Introduction
A. I want to begin with a true story about a girl named Donna and a boy named Felipe.
1. Donna Ashlock and Felipe Graza were high school freshman in a small farming community near San Francisco.
2. Felipe was infatuated with Donna and considered her his girlfriend.
3. He would often go by the hamburger place where she worked to try to get her attention with small talk.
4. Needless to say, she wasn’t impressed and the feelings weren’t mutual – she actually considered someone else her boyfriend.
B. In December of 1985, Donna was diagnosed with a serious heart problem and needed a heart transplant or she would die in a matter of weeks.
1. When Felipe learned of Donna’s condition, he casually told his mother, “I’m going to die so that I can give my heart to my girlfriend.”
2. Since the 15 year-old boy seemed to be in perfectly good health, his parents regarded his statement as nothing more than his having a heart of sympathy for Donna.
3. They had no idea that Felipe had been experiencing some severe headaches.
4. Within a month, a blood vessel burst in Felipe’s head and he was brain dead by the time he reached the hospital.
5. His family honored his wishes by donating his heart to the young girl he loved.
C. Donna received Felipe’s heart, returned to school and continued to work at the restaurant.
1. The story of Felipe’s premonition and gift caught national attention and Donna got to meet famous people, like President Reagan and Michael Jackson.
2. Donna’s goal was to become a nurse so that she could use her life to help others.
D. Sadly, Donna died in March of 1989, a little over three years after receiving the heart transplant.
1. The arch-enemy of transplant cases is what killed her – rejection.
2. Her body’s immune system rejected the tissue that was not her own, thus rejecting the only thing that could save her.
3. Donna’s rejection of Felipe’s heart was a physical problem and it was not by her choice.
E. Let’s make a spiritual parallel.
1. Each one of us has a terminal disease called sin, but there is a remedy for our condition.
2. Jesus voluntarily died so that we could live through a transplant of His righteousness.
3. Without the forgiveness that comes through the blood of Jesus, all of us will die.
4. But guess what can get in the way of being saved through Jesus? Rejection!
5. Not physical rejection, but spiritual rejection.
6. Jesus is the cure, but a person must believe and be baptized into Jesus, and follow Him to be saved through the transplant of His righteousness.
F. Today, in our study of the Gospel of Mark, we arrive at the crucifixion of Jesus – the day God died.
1. Let’s look at the only sacrifice that can save us and let’s consider our reaction to it.
2. We have two choices: We can accept Jesus and live for Him, or we can reject Him – thus, rejecting the only One who can save us.
I. The Crucifixion of Jesus
A. Mark’s Gospel is more concise than the other Gospels, so it shouldn’t surprise us that when Mark tells about the crucifixion of Jesus, he omits many facts that the other Gospel writers include.
1. The actual description of Jesus’ words and actions during the crucifixion are limited to 5 brief verses: 22-24, 34, and 37.
2. When put together, those verses describe what Jesus experienced in these words: 22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of the Skull). 23 They tried to give him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, casting lots for them to decide what each would get. … 34 And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”… 37 Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed his last.
3. Amazingly, Mark tells us so little about the words and actions of Jesus during His crucifixion.
a. Look at how concise his version is: they brought Jesus to Golgotha, they tried to give Him a drink to deaden the pain, they crucified Him, He cried out at 3 PM, then let out a loud cry and breathed His last - that’s it – that’s all that Mark tells us in 5 brief verses.
4. What then did Mark spend the other 21 verses about the crucifixion describing? The words and actions of the people who witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion.
B. I could preach a sermon focusing on the agony of Jesus’ death – the nails, the blood, the pain, the heat, the exhaustion, and the dehydration - and that would likely impact us for sure.
1. I could also preach a sermon about the meaning of the cross – the atonement and the justification that it brought – and that would likely inform us.
2. But if I preach either of those sermons, then I won’t be preaching the sermon that Mark wants us to hear, because they wouldn’t be based on the things Mark focused on in his Gospel.
3. Mark’s focus is on the individuals, or groups of individuals who witnessed the crucifixion.
4. Mark brings them before us, one by one, so that we might see the reactions of people to Jesus and this awful event.
5. If Jesus were to be crucified today, then likely the same kinds of people would be gathered and the same kinds of reactions would take place.
6. Why is that the case? Because people haven’t changed and the same attitudes which were present in that day are present in our day.
7. Let’s explore Mark’s description of the reactions of people around the cross.
II. The People Who Witnessed the Crucifixion
A. First, we notice a man named Simon: The person who carried Jesus’ cross.
1. Mark wrote: They led him out to crucify him. 21 They forced a man coming in from the country, who was passing by, to carry Jesus’s cross. He was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. (Mark 15:20b-21)
2. As Jesus stumbled along the Via Dolorosa, his beaten body gave way under the weight of the cross, and so the Roman soldiers grabbed a stranger and forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.
