Chapter Twelve: The Servant Finishes His Work (Mark 15:21–16:20)
Mark 10
As a master Teacher, our Lord used many different approaches in sharing God’s Word: symbols, miracles, types, parables, proverbs, and paradoxes. A paradox is a statement that seems to contradict itself and yet expresses a valid truth or principle. “When I am weak, then am I strong” is a paradox (; also see ). There are times when the best way to state a truth is by means of paradox; and this chapter describes our Lord doing just that. He could have preached long sermons; but instead, He gave us these five important lessons that can be expressed in five succinct, paradoxical statements.
Jesus completed His ministry in Galilee, left Capernaum, and came to the Trans-Jordan area, still on His way to the city of Jerusalem (). This district was ruled by Herod Antipas, which may explain why the Pharisees tried to trap Him by asking a question about divorce. After all, John the Baptist had been slain because he preached against Herod’s adulterous marriage ().
But there was more than politics involved in their trick question, because divorce was a very controversial subject among the Jewish rabbis. No matter what answer Jesus gave, He would be sure to displease somebody, and this might give opportunity to arrest Him. The verbs indicate that the Pharisees “kept asking Him,” as though they hoped to provoke Him to say something incriminating.
In that day there were two conflicting views on divorce, and which view you espoused depended on how you interpreted the phrase some uncleanness in . The followers of Rabbi Hillel were quite lenient in their interpretation and permitted a man to divorce his wife for any reason, even the burning of his food. But the school of Rabbi Shimmai was much more strict and taught that the critical words some uncleanness referred only to premarital sin. If a newly married husband discovered that his wife was not a virgin, then he could put her away.
As He usually did, Jesus ignored the current debates and focused attention on the Word of God, in this case, the Law of Moses in . As you study this passage, it is important to note two facts. First, it was the man who divorced the wife, not the wife who divorced the husband; for women did not have this right in Israel. (Roman women did have the right of divorce.) Second, the official “bill of divorcement” was given to the wife to declare her status and to assure any prospective husband that she was indeed free to remarry. Apart from the giving of this document, the only other requirement was that the woman not return to her first husband if her second husband divorced her. Among the Jews, the question was not, “May a divorced woman marry again?” because remarriage was permitted and even expected. The big question was, “What are the legal grounds for a man to divorce his wife?”
The Law of Moses did not give adultery as grounds for divorce; for, in Israel, the adulterer and adulteress were stoned to death (; ; also see ). Whatever Moses meant by “some uncleanness” in , it could not have been adultery.
Jesus explained that Moses gave the divorce law because of the sinfulness of the human heart. The law protected the wife by restraining the husband from impulsively divorcing her and abusing her like an unwanted piece of furniture, instead of treating her like a human being. Without a bill of divorcement, a woman could easily become a social outcast and be treated like a harlot. No man would want to marry her, and she would be left defenseless and destitute.
By giving this commandment to Israel, God was not putting His approval on divorce or even encouraging it. Rather, He was seeking to restrain it and make it more difficult for men to dismiss their wives. He put sufficient regulations around divorce so that the wives would not become victims of their husbands’ whims.
The Lord then took them back beyond Moses to the record of the original Creation (; ). After all, in the beginning, it was God who established marriage; and He has the right to make the rules. According to Scripture, marriage is between a man and a woman, not two men or two women; and the relationship is sacred and permanent. It is the most intimate union in the human race, for the two become one flesh. This is not true of a father and son or a mother and daughter, but it is true of a man and wife.
While the spiritual element is vitally important in marriage, the emphasis here is that marriage is a physical union: the two become one flesh, not one spirit. Since marriage is a physical union, only a physical cause can break it—either death () or fornication (; ). Mark did not include the “exception clause” found in Matthew, but neither did he say that death breaks the marriage union.
Privately, the Lord further explained the matter to His questioning disciples, who by now were convinced that it was a dangerous thing to get married. To remarry after divorce, other than one granted on the grounds of fornication, would make the person guilty of committing adultery, and this is a serious thing. Note that Jesus included the women in His warning, which certainly elevated their status in society and gave them equality of responsibility with the men. The rabbis would not have gone this far.
warns us that man cannot separate those who have been united in marriage, but God can. Since He established marriage, He has the right to lay down the rules. A divorce may be legal according to our laws and yet not be right in the eyes of God. He expects married people to practice commitment to each other () and to remain true to each other. Too many people view divorce as “an easy way out,” and do not take seriously their vows of commitment to each other and to the Lord.
Adults Shall Be as Children ()
First marriage, then children; the sequence is logical. Unlike many “moderns” today, the Jews of that day looked on children as a blessing and not a burden, a rich treasure from God and not a liability (Pss. 127–128). To be without children brought a couple both sorrow and disgrace.
It was customary for parents to bring their children to the rabbis for a blessing, and so it was reasonable that they would bring the little ones to Jesus. Some were infants in arms (), while others were young children able to walk; and He welcomed them all.
Why would the disciples rebuke the people and try to keep the children away from Jesus? (See and for other instances of the disciples’ seeming hardness of heart.) They probably thought they were doing Him a favor by helping Him protect His time and conserve His strength. In other words, they did not consider the children to be important! Their attitude was strange, because Jesus had already taught them to receive the children in His name and to be careful not to cause any of them to stumble (). Once again, they forgot what He had taught them.
The phrase much displeased is too tame. Our Lord actually became indignant as He openly rebuked His disciples for standing in the way. Then He announced that the children were better kingdom examples than were the adults. We tell the children to behave like adults, but Jesus tells the adults to model themselves after the children!
In what ways are children a pattern? In their humble dependence on others, their receptivity, their acceptance of themselves and their position in life. Of course, Jesus was speaking about an unspoiled child, not one who was trying to act like an adult. A child enjoys much but can explain very little. Children live by faith. By faith they accept their lot, trusting others to care for them and see them through.
We enter God’s kingdom by faith, like little children: helpless, unable to save ourselves, totally dependent on the mercy and grace of God. We enjoy God’s kingdom by faith, believing that the Father loves us and will care for our daily needs. What does a child do when he or she has a hurt or a problem? Take it to Father and Mother! What an example for us to follow in our relationship with our Heavenly Father! Yes, God wants us to be childlike, but not childish!
There is no suggestion here that Jesus baptized these children, for Jesus did not even baptize adults (). If the disciples had been accustomed to baptizing infants, they certainly would not have turned the people away. Jesus took these precious little ones in His loving arms and blessed them—and what a blessing that must have been!
Of all the people who ever came to the feet of Jesus, this man is the only one who went away worse than he came. And yet he had so much in his favor! He was a young man () with great potential. He was respected by others, for he held some ruling office, perhaps in a local court (). Certainly he had manners and morals, and there was enough desire in his heart for spiritual things that he ran up to Jesus and bowed at His feet. In every way, he was an ideal young man; and when Jesus beheld him, He loved him.
With all of his fine qualities, the young man was very superficial in his views of spiritual things. He certainly had a shallow view of salvation, for he thought that he could do something to earn or merit eternal life. This was a common belief in that day among the Jews (), and it is very common today. Most unsaved people think that God will one day add up their good works and their bad works; and if their good works exceed their bad works, they will get into heaven.
Behind this good-works approach to salvation is a superficial view of sin, man, the Bible, Jesus Christ, and salvation. Sin is rebellion against the holy God. It is not simply an action; it is an inward attitude that exalts man and defies God. Did this young man actually think that he could do a few religious works and settle his account with the holy God?
The young man had a superficial view of Jesus Christ. He called Him “Good Master” (Teacher), but we get the impression that he was trying to flatter the Lord; for the Jewish rabbis did not allow the word good to be applied to them. Only God was good, and the word must be reserved for Him alone. Jesus was not denying that He was God; rather, He was affirming it. He just wanted to be sure that the young man really knew what he was saying and that he was willing to accept the responsibilities involved.
This explains why Jesus pointed the young man to the Law of Moses: He wanted him to see himself as a sinner bowed before the holy God. We cannot be saved from sin by keeping the Law (; ). The Law is a mirror that shows us how dirty we are, but the mirror cannot wash us. One purpose of the Law is to bring the sinner to Christ (), which is what it did in this man’s case. The Law can bring the sinner to Christ, but the Law cannot make the sinner like Christ. Only grace can do that.
The young ruler did not see himself as a condemned sinner before the holy God. He had a superficial view of the Law of God, for he measured obedience only by external actions and not by inward attitudes. As far as his actions were concerned, he was blameless (see ); but his inward attitudes were not blameless, because he was covetous. He may have kept some of the commandments, but the last commandment caught him: “Thou shalt not covet!” Covetousness is a terrible sin; it is subtle and difficult to detect, and yet it can cause a person to break all the other commandments. “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil” (, NASB).
Looking at this young man, you would conclude that he had everything, but Jesus said that one thing was lacking: a living faith in God. Money was his god: he trusted it, worshiped it, and got his fulfillment from it. His morality and good manners only concealed a covetous heart.
