus. For some, the only way to make themselves feel better when things are going badly is to heap abuse on others. Misery loves company. The criminal’s insults had the added element of his own predicament mixed in. His taunt was not just, “If you’re the Messiah, save yourself”, it was “save yourself and us too, while you’re at it.” Many in dire circumstances get angry at God. If God is God, then why is this happening to me? Why doesn’t God get me out of this mess? Have you ever felt that way? I have.

But the other criminal had a completely different attitude. While his cohort reacted to his circumstances with anger, he seemed to understand who Jesus was in a way that even Jesus’ disciples didn’t, at least not yet. The only disciple of Jesus who is recorded in any of the gospels as having been at the crucifixion is John (John 19:26-27). Indeed, even after the resurrection, two of Jesus’ disciples showed a lack of understanding of who Jesus was and what his kingdom was about on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:20-21). While Jesus hung on the cross, his disciples’ hopes of Jesus coming into his kingdom were shattered. But this hardened criminal believed even while Jesus was being crucified that he would still come into his kingdom. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The second criminal showed understanding in several areas.

1. Even though he was a criminal, he feared God. (Don’t you fear God?)

2. He recognized his own sin. (We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.)

3. He understood that Jesus was innocent. (But this man has done nothing wrong.)

4. He recognized that Jesus, even though he was about to die, he would still come into his kingdom. (Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.) Not even Jesus’ disciples had that kind of faith.

Many speculate that this criminal had heard Jesus teach at some point. I imagine a scene where Jesus, on the road to Jerusalem sometime during the previous weeks, traveled by where these bandits were hiding, waiting to prey on unsuspecting travelers. The bandits didn’t attack them because their group was too large, but Jesus and his group stopped within earshot of where they were hiding, and they heard Jesus teach and maybe even saw him perform a miracle. The seeds of belief were planted in this criminal. Later, the bandits attacked a different group and these two were caught and arrested. A few days later, here they were, hanging on crosses on either side of the one they had heard and seen days or weeks before. But where one reacted with anger because he had seen Jesus help someone else but was not helping him, the other still placed his hopes in Jesus because of what he had seen and heard. Of course, this is all speculation, but something must have led up to this criminal’s appeal to Jesus. Something spurred him to believe.

The second criminal’s plea, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”, strikes me as not being unlike me saying to a record executive, “Remember me when you’re signing new artists.” It’s not exactly a statement of repentance. It’s similar to what Joseph said to Pharoah’s cupbearer, when Joseph predicted that the cupbearer would be released from prison.

“When all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison” (Genesis 40:14).

Did the criminal on the cross repent? It’s not specifically recorded that he did, but he confessed his sin (We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve), and he believed in Jesus as Lord and King (Lord, remember me when You come in Your kingly glory! {Amplified}) Repentance is not something that happens when we first accept Jesus as Savior. Repentance is changing your mind. It’s changing the way we live after we accept Christ. The criminal may not have had the chance to live a life of repentance, but he confessed his sin and believed, which is what is necessary for salvation. (1 John 1:9)

Jesus’ response to the bandit’s plea was: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus obviously thought this man’s confession and faith were sufficient to save him.

This passage raises several doctrinal and theological debates. For some who teach that baptism is necessary for salvation, the thief’s conversion is a problem because he was never baptized. Although we are commanded to “Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins”  in Acts 2:38, I don’t believe that the Bible teaches that we can’t be saved unless we are baptized. Jesus certainly didn’t think so in his response to the thief.

Another issue that springs from this passage is the issue of deathbed conversions. This is the only such conversion in the Bible. Many struggle with the idea that one can lead a life of sin and repent at the last moment, and still enjoy eternal life in Heaven. It may seem unfair, but remember the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32, blog). We can’t have that attitude. Jesus also taught that same principle in the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16). If we’re tempted to think it’s unfair that someone can slip into Heaven at the last minute, remember that God is a God of mercy. The mercy he shows to the one who repents on their deathbed is the same mercy he showed to you and me. The other side of that issue is that some see this example as a way to put off coming to Christ. They figure that they can do whatever they want, and become a Christian at the end of their life. But we can’t count on getting that chance. Now is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2).