3. The man was Simon who was from Cyrene, which is in North Africa.
a. Simon was a visitor in Jerusalem - he had probably come for the Passover.
b. He was just a passer-by, who was drafted by a power he could not resist and was forced to carry out a hard task in the drama of Jesus’ execution.
4. It appears that Simon became a believer in Jesus at some point.
a. Maybe it happened as he walked with Jesus on the road to Calvary.
b. Mark tells us that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.
c. Why would Mark include that information unless his first readers knew who they were.
d. Romans 16 mentions a man named Rufus who was a close working associate of the apostle Paul and whose mother had been especially kind to Paul. (he may be the same Rufus)
5. I would like to suggest that Simon represents those individuals who have found Jesus, but who found Him accidentally.
a. People like Simon weren’t seeking Jesus, but when their lives intersected with His, they realized that they had found what they really needed.
b. And from that point forward, they gladly walked with Jesus and carried the cross.
c. Maybe your story is like Simon from Cyrene’s story.
B. Second, we notice the Roman soldiers: the Ones who erected Jesus’ cross.
1. Mark wrote: 22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of the Skull)… 24 Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, casting lots for them to decide what each would get. (Mk. 15:22, 24)
2. Gathered at the foot of the cross were the soldiers who carried out the execution of Jesus.
3. They were Roman soldiers who had no doubt crucified scores of people.
4. As they finished the grim task of nailing Jesus to the cross and putting the cross in place, they could think of nothing else to do but sit down and gamble for Jesus’ only possessions.
5. I would like to suggest that these soldiers are the classic example of the calloused individuals who never appreciate the meaning of the cross of Christ.
a. For those soldiers it was just business as usual.
b. Jesus was just another person being crucified and His only value was in His possessions.
6. Many people in our world today know about Jesus, but they care nothing for Him.
a. They know Jesus’ story, but they don’t appreciate the significance of it.
b. They may even exploit Jesus for profit – like the many makers of films and documentaries about Jesus that are not designed to promote Jesus, but just profit from Jesus.
c. Some of these people might even be church attenders – they want what Jesus offers, but they don’t really want Jesus Himself.
d. They are looking for Jesus’ rewards, but they want nothing to do with Jesus’ requirements.
e. I hope none of us fall into this category or group!
C. Third, we notice the Passers-By: the Ones who Ridiculed Jesus’ cross.
1. Included in this group are the crowd, the chief priests, and the 2 criminals on their own crosses.
2. Mark wrote: 25 Now it was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The inscription of the charge written against him was: The King of the Jews. 27 They crucified two criminals with him, one on his right and one on his left. 29 Those who passed by were yelling insults at him, shaking their heads, and saying, “Ha! The one who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself by coming down from the cross!” 31 In the same way, the chief priests with the scribes were mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! 32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with him taunted him.
3. The words of ridicule must have been among of the hardest things Jesus experienced.
a. The very people Jesus was dying for were ridiculing Him.
b. And the demands or proofs that they were looking for from Him would have been easy for Him to perform, but they would derail His very mission.
c. He could have easily freed Himself from the cross and saved Himself, but had He done so, He couldn’t have provided salvation for the rest of us.
4. These people could not conceive of anything but saving themselves.
a. Their greatest interest was in self-preservation and self-gratification, but thankfully, Jesus was not interested in those things.
b. When they tested Jesus against their selfish mindset, they considered Jesus a fool – someone who deserved their ridicule – how wrong they were!
5. I want to suggest that these people stand for those people today who despise Jesus and His teachings.
a. To them, Christianity is foolish and they ridicule those who follow Jesus.
b. They laugh at self-control and morals as old fashioned, unenlightened and prudish.
c. They consider spending time in worship as a waste of precious personal time.
d. They consider it foolish to give money to the Lord and to store up treasures in heaven –
after all, they worked hard for their money and they are going to spend it on themselves.
6. For them, Christianity isn’t explored with reason, but only treated with contempt.
a. Again, I hope that none of us fall into this category or group.
D. Fourth, we notice the Nameless Man: the One who Observed Jesus’ cross.
1. Mark wrote: 33 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” 35 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “See, he’s calling for Elijah.” 36 Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, fixed it on a stick, offered him a drink, and said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”
2. Before we discuss the “someone” that Mark points to in these verses, let’s talk for a minute about the three hours of darkness that came over the crucifixion from noon until 3 PM.
a. It is significant that the events surrounding Jesus’ death happened in the dark.
b. The betrayal and the trial before the Sanhedrin all happened at night, and the actual moment of Jesus death in the middle of the day occurred during an inexplicable darkness.
c. Many people have suggested a natural cause for this event – like an eclipse – but a solar eclipse does not create darkness for more than a few minutes.
d. This was none other than a supernatural darkness – in the Bible, darkness during the day is a recognized sign of God’s displeasure and judgment (Ex. 10:21-23).
e. Our personal spiritual darkness comes when we turn away from God as our true light.
f. When Jesus took the sins of the world upon Himself, He fell into complete darkness so that we wouldn’t have to.
g. Anyone who doesn’t receive the light and salvation that Jesus brings, will be shut out from the presence of God, who is light and truth, and will be cast into utter and eternal darkness.