Our Lord’s directions in are not to be applied to everyone who wants to become a disciple, because Jesus was addressing the specific needs of the rich young ruler. The man was rich, so Jesus told him to liquidate his estate and give the money to the poor. The man was a ruler, so Jesus told him to take up a cross and follow Him which would be a humbling experience. Jesus offered this man the gift of eternal life, but he turned it down. It is difficult to receive a gift when your fist is clenched around money and the things money can buy. The Greek word translated “grieved” gives the picture of storm clouds gathering. The man walked out of the sunshine and into a storm! He wanted to get salvation on his terms, and he was disappointed.
The disciples were shocked at the Lord’s declaration about wealth, because most Jews thought that the possession of great wealth was the evidence of God’s special blessing. Many people today still cling to this error, in spite of the message of Job, the example of Christ and the Apostles, and the clear teaching of the New Testament. In the case of this young man, his wealth robbed him of God’s greatest blessing, eternal life. Today, wealth continues to make rich people poor and the first last (see ).
Money is a marvelous servant but a terrible master. If you possess money, be grateful and use it for God’s glory; but if money possesses you, beware! It is good to have the things that money can buy, provided you don’t lose the things that money cannot buy. The deceitfulness of riches had so choked the soil of this young man’s heart that he was unable to receive the good seed of the Word and be saved (). What a bitter harvest he would reap one day!
However, Peter’s response indicated that there were a few problems in his own heart. “What then will there be for us?” (, NASB) This statement reveals a rather commercial view of the Christian life: “We have given up everything for the Lord; now, what will we get in return?” Contrast Peter’s words with those of the three Hebrew men in , and with Peter’s later testimony in . He certainly came a long way from “What will I get?” to “What I have, I will give!”
Jesus assured His disciples that no one who follows Him will ever lose what is really important, either in this life or in the life to come. God will reward each one. However, we must be sure our motives are right: “For My sake and the Gospel’s” (see ). The well-known Christian industrialist of a decade ago, R.J. LeTourneau, used to say, “If you give because it pays, it won’t pay!” If we sacrifice only to get a reward, that reward will never come.
Note that Jesus also promised “persecutions.” He had already told His disciples what both the Jews and Gentiles would do to Him in Jerusalem, and now He informed them that they would have their share of persecution. God balances blessings with battles, developing mature sons and daughters.
To the general public, the rich ruler stood first and the poor disciples stood last. But God saw things from the perspective of eternity—and the first became last while the last became first! Those who are first in their own eyes will be last in God’s eyes, but those who are last in their own eyes will be rewarded as first! What an encouragement for true disciples!
The destination was still Jerusalem, and Jesus was still leading the way. As Mark wrote his account of the Saviour’s journey to Calvary, he must have meditated much on the great “Servant Songs” in Isaiah 42–53. “For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed” (). We cannot but admire the courage of God’s Servant as He made His way to Calvary, and we should adore Him all the more because He did it for us.
We must try to understand the bewilderment and fear of His followers, for this was a difficult experience for them and not at all what they had planned or expected. Each new announcement of His death only added to their perplexity. In the first two announcements (; ), Jesus had told them what would occur; but now He told them where His passion will take place—in the Holy City of Jerusalem! In this third announcement, He also included the part that the Gentiles would play in His trial and death, and for the fourth time, He promised that He would rise again (note ). He told His disciples the truth, but they were in no condition to understand it.
In the light of our Lord’s announcement of His death, we are embarrassed and ashamed to read of James and John asking for thrones. How could they and their mother () be so callous and selfish? Peter had responded to the first announcement by arguing with Jesus; after the second announcement, the disciples responded by arguing among themselves over who was the greatest (). These men seemed blind to the meaning of the Cross.
Actually, Salome and her two sons were claiming the promise Jesus had given that, in the future kingdom, the disciples would sit on twelve thrones with the Lord Jesus. (See . Since Mark was writing especially for the Gentiles, he did not include this promise.) It took a great deal of faith on their part to claim the promise, especially since Jesus had just reminded them of His impending death. The three of them were in agreement (), and they had His Word to encourage them, so there was no reason why Jesus should not grant their request.
Except for one thing: they were praying selfishly, and God does not answer selfish prayers (). If He does, it is only that He might discipline us and teach us how to pray in His will (; ). James, John, and Salome did not realize that it costs something to get answers to prayer. For Jesus to grant their request, He would have to suffer and die. Why should He pay such a great price just so they could enjoy free thrones? Is that the way to glorify God?
Jesus compared His approaching suffering and death to the drinking of a cup () and the experiencing of a baptism (; also see ; , ). It would be a devastating experience—and yet James and John said they were able to go through it with Jesus! Little did they realize what they were saying, for in later years they would indeed have their share of the baptism and the cup. James would be the first of the disciples to be martyred (), and John would experience great persecution.
Because their prayer was motivated by earthly wisdom, not heavenly wisdom, James and John aroused the anger of the other disciples and brought disunity to the group (see James 3:13–4:1). No doubt the men were unhappy because they had not thought of asking first! Once again, Jesus tried to teach them what it means to be an “important person” in the kingdom of God (see ).
Like many people today, the disciples were making the mistake of following the wrong examples. Instead of modeling themselves after Jesus, they were admiring the glory and authority of the Roman rulers, men who loved position and authority. While there is nothing wrong with aspiring to greatness, we must be careful how we define “greatness” and why we want to achieve it. Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all” (, NASB).
God’s pattern in Scripture is that a person must first be a servant before God promotes him or her to be a ruler. This was true of Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Timothy, and even our Lord Himself (). Unless we know how to obey orders, we do not have the right to give orders. Before a person exercises authority, he or she must know what it means to be under authority. If Jesus Christ followed this pattern in accomplishing the great work of redemption, then surely there is no other pattern for us to follow.
A large crowd of Passover pilgrims followed Jesus and His disciples to Jericho, about eighteen miles from Jerusalem. There were actually two cities named Jericho: the old city in ruins, and the new city a mile away where Herod the Great and his successors built a lavish winter palace. This may help explain the seeming contradiction between and .
There were two blind beggars sitting by the road (), one of whom was named Bartimaeus. Both Mark and Luke focused attention on him since he was the more vocal of the two. The beggars heard that Jesus of Nazareth, the Healer, was passing by; they did their best to get His attention so that they might receive His merciful help and be healed.
At first, the crowd tried to silence them, but when Jesus stopped and called for the men, the crowd encouraged them! Desperate people do not permit the crowd to keep them from Jesus (see ). Bartimaeus threw off his garment so it would not trip him, and he hastened to the Master. No doubt some of the pilgrims or disciples helped him.
“What do you want Me to do for you?” seems like a strange question to ask a blind man. (It was the same question He had asked James, John, and Salome, .) But Jesus wanted to give the man opportunity to express himself and give evidence of his own faith. What did he really believe Jesus could do for him?
When Bartimaeus called Jesus “Lord,” he used the title Rabboni, meaning “my Master.” The only other person in the Gospels who used it was Mary (). The beggar had twice called him “Son of David,” a national messianic title, but “Rabboni” was an expression of personal faith.
Matthew tells us that Jesus was moved with compassion and touched their eyes (), and immediately they were healed. Out of gratitude to Jesus, the men joined the pilgrim band and started toward Jerusalem, following Jesus. This is the last healing miracle recorded in Mark, and it certainly fits into Mark’s “Servant” theme. We see Jesus Christ, God’s Suffering Servant, on His way to the cross, and yet He stops to serve two blind beggars! What love, what mercy, and what grace!
Mark 11:1–12:44
Jerusalem at Passover season was the delight of the Jews and the despair of the Romans. Thousands of devout Jews from all over the world arrived in the Holy City, their hearts filled with excitement and nationalistic fervor. The population of Jerusalem more than tripled during the feast, making it necessary for the Roman military units to be on special alert. They lived with the possibility that some enthusiastic Jewish Zealot might try to kill a Roman official or incite a riot, and there was always potential for disputes among the various Jewish religious groups.
Into this situation came God’s Servant with less than a week remaining before He would be crucified outside the city walls. In this section, we see God’s Servant ministering in three different official roles.
On the road Jesus took, a traveler would arrive first at Bethany and then come to Bethphage, about two miles from Jerusalem. The elevation at this point is about 2,600 feet, and from it you have a breathtaking view of the Holy City. The Lord was about to do something He had never done before, something He had repeatedly cautioned others not to do for Him: He was going to permit His followers to give a public demonstration in His honor.
Jesus sent two of His disciples to Bethphage to get the colt that He needed for the event. Most people today think of a donkey as nothing but a humble beast of burden, but in that day, it was looked on as an animal fit for a king to use (). Our Lord needed this beast so that He might fulfill the messianic prophecy found in . Mark does not quote this verse or refer to it because he was writing primarily for Gentile readers.