Another point of controversy is Jesus’ use of the terms today and Paradise. The Bible does talk about those who “sleep” until the final resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:18, 20, 51; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-15; 5:10). So how could this thief be in Paradise with Jesus that same day? Doesn’t he have to wait like everyone else? I think this boils down to a misunderstanding of time. For those who “sleep” and await the final resurrection, no time passes for them. Time only exists for us in the physical universe. I believe that when we die, the transition to the next life seems instantaneous to us, because for us, time no longer exists. We’re not waiting around in Purgatory for time to play out so we can go to Heaven or hell. Talk of those who have gone before waiting for us in the Great Beyond is based on time-bound thinking. From our perspective, it’s been 2000 years since Jesus and this thief had this conversation. But to the thief, no time passed between his death and when he met Jesus in Paradise.

So what’s Paradise? Is it just another word for Heaven? To Jews of Jesus’ day, Paradise was an earthly garden, a restoration of the Garden of Eden, which the Messiah would establish in his kingdom. So maybe Jesus is talking about his earthly kingdom when he comes with power. Since he was answering the criminal’s request to remember him when he came into his kingdom, that may be what he meant. That kingdom will be established when Jesus returns and the dead in Christ rise. But again, for those who sleep, it will seem like the same day as when they died. Or maybe Jesus did mean Heaven. Either way, if Jesus is there, it’s Heaven!

Mark Bible crucifixion, Jesus, Luke, thief on the cross

The Crucifixion

²⁶As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. ²⁸Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ ³⁰Then
” ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
and to the hills, “Cover us!” ‘^{[d] 31}For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Luke’s account of our Lord’s crucifixion is somewhat different than the accounts in Mark and John. See my post on Jesus’ crucifixion in Mark and John here. Luke skips over the scourging and mocking of Jesus by the soldiers and goes straight to his carrying of the cross on the road to Calvary. Luke does mention Simon from Cyrene carrying Jesus’ cross for him. As I mentioned in my post on Mark’s account, it’s remarkable to me that we not only know Simon’s name, but his two sons’ names as well, Rufus and Alexander (Mark 15:21). We also know where they were from; Cyrene, in modern day Libya. Many scholars believe that Simon of Cyrene’s son, Rufus, is the same Rufus mentioned in Romans 16:13. He was a Christian, known in the early church. Since his other son, Alexander, is also mentioned, it seems likely their whole family became Christians, perhaps converted because of this experience.

Typically, the condemned had to carry the crossbar, which was tied to their arms. The uprights of the crosses remained fixed in the ground where crucifixions took place just outside the city. They were marched though the streets naked, carrying crossbeams that weighed from 75 to 125 pounds. Jesus must have been incapacitated from the scourging, so the soldiers had to force someone else to carry his cross. No Roman would carry it for him, and if they forced a local Jew to carry it, it could start a riot. So they forced a stranger to do it. Simon, being from Northern Africa, may have had black skin. That would have made him easy for the solders to pick out of the crowd as an outsider. Cyrene was 800 miles away, on the other side of the Mediterranean. He must have been a pilgrim, a convert to Judaism in Jerusalem for Passover. According to verse 25, Jesus walked in front, while Simon carried the crossbeam behind him. Simon was the first to literally take up his cross and follow Jesus.

Luke is the only gospel writer to include Jesus’ words to the crowd of women who followed, mourning him. It was customary at crucifixions for crowds of mourners to follow the condemned. Jesus, though unable to carry his cross, was obviously lucid enough to speak these words to those women. What Jesus says to them is that they should not mourn for him, but for themselves and their children, who will be adults at the time of Jerusalem’s destruction. All through the week leading up to this, Jesus was preoccupied with the coming destruction of Jerusalem 37 years later. Even on the road to Calvary, that was on his mind. Another thing that strikes me about this is that Jesus quoted scripture (Hosea 10:8), as he did throughout his ordeal on the cross. Do we know the scriptures well enough to quote them in our darkest hour? Jesus’ question in verse 31 sounds like a comparison between green wood that doesn’t burn well, and dry wood that burns easily. Perhaps the idea is, if God doesn’t spare innocent Jesus, how much worse will it be for guilty Jerusalem?

³²Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. ³³When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”^[e] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Jesus was crucified between two criminals, one more example of how he was “counted among the rebels” or “numbered with the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12) Jagged spikes were driven through his feet and wrists. His back, torn open from the scourging, scraped against the upright of the cross every time he tried to breathe. Death by crucifixion was a long, slow, horrible way to die. It took hours, and sometimes days. Insects would light on the faces and eyes of the condemned, and birds of prey would peck at them.

