Marcos 15

Marcos 15

Maclaren - The cross is the centre of the world’s history. The incarnation of Christ and the crucifixion of our Lord are the pivot round which all the events of the ages revolve. H. C. Trumbull - Calvary shows how far men will go in sin, and how far God will go for man’s salvation. Danny Akin - 2000 years of Church history unfortunately have domesticated and sanitized the cross for modern persons. We have lost the horror of what it involved. And, our 4 gospels say almost nothing in terms of its details. Why? I think there are several reasons. First, people in Jesus’ day were fully “up-to-date” on this method of capital punishment. They had seen it too many times. They knew all they wanted to know. Second, it was not the suffering that is important to the gospel writers but the one suffering. It is the Son of God hanging on the cross taking away the sins of the world (John 1:29). That is their rightful focus. (Mark 15:21-47 The Murder of the Great King) Rogers - There were three of them there that day. Three crosses. One of those men on the cross died in his sin and went to hell. Another man died to his sin and went to heaven because of the middle man who died for both....Three crosses, a cross of redemption, a cross of rejection, and a cross of reception. (Sound Theology) THOUGHT - One of the most amazing truths of the crucifixion of Christ is that there were not just two criminals crucified with Him on that day, but there were in fact literally millions and millions of criminals (evil doers) crucified with Him that day! If you are a genuine believer in Christ, then as mysterious and miraculous as it sounds, you were crucified with Him on the Cross as Paul explains in Romans 6 (Read Romans 6:2-14+, especially Romans 6:6+ "our old self was crucified with Him"; cf Galatians 2:20+) Related Resource: Two Songs that Relate to the Crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Take a moment and listen to the poignant song "The Hammer" THE LYRIC THAT SHOULD PIERCE US ALL IS "Who nailed Him there? Then I looked and saw the hammer in my hand!" And if you want your heart to break (some more) take a few moments and WATCH THE LAMB. Skull (2898)(kranion) our English "cranium", cf Latin "calvaria" which gives us "Calvary." This refers to the skull the bony framework of the head Gilbrant - The word is related to kara, a poetic counterpart to kephalē (2747), “head,” in classical Greek. It denotes a “skull,” the bony structure of the head, particularly the upper portion of the head. It is used of men, horses, trees, etc. In the New Testament it is only used as a reference to the name of the hill where Christ was crucified (Matthew 27:33; Mark 15:22; Luke 23:33; John 19:17). All the accounts but Luke use it to explain the meaning of the Aramaic name of the hill, Golgotha. In Luke, the King James Version uses “Calvary” as the translation for kranion, but this is simply drawn from the Latin word for skull. (Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary – Zeta-Kappa.) (ISBE article) KRANION - 4V - Matt. 27:33; Mk. 15:22; Lk. 23:33; Jn. 19:17 Question - Where/what is Golgotha/Calvary? Answer - Golgotha is the Aramaic name of the location where Jesus was crucified outside of Old Jerusalem. In John 19:16-18 we read, “So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.” Golgotha is also mentioned in Matthew 27:32-34 and Mark 15:21-22. In Luke 23:33 of the King James Version, the word Calvary is used in reference to the same location. In modern translations, the more literal term “the place that is called The Skull” (ESV) is generally used. The word Calvary is derived from the Latin phrase for this location, Calvariae Locus. Counting this reference, all four Gospels make specific reference to this particular hill as the place of Jesus’ death. According to early church fathers, the location was called “The Place of the Skull” due to the shape of the hill that apparently reminded people of a human skull. There has been some dispute regarding the precise location of this hill, but the traditional place is underneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the northwest (Christian) quadrant of the Old City. The church is built over a point called the Rock of Golgotha, the supposed site of the crucifixion. As the name of the church suggests, the building also includes a cave-like tomb where Jesus’ body was supposedly laid. The church’s construction was overseen by Helena, the mother of Constantine, in A.D. 325 and has long held prominence as the traditional location of the crucifixion of Jesus. The location of Golgotha is of interest to Christians due to the events that have taken place there. One fateful day, Jesus carried a cross, helped by a man named Simon, toward a hill where He was hung by nails through His wrists and feet. He hung between two thieves as one of three sentenced to death that day. One of these two men understood who Jesus was and asked the Lord to remember him in the kingdom. Jesus responded with a promise of glory soon to be revealed: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). It’s why Jesus was shedding His blood—to forgive and redeem sinners who placed their faith in Him. Still today, this hill we call Golgotha or Calvary stands as a reminder of Jesus’ great sacrifice—the only sacrifice capable of forgiving sin and reconciling man with God (Hebrews 10:12; Acts 4:12). (GotQuestions.org) QUESTION - Where was Jesus crucified? | GotQuestions.org ANSWER - The precise location of where Jesus was crucified is a matter of debate. The location is declared to be “Golgotha,” the “place of the skull,” in Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33, and John 19:17. The Gospels give a few other clues as to the location. John 19:20 says that it was “near the city,” which very likely indicates that it was outside of the city walls. Mark 15:40 states that the location of Jesus’ crucifixion could be seen from a distance, which likely indicates that it was elevated. Matthew 27:39 and Mark 15:29 describe the crucifixion site as being accessible to passers-by. The two most popular proposed sites of where Jesus was crucified are the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (ED: ZONDERVAN DICTIONARY ARTICLE) and Gordon’s Calvary. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the traditional site, dating back to the early fourth century AD in the writings of Eusebius. Gordon’s Calvary was first proposed in the mid-nineteenth century by Otto Thenius, Fisher Howe, and Claude Conder, and then popularized in the late nineteenth century by Charles Gordon. The problem with knowing exactly where Jesus was crucified is that Jerusalem has experienced a massive amount of change in the past two thousand years. Major sections of the city itself have been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is inside the current city walls, but would its location have been outside of the city walls in the early first century? Gordon’s Calvary is definitely outside of the city walls, but did it even exist in its current form in the early first century, or is it the result of quarrying work that has occurred sometime in the past 2,000 years? It is not the purpose of this article to settle the debate of where Jesus was crucified. There are strong opinions on both sides. Some favor the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and others favor Gordon’s Calvary. There are arguments for other locations as well. Ultimately, the exact location of where Jesus was crucified does not matter. Wherever the location is, there is no biblical reason to revere it. There is no spiritual power or promised blessing at the spot where Jesus was crucified or where He was buried. We are no closer to God in the tomb beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or on the top of Gordon’s Calvary than we are in our homes. Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). That is what is important. QUESTION - Why does Golgotha mean “place of the skull” (Matthew 27:33)? ANSWER - As Matthew recounts Jesus’ crucifixion, he describes that “they came to a place called Golgotha (which means ‘the place of the skull’)” (Matthew 27:33). Matthew doesn’t directly answer the question of why Golgotha means “place of the skull,” but he uses the term Golgotha, which was “the Aramaic name of a hill near Jerusalem where executions took place” (Louw, J. P., and Nida, E. A., Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains, United Bible Societies, 1996, p. 834). Luke references the crucifixion site as “the place called The Skull” (Luke 23:33), or more literally, “the place called Kranion”—the general Greek term for “skull.” What Matthew writes in Aramaic, Luke recounts in Greek, as both languages were commonly used among the people in Israel in that day. Luke, like Matthew, offers no direct explanation why the name of the location means “place of the skull,” but his use of the Greek kranion, along with Matthew’s use of Golgotha, might be indicative of a location that somewhat resembled a skull and was named for its appearance, or the term could simply reference a place of death, as it appears this was a common crucifixion site for criminals. John also makes note of the location where Jesus was crucified, adding that “they took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him” (John 19:17–18a, NASB). John first uses the Greek kranion and then clarifies that in Hebrew the name was Golgotha. While John provides both terms in his description, he does not address the question of why Golgotha means “place of the skull.” Mark provides the most direct answer to the question of why Golgotha means “place of the skull,” as he recounts that “they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull” (Mark 15:22, NASB). From Mark’s account, we may understand the place to simply be named Golgotha and that the association with the skull was merely a translation, but of course that would still not provide an answer as to why the name Golgotha was used in the first place. Because the exact location is unknown, the place may not be observed today to determine whether the terrain resembles a skull, nor is there additional historical documentation explaining why this location was the place of the skull. It is worth noting that, in later Latin translations, the term calva was used, translating the Greek and Aramaic terms for “skull” with the Latin equivalent, and the term Calvary has become a commonly identified name to reference the place where Jesus was crucified. Both Golgotha and Calvary have become part of popular Christian vocabulary, though Golgotha seemed to be in wider use in the early church (see, for example, the ancient Coptic hymn “Golgotha”). The term Calvary is usually preferred in more contemporary usage (for example, in Jennie Evelyn Hussey’s 1921 hymn “Lead Me to Calvary”). While we are never told in the pages of Scripture exactly why Golgotha was called the “place of the skull,” the imagery of that name sets a sober mood for our recalling that our