In fulfilling this prophecy, Jesus accomplished two purposes: (1) He declared Himself to be Israel’s King and Messiah; and (2) He deliberately challenged the religious leaders. This set in motion the official plot that led to His arrest, trial, and crucifixion. The Jewish leaders had decided not to arrest Him during the feast, but God had determined otherwise. The Lamb of God must die at Passover.
Many patriotic Jews from the crowd of pilgrims eagerly joined the procession that proclaimed Jesus as the King, the Son of David come in the name of the Lord. The visitors from Galilee were most prominent in the procession, along with the people who had witnessed the raising of Lazarus from the dead (). You sometimes hear it said that the same people who cried “Hosanna!” on Palm Sunday ended up crying “Crucify Him!” on Good Friday, but this is not true. The crowd that wanted Him crucified came predominantly from Judea and Jerusalem, whereas the Galilean Jews were sympathetic with Jesus and His ministry.
When welcoming a king, it was customary for people to lay their outer garments on the road, and then add festal branches (). The shout “Hosanna!” means “Save now!” and comes from . Of course, Jesus knew that the people were quoting from a messianic psalm (relate with and ), but He allowed them to go right ahead and shout. He was openly affirming His kingship as the Son of David.
What were the Romans thinking as they watched this festive demonstration? After all, the Romans were experts at parades and official public events. We call this event “the Triumphal Entry,” but no Roman would have used that term. An official “Roman Triumph” was indeed something to behold! When a Roman general came back to Rome after a complete conquest of an enemy, he was welcomed home with an elaborate official parade. In the parade he would exhibit his trophies of war and the illustrious prisoners he had captured. The victorious general rode in a golden chariot, priests burned incense in his honor, and the people shouted his name and praised him. The procession ended at the arena where the people were entertained by watching the captives fight with the wild beasts. That was a “Roman Triumph.”
Our Lord’s “triumphal entry” was nothing like that, but it was a triumph just the same. He was God’s anointed King and Saviour, but His conquest would be spiritual and not military. A Roman general had to kill at least 5,000 enemy soldiers to merit a Triumph; but in a few weeks, the Gospel would “conquer” some 5,000 Jews and transform their lives (). Christ’s “triumph” would be the victory of love over hatred, truth over error, and life over death.
After looking into the temple area, where He would return the next day, Jesus left the city and spent the night in Bethany, where it was safer and quieter. No doubt He spent time in prayer with His disciples, seeking to prepare them for the difficult week that lay ahead.
Our Lord’s condemning of the tree and cleansing of the temple were both symbolic acts that illustrated the sad spiritual condition of the nation of Israel. In spite of its many privileges and opportunities, Israel was outwardly fruitless (the tree) and inwardly corrupt (the temple). It was unusual for Jesus to act in judgment (), yet there comes a time when this is the only thing God can do ().
Cursing the fig tree (vv. , ). The fig tree produces leaves in March or April and then starts to bear fruit in June, with another crop in August and possibly a third crop in December. The presence of leaves could mean the presence of fruit, even though that fruit was “left over” from the previous season. It is significant that in this instance Jesus did not have special knowledge to guide Him; He had to go to the tree and examine things for Himself.
If He had power to kill the tree, why didn’t He use that power to restore the tree and make it produce fruit? Apart from the drowning of the pigs (), this is the only instance of our Lord using His miraculous power to destroy something in nature. He did it because He wanted to teach us two important lessons.
First, there is a lesson on failure: Israel had failed to be fruitful for God. In the Old Testament, the fig tree is associated with the nation of Israel (; ; ). Like the fig tree our Lord cursed, Israel had “nothing but leaves.” Note that the tree dried up “from the roots” (). Three years before, John the Baptist had put the ax to the roots of the tree (), but the religious leaders would not heed his message. Whenever an individual or a group “dries up” spiritually, it is usually from the roots.
The disciples would probably connect this miracle with the parable which Jesus gave some months before (), and they would see in the miracle a vivid picture of God’s judgment on Israel. They might also recall where the prophet declares that God is seeking “the first ripe fruit” from His people. Christ is still seeking fruit from His people, and for us to be fruitless is sin (). We must carefully cultivate our spiritual roots and not settle for “leaves.”
Jesus also used this miracle to teach us a lesson on faith. The next morning, when the disciples noticed the dead tree, Jesus said, “Have faith in God,” meaning, “Constantly be trusting God; live in an attitude of dependence on Him.” In Jewish imagery, a mountain signifies something strong and immovable, a problem that stands in the way (). We can move these mountains only by trusting God.
Of course, this is not the only lesson Jesus ever gave on prayer; and we must be careful not to isolate it from the rest of Scripture. Prayer must be in the will of God (), and the one praying must be abiding in the love of God (). Prayer is not an emergency measure that we turn to when we have a problem. Real prayer is a part of our constant communion with God and worship of God.
Nor should we interpret to mean, “If you pray hard enough and really believe, God is obligated to answer your prayers, no matter what you ask.” That kind of faith is not faith in God; rather, it is nothing but faith in faith, or faith in feelings. True faith in God is based on His Word (; ), and His Word reveals His will to us. It has well been said that the purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done in heaven, but to get God’s will done on earth.
True prayer involves forgiveness as well as faith. I must be in fellowship with both my Father in heaven and my brethren on earth if God is to answer my prayers (see ; ; ). The first word in “The Lord’s Prayer” is our—“Our Father which art in heaven” and not “My Father which art in heaven.” Though Christians may pray in private, no Christian ever prays alone; for all of God’s people are part of a worldwide family that unites to seek God’s blessing (). Prayer draws us together.
We do not earn God’s blessing by forgiving one another. Our forgiving spirit is one evidence that our hearts are right with God and that we want to obey His will, and this makes it possible for the Father to hear us and to answer prayer (). Faith works by love (). If I have faith in God, I will also have love for my brother.
Cleansing the temple (vv. ). Jesus had cleansed the temple during His first Passover visit (), but the results had been temporary. It was not long before the religious leaders permitted the money changers and the merchants to return. The priests received their share of the profits, and, after all, these services were a convenience to the Jews who traveled to Jerusalem to worship. Suppose a foreign Jew carried his own sacrifice with him and then discovered that it was rejected because of some blemish? The money rates were always changing, so the men who exchanged foreign currency were doing the visitors a favor, even though the merchants were making a generous profit. It was easy for them to rationalize the whole enterprise.
This “religious market” was set up in the court of the Gentiles, the one place where the Jews should have been busy doing serious missionary work. If a Gentile visited the temple and saw what the Jews were doing in the name of the true God, he would never want to believe what they taught. The Jews might not have permitted idols of wood and stone in their temple, but there were idols there just the same. The court of the Gentiles should have been a place for praying, but it was instead a place for preying and paying.
Mark especially mentioned the people who sold doves. The dove was one of the few sacrifices that the poor people could afford (). It was the sacrifice Joseph and Mary brought when they dedicated Jesus in the temple (). Even the poor people were victimized by the merchants in the temple, and this in itself must have grieved the Lord Jesus, for He was always sensitive to the poor (see ).
Jesus quoted two Scriptures to defend what He did— and . At the same time, He exposed the sins of the religious leaders. The Jews looked on the temple primarily as a place of sacrifice, but Jesus saw it as a place of prayer. True prayer is in itself a sacrifice to God (). Jesus had a spiritual view of the Jewish religion, while the leaders promoted a traditional view that was cluttered with rules and regulations.
Campbell Morgan points out that “a den of thieves” is the place to which thieves run when they want to hide. The chief priests and scribes were using the temple and its religious services to “cover up” their sin and hypocrisy. Both Isaiah () and Jeremiah () had warned the people of their day that the presence of the physical temple was no guarantee of blessing from God. It was what the people did in the temple from their hearts that was really important. The nation had not heeded the warning of the prophets, nor would they heed our Lord’s warning.
When the scribes and chief priests heard the report of our Lord’s activities, they kept seeking some way to arrest Him (see ). Judas would solve the problem for them. Before we quickly condemn the Jewish religious leaders for their sins, we should examine our own ministries to see if perhaps we are making merchandise of the Gospel. Do the outsiders in our community think of our church buildings as houses of prayer? Are all nations welcomed there? Do we as church members flee to church on Sundays in an attempt to cover up our sins? Do we “go to church” in order to maintain our reputation or to worship and glorify God? If the Lord Jesus were to show up in our house of worship, what changes would He make?
The Servant-Prophet (Mark 11:27–12:44)
In the days that followed, the representatives of the religious and political establishment descended on Jesus as He ministered in the temple, trying their best to trip Him up with their questions. He answered four questions, and then He asked them a question that silenced them for good.