3. Let’s return to the “someone” Mark tells us about - this “someone” heard Jesus cry out and heard others say that they thought Jesus was crying out for Elijah.
a. At first glance, it appears that this man was moved with compassion and ran to get something for Jesus to drink.
b. But after further examination, it looks like the man’s motive wasn’t to relieve Jesus’ suffering, but to delay His death.
c. If he prolonged Jesus’ life, then maybe Elijah would show up and do something amazing.
4. So, it looks like the man was moved by curiosity, not compassion and I would suggest that he represents characters and characteristics of our own time.
a. Many people are thrill-seekers who thrive on the unusual or the sensational.”
b. They are drawn to whatever the new or big thing that is happening on the religious scene.
c. If there’s an alleged revival, or Jesus sighting, or a Mary statue does something odd, they show up.
d. Truth is: many people make big money providing these kinds of experiences – they say: “come see the place where Jesus was born or was buried or was taken into heaven – come buy a piece of the cross or some holy water that will cure every disease.” So wrong!
E. Fifth, we notice the Centurion: the One who Declared Jesus’ cross.
1. Mark wrote: 37 Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 Then the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 When the centurion, who was standing opposite him, saw the way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (15:37-39)
2. Before we discuss the centurion, let’s talk for a minute about the ripping of the temple curtain.
a. The curtain of the temple was not a flimsy, little veil, rather it was a heavy and thick curtain that was a substantial barrier.
b. It separated the holy place from the most holy place where God’s shekinah glory dwelt and it separated people from the presence of God.
c. Only the holiest man – the high priest – was allowed to enter the holy of holies, only on the holiest day of the year – Yom Kippur – and he had to bring a blood sacrifice with him.
d. At the moment that Jesus died, this massive curtain was ripped open from top to bottom, just to make clear who had done it and was God’s way of saying: “This is the sacrifice that ends all sacrifices, the way is now open to approach God.”
f. Now that Jesus has died, anybody who believes in Him can see God and connect with God.
3. To make sure we get the point, Mark immediately shows us the first person who connected with God through Jesus – the centurion.
a. His confession, “Truly this man was the Son of God,” is momentous and completes the point of Mark’s Gospel.
b. The first sentence in the first chapter of Mark refers to “Jesus Christ, the Son of God” and throughout the Gospel of Mark, people have been asking, “Who is this man?”
c. The centurion became the first person to confess the deity of Jesus after the cross of Christ.
d. And how unlikely it was since he was a hardened, brutal Roman centurion!
4. This Roman commander had seen death and had inflicted it to a degree that you and I can hardly imagine, but he detected something different in the death of Jesus.
a. Something he saw in Jesus that day penetrated his spiritual darkness.
b. The centurion had heard Jesus’ cry and all the other things Jesus said on the cross, and he saw how Jesus died – there was tenderness, peacefulness and beauty in the way Jesus died.
c. Framing the amazing, beautiful picture of how Jesus faced His crucifixion was the eerie darkness at midday and the earthquake at the moment of Jesus’ death.
d. All those things allowed God’s light to flood into the centurion’s dark soul and cause him to conclude: “Truly this man was the Son of God.”
5. I want to suggest that this man stands for those individuals who have had open minds.
a. This man probably started that day of crucifixion thinking about Jesus what other people thought of Him – He’s a criminal and a danger to the way of Judaism.
b. But this centurion changed his mind based on the new evidence before him.
6. Like him, all people need to continually look at Jesus with an open mind.
a. People with open minds and open hearts set aside their stereotypes, prejudices, and traditions in order to see Jesus with fresh eyes.
b. When a person sees Jesus clearly it is life changing.
c. I hope that all of us continue to be like this centurion who had an open mind and believed.
F. Sixth, we notice the Women: the Ones who mourned Jesus’ cross.
1. Mark wrote: 40 There were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women followed him and took care of him. Many other women had come up with him to Jerusalem. (Mk. 15:40-41)
2. So, not everyone present at the crucifixion were enemies of Jesus – Mark tells us that many of the women disciples of Jesus, including: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and Salome, along with other women were watching from a distance.