Savior died there, paying the price for our sin. That imagery reminds that He conquered death, rising from the dead victorious and able to give us eternal life. QUESTION -What is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre? ANSWER - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (or Church of the Resurrection) is a church and shrine in Jerusalem that is supposedly built around the empty tomb of Jesus. It is possible that this church is built on the original tomb site, but it is also possible that the site of the tomb has been lost to us and that this shrine was developed in the way that so many other relics of the church were accumulated—which is to say fancifully, if not fraudulently. There are other traditions that identify another site as Jesus’ empty tomb. According to the historian Eusebius, the Roman emperor Hadrian had a temple dedicated to Venus built on the site of Jesus’ tomb in order to obscure the site of Jesus’ burial. After his conversion, Emperor Constantine began building churches and shrines throughout the empire, and he replaced the temple to Venus with a church commemorating the site. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre became a destination for pilgrimages and still is to this day. Over the years the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been damaged, rebuilt, and expanded so that now the church also covers the supposed site of the crucifixion and even contains the stone table on which Jesus’ body is said to have been anointed for burial. The control of the site is shared by several religious and civil authorities, but it is the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. While it would be interesting to know the exact site of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, such knowledge is not necessary for our faith. What is more important is that Jesus died for our sins and rose again for our justification (Romans 4:25) and that He is present with us today through the Holy Spirit (Galatians 4:6). We do not need to make a pilgrimage to any “holy site” to be in His presence. 'I Belong There!' Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. — 1 Peter 3:18 Today's Scripture: Mark 15:22-39 A missionary was speaking to a remote tribe of people who had never heard about the life and ministry of Jesus. Seated in the front row, listening intently to all the missionary had to say, was the chief of the tribe. As the story of Jesus came to its climax and the chief heard how Christ was cruelly crucified, he could restrain himself no longer. He jumped up and cried, “Stop! Take Him down from the cross! I belong there, not Him!” He had grasped the meaning of the gospel; he understood that he was a sinner, and that Christ was the sinless One. As you consider that scene of the Son of God hanging on the cross in agony, with blood flowing from His wounds, can you say from your heart, “I belong there!” Then go one step further and put your trust in Him as your Savior, so that you can say with Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). Jesus took our place and died in our stead. Because He bore our sins, He has opened the way for us to be brought into fellowship with the Father. If you identify yourself with Christ and believe that He died for you, God will identify you with Christ and give you His righteousness. When Jesus died upon the cross, He took our sin and shame; He offers us His righteousness, A gift for us to claim. —Sper Jesus took my place on the cross to give me a place in heaven. Mark 15:23 They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. they: Mt 27:34 Lu 23:36 Joh 19:28-30 but: Mk 14:25 Mt 26:19 Lu 22:18 Mark 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 27:34 they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink. Oil of Myrrh They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh (smurnizo); but He did not take it - Neither Luke nor John record the offer to Jesus of something to drink before the crucifixion. Mt 27:34 says that "they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall (means something bitter = myrrh in Mark); and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink." Mark 15:23 says "They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh (Gk - smurnizo - only here in NT; see dictionary entry); but He did not take it." It is a bit ironic and interesting that today myrrh is used as an antiseptic in mouthwashes, gargles, and toothpastes! How interesting that myrrh (smurna) would be mentioned only 3 times in the NT, one here at the crucifixion, using the verb form. The other two uses are at His birth and at His burial! Matthew 2:11+ After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (smurna). John 19:39+ Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh (smurna) and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. Danny Akin - They offered Jesus “wine mixed with myrrh” (v.23, cf. Ps 69:21), a primitive drug that would dull the pain of the crucified victim. Jesus said no. He would face the agony to come with full control of his mental faculties (Mark 15:21-47 The Murder of the Great King) Gilbrant - A Jewish tradition says that honorable women of Jerusalem provided a narcotic drink to victims of capital punishment, for the purpose of deadening their nerves to the excruciating pain. When Jesus was offered the wine mixed with myrrh, He refused it. He chose to drink the cup of suffering, which He had accepted totally in Gethsemane, to its last bitter dregs. (Complete Biblical Library)