A question of authority (11:27–12:12). As the official guardians of the Law, the members of the Sanhedrin had both the right and the responsibility to investigate anyone who claimed to be sent by God; and that included Jesus (see ). However, these men did not have open minds or sincere motives. They were not seeking truth; they were looking for evidence to use to destroy Him (). Jesus knew what they were doing, so He countered their question with another question and exposed their hypocrisy.
Why take them all the way back to John the Baptist? For a very good reason: God does not teach us new truth if we have rejected the truth He has already revealed. This basic principle is expressed in : “If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself” (NASB). “Obedience is the organ of spiritual knowledge,” said the British preacher F.W. Robertson. The Jewish religious leaders had not accepted what John had taught, so why should God say anything more to them? Had they obeyed John’s message, they would have gladly submitted to Christ’s authority, for John came to present the Messiah to the nation.
The Jewish leaders were caught in a dilemma of their own making. They were not asking “What is true?” or “What is right?” but “What is safe?” This is always the approach of the hypocrite and the crowd-pleaser. It certainly was not the approach of either Jesus () or John the Baptist (). Jesus did not refuse to answer their question; He only refused to accept and endorse their hypocrisy. He was not being evasive; He was being honest.
Before they had opportunity to escape, He told them a parable that revealed where their sins were leading them. They had already permitted John the Baptist to be killed, but soon they would ask for the crucifixion of God’s Son!
The vineyard was a familiar image of Israel (; ). According to , a farmer would not use the fruit until the fifth year, though we are not sure the Jews were obeying this regulation at that time. In order to retain his legal rights to the property, the owner had to receive produce from the tenants, even if it was only some of the vegetables that grew between the rows of trees or vines. This explains why the tenants refused to give him anything: they wanted to claim the vineyard for themselves. It also explains why the owner continued to send agents to them; it was purely a question of authority and ownership.
If covers the three years when the fruit was not used, then it was in the fourth year that the beloved Son was sent. This is the year when the fruit was devoted to the Lord (), and it makes the sending of the Son even more meaningful. If the tenants could do away with the heir, they would have a clear claim to the property; so they cast him out (see ) and killed him. They wanted to preserve their own position and were willing even to kill to accomplish their evil purpose ().
Jesus then asked, “What shall, therefore, the lord of the vineyard do?” The leaders answered the question first and thereby condemned themselves (), and then Jesus repeated their answer as a solemn verdict from the Judge. But before they could appeal the case, He quoted what they knew was a messianic prophecy, . We met this same psalm at His triumphal entry (). “The Stone” was a well-known symbol for the Messiah (; ; ; ; ; and ). The Servant-Judge announced a double verdict: they had not only rejected the Son, but they had also refused the Stone! There could be only one consequence—judgment ().
A question of responsibility (vv. ). A common threat forced two enemies to unite, the Pharisees and the Herodians. The Herodians supported the family of Herod as well as the Romans who gave them the authority to rule. The Pharisees, however, considered the Herod clan to be the evil usurpers of the throne of David; for, after all, Herod was an Edomite and not a Jew. The Pharisees also opposed the poll tax that the Romans had inflicted on Judea, and they resented the very presence of Rome in their land.
Their temporary alliance was a subtle trap, for no matter how Jesus replied to their question, He was in trouble with either Rome or Herod! But Jesus moved the discussion from politics to principle and caught the hypocrites in their own trap. We might state our Lord’s reply something like this:
“Caesar’s image is on his coins, so they must be minted by his authority. The fact that you possess these coins and use them indicates that you think they are worth something. Therefore, you are already accepting Caesar’s authority, or you would not use his money! But don’t forget that you were created in the image of God and therefore must live under God’s authority as well.”
I once carried on a brief correspondence with a man who objected to my interpretation of Romans 13. He said that all government was of the devil and that Christians must not bow to the authority of “the powers that be.” I pointed out to him that even his use of the United States mail service was an acceptance of governmental authority. The money he spent buying the paper and stamps also came from the “powers that be.” For that matter, the very freedom he had to express himself was a right guaranteed by—the government!
The word translated “render” in means “to pay a debt, to pay back.” Jesus looked on taxes as the citizens’ debt to the government in return for the services performed. Today those services would include, among other things, fire and police protection, national defense, the salaries of the officials who manage the affairs of state, special programs for the poor and underprivileged, etc. The individual Christian citizen might not agree with the way all of his tax money is used, and he can express himself with his voice and his vote, but he must accept the fact that God has established human government for our good (Rom. 13; ; ). Even if we cannot respect the people in office, we must respect the office.
A question about eternity (vv. ). This is the only place in Mark where the Sadducees are mentioned. This group accepted only the Law of Moses as their religious authority; so, if a doctrine could not be defended from the first five books of the Old Testament, they would not accept it. They did not believe in the existence of the soul, life after death, resurrection, final judgment, angels, or demons (see ). Most of the Sadducees were priests and were wealthy. They considered themselves the “religious aristocrats” of Judaism and tended to look down on everybody else.
They brought a hypothetical question to Jesus, based on the law of marriage given in . This woman had a series of seven husbands during her lifetime, all brothers, and all of whom had died. “If there is such a thing as a future resurrection,” they argued, “then she must spend eternity with seven husbands!” It seemed a perfect argument, as most arguments are that are based on hypothetical situations.
The Sadducees thought that they were smart, but Jesus soon revealed their ignorance of two things: the power of God and the truth of Scripture. Resurrection is not the restoration of life as we know it; it is the entrance into a new life that is different. The same God who created the angels and gave them their nature is able to give us the new bodies we will need for new life in heaven (). Jesus did not say that we would become angels or be like the angels in everything, for God’s children are higher than the angels (; ). He said that in our resurrection bodies, we would be sexless like the angels; and therefore marriage would no longer exist. In the eternal state, where our new bodies are perfect and there is no death, there will be no need for marriage, procreation, and the continuance of the race.
The Sadducees were also ignorant of the Scriptures. They claimed to accept the authority of Moses, but they failed to notice that Moses taught the continuation of life after death. Once again, our Lord went back to Scripture (note ; ; ), in this case to the passage about the burning bush (Ex. 3). God did not tell Moses that He was (past tense) the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He said, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” The patriarchs were alive when God spoke those words to Moses; therefore, Moses does teach that there is life after death.
A question of priority (vv. ). The next challenger was a scribe who was also a Pharisee (see ). The scribes had determined that the Jews were obligated to obey 613 precepts in the Law, 365 negative precepts and 248 positive. One of their favorite exercises was discussing which of these divine commandments was the greatest.
The Lord quoted , the great confession of faith that even today pious Jews recite each morning and evening. It is called “The Shema” from the first word of the confession which means “hear.” Then He quoted which emphasizes love for one’s neighbor. Jesus made love the most important thing in life, because “love is the fulfilling of the Law” (). If we love God, we will experience His love within and will express that love to others. We do not live by rules but by relationships, a loving relationship to God that enables us to have a loving relationship with others.
When he started this conversation, the scribe was only the tool of the Pharisees who were trying to get evidence against Jesus (note ). But after he heard our Lord’s answer, the scribe stood and dared to commend the Lord for His reply. The Word had spoken to the man’s heart and he was beginning to get a deeper spiritual understanding of the faith he thought he understood. Even the Old Testament Scriptures taught that there was more to the Jewish religion than offering sacrifices and keeping laws (see ; ; ; ; ; ).
What does it mean when a person is “not far from the kingdom of God”? It means he or she is facing truth honestly and is not interested in defending a “party line” or even personal prejudices. It means the person is testing his or her faith by what the Word of God says and not by what some religious group demands. People close to the kingdom have the courage to stand up for what is true even if they lose some friends and make some new enemies.
A question of identity (vv. ). Now it was our Lord’s turn to ask the questions, and He focused on the most important question of all: Who is the Messiah? “What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?” () This is a far more important question than the ones His enemies had asked Him, for if we are wrong about Jesus Christ, we are wrong about salvation. This means we end up condemning our own souls (; ; ).
Jesus quoted and asked them to explain how David’s son could also be David’s Lord. The Jews believed that the Messiah would be David’s son (), but the only way David’s son could also be David’s Lord would be if Messiah were God come in human flesh. The answer, of course, is our Lord’s miraculous conception and virgin birth (; ; ).
This section closes with two warnings from the Lord: a warning against the pride of the scribes () and against the pride of the rich (). If a person is “important” only because of the uniform he wears, the title he bears, or the office he holds, then his “importance” is artificial. It is character that makes a person valuable, and nobody can give you character: you must develop it yourself as you walk with God.
There were thirteen trumpet-shaped chests around the walls of the court of the women, and here the people dropped in their offerings. The rich made a big production out of their giving (see ), but Jesus rejected them and their gifts. It is not the portion but the proportion that is important: the rich gave out of their abundance, but the poor widow gave all that she had. For the rich, their gifts were a small contribution, but for the widow, her gift was true consecration of her whole life.