Jesus’ famous prayer in verse 34, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”, also only appears in Luke. Jesus prayed for the forgiveness of those who crucified him. Even while enduring unimaginable agony at the hands of cruel, wicked men, he prayed for their forgiveness. He was living out his own teaching to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44-45) If Jesus was able to forgive those who did this to him, we must also forgive others who wrong us. If you’re struggling with how to forgive some who has wronged you, this is a good model to follow. Pray for their forgiveness. If we pray for God to forgive others, it will become easier for us to forgive them ourselves.

They divided his clothes, in fulfillment of prophecy in Psalm 22:18. When you see a picture of Christ on the cross, or see it in a movie, Jesus is wearing a loin cloth. But that is only the modesty of the artist, or the movie studio trying to avoid an NC-17 rating. Jesus was crucified naked, as all who were crucified were. This was one more form of humiliation of the Jews by the Romans. Under Jewish law, stoning victims were permitted a loin cloth, but the Romans did not have the moral objections to public nudity that the Jews had. Their athletes competed naked in the public arenas, so to crucify criminals naked was no big deal to them. It was just another way to humiliate those who would offend Rome.

³⁵The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”

³⁶The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar ³⁷and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

³⁸There was a written notice above him, which read:|sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

The rulers, or officials of the synagogue, taunted Jesus on the cross. Taunting and mocking the condemned was common in the ancient world. It was part of the humiliation and shame of the cross. This behavior has been common throughout the history of public executions, including public hangings and beheadings in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The most striking of the insults heaped upon Jesus while he hung on the cross is when they admitted that he saved others. The whole city and region were littered with those Jesus had healed and saved from death, yet they still did not believe in him. By throwing this insult at Jesus, they were actually condemning themselves. If we witness what Jesus has done for others and still do not believe, we condemn ourselves.

The soldiers offered him wine vinegar, also in fulfillment of prophecy in Psalm 69:21. This was a cheap sour wine that was a popular drink for soldiers and common laborers because it was inexpensive and quenched thirst better than water. Roman soldiers received this as part of their daily ration. They offered this drink to Jesus because he had said “I thirst.” (John 19:29) This was different from the wine mixed with myrrh that was offered by women to Jesus and the other crucified men as an anesthetic, which Jesus refused. (Mark 15:23) This may seem like an act of kindness, but it was intended to keep victims on the cross alive as long as possible to prolong their agony.

They posted a written notice above him which read, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” This was a notice of the charge against him, which was also customary. But Pilate did it in such a way that it seems to have been intended as a jab at the Jewish leaders whom he despised. He had given in to them in the end, allowing Jesus to be crucified, but he would have the last word. The leaders complained, but Pilate replied back, “What I have written, I have written” (John 19:19-22). The claim to be king would have been considered treason against Rome. Even though Jesus refused to take on the role of a political Messiah, he was still crucified on a false political charge.

But the charge against Jesus was not just wrong because it was a false political charge, or a jab by Pilate at the religious leaders. It was wrong because he is not simply king of the Jews. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When he returns in power and glory, he will rule over all. The question for us now is, “Is Jesus my King? Is he my Lord?”

Mark Bible crucifixion, Jesus, Luke

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

¹⁶The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. ¹⁸And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” (Mark 15:16-18, NIV)

After having scourged Jesus within an inch of his life, the soldiers were not through with him yet. Jesus was in or near a state of shock, and that was the only mercy for him in this ordeal. In shock, Jesus may have been only dimly aware of what was happening to him. On the other hand, he was acutely aware on the cross, so maybe he did feel every blow and hear every insult. I hope not, but if so, it makes his sacrifice for us all the greater. How many soldiers would have been involved in his scourging? 3 or 4? Half a dozen? However many there were, that would have been more than enough to continue beating up a bleeding, exhausted man in shock, but instead they called together the whole regiment or garrison. A garrison, also called a cohort, was 480 men, which was the total amount of soldiers stationed in Jerusalem at the time. This group was probably only those who happened to be in the Praetorium at that time of day, since many would have been stationed throughout the city keeping order during Passover, but it would still have been a large group of soldiers all abusing one helpless man. But of course, Jesus was not helpless. He could have called the armies of Heaven any time he wanted to. But he endured all of this willingly.