3. If you are like me then you’re wondering: Where were the men disciples of Jesus?
a. We know from John’s Gospel that John was present, but where were Peter, James and the other apostles?
b. I’m guessing that they were absent because they feared being arrested.
4. Mark doesn’t tell us what the women were feeling as Jesus was being crucified, but certainly they must have been bewildered, heartbroken, and full of sorrow.
5. This mention of the presence of the women is a reminder of the important part that women have always played in the work of God in this world.
a. Mark tells us that they had followed Jesus and cared for His needs.
b. They were last to be with Him at His death and would be first to behold His resurrection.
c. This is a wonderful tribute to the spiritual sensitivity and strength of women and a tribute to the important part they play in God’s kingdom.
6. Here at Wetzel Road, God continues to work in and through our women and we are so thankful for your faithfulness and hard work.
a. God’s kingdom purposes cannot be accomplished without you.
7. These women at the cross of Jesus stand as great examples for all of us, both men and women, to be faithful and to stand with Jesus even when we might want to run and hide.
G. The final person we notice at the cross was Joseph: The One who removed Jesus from His Cross.
1. Mark wrote: 42 When it was already evening, because it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, came and boldly went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body. 44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had already died. 45 When he found out from the centurion, he gave the corpse to Joseph. 46 After he bought some linen cloth, Joseph took him down and wrapped him in the linen. Then he laid him in a tomb cut out of the rock and rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where he was laid. (Mk. 15:42-47)
2. Joseph of Arimathea was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin – that means he was a Jewish leader who was a part of the group who sought to put Jesus to death, but Luke tells us that he was a good and upright man who did not consent to the Sanhedrin’s decision (Lk. 23:50-51).
a. Mark tells us that Joseph was looking forward to the kingdom of God and John tells us in his Gospel that Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus (Jn. 19:38).
3. Joseph stands for those individuals who try to keep their Christianity hidden.
a. Joseph believed in Jesus, but he didn’t publicly stand for Jesus.
b. How many of us are good and upright believers, but we try to hide our allegiance to Jesus.
4. But what’s wonderful to me is that Joseph changed – as Jesus hung there on the cross, Joseph decided it was time to stand up for Jesus after all that Jesus was willing suffer for everyone.
a. So, Joseph went boldly to Pilate and asked for permission to give Jesus a proper burial.
b. The Romans often left crucified criminals’ bodies on the cross to continue to humiliation and be a warning for others, so without permission Jesus body would have remained there.
c. Joseph was granted permission and placed Jesus’ body in a newly cut tomb fit for a king.
5. The final words of the chapter are like a final scene of a movie that leaves it open for a sequel: “He rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb and the women saw where He was laid.”
Conclusion:
A. As we all stand gazing at the cross of Jesus today, our hearts and minds are laid before God.
B. How have we or how will we respond to Jesus and His cross?
1. No one can remain neutral – a failure to respond is a response – indecision is a decision.
2. Which person or group around Jesus’ cross best represents your response at this point?
a. Simon from Cyrene: the one who carried the cross and found and followed Jesus?
b. The soldiers: the ones who erected the cross and remained calloused to Jesus?
c. The passers-by: the ones who ridiculed the cross and remained unbelievers?
d. The nameless man: the one who observed the cross and was interested in the miraculous?
e. The centurion: the one who acknowledged the cross and became a believer in Jesus?
f. The women: the ones who mourned the cross and remained faithful to Jesus even when others didn’t?
g. Joseph: the one who removed Jesus from the cross and took a stand for Jesus?
C. Regardless of what our response has been to Jesus and His cross in the past, each of us must daily renew our response to Jesus.
1. We started with the story about Donna Ashlock whose life was sustained by Felipe’s heart for three years, but ultimately, her body rejected the very heart that brought her life.
2. Jesus died that we might live and His sacrifice is what brings us life, but if we reject Him at the start or later down the road, then we will die in our sins.
3. We must get into Christ and stay in Christ in order to be saved.
D. The day when God died was a very dark day (literally and figuratively).
1. That day was Friday, but Sunday was coming!
2. Next week, Lord willing, we will explore the joy and victory of the resurrection of Jesus.
E. What response do you need to make to Jesus and His cross today?
1. I know that there are some among us who have not given their lives to Jesus in baptism – what are you waiting for?
2. There may be some who are followers of Jesus, but have not been following Jesus closely or faithfully and their spiritual flame is dying out or perhaps they have been keeping their allegiance to Jesus hidden.
3. It’s time to stand up for Jesus and rekindle your spiritual zeal for the Lord.
Resources:
• Truth for Today Commentary: Mark 1-8 and 9-16, Martel Pace, Resources Communications.
• The Day God Died, Sermon by David Owens
• Mark, The Communicator’s Commentary, David McKenna
• Jesus the King, by Timothy Keller, Riverhead Books, 2011