Pride of living and pride of giving are sins we must avoid at all cost. How tragic that the leaders depended on a religious system that shortly would pass off the scene. How wonderful that the common people gladly listened to Jesus and obeyed His Word.
In which group are you?
Mark 13
The Jews were proud of their temple, in spite of the fact that it was built by the Herod family in order to placate the Jews. Jesus had already given His estimate of the temple (), but His disciples were fascinated by the magnificence of the structure. Imagine how shocked they were when Jesus informed them that the building they admired so much would one day be demolished. The Jewish leaders had defiled it; Jesus would depart from it and leave it desolate (); the Romans would destroy it.
Once away from the crowds, Jesus’ disciples asked Him when this momentous event would take place and what would happen to indicate it was soon to occur. Their questions revealed that their understanding of prophecy was still quite confused. They thought that the destruction of the temple coincided with the end of the age and the return of their Lord (). But their questions gave Jesus the opportunity to deliver a prophetic message that is generally called “The Olivet Discourse” (Matt. 24–25; ).
As we study this important sermon, we must follow some practical guidelines. To begin with, we must study this discourse in the light of the rest of Scripture, especially the Book of Daniel. The prophetic Scriptures harmonize if we consider all that God has revealed.
Second, we must see the practical application of the discourse. Jesus did not preach this sermon to satisfy the curiosity of His disciples, or even to straighten out their confused thinking. At least four times He said “Take heed!” (, , , ) and He closed the address with the admonition, “Watch!” While studying this address can help us better understand future events, we must not make the mistake of setting dates! ()
Third, as we study, we must keep in mind the “Jewish atmosphere” of the discourse. The Olivet Discourse grew out of some questions asked of a Jewish rabbi by four Jewish men, about the future of the Jewish temple. The warnings about “false Christs” would especially concern Jews (, ), as would the warning about Jewish courts and trials (). The Jews would especially appreciate the reference to “Daniel the prophet” and the admonition to flee from Judea ().
Finally, we must remember that this chapter describes a period of time known as “the Tribulation” (, ; also see , ). The Old Testament prophets wrote about this period and called it “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (), a time of wrath (), and a time of indignation and punishment (). As we shall see, it is Daniel the prophet who gives us the “key,” resulting in a better understanding of the sequence of events.
In Mark 13, Jesus described three stages in this Tribulation period: (1) the beginning (), (2) the middle (), and (3) the events that lead to the end (). He then closed with two parables that urge believers to watch and take heed (). Matthew’s Gospel is more detailed but has the same basic outhne: the beginning of sorrows (), the middle of the Tribulation (), the end (), closing parabolic application ().
I must point out that it is the conviction of many students of prophecy that believers in this present age of the church will be raptured by Christ and taken to heaven before the Tribulation begins (1 Thes. 4:13–5:11; ). At the close of the Tribulation, they will return to earth with Christ and reign with Him (Rev. 19:11–20:6). I agree with this interpretation, but I do not make it a test of orthodoxy or spirituality.
The First Half of the Tribulation ()
The key statement is at the end of : “These are the beginnings of sorrows.” The word translated “sorrows” means “birth pangs,” suggesting that the world at that time will be like a woman in travail (see ; ; ; ; ; ). The birth pangs will come suddenly, build up gradually, and lead to a time of terrible sorrow and tribulation for the whole world.
“Don’t be deceived.” Jesus listed the things that must not be taken as the “signs” of His coming. Rather, they are indications that the Tribulation “birth pangs” are just beginning. These signs are: the success of false Christs (), nations in conflict (), natural disturbances (), and religious persecutions (). They have always been with us, but since these events are compared to “birth pangs,” our Lord may be saying that an acceleration of these things would be significant.
False messiahs. The pages of history are filled with the tragic stories of false messiahs, false prophets, and their enthusiastic but deluded disciples. Jesus warned about false prophets (), as did Paul (), and John (). There is something in human nature that loves a lie and refuses to believe the costly lessons of the past. Mark Twain said that a lie runs around the world while Truth is putting on her shoes! How easy it is for spiritually blind people to follow popular leaders and gullibly accept their simple but erroneous solutions for the problems of life. Jesus warned His disciples not to be deceived by these imposters, and that warning holds good today.
Political conflicts. He also warned them not to be disturbed by political conflicts among the nations. The Roman Empire had enjoyed a measure of peace for many years, but it would not last. As the empire decayed and nationalism developed, it was inevitable that nations would come into conflict. The “Pax Romana” would be gone forever.
Natural disasters. War often leaves famine in its wake (; ). Famine is also caused by man’s abuse of the environment, or it can be sent by God as a judgment (). There have always been earthquakes, and some are evidences of God’s wrath (; ; ; ). Since natural disasters have many causes, it is dangerous to dogmatically make them “the signs of the times.”
“Don’t be discouraged!” Not only were the believers to take heed and avoid the deceivers, but they were also to take heed to themselves (). Why? Because they would face increasing opposition and persecution from sources both official () and personal (). It was important that the believers use these experiences as opportunities to witness for Jesus Christ. Persecution would begin in the local Jewish courts, but it would move to the higher courts where governors and kings would be involved. You see a similar development recorded in the Book of Acts (Acts 4–5; 7; 12; 16; 21–28).
But persecution would only result in proclamation! The believers would suffer for His sake and in that way declare His Gospel. “We multiply whenever we are mown down by you,” said Tertullian to his persecutors. “The blood of Christians is seed!” While I do not think that taking the Gospel to all nations () is a condition for our Lord’s return, it is certainly Christ’s commission to His people (). The “end” here means “the end of the age,” the Tribulation period.
It would not be easy for these “common people” to face courts, governors, and kings; but Jesus assured them that the Holy Spirit would minister through them whenever they had opportunity to witness (). This passage should not be used as an excuse or a crutch for poorly prepared preachers. It is an encouragement for all believers who sincerely want to witness for Christ and honor Him (; ). If we are walking in the Spirit, we will have no trouble bearing witness for Christ when the opportunities arrive ().
We can understand official persecution, but why would friends and family members create problems for believers? (see ; ) You would think that Jewish families in particular would be loyal to each other. But the Christian faith was looked on as heresy and blasphemy by both the Jews and the Gentiles. Twice daily, orthodox Jews affirmed, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord!” () The Jew who said “Jesus is Lord!” blasphemed and was worthy of death. Rome expected its citizens to declare “Caesar is lord!” or suffer the consequences. Thus, families and friends would be torn between their loyalty to their “ancient faith” and their nation, and their devotion to loved ones.
The real cause for persecution is stated in , “for My name’s sake.” If we identify with Jesus Christ, we can expect the world to treat us the way it treated Him (). You can belong to all sorts of weird religious groups today and not suffer much opposition from family and friends, but the minute you bring the name of Jesus into the picture, and share the Gospel, somebody will start to oppose you. His name is still hated.
Do not interpret as a condition for salvation, for it applies primarily to witnesses during the Tribulation. In any period a person lives, if he is truly born again, God will love him (; ) and keep him (; ). Since “the end” in means “the end of the age,” that is likely what it means in . During the Tribulation, the true believers will prove their faith by their faithfulness. They will not give in to the godless pressures of false religion (Rev. 13).
The Middle of the Tribulation ()
The phrase “abomination of desolation” comes from the Book of Daniel and refers to the idolatrous pollution of the Jewish temple by the Gentiles. To the Jews, all idolatry is an abomination (; ). The Jewish temple was defiled in 167 B.C.by the Syrian king Antiochus IV (also called “Epiphanes,” meaning “illustrious”) when he poured swine’s blood on the altar. This event was predicted in . The temple was also defiled by the Romans in A.D.70 when they captured and destroyed the city of Jerusalem. However, these events were but anticipations of the final “abomination of desolation” prophesied in and .
In order to understand , we must remember that the Jewish calendar is built on a series of sevens. The seventh day of the week is the Sabbath, and the seventh week after Passover brings Pentecost. The seventh month brings the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths. The seventh year is a Sabbatical year, and after seven Sabbatical years comes the Year of Jubilee.
Daniel saw seventy weeks, or periods of seven years, divinely determined for the Jews and for their Holy City, Jerusalem. This period of 490 years began with the decree of Artaxerxes in 445 B.C. permitting the Jews to return to their land and rebuild Jerusalem (). Why must the city be restored? Because 483 years later (×), Messiah would come to the city and give His life for sinners.
Now we must do some simple calculating. Most historians agree that Jesus was born in 5 B.C.; for Herod the Great was still living at the time, and he died in March, 4 B.C. If our Lord died at about the age of 33, that would take us to A.D. 27 or 28, and this would be 483 years after 445 B.C. when the decree was given!
We have accounted for 483 of Daniel’s 490 years, but what about the remaining 7 years? assigns them to the Tribulation period that we are now studying. (Note that also predicts the destruction of Jerusalem—by the Romans, commentators conclude—but these two events must not be confused.) “The time of Jacob’s trouble” will last seven years.