Each part of this mockery was a cruel parody of homage to a king. Kings wore purple, it was considered the royal color. It may have just been a faded red soldier’s cape that looked close enough to purple to suit their purposes. They stripped Jesus naked and put that on him, and it would have stuck to the bloody wounds on his back. Then they wove the crown of thorns. Botanists say that there were many thorny plants growing in that area at the time, with long sharp barbs. Some soldier wove together a “crown” out of a thorny branch, using his metal gauntlet to protect his hand, then shoved it roughly onto Jesus’ head. The blood rushing down his face from that crown of thorns probably blinded Jesus. The standard greeting for Caesar was “Hail Caesar”, so shouting “Hail King of the Jews” was a mocking parody of that.

¹⁹Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. ²⁰And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. (Mark 15:19-20, NIV)

Matthew 27:29 says “they placed a staff in his right hand”. Putting that together with what Mark says in verse 19, we can surmise that they put some sort of branch or stick in his right hand as a mock scepter to complete the “mock king” picture. Roman centurions were given sticks to designate rank, and they could use those sticks to beat disobedient soldiers or subjects. It may be one of these that Jesus was given. Whatever it was, after they placed it in his hand, they then took it away from him and beat him over the head with it. This would have resulted in multiple concussions, dazing Jesus further. Another customary way to greet a king was to kneel and kiss his ring. These soldiers mocked Jesus by kneeling before him, and leaning in as if to kiss him, spit in his face instead. Then they ripped the robe or cape off his back, which was stuck to the bloody wounds, tearing more flesh from him, and put his own clothes back on for the march to Golgotha.

Finally, they tired of these cruel games, and led him out to be crucified. Those who were crucified were made to march through Jerusalem in a parade while a herald called out the crimes of the condemned. This was done to make people afraid of offending Rome. This is exactly what Jesus was referring to when he called upon us to take up our cross and follow him (Mark 8:34)(See my blog on this passage).

Do we sometimes feel mocked or persecuted for our faith? There are many throughout the world who are persecuted and martyred for Christ to this day, but for those of us who live in a country with freedom of religion, we don’t really know the meaning of mockery or persecution. If we ever start feeling offended or sorry for ourselves because someone made fun of us, or because the media doesn’t give Christians a fair shake, we need to remember what Christ endured, and be thankful our lot is as comfortable as it is. (Hebrews 12:2-3)

The Crucifixion

²¹A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. ²²They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). ²³Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. ²⁴And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. (Mark 15:21-24, NIV)

To be honest, I have no desire to delve into the details of our Lord’s agony. But we can’t turn away from the cross. Jesus faced it, and we must take up our cross and follow him. By the time Jesus was supposed to carry his cross, the soldiers had abused him to the point that he was too weak to carry it, or even to walk. Mark 15:20 says they led him, but two verses later, they had to bring him. Typically, the condemned had to carry the crossbar, which was tied to their arms. They were marched though the streets naked, carrying crossbeams that weighed from 75 to 125 pounds. With Jesus incapacitated, the soldiers had to force someone else to carry his cross. No Roman would carry it for him, and if they forced a local Jew to carry it, it could start a riot. So they forced a stranger to do it. Simon was from Cyrene, in Northern Africa, so he may have had black skin. That would have made him easy for the solders to pick out of the crowd as an outsider. Cyrene was 800 miles away, on the other side of the Mediterranean. He must have been a pilgrim, a convert to Judaism in Jerusalem for Passover.

It’s not remarkable to me that we know someone was forced to carry Jesus’ cross, but it is remarkable to me that we know not only his name, but his sons’ names, and where they were from. Why would Mark have made sure his readers knew this? Many scholars believe that Simon of Cyrene’s son, Rufus, is the same Rufus mentioned in Romans 16:13. He was a Christian, known in the early church. Since his other son, Alexander, is also mentioned, it seems likely their whole family became Christians, perhaps converted because of this experience.

They offered him wine mixed with myrrh. This was an anesthetic, intended to dull the pain. The women of Jerusalem had adopted this practice in obedience to the admonition in Proverbs 31:6-7. But Jesus refused it. Maybe he did not want to dull the agony. but to continue to suffer for us. It’s also possible that, in his fragile state, he thought if he took the narcotic mixture, he would pass out, and he needed to remain conscious until all was accomplished. Maybe it was both.

