Lenten/Easter Devotion
The Miracles of Jesus
“The Crucifixion of Jesus”
Mark 15:15-41
March 29, 2024
Each year, my wife and I go to Good Friday services. The service doesn’t change much from year to year. How could it? We are told the same story each year. The horrors of Christ being crucified and hearing Him being mocked. We can visualize the other two crosses and Jesus conversing with the two robbers. We watch the soldiers throwing dice for Jesus’ clothing. In the crowd, we can see Mary, Jesus’ mother. Jesus tells the Apostle John, she’s your responsibility now; take care of her. And we hear Christ’s last words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.”
Then it’s over. Jesus is dead, hanging on the cross. Living on this side of history, we know it’s not over. It’s just the beginning.
Here, I present you with Mark’s Gospel writings of the crucifixion. Each Gospel has a few differences, but the main thing is that Christ died on the cross for you and me.
May today be a day of remembrance, thankfulness, a bit of sadness, and immense joy. Why joy? Because Christ died, so we may live eternally.
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(This is the AMP – Amplified Bible, with explanations throughout the reading)
“So, Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, set Barabbas free for them, and after having Jesus, (I.e., whipped with a short whip of metal-tipped leather thongs. There was no limit to the number of lashings. Frequently, the body was so lacerated that the intestines gushed out. It was not uncommon for a prisoner to die from scourging.) scourged, he handed Him over [to his soldiers] to be crucified.
Jesus Is Mocked
The soldiers led Him away into the palace (that is, the the residence of the Roman provincial governor. Praetorium), and they called together the entire [Roman] battalion [of 600 soldiers]. They dressed Him up in [a ranking Roman officer’s robe of] purple, and after twisting [together] a crown of thorns, they placed it on Him; and they began saluting and mocking Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!” They kept beating Him on the head with a (I.e., a long bamboo-like stick.) reed and spitting on Him and kneeling and bowing in [mock] homage to Him. After they had mocked Him, they took off the purple robe and put His own clothes on Him. And they led Him out [of the city] to crucify Him.
They forced into service a passer-by coming in from the countryside, Simon of (A port city in North Africa.) Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus) (The crossbeam was usually placed on the nape of the neck like a yoke.) to carry His cross.
The Crucifixion
Then they brought Him to the Place [called] Golgotha, which is translated Place of a (Latin: Calvaria; or Calvary; Aram: Golgotha; Greek: Kranion.) Skull.
They tried to give Him (The myrrh had a narcotic effect and was added to dull the senses.) wine mixed with myrrh [to dull the pain], but He would not take it. And they crucified Him and (See note Matt 27:35.) divided up His clothes among themselves, casting lots for them to see who should take what. It was the third hour (9:00 a.m.) when they crucified Him. The inscription of the accusation against Him had been written [above Him]: “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. [And the Scripture was fulfilled, which says, “He was counted with the transgressors.”] Those who were passing by were insulting Him with abusive and insolent language, wagging their heads [as a sign of contempt], and saying, “Ha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in [only] three days, save Yourself by coming down from the cross!” In the same way, the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were ridiculing and mocking Him among themselves and, saying, “He saved others [from death]; He cannot save Himself! Let the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe and trust [in Him]!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.
When the sixth hour (noon) came, darkness covered the whole land until the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.). And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Some of the bystanders heard Him and said, “Look! He is calling for (The Jews believed that the prophet Elijah would return before the Messiah appeared.) Elijah!” Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, “Let us see whether Elijah is coming to take Him down.” But Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed out His last [voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father’s plan]. And the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two from (This act of God signified that the death of Jesus ended the need for temple sacrifices and intermediaries and opened the way for free and direct access to God.) top to bottom. When the centurion, who was standing opposite Him, saw the way He breathed His last [being fully in control], he said, “Truly, this man was the Son of God!”
Now, some women also were watching from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene and (Gr Maria. She is believed to be a sister or sister-in-law of Jesus’ mother, Mary (Gr Mariam). Mary, the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and (Matt 27:56 indicates that Salome was the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Salome is believed to be one of the sisters of Jesus’ mother, Mary.) Salome. When Jesus was in Galilee, they used to accompany him and minister to Him; there were also many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.“
Lord Jesus, you died so we might live. There’s nothing left to say but thank You, and we love You. Amen.
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