But what signals the beginning of this awful seven-year period? The signing of a covenant between the nation of Israel and “the prince that shall come” (). This “prince” is the coming world dictator that we usually call “the Antichrist.” In the Book of Revelation, he is called “the Beast” (Rev. 13–14). He will agree to protect Israel from her many enemies for seven years, and will even allow the Jews to rebuild their temple and restore their ancient liturgy and sacrifices. The Jews rejected their true Messiah but will accept a false messiah (). However, after three and a half years, Antichrist will break this covenant, invade the temple, set up his own image, and force the world to worship Satan (see ; Rev. 13). This is Daniel’s “abomination of desolation,” and it will usher in the last half of the Tribulation period, a time known as “the Great Tribulation” (). Note in that Mark’s parenthesis is for readers at a future time, not hearers when Jesus gave this message. This message will have special meaning to them as they see these events taking place.
Jesus gave a special warning to the Jewish believers in Jerusalem and Judea: “Get out as fast as you can!” This same warning applied when Rome attacked Jerusalem in A.D. 70. (See , and remember that predicted the invasion.) What happened in A.D. 70 foreshadowed what will happen in the middle of the Tribulation. Dr. Harry Rimmer used to say, “Coming events cast their shadows before. Straight ahead lies yesterday!” The warnings in do not apply to believers today, but they do remind us that God’s people in every age must know the prophetic Word and be prepared to obey God at any time.
The Last Half of the Tribulation ()
In the Book of Revelation, the last half of the Tribulation is called “the wrath of God” (, ; , ; , ; ). During this time, God will judge the world and prepare Israel for the coming of her Messiah. It will be a time of intensive judgment such as the world has never seen or will ever see again. In it, God will be working out His purposes and setting the stage for the coming of the Conqueror ().
Even in the midst of His wrath, God remembers mercy (); and for the sake of His elect, He shortens the days of the Tribulation. (The “elect” refers to Israel and the Gentiles who believe during the Tribulation. See Rev. 14.) To “shorten the days” means that He limits them to the three and a half years already determined and stops on time.
Satanic deception will continue to the very end, and false Christs and false prophets will lead people astray. In fact, they will even do miracles (; ; ). So deceptive will be these miracles that even the elect will be tempted to believe their lies. Of themselves, miracles are not a proof of divine calling and approval (). The final test is the Word of God.
The Tribulation period will climax with the appearing of terrifying signs in the heavens and worldwide chaos on the earth (). These signs, which have been predicted by the prophets (; ; ; ), will prepare the way for the coming of Jesus Christ to the earth. It will be a revelation of His great glory (see ; ) as He comes to establish His rule on the earth (; ).
describes the regathering of Israel from the nations to which they have been scattered throughout the world (; ; ). They will see their Messiah and trust Him, and the nation will be created in holiness and glory (Zech. 12:9–13:1; ). That there is a glorious future for Israel is stated by Paul in Romans 11.
Jesus did not want His disciples to get so involved in the prophecies of the future that they would neglect the responsibilities of the present; so He closed the Olivet Discourse with two parables. (Matt. 25 adds three other parables—the bridesmaids, the talents, and the sheep and goats.) Note that the first parable () emphasizes knowing that His coming is near, while the second parable emphasizes not knowing the time of His return. Is this a contradiction? No, because they were addressed to two different groups of people—the first, to the Tribulation saints, and the second, to all believers of every age.
The fig tree has a special association with the nation of Israel (see , but note that adds “and all the trees”). Most of the trees in Palestine are evergreens and do not change dramatically with the seasons. Not so the fig tree; it is one of the latest to leaf out in spring, so its shoots are an indication that summer is indeed near.
As Christian believers today, we are not looking for “signs” of His coming; we are looking for Him! But people living during the Tribulation will be able to watch these things occur and will know that His coming is near. This assurance will help them to endure () and to be good witnesses.
We think of a “generation” as a body of people living at the same time in history. But to what “generation” was Jesus referring in ? Not the generation then living in Judea, because they did not see “all these things” actually take place. Perhaps He meant the generation living during the Tribulation period. But since the Tribulation covers only seven years, why refer to an entire generation? For that matter, several different generations live together during every period of history.
The Greek word translated “generation” can also mean “race, stock, family.” On several occasions, Jesus used it to refer to the Jewish nation (, ; ); and that is probably how He used it in . The chosen nation, God’s elect, would be preserved to the very end; and God would fulfill His promises to them. His Word will never fail (; ; ). We as believers do not depend on signs; we depend on His unchanging Word, the “sure word of prophecy” ().
The Parable of the Fig Tree cautions Tribulation saints to watch and to know the “signs of the times.” But the Parable of the Householder warns all of us today () to be alert, because we do not know when He will return to take us to heaven (). Like the householder in the story, before our Lord went from us back to heaven, He gave each of us work to do. He expects us to be faithful while He is gone and to be working when He returns. “Take heed, watch and pray” is His admonition.
To “watch” means to be alert, to stay at one’s best, to stay awake. (The English name “Gregory” comes from this Greek word translated “watch.”) Why must we stay alert? Because nobody knows when Jesus Christ will return. When He was on earth in His humiliation, Jesus did not know the day or hour of His coming again. Even the angels do not know. The unsaved world scoffs at us because we continue to cling to this “blessed hope,” but He will return as He promised (2 Peter 3). Our task is to be faithful and to be busy, not to speculate or debate about the hidden details of prophecy.
Watchfulness has nothing to do with going to heaven. It is purely a matter of pleasing Him, hearing His loving commendation, and receiving His reward (). There is no suggestion here that, when He returns, Jesus will take only the faithful to heaven and leave the others on earth to suffer the Tribulation. His family is one, and He is now preparing a home for all of them, even the least worthy (). We go to heaven because of His grace, not because of our faithfulness or good works ().
The Christians who read Mark’s Gospel eventually had to face intense persecution from Rome (), and this particular message must have brought comfort and strength to them. After all, if God is able to help His people witness during the Great Tribulation, the worst persecution of all, then surely He could strengthen the saints in the Roman Empire as they faced their fiery trial.
While Christians today will not experience the terrible sufferings described in this chapter, we will have our share of persecution and tribulation in this world before the Lord returns (; ). But the warnings of this message in Mark 13 may be applied to our own lives: “Take heed that you are not deceived” (, ); “Take heed that you do not become discouraged and quit” (); “Take heed, watch and pray” ().
“And what I say unto you, I say unto all, ‘Watch’ ” ().
Mark 14:1–15:20
While thousands of Passover pilgrims were preparing for the joys of the feast, Jesus was preparing for the ordeal of His trial and crucifixion. Just as He had steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem (), so He steadfastly set His heart to do the Father’s will. The Servant was “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” ().
Follow His footsteps during the days and hours of the last week, and you will be amazed to see the responses of various people to the Lord Jesus Christ.
This event took place six days before Passover, which would put it on the Friday before the Triumphal Entry (). By placing this story between the accounts of the plot to arrest Jesus, Mark contrasted the treachery of Judas and the leaders with the love and loyalty of Mary. The ugliness of their sins makes the beauty of her sacrifice even more meaningful.
Neither Mark nor Matthew names the woman, but John tells us that it was Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (). Mary is found three times in the Gospel story; and each time, she is at the feet of Jesus (; ; ). Mary had a close fellowship with the Lord as she sat at His feet and listened to His Word. She is a good model for all of us to follow.
Mary’s anointing of the Lord must not be confused with a similar event recorded in . The unnamed woman in the house of Simon the Pharisee was a converted harlot who expressed her love to Christ because of His gracious forgiveness of her many sins. In the house of Simon the (healed) leper, Mary expressed her love to Christ because He was going to the cross to die for her. She prepared His body for burial as she anointed His head () and His feet (). She showed her love for Jesus while He was still alive.
It was an expensive offering that she gave to the Lord. Spikenard was imported from India, and a whole jar would have cost the equivalent of a common worker’s annual income. Mary gave lavishly and lovingly. She was not ashamed to show her love for Christ openly.
There were three consequences to her act of worship. First, the house was filled with the beautiful fragrance of the ointment (; also note ). There is always a “spiritual fragrance” in that home where Jesus Christ is loved and worshiped.
Second, the disciples, led by Judas, criticized Mary for wasting her money! It sounded so pious for Judas to talk about the poor, when in reality he wanted the money for himself! () Even in the Upper Room, six days later, the disciples still thought Judas was concerned about helping the poor (). It is interesting that the word translated “waste” in is translated “perdition” in and applied to Judas! Judas criticized Mary for “wasting money,” but he wasted his entire life!
Third, Jesus commended Mary and accepted her gracious gift. He knew the heart of Judas and understood why the other disciples followed his bad example. He also knew Mary’s heart and quickly defended her (). No matter what others may say about our worship and service, the most important thing is that we please the Lord. The fact that others misunderstand and criticize us should not keep us from showing our love to Christ. Our concern should be His approval alone.