They crucified him. Jagged spikes were driven through his feet and wrists. His back, torn open from the scourging, scraped against the upright of the cross every time he tried to breathe. Death by crucifixion was a long, slow, horrible way to die. It took hours, and sometimes days. Insects would light on the faces and eyes of the condemned, and birds of prey would peck at them.

¹⁹Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read:|sc JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁰Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. ²¹The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”

²²Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” (John 19:19-22, NIV)

The sign that Pilate posted was not a confession of faith. It was a notice of the charge against Jesus. The Romans would not crucify him because he claimed to be God, or the Jewish Messiah. The Romans had many gods, one more wouldn’t matter to them. The charge on which they executed him was that he was called the King of the Jews, which would have been considered treason against Rome. Crucifixion was an instrument of terror meant to intimidate populations and keep them from offending Rome in any way. Even though Jesus refused to take on the role of a political Messiah, he was still crucified on a false political charge.

²³When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

²⁴“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said,
“They divided my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.” So this is what the soldiers did. (John 19:23-24, NIV)

They divided his clothes. When you see a picture of Christ on the cross, or see it in a movie, Jesus is wearing a loin cloth. But that is only the modesty of the artist, or the movie studio trying to avoid an NC-17 rating. Jesus was crucified naked, as all who were crucified were. This was one more form of humiliation of the Jews by the Romans. Under Jewish law, stoning victims were permitted a loin cloth, but the Romans did not have the moral objections to public nudity that the Jews had. Their athletes competed naked in the public arenas, so to crucify criminals naked was no big deal to them. It was just another way to intimidate those who would commit crimes against Rome.

²⁵Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” ²⁷and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:25-27)

This passage shows how close Jesus and John were. Mary was a widow by this time, as most Biblical scholars believe that Joseph died when Jesus was a teenager. Taking care of widows and orphans was a priority for Jesus, and when it came to the end, he wanted his widowed mother to be taken in by his best friend.

²⁵It was the third hour when they crucified him. ²⁶The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁷They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.^{[a] 29}Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰come down from the cross and save yourself!”

³¹In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! ³²Let this Christ,^[b] this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. (Mark 15:25-32, NIV)

Of all the insults that were heaped on Jesus as he hung on the cross, the most revealing is what the religious leaders said about him in verse 31. They admitted that he saved others. The whole city and region were littered with those Jesus had healed and saved from death, yet they still did not believe in him. By throwing this insult at Jesus, they were actually condemning themselves. Those who have seen first hand what Jesus can do, but still refuse to believe are without excuse, and will receive the harshest judgment. There was good reason the people Jesus was most critical of during his ministry were the very religious. We in the church have to keep that in our minds all the time. If we spend our whole lives hearing the gospel preached and seeing the change Jesus makes in people’s lives, but still fail to really believe, we are truly lost.

³³At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”^[c] (Mark 15:33-34, NIV)

Many have supposed that the darkness at noon which happened at the crucifixion was a solar eclipse. Luke says that the sun stopped shining (Luke 23:45). But solar eclipses don’t last for 3 hours, and Passover is always held during a full moon. A total solar eclipse is impossible during a full moon, so this was something else. Whatever it actually was. physically, it was the universe reflecting God. God turned away from his Son. He couldn’t look upon him because he became sin for us. Jesus had to experience God’s wrath for the sin of the world while on the cross. Some theologians believe, as it says in the Apostle’s Creed, that Jesus descended into hell when he died in order to defeat hell at the resurrection. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know that hell is separation from God, and Jesus experienced complete separation from God for 3 hours while being crucified. That sounds like hell to me.

When Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, he wasn’t complaining that God had turned his back on him. He was quoting Psalm 22, which is prophecy of his death on the cross. He was declaring that that prophecy was fulfilled. Read Psalm 22 and see how it describes both the agony of Jesus on the cross, and also the victory he won with that sacrifice.

