THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF JESUS

Mark 15:33-47 / Keywords 15:34

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

 

15:33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[b]

35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,[c] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

40 Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,[d] and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. 46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.

Footnotes

b. Mark 15:34 Psalm 22:1

c. Mark 15:39 Some manuscripts saw that he died with such a cry

d. Mark 15:40 Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph; also in verse 47

 

1. From noon to three in the afternoon darkness descended at what should be the brightest part of the day. The darkness was accompanied by Jesus crying out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus suffered physically, but his spiritual suffering for us is incomparable. People waited for Elijah to come, but Jesus breathed his last. He had to die for the sin of humankind.

 

2. When Jesus suffered like this, amazing things happened. The temple curtain that represented the separation between holy God and sinful man was torn from top to bottom. A hardened Gentile centurion confessed the crucified Jesus to be the Son of God. And Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the very Sanhedrin that condemned Jesus, now went to Pilate to claim Jesus’ body and take care of his burial. These wondrous things testify that the darkness has passed. Since Jesus died, life has come to the sinful world. God is revealed to sinners. Men are made new. Thank God for Jesus, who came to suffer, be rejected, and die for us.

 

Prayer Lord, help me to live as a new person today. Make my life a testimony of Jesus who died for me.

One Word Jesus’ death is life for the world