When Mary gave her best at the feet of Jesus, she started a “wave of blessing” that has been going on ever since. She was a blessing to Jesus as she shared her love, and she was a blessing to her home as the fragrance spread. Were it not for Mary, her village, Bethany, would probably have been forgotten. The account of her deed was a blessing to the early church that heard about it and, because of the records in three of the Gospels, Mary has been a blessing to the whole world—and still is! The Lord’s prediction has certainly been fulfilled.
Mary gave her best in faith and love; Judas gave his worst in unbelief and hatred. He solved the problem of how the Jewish leaders could arrest Jesus without causing a riot during the feast. He sold his Master for the price of a slave (see ), the basest act of treachery in history.
The Passover lamb was selected on the tenth day of the month Nisan (our March–April), examined for blemishes, and then slain on the fourteenth day of the month (). The lamb had to be slain in the temple precincts and the supper eaten within the Jerusalem city limits. For the Jews, the Passover feast was the memorial of a past victory, but Jesus would institute a new supper that would be the memorial of His death.
Peter and John saw to it that the supper was prepared (). It would not be difficult to locate the man carrying the jar of water because the women usually performed this task. Was this man John Mark’s father? Did Jesus eat the Passover in an upper room in John Mark’s home? These are fascinating speculations, but we have no evidence that can confirm them. However, we do know that John Mark’s home was a center for Christian fellowship in Jerusalem ().
The original Passover feast consisted of the roasted lamb, the unleavened bread, and the dish of bitter herbs (). The lamb reminded the Jews of the blood that was applied to the doorposts in Egypt to keep the angel of death from slaying their firstborn. The bread reminded them of their haste in leaving Egypt (), and the bitter herbs spoke of their suffering as Pharaoh’s slaves. At sometime in the centuries that followed, the Jews had added to the ceremony the drinking of four cups of wine diluted with water.
Since for the Jews the new day began with sundown, it would be Friday when Jesus and His disciples met in the Upper Room. This was His last Passover, and on that day, He would fulfill the Passover by dying on the cross as the spotless Lamb of God (; ; ).
Between and are details of the washing of the disciples’ feet and the lesson on humility (). Following that lesson, Jesus became deeply troubled and announced that one of the disciples was a traitor. This announcement stunned all the disciples except Judas, who knew that Jesus was speaking about him. Until the very end, Jesus hid from the other disciples the identity of His betrayer, for He wanted to give Judas every opportunity to turn from sin. He even washed Judas’ feet! Had Peter known the truth about Judas, he might have been tempted to kill him.
Some people try to defend Judas by arguing that he betrayed Jesus in order to force Him into revealing His power and setting up the Jewish kingdom. Others say that he was nothing but a servant who obediently fulfilled God’s Word. Judas was neither a martyr nor a robot. He was a responsible human being who made his own decisions but, in so doing, fulfilled the Word of God. He must not be made into either a hero (“After all, somebody had to betray Jesus!”) or a helpless victim of merciless predestination. Judas was lost for the same reason millions are lost today: he did not repent of his sins and believe on Jesus Christ (; ). If you have never been born again, one day you will wish you had not been born at all.
None of the other disciples really thought himself to be the traitor, for their questions imply a negative answer: “It is not I, is it?” The men had often debated over which of them was the greatest, but now they were discussing which of them was the vilest. To make matters worse, Jesus said that His betrayer had even eaten bread with Him at the table! In the East, to break bread with someone means to enter into a pact of friendship and mutual trust. It would be an act of the basest treachery to break bread and then betray your host. However, even this was the fulfillment of the Word of God ().
Judas was sitting in the place of honor at our Lord’s left, while John was reclining to His right (). When Jesus gave Judas the bread dipped in the herbs, it was the gracious act of a host to a special guest. Even this did not break Judas’ heart, for after Judas took the morsel, Satan possessed him. Judas left the Upper Room to go to make the final arrangements to arrest the Lord Jesus. But even then the disciples did not know the truth about Judas (); and they would not find out the truth until they met him later in the Garden of Gethsemane.
After Judas left the scene, Jesus instituted what Christians commonly call “the Lord’s Supper” or “the Eucharist.” (The word Eucharist comes from a Greek word which means “to give thanks.”) Before the cup, Jesus took one of the unleavened loaves, blessed it, broke it, and told the men, “This is My body.” He then took the Passover cup, blessed it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My blood” (see ).
Bread and wine were two common items that were used at practically every meal, but Jesus gave them a wonderful new meaning. When Jesus said, “This is My body,” and, “This is My blood,” He did not transform either the bread or the wine into anything different. When the disciples ate the bread, it was still bread; when they drank the wine, it was still wine. However, the Lord gave a new meaning to the bread and the wine, so that, from that hour, they would serve as memorials of His death.
What, then, did Jesus accomplish by His death? On the cross, Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant and established a New Covenant (Heb. 9–10). The Old Covenant was ratified with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the New Covenant was ratified by the blood of God’s Son. The New Covenant in His blood would do what the Old Covenant sacrifices could not do—take away sin and cleanse the heart and conscience of the believer. We are not saved from our sins by participating in a religious ceremony, but by trusting Jesus Christ as our Saviour.
Our Lord’s command was, “This do in remembrance of Me” (). The word translated “remembrance” means much more than “in memory of,” for you can do something in memory of a dead person—yet Jesus is alive! The word carries the idea of a present participation in a past event. Because Jesus is alive, as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, by faith we have communion with Him (). This is not some “magical” experience produced by the bread and cup. It is a spiritual experience that comes through our discerning of Christ and the meaning of the Supper ().
The last thing Jesus and His disciples did in the Upper Room was to sing the traditional Passover hymn based on Psalms 115–118. Imagine our Lord singing when the cross was only a few hours away!
On the way to the Garden of Gethsemane (“oil press”), Jesus warned the disciples that they would all forsake Him; but He then assured them that He would meet them again in Galilee after His resurrection. He even quoted —“Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered”—to back up His warning. Their minds and hearts were unable to receive and retain His words, for three days later, they did not believe the reports of His resurrection! And the angel had to give them a special reminder to meet Him in Galilee (). Had they listened to His word and believed it, they would have saved themselves a great deal of anxiety; and Peter would not have denied the Lord.
The quotation from Zechariah told the disciples what to do when the Jews arrested Jesus: scatter! In fact, at the very time of His arrest, Jesus said, “Let these [disciples] go their way” (). In other words, “Men, get out of here!” I have read eloquent sermons blaming Peter for “following afar off,” but they completely miss the point. He was not supposed to follow at all! Had he obeyed the Lord, he would not have attacked a man with his sword or denied the Lord three times.
Peter seemed to have a difficult time applying Jesus’ commands to himself. The other men might forsake Jesus, but Peter would stand true and, if necessary, go with Him to prison and to death. Of course, the other disciples echoed Peter’s boast; so he was not the only self-confident one in the group. In the end, all of them failed.
When about to experience great suffering, most people want to have someone with them, to help share the burden. Often in my pastoral ministry, I have sat with people at the hospital, waiting for the surgeon to come with a report. Being perfectly human, Jesus wanted companionship as He faced the cross, and He selected Peter, James, and John, the same men who had accompanied Him to the home of Jairus () and to the Mount of Transfiguration (). These three experiences parallel : “That I may know Him [Mount of Transfiguration], and the power of His resurrection [home of Jairus], and the fellowship of His sufferings [Garden of Gethsemane].”
Our Lord’s struggle in the Garden can be understood only in the light of what would happen to Him on the cross: He would be made sin for us () and bear the curse of the Law (). It was not the physical suffering that almost overwhelmed Him with “anguish and sorrow,” but the contemplation of being forsaken by His Father (). This was “the cup” that He would drink (). According to , He asked to be saved, not “from death” but out of death; that is, raised from the dead; and the Father granted His request.
Abba is an Aramaic word that means “papa” or “daddy.” It reveals the intimate relationship between our Lord and His Father. While believers today would probably not use that term in public, it does belong to us because we belong to Him (; ). Note that Jesus did not tell the Father what to do; He had perfect confidence in God’s will. Three times He prayed about the matter, and each time He yielded to the Father’s will in loving surrender.
What were the three disciples doing? Sleeping! And Peter had vowed that he would die with his Lord—yet he could not even watch with Him! How gently Jesus rebuked the disciples and warned them. “Watch and pray” is an admonition that is often repeated in Scripture (; ; ; ). It means, “Be alert as you pray! Keep your spiritual eyes open, for the enemy is near!”
The third time our Lord returned to the sleeping men, He said, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come” (, NASB). It was the hour of His sacrifice, when He would die for the sins of the world. At that moment, Judas and the temple guards arrived to arrest Jesus, and Judas kissed Jesus repeatedly as the sign that He was the one to arrest. What hypocrisy!