³⁵When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

³⁶One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. (Mark 15:35-36, NIV)

When Jesus cried, “Eloi”, some there thought he said “Eli”, and they either ignored or didn’t hear the rest. If they were Roman soldiers, that’s understandable, since their Aramaic was probably not that good. They would also have missed the fact that Jesus was quoting scripture. And it appears to me they were drunk. The wine vinegar they offered him was different than the wine mixed with myrrh that was offered to him as an anesthetic. This sour wine was a soldier’s ration, and also a common drink among laborers because it was cheap. I can’t prove this, but I imagine that the soldiers who scourged and abused Jesus drank while they did it, and got deeper into a drunken stupor while they tortured him. Alcohol breaks down inhibitions, and those who may have pangs of guilt for doing those things would be able to desensitize themselves by getting drunk. Drunkenness makes the mean even meaner. Once Jesus was helpless on the cross, I can see one of the soldiers offering Jesus some of the sour wine they had been sharing, as if to say, “See, we’re not such bad guys”.

²⁸Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:28-30, NIV)

“It is finished”. The three greatest words in our faith. Whatever you’re afraid of, don’t be afraid. It is finished. Spiritual warfare? The war is over, the devil just doesn’t know it yet. It is finished.

³⁷With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

³⁸The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and^[d] saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son^[e] of God!” (Mark 15:37-39, NIV)

Most victims of crucifixion were exhausted or unconscious when they died. They died of suffocation, and when you’re suffocating, you can’t cry out. The person being crucified had to pull themselves up to breathe. As their legs tired out, they would eventually suffocate. This usually took hours, and sometimes days. So if they wanted to hasten death, they would break the legs of the crucified so they couldn’t support themselves to breathe. That’s why they didn’t break Jesus’ legs. It wasn’t necessary, because he was already dead. This passage shows how nobody took Jesus’ life from him. He gave it willingly. After having had the threat of death hang over him for so long, when it came time for Jesus to give up his life, he breathed his last. Even in his weakened state, Jesus was in control of when and how he died. This was what impressed the Roman centurion so much. He had seen many die on the cross, but this man’s death was different from all the others. Some say that Roman soldier became a believer at that moment, since what he said can be taken as a confession of Christ. That seems like a stretch to me, but verse 39 does say he heard his cry and saw how Jesus died. That was when he said what he did. He experienced darkness at noon for 3 hours, and earthquakes. Then when he heard Jesus cry out when he should not have had the strength, and die of his own free will, he knew this was more than just a man. If we can somehow hear Jesus’ cry and see how he died, it will have a profound effect on us.

The curtain that was torn from top to bottom was the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the sanctuary in the temple. When Jesus died on the cross, that curtain was no longer necessary. We are now able to approach God directly because of the perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross. (Hebrews 9)

³³But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. ³⁵The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. ³⁶These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” ³⁷and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.” (John 19:31-37, NIV)

When they pierced Jesus’ side, as John testifies, blood and water flowed out. Doctors say that the only way for that to happen is if his heart had burst within his chest. Jesus literally died of a broken heart. John is the only one of the gospel writers who mentions the piercing of Jesus’ side and the flow of blood and water. John is the only one of the disciples who is listed as having been there at the cross while Jesus was crucified. The others were no doubt hiding in fear. But John was there, and saw it himself. He didn’t just tell us a story, he gave testimony, and his testimony is true. Why did he give this testimony? He did it so that we might believe. Do you believe?

Mark Bible crucifixion, Jesus, John, Mark

The Death of Jesus

³³At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”^[c]

Many have supposed that the darkness at noon which happened at the crucifixion was a solar eclipse. Luke says that the sun stopped shining (Luke 23:45). But solar eclipses don’t last for 3 hours, and Passover is always held during a full moon. A total solar eclipse is impossible during a full moon, so this was something else. Whatever it actually was. physically, it was the universe reflecting God. God turned away from his Son. He couldn’t look upon him because he became sin for us. Jesus had to experience God’s wrath for the sin of the world while on the cross. Some theologians believe, as it says in the Apostle’s Creed, that Jesus descended into hell when he died in order to defeat hell at the resurrection. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know that hell is separation from God, and Jesus experienced complete separation from God for 3 hours while being crucified. That sounds like hell to me.

When Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, he wasn’t complaining that God had turned his back on him. He was quoting Psalm 22, which is prophecy of his death on the cross. He was declaring that that prophecy was fulfilled. Read Psalm 22 and see how it describes both the agony of Jesus on the cross, and also the victory he won with that sacrifice.

