Mark 15:22-16:20 Jesus Final Hours

Mark 15:22-16:20 Jesus Final Hours

What happen to Jesus during this time.  We know the extreme hatred the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders had for Jesus. The Leadership kept insulting Him, mocking Him, making fun of Him among themselves, shaking their heads at Him all the while Jesus was on the cross and being crucified.   

Mark 15:22  And they took Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull

Just outside the city wall.

Mark 15:23  Then they gave Him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it.

Jesus wanted to face the pain of the cross with a clear mind, and not “medicated” in any way.

Mark 15:24 Then they crucified him. They divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice to see what each one would get.

They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.    {fulfillment of the prophecy) Psalms 22:18

Mark 15:25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him.

Just think, within 3 hours, Jesus from the Jews to Pilate to cross. Not much time.  Jesus suffered on the Cross until at least 3 P.M.

Mark 15:26 The written notice of the charge against him read, “The king of the Jews.”

The inscription placed over Jesus’ head appeared in three languages: Hebrew (Aramaic); Latin, the official language of government; and Greek, the common language spoken by many.

The complete sign must have read, “This is Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews.”

  • The reason the Jews were upset, was because how Pilate wrote King of the Jews, H W H Y, spelled the name of God in Hebrew.
  • This is how Pilate got even with the Jews for what they have done to him.

Mark 15:27 With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left.   {we know from Luke, they also mocked Jesus}

Mark 15:28 So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSORS.”   {Where in Scriptures}

Quoted: Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.  {We see this refers to Jesus according to Mark} Isaiah 53:12

Mark 15:29 Those who passed by kept insulting him, shaking their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who were going to destroy the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days      {still mocking Jesus in many ways}

Mark 15:30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”

Mark 15:31 In the same way the high priests, along with the scribes, were also making fun of him among themselves. They kept saying, “He saved others but can’t save himself! 

Mark 15:32 Let the Messiah, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, since seeing is believing!” Even the men who were crucified with him kept insulting him.

The Death of Jesus    

Mark 15:33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.   {a full 3 hours of darkness) 

This darkness was a supernatural darkening of the skies.

Mark 15:34 At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, eloi, lema sabachthani?”, which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”     

Jesus is quoting Psalms 22:1, when the Father turn His back or forsake  Jesus, all sin was put on Jesus at that time.

At that very moment Jesus was banished from the presence of God, for sin cannot exist in God’s presence.

For the Messiah also suffered for sins once for all, an innocent person for the guilty, so that he could bring you to God. He was put to death in a mortal body but was brought to life by the Spirit, 1 Peter 3:18

Mark 15:35  Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!”

Mark 15:36 Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”

Mark 15:37 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.

After Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.  {At the very end, Jesus was still able to speak right up to the moment of His death} John 19:30:  Jesus work was finished on earth

The Greek word “tetelestai” means “paid in full” because Jesus paid in full the debt of sin we owed.  Jesus released up His Spirit.

Mark 15:38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

The Father tore the vail from top to bottom to remove the separation from Him to us, so we have access to the Father through prayer.

Mark 15:39 So when the centurion, who stood facing Jesus, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, this Man certainly was the Son of God!”            (why did this saying, happen)  

Mark 15:40 Now there were women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of young James and Joseph, and Salome. 

Mark 15:41 They used to accompany him and care for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come up to Jerusalem with him were there, too. 

Finally, the faithful disciples of Jesus are revealed, His female followers.  The women knew what was coming, the guys did not.

Jesus Is Buried  

Mark 15:42 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath,     (1st Day of Unleavened Bread)

Mark 15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a highly respected member of the Council, who was waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. {Matt 27:57 – become a disciple of Jesus} 

Mark 15:44 Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.

Mark 15:45 So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

Joseph was known to Pilate (Tin ships) and had to be a next of kin. 

Mark 15:46  Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.  {Tombs very expensive}

Mark 15:47 Now Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph observed where the body had been laid.

