Death and Burial - Mark 15:33-47

Rick Goettsche

Union Church of La Harpe Illinois

Mark • Sermon • Submitted 4 months ago • Presented 4 months ago

Mark 15:33–47

Crucifixion

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Mark 15:33-47

A number of years ago, Mel Gibson produced and directed a labor of love, called The Passion of the Christ. The movie depicted, in gruesome detail, the depths of the physical agony Jesus experienced on the cross. When it was released, many found it difficult to watch. Twenty years later, the movie remains difficult to watch. That was Mel’s intention. He did not want to shy away from the horror of the crucifixion.

While most people believe that the depictions of crucifixion we see in that movie are likely accurate representations of what Jesus experienced, it is somewhat surprising that the gospel writers do not seem to focus much on the physical agony of the cross. They report what happened: that Jesus was mocked, flogged, given a crown of thorns, made to carry his cross, and then nailed to the cross and left to die, but they don’t go into detail about the horrors of it. I believe the reason for this is that the gospel writers understood that the greatest horror of the cross was not the physical agony Jesus experienced, but rather His spiritual agony. As we look at Mark’s account today, our focus will not be so much on what Jesus experienced physically, but what He experienced spiritually. And as we do so, I hope we are driven to a greater and deeper understanding of Jesus’ love for sinners like you and me.

On the Cross

Last week we looked at Jesus’ trial before Pilate and the Jewish leaders, seeing how they mocked and bullied Him. We learned from Jesus’ example how we ought to respond to bullies in our lives as well. We saw Jesus led to Golgotha, where He was nailed to a cross and hung to die. The mocking continued even as he hung there. Today we pick up the story with Jesus already on the cross.

33 At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 34 Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” 35 Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 36 One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!” 37 Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!” 40 Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome. 41 They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there. (Mark 15:33-41, NLT)

Mark tells us that darkness fell across the whole land from about noon until about 3 o’clock. While people have tried to posit natural explanations for this darkness (such as a solar eclipse), I see no reason to look for a natural cause. The implication seems clear—God was demonstrating physically what was happening to Jesus spiritually. It was the darkest time in all of history, so it seemed only fitting that a supernatural darkness fell over the land as well. One commentator put it well,

Thirty-three years earlier there had been brightness and music at midnight when Jesus was born. Now there is darkness and silence at noontide as he dies.[1]

In the midst of the darkness (or maybe as it was dissipating), Jesus cried out in Aramaic, my God, my God, why have you abandoned me? These words were a quotation from the beginning of Psalm 22. This Psalm is a lament to the Lord for the trial David was undergoing. It ends, however, on a hopeful note as David anticipates God’s deliverance and praises Him.

The gospels record several statements from Jesus while He was on the cross. Each one is telling and significant. Mark, however, only records this one. The question is, why did Jesus say this? And why did Mark feel that this particular statement was the one he should record?

Most people believe Jesus called out with these words because it was during this time that the wrath of God was being poured out on Him. Jesus was taking upon himself the punishment deserved by those He would save. Jesus experienced the full weight of the wrath of God.

Jesus had endured the majority of the human experience during His time on earth. He had experienced temptation, tiredness, the cruelty of others, hunger, and likely even sickness. Jesus came to the earth to experience the same troubles as you and me. But there was one thing Jesus had yet to experience: separation from God.

Sin separates us from God. It creates a barrier between us and Him that cuts us off from His blessings and keeps us from the relationship we desperately need. Each of us has experienced this in some measure. When we sin, we can feel a distance from God developing. Thankfully, we do not ever experience complete separation, because God “causes the rain to fall on the just and unjust alike.” Even though we experience some separation from God, He remains active in our world, and everyone still enjoys some of the benefits of His presence.

Jesus was different from you and me. He was without sin. Jesus was the Son of God, who had existed eternally in relationship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. But now, as He hung on the cross, Jesus, as a man, experienced complete separation from God for the first time in His existence. The One who had created the world together with the Father and Spirit was now experiencing the Father’s wrath. Admittedly, this is somewhat difficult for us to wrap our heads around, but the scriptures are clear that this is what happened.

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21, NLT)

This is what caused Jesus to cry out with these words from Psalm 22. It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t understand what was happening. He absolutely did. He knew what lay ahead for Him as He prayed in the garden before He was betrayed. Remember what He prayed?