³⁵When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

³⁶One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

When Jesus cried, “Eloi”, some there thought he said “Eli”, and they either ignored or didn’t hear the rest. If they were Roman soldiers, that’s understandable, since their Aramaic was probably not that good. They would also have missed the fact that Jesus was quoting scripture. And it appears to me they were drunk. The wine vinegar they offered him was different than the wine mixed with myrrh that was offered to him as an anesthetic. This sour wine was a soldier’s ration, and also a common drink among laborers because it was cheap. I can’t prove this, but I imagine that the soldiers who scourged and abused Jesus drank while they did it, and got deeper into a drunken stupor while they tortured him. Alcohol breaks down inhibitions, and those who may have pangs of guilt for doing those things would be able to desensitize themselves by getting drunk. Drunkenness makes the mean even meaner. Once Jesus was helpless on the cross, I can see one of the soldiers offering Jesus some of the sour wine they had been sharing, as if to say, “See, we’re not such bad guys”.

³⁷With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

³⁸The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and^[d] saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son^[e] of God!”

Most victims of crucifixion were exhausted or unconscious when they died. They died of suffocation, and when you’re suffocating, you can’t cry out. This passage shows how nobody took Jesus’ life from him. He gave it willingly. After having had the threat of death hang over him for so long, when it came time for Jesus to give up his life, he breathed his last. Even in his weakened state, Jesus was in control of when and how he died. This was what impressed the Roman centurion so much. He had seen many die on the cross, but this man’s death was different from all the others. Some say that Roman soldier became a believer at that moment, since what he said can be taken as a confession of Christ. That seems like a stretch to me, but verse 39 does say he heard his cry and saw how Jesus died. That was when he said what he did. He experienced darkness at noon for 3 hours, and earthquakes. Then when he heard Jesus cry out when he should not have had the strength, and die of his own free will, he knew this was more than just a man. If we can somehow hear Jesus’ cry and see how he died, it will have a profound effect on us.

The curtain that was torn from top to bottom was the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the sanctuary in the temple. When Jesus died on the cross, that curtain was no longer necessary. We are now able to approach God directly because of the perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross. (Hebrews 9)

Mark Bible Bible, crucifixion, Jesus, Mark

The Crucifixion

²¹A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. ²²They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). ²³Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. ²⁴And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

To be honest, I would have preferred to skip over yesterday’s passage and today’s as well. I have no desire to delve into the details of our Lord’s agony. But we can’t turn away from the cross. Jesus faced it, and we must take up our cross and follow him. By the time Jesus was supposed to carry his cross, the soldiers had abused him to the point that he was too weak to carry it, or even to walk. Mark 15:20 says they led him, but two verses later, they had to bring him. Typically, the condemned had to carry the crossbar, which was tied to their arms. They were marched though the streets naked, carrying crossbeams that weighed from 75 to 125 pounds. With Jesus incapacitated, the soldiers had to force someone else to carry his cross. No Roman would carry it for him, and if they forced a local Jew to carry it, it could start a riot. So they forced a stranger to do it. Simon was from Cyrene, in Northern Africa, so he may have had black skin. That would have made him easy for the solders to pick out of the crowd as an outsider. Cyrene was 800 miles away, on the other side of the Mediterranean. He must have been a pilgrim, a convert to Judaism in Jerusalem for Passover.

It’s not remarkable to me that we know someone was forced to carry Jesus’ cross, but it is remarkable to me that we know not only his name, but his sons’ names, and where they were from. Why would Mark have made sure his readers knew this? Many scholars believe that Simon of Cyrene’s son, Rufus, is the same Rufus mentioned in Romans 16:13. He was a Christian, known in the early church. Since his other son, Alexander, is also mentioned, it seems likely their whole family became Christians, perhaps converted because of this experience.

They offered him wine mixed with myrrh. This was an anesthetic, intended to dull the pain. The women of Jerusalem had adopted this practice in obedience to the admonition in Proverbs 31:6-7. But Jesus refused it. Maybe he did not want to dull the agony. but to continue to suffer for us. It’s also possible that, in his fragile state, he thought if he took the narcotic mixture, he would pass out, and he needed to remain conscious until all was accomplished. Maybe it was both.

They crucified him. Jagged spikes were driven through his feet and wrists. His back, torn open from the scourging, scraped against the upright of the cross every time he tried to breathe. Death by crucifixion was a long, slow, horrible way to die. It took hours, and sometimes days. Insects would light on the faces and eyes of the condemned, and birds of prey would peck at them. Usually victims of crucifixion died by suffocation, since they had to push themselves up to breathe, and every time they did, they had to push against the nails driven through their feet and scrape their torn back against the rough wood of the cross. Often their legs were broken to speed up the process.