The Resurrection

Mark 16:1 Now when the Sabbaths was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  {these women, proved themselves, most devoted followers}

Sunday Morning

1st Day of Unleavened Bread and the weekly Sabbath

(Sabbaths were past:  The Greek, is plural)

Salome was mother of James and John.  (Matt 27:56)

Why spices:  Spices were not used for mummification, which was not a Jewish custom, but to offset the odors from the body decomposition.”

Mark 16:2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.   (around 7 am then)

Mark 16:3  And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”

Notice they were not even expecting that the stone would be rolled away.

Suddenly there was a powerful earthquake, because an angel of the Lord had come down from heaven, approached the stone, rolled it away, and was sitting on top of it. *Matthew 28:2

Mark 16:4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away–for it was very large.       (Why rolled away?)

It was rolled away so that others could see in and be persuaded that Jesus Christ was risen from the dead.

Mark 16:5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

Mark focuses on the one angel.

Mark 16:6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.

Resurrection isn’t just living again; it is living again in a new body, based on our old body, New body is perfectly suited for life in eternity.

Chosen by God as the first human witnesses to Christ’s resurrection, these women were commanded to go and tell. 

The actual event of Jesus’ resurrection is nowhere described

Mark 16:7  But go, tell His disciples–and Peter–that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

Jesus are always fulfilled on His part. He said that He would meet them in Galilee and indeed he did

Mark 16:8  So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.   {they did not discuss it among themselves}  

They returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven disciples and all the others.  Luke 24:9

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene – These next verses did not exist in a few earliest Greek manuscripts, majority do include these passages.

Mark 16:9  Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

Mark 16:10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 

They experienced personal and emotional loss with the execution of Jesus.

Mark 16:11  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

Her testimony would not be considered reliable because she was a woman – but Jesus trusted her, even though the disciples did not.

Mary Magdalene ran to tell Peter and John (Jn 20:2-10) and then lingered at the tomb after they left. It was then that Jesus appeared to her (Jn 20:11-18).

Peter, we know, got up and ran to the tomb and saw only the linen cloths. Then he went home, wondering about what had happened.   *Luke 24:12

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

Mark 16:12  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 

Then their eyes were opened, and they knew who he was. And he vanished from them. *Luke 24:31

Mark 16:13  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.  

They did not receive the testimony of these two men either.

Then the two men began to tell what had happened on the road and how they had recognized him when he broke the bread in pieces. Luke 24:35

The Great Commission

Mark 16:14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

While they were [eating] and still talking about this, Jesus himself
came” and stood among [the Eleven]” and said to them, “Peace be
with you!”

“Look at my hands and my feet. It is I, myself. Touch me and
see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet and
side.

Jesus asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in
their presence. So the disciples were overjoyed when they saw the
Lord.

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. *John 20:30

Mark 16:15  And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.   {this is our marching orders}

This is a command, not a suggestion, the Great Commission.

The idea of a faith that would go into all the world wasn’t a part of the Jewish or pagan thinking of Jesus’ day. It was revolutionary idea in its time.

This command was not obeyed immediately; for many years, the disciples stayed at Jerusalem, and it was only until the church was persecuted that it began to spread out to the world.  Peter went first to the Gentile officer.

Mark 16:16  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  {He must believe first, then baptize}

Mark 16:17  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

Mark 16:18  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”    { Jesus promise of divine power and protection}

After he had suffered, he had shown himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during a period of 40 days and telling them about the kingdom of God.  {now, they are excited} Acts 1:3

The Ascension

Luke tells us: Later, he led them out as far as Bethany, lifted up his hands, and blessed them. (51) While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. Luke 24:50-51

Mark 16:19  So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

Luke: After saying this, Jesus was taken up while those who had gathered together were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. Acts 1:9

Mark 16:20  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Notice: The preaching came first, then the signs following; signs are to follow believers, instead of us follow after signs.

Leave a Reply