He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39, NLT)

The cup Jesus was praying about was not the cup of physical suffering (though the NLT makes it sound that way), it was the cup of God’s wrath that would be poured out upon Him as the payment for sin. Jesus knew what He was going to experience. And as He hung on the cross, He knew the reason it was necessary—so that He might provide forgiveness for everyone who would believe in Him. This was the entire purpose of His coming. He came to die. Jesus’ cry was not a question, but rather an exclamation of what He was feeling at that moment. He had experienced abandonment by God for the first time in His existence.

Those gathered didn’t understand what was happening. This is revealed by the fact that some people thought Jesus was calling for Elijah to come and save Him. It is ironic that these people thought Jesus, the Messiah, was calling for Elijah, the forerunner of the Messiah, to come and save Him. The coming of Elijah had already been fulfilled in the coming of John the Baptist (who was now dead). Jesus was not calling for Elijah at all—He was merely crying out in the spiritual agony He experienced.

Jesus’ Death

Mark then tells us that Jesus uttered another loud cry and then breathed His last. The other gospels tell us that this loud cry was the Greek word tetelestai, which means, it is finished. Jesus understood that He had now carried out the task He had come to accomplish. So He could now surrender to death.

Most people died from crucifixion over the course of many days. They lingered in a space between life and death, usually entering a sort of coma before eventually succumbing to the toll crucifixion had taken on their body. Jesus did not die this way. Jesus continued to speak (though I’m sure with great difficulty) even up to the moment He died. These weren’t whispered words, they were spoken in a loud voice. Jesus’ life was not taken from Him—He gave it up.

Mark tells us that at the moment of Jesus’ death the curtain in the temple was torn in half, from top to bottom. This was another significant sign. The interior of the temple was divided into two parts. The outer part was called the Holy Place, which was where priests went about their duties. The inner part was called the Most Holy Place, and it was set off from the other portion by an enormous and beautifully ornamented curtain. Documents from that time describe the curtain as being 60 feet tall and 30 feet wide and woven of a heavy fabric. Mark says that at the moment of Jesus’ death, this curtain, separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn in two, from top to bottom! In other words, there was no way this could have been done by human means—to tear the curtain from top to bottom could only be a sign from God!

But what did it signify? It signified that because of Jesus there was a new way to have a relationship with God. Before Jesus, the people had to come to God through a priest (a fact that would have been very obvious during Passover, as people came to the priests to offer sacrifices). The Most Holy Place represented the very presence of God. Only the high priest was able to enter, and even that was only once a year. Jesus made it possible for everyone to have access to God. The book of Hebrews explains that Jesus was the greatest high priest ever, because He has once and for all opened the way to God. You no longer need a human priest to give you access to the Father—Jesus has done this once and for all.

Mark also tells us of the response of the centurion who witnessed all these events. He exclaimed that Jesus truly must have been the Son of God. This man would have been a hardened and seasoned soldier. He had surely seen many people die, likely having dispatched several people himself. Not much would surprise him. But Jesus did. Nothing about this death was normal. Jesus’s death stood apart as unique from every other person he had watched die. The only conclusion in this man’s mind was that Jesus was, in fact, who He said He was. We aren’t told if this man became a follower of Jesus or what happened when he heard of Jesus’ resurrection. But after watching the spectacle of Jesus’ death, he saw only one conclusion—Jesus was who He claimed to be.

Mark’s gospel also tells us that there were a group of women who had stayed at the cross until the bitter end. These women were followers who had been a part of His ministry. I can only imagine the feelings of emptiness and confusion they felt as they stood there. They were absolutely convinced Jesus was the Messiah, and yet this was not how they thought the story of the Messiah was supposed to end. They were convinced of who He was, but now they were trying to understand how they could have been wrong.

Burial

Generally, the bodies of people who were crucified were left to hang on the cross and be picked apart by scavengers. This was all part of the spectacle that was designed to serve as a deterrent to other would-be enemies of Rome. Once their bodies were removed from the cross, they were thrown into a mass grave. Many believe the reason this place was called Golgotha (the place of the skull) was because it was littered with the skulls of those who had been crucified before. Jesus’ followers couldn’t bear to see His body treated in this way, so they sprung into action.

42 This all happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.) 44 Pilate couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet. 45 The officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. 46 Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body was laid. (Mark 15:42-47, NLT)

A man named Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate to ask for Jesus’ body. Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin, which makes the fact that He was a follower of Jesus even more surprising. Going to Pilate to ask for the body was a bold move, because Pilate was already not particularly happy with the Jewish leaders. But Joseph went anyway, risking his life by going to Pilate, and risking his position and reputation by showing himself to be a follower of Jesus.