They divided his clothes. When you see a picture of Christ on the cross, or see it in a movie, Jesus is wearing a loin cloth. But that is only the modesty of the artist, or the movie studio trying to avoid an NC-17 rating. Jesus was crucified naked, as all who were crucified were. This was one more form of humiliation of the Jews by the Romans. Under Jewish law, stoning victims were permitted a loin cloth, but the Romans did not have the moral objections to public nudity that the Jews had. Their athletes competed naked in the public arenas, so to crucify criminals naked was no big deal to them. It was just another way to intimidate those who would commit crimes against Rome.

²⁵It was the third hour when they crucified him. ²⁶The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁷They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.^{[a] 29}Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰come down from the cross and save yourself!”

³¹In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! ³²Let this Christ,^[b] this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

John tells us that Pilate wrote and placed the sign over Jesus’ head (John 19:19-22). But it wasn’t a confession of his Lordship, it was a public notice of the charge against him. Of all the insults that were heaped on Jesus as he hung on the cross, the most revealing is what the religious leaders said about him in verse 31. They admitted that he saved others. The whole city and region were littered with those Jesus had healed and saved from death, yet they still did not believe in him. By throwing this insult at Jesus, they were actually condemning themselves. Those who have seen first hand what Jesus can do, but still refuse to believe are without excuse, and will receive the harshest judgment. There was good reason the people Jesus was most critical of during his ministry were the very religious. We in the church have to keep that in our minds all the time. If we spend our whole lives hearing the gospel preached and seeing the change Jesus makes in people’s lives, but still fail to really believe, we are truly lost.

Mark Bible Bible, crucifixion, Jesus, Mark

The Crucifixion

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. ¹⁷Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). ¹⁸Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

¹⁹Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read:|sc JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁰Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. ²¹The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”

²²Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

The sign that Pilate posted was not a confession of faith. It was a notice of the charge against Jesus. The Romans would not crucify him because he claimed to be God, or the Jewish Messiah. The Romans had many gods, one more wouldn’t matter to them. The charge on which they executed him was that he was called the King of the Jews, which would have been considered treason against Rome. Crucifixion was an instrument of terror meant to intimidate populations and keep them from offending Rome in any way. Even though Jesus refused to take on the role of a political Messiah, he was still crucified on a false political charge.

²³When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

²⁴“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said,
“They divided my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.” So this is what the soldiers did.

²⁵Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” ²⁷and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

This passage shows how close Jesus and John were. Mary was a widow by this time, as most Biblical scholars believe that Joseph died when Jesus was a teenager. Taking care of widows and orphans was a priority for Jesus, and when it came to the end, he wanted his widowed mother to be taken in by his best friend.

The Death of Jesus

²⁸Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

“It is finished”. The three greatest words in our faith. Whatever you’re afraid of, don’t be afraid. It is finished. Spiritual warfare? The war is over, the devil just doesn’t know it yet. It is finished.

³¹Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. ³²The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. ³³But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. ³⁵The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. ³⁶These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” ³⁷and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

Death on a cross usually came about from suffocation. The person being crucified had to pull themselves up to breathe. As their legs tired out, they would eventually suffocate. This usually took hours, and sometimes days. So if they wanted to hasten death, they would break the legs of the crucified so they couldn’t support themselves to breathe. That’s why they didn’t break Jesus’ legs. It wasn’t necessary, because he was already dead. When they pierced Jesus’ side, as John testifies, blood and water flowed out, doctors say that the only way for that to happen is if his heart had burst within his chest. Jesus literally died of a broken heart. And the fact that Jesus “gave up his spirit” of his own accord shows that no one took his life from him. He gave it willingly.

The Burial of Jesus

³⁸Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. ³⁹He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. ⁴⁰Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. ⁴¹At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. ⁴²Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

This grave must have been owned by Joseph of Arimathea. People don’t own prepared graves casually. This must have been a family grave site, like we would purchase ahead of time for ourselves or our family members today. It wasn’t a spare. Grave sites are not cheap. They are like family heirlooms. And it’s not like Joseph knew he was going to get the grave back in a few days. He thought he was losing the use of it. Are we willing to give our most precious things to Jesus, not expecting repayment?

Mark Bible crucifixion, Jesus, John