Pilate was surprised to learn Jesus had already died (as death by crucifixion could take days). He consulted with the officer in charge of the execution, and he confirmed that Jesus had, in fact, already died. So Pilate granted Joseph’s request.

It was the day before the Sabbath, so Joseph had to work quickly. All work would need to be completed by sundown, so they had only a couple of short hours in which to complete their tasks. He purchased long strips of linen in which to wrap Jesus’ body. Some of the women who had been at the cross helped him as he carefully laid the body into a tomb that had never been used. This was likely either his own personal tomb, or one belonging to his family. This would have been a great sacrifice for him, but it seems that he didn’t think twice about it. The good news was that Jesus was only going to need it for a couple of days! (Though Joseph didn’t know that).

Mark makes it a point to tell us that the women were there as well and knew where Jesus’ body had been laid. He knew some people would claim that these women had gotten lost or just didn’t know where Jesus was buried, and that’s why they found the tomb empty. He knew that wasn’t what happened, which is why he made it a point to mention that the women saw where Jesus was laid. Mark wanted to leave no doubt in anyone’s minds that Jesus had risen from the dead.

Conclusion

This whole account describes the darkest moment in human history, and yet it also describes the greatest blessing of human history as well. This is the paradox of the cross: the greatest miscarriage of justice became the greatest good. Jesus, who was sinless, became sin to save those who were sinful. Jesus became our substitute on the cross.

So let’s draw some applications from this account. What can we learn from this?

First, Jesus makes a relationship with God available to all. The tearing of the curtain in the temple is a beautiful picture of what Jesus’ death accomplished. He has made it possible for us to have access to God. But we must remember an important element: the only way through the curtain is Jesus. Many people believe that they are “good with God” because they are pretty good people. That simply isn’t true. The only way for us to enter God’s presence is through the One who has paid the penalty of our sin once and for all. If you want to have access to God, if you want to spend eternity with Him, if you want to be forgiven of your sin, the only way for that to happen is through Jesus.

Second, the cross can penetrate even the hardest of hearts. The centurion standing at the cross is a reminder that nobody is too far gone for God to change their heart. The Bible is full of examples of this. God can take people who once stood as enemies of God and help them to see the truth of the gospel at the cross of Calvary. Our job is to point people to Jesus. Challenge them to look at Him deeply, to really examine Him. If they do, then like this centurion, they will be faced with the reality that this man, Jesus, really was the Son of God.

Third, following Jesus causes us to realign our priorities. Joseph of Arimathea likely had some affinity for Jesus before. He may not have approved of everything the Sanhedrin had done in the last several hours, but the sad reality is that he also did nothing to stop it. We can understand why that might have been. He had surely worked hard to achieve his position and he didn’t want to lose it. But as he stood at the cross, he saw that Jesus was unique and that following Him changed his priorities. No longer was his position, his power, his wealth, or his reputation most important. He was not even concerned with the fact that by touching a dead body he would be unable to celebrate the Passover meal. What was most important was for him to honor the One who died for us. If we truly understand who Jesus is, then we understand that He changes our priorities. Everything else becomes secondary when compared to Him.

Finally, we see the ultimate picture of love. If you ever find yourself doubting that God cares for you, come back to the cross. The ultimate picture of love is Jesus suffering on the cross for you and me. Remember that the greatest agony Jesus faced was not the physical pain of crucifixion (though that was far greater than we can even imagine), it was the pain of separation from God as He bore the punishment for our sin himself. Jesus did not have to go through any of this. He could have stopped the proceedings at any time, but He didn’t. He knew what He was doing. He was forsaken by God so that we might be forgiven by Him. The cross is the ultimate depiction of God’s love for you and me. If we understand this, we also understand that the cross demands a response. We must each decide what we will do with this truth. Will we submit to Him or turn away from Him? Those are really our only two options.

Jesus’ death on the cross happened for a singular purpose—so that we might see God’s love and grace manifested. Jesus made clear for us that even though we deserve condemnation, He has made it possible for us to be forgiven. That is a truth that remains profound and life-changing for everyone who sees and understands it.

[1] Hughes, R. Kent. Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior. Vol. 2. Preaching the Word. Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989.

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