The fact that Judas brought such a large group of armed men is evidence that neither he nor the religious leaders really understood Jesus. They thought that Jesus would try to escape, or that His followers would put up a fight, or that perhaps He might do a miracle. Our Lord’s words in were proof that He was in control, for they could have arrested Him many times earlier, except that His hour had not yet come.
Peter did a foolish thing by attacking Malchus (), for we do not fight spiritual battles with physical weapons (). He used the wrong weapon, at the wrong time, for the wrong purpose, with the wrong motive. Had Jesus not healed Malchus, Peter would have been arrested as well; and there might have been four crosses on Calvary.
At this point, the disciples forsook Jesus and fled, and so did an unknown young man who came into the Garden and witnessed the arrest. Was this John Mark? We do not know, but since the Gospel of Mark is the only one of the four Gospels that records this event, the author could well have been writing about himself. If the Upper Room was in the home of John Mark, then perhaps Judas led the soldiers there first. John Mark may have hastily put on an outer garment and followed the mob to the Garden. The soldiers may have even tried to arrest him, so he fled.
The disciples were scattered and the Servant was now alone, “and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me” (). Soon, even the Father would forsake Him!
In the High Priest’s Palace—Rejected ()
Both the Jewish trial and the Roman trial were in three stages. The Jewish trial was opened by Annas, the former high priest (). It then moved to the full council to hear witnesses (), and then to an early morning session for the final vote of condemnation (). Jesus was then sent to Pilate (; ), who sent Him to Herod (), who returned Him to Pilate (; John 18:39–19:6). Pilate yielded to the cry of the mob and delivered Jesus to be crucified.
By the time the soldiers arrived at the palace of the high priest, Peter and John, heedless of the Lord’s repeated warnings, followed the mob and even went into the courtyard. Jesus that night had sweat “as it were great drops of blood” (), but Peter was cold and sat by the enemy fire! The two disciples could not witness the actual trial, but at least they were near enough to see the outcome (; ).
After questioning and insulting Jesus, Annas sent Jesus bound to his son-in-law Caiaphas, the high priest. The Sanhedrin was assembled and the witnesses were ready. It was necessary to have at least two witnesses before the accused could be declared guilty and worthy of death (). Many witnesses testified against Jesus, but since they did not agree, their testimony was invalid. How tragic that a group of religious leaders would encourage people to lie, and during a special holy season!
Throughout this time of false accusation, our Lord said nothing (; ). But when the high priest put Him under oath, Jesus had to reply, and He testified clearly that he was indeed the Son of God. The title “Son of man” is messianic (), and the members of the council knew exactly what Jesus was saying: He was claiming to be God come in human flesh! This claim, of course, was blasphemy to the Jews, and they declared Him guilty and worthy of death. Since it was irregular for the Sanhedrin to vote on capital cases at night, the council met again early the next morning and gave the official sentence ().
While the Lord was being mocked and abused, Peter was in the courtyard below, trying to escape detection. Had he heeded the Lord’s warnings, he would have avoided walking into temptation and denying his Master three times. He is a warning to all of us, for, after all, if an apostle who walked with Christ denied his Lord, what might we do in similar circumstances? The Roman believers who read Mark’s Gospel no doubt learned from this account, for they would soon be entering the furnace of persecution themselves.
First, one of the high priest’s servant girls spoke to Peter, and he denied knowing anything about Jesus. Then the cock crowed. Another servant girl pointed Peter out to some of the bystanders, and again Peter denied knowing Jesus. Finally, a man accused him of being one of the disciples, and some of the bystanders joined in; but Peter vehemently denied knowing Jesus, and even put himself under a curse. Then the cock crowed for the second time and the Lord’s prediction was fulfilled (see ).
However, it was not the crowing of the cock that convicted Peter; it was the remembering of Christ’s words. It is always the Word that penetrates the heart and brings about true repentance. Peter pondered what Jesus had said and what he himself had done; and then Jesus, on His way to Pilate’s hall, turned and looked at Peter. It was a look of love, to be sure, but injured love (). His heart broken, Peter went out quickly and wept bitterly.
Before we judge Peter too severely, we need to examine our own lives. How many times have we denied the Lord and lost opportunities to share the Gospel with others? Do we, like Peter, talk when we should listen, argue when we should obey, sleep when we should pray, and fight when we should submit? Peter at least was sorry for his sins and wept over them, and the Lord did forgive him. After His resurrection, Jesus had a private meeting with Peter (); then Jesus helped Peter make a public confession when He met the disciples in Galilee (John 21).
As soon as their early morning meeting was over, and the verdict officially recorded, the Jewish leaders delivered Jesus to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. The governor usually resided at Caesarea, but it was his custom to be in Jerusalem each year for the feast. His presence pleased some of the Jews, and he could be on hand if any problems arose among the thousands of people crowded into Jerusalem. Roman governors held court early in the morning, so he was quite prepared when they brought the prisoner to him.
The Jewish council had to convince Pilate that Jesus was guilty of a capital crime and therefore worthy of death (). In spite of their political corruption, many Roman officials had an appreciation for justice and tried to deal fairly with prisoners. Furthermore, Pilate had no great love for the Jews and was not about to do them any favors. He knew that the Jewish leaders were not interested in seeing justice done; what they really wanted was vengeance ().
John gives us the most details of the Roman trial, and when you combine the Gospel records, you discover that Pilate repeatedly stated that he found no fault in Jesus (; ; ; ; ). His problem was that he lacked the courage to stand for what he believed. He wanted to avoid a riot (), so he was “willing to content the people” (). Pilate did not ask, “Is it right?” Instead, he asked, “Is it safe? Is it popular?”
The council had only one capital crime that they might be able to present to Pilate: Jesus claimed to be a king and He stirred up the people. They tried to pass Him off as a dangerous revolutionary who was undermining the authority of Rome. As Pilate questioned Jesus, the Lord said nothing, but the chief priests kept accusing Him and trying to wear down the governor’s resistance.
Pilate thought he could avoid making a decision by sending Jesus to Herod, the ruler of Galilee (), but Herod only sent Jesus back after mocking Him. Then the governor offered the people a choice—Jesus the Nazarene, or Barabbas, the murderer and insurrectionist—thinking that surely sanity would prevail and they would ask to have Jesus released. But the chief priests had prepared the crowd carefully (), and they asked for Barabbas to be set free and Jesus to be crucified.
The governor then tried a third ruse: he had Jesus scourged, hoping that the sight of the suffering prisoner would somehow arouse their pity (; ). But the plan did not work. The governor gave in and delivered Jesus to be crucified.
Then followed the disgraceful mockery by the soldiers, as they beat Him, spat on Him, and bowed in mock homage. Roman soldiers would certainly laugh at a Jew who claimed to be a king! “We have no king but Caesar!” () Our Lord quietly suffered and did not fight back, a lesson that Mark’s readers would need to learn as they faced official persecution ().
But men had not yet done their worst to God’s Son. Now they would lead Him outside the city and nail Him to a cross, and the Servant would die for the sins of the very people who were crucifying Him.
Mark 15:21–16:20
Cecil Rhodes devoted his life to British expansion in South Africa, plus making a fortune in diamonds. He was not yet fifty years old when he died, and his last words were, “So little done, so much to do.”
“I have glorified Thee on the earth,” Jesus said to His Father; “I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do” (). It would be wonderful if all of us could give that same kind of report when we get to the end of life’s journey. To know that we have accomplished His work and glorified His name would certainly make us look back with thanksgiving and ahead with excitement and anticipation.
The four events described in this final section of Mark give us the climax of the Gospel story and the historical basis for the message of the Gospel ().
Three specific hours are mentioned in this section of Mark: the third (), the sixth (), and the ninth (). The Jews reckoned time from 6 A.M.to 6 P.M., so this means that the third hour was 9 A.M., the sixth hour noon, and the ninth hour 3 P.M. Mark followed the Jewish system, whereas the Apostle John used Roman time in his Gospel. This means that “the sixth hour” in is 6 A.M.
The third hour (). According to law, the guilty victim had to carry his cross, or at least the cross beam, to the place of execution, and Jesus was no exception. He left Pilate’s hall bearing His cross (), but He could not continue; so the soldiers “drafted” Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross for Him. Roman officers had the privilege of “impressing” men for service, and the way they used this privilege irritated the Jews ().
When you consider all that our Lord had endured since His arrest, it is not surprising that His strength failed. Indeed, “He could have called 10,000 angels,” yet He willingly bore the suffering on our behalf. There was a higher purpose behind this act: the victim carried the cross because he had been found guilty, but our Lord was not guilty. We are the guilty ones, and Simon carried that cross on our behalf. Simon Peter boasted that he would go with Jesus to prison and to death (), but it was Simon of Cyrene, not Simon Peter, who came to the aid of the Master.
In one of his folksy letters to his mother, Harry Truman wrote, “I went to the White House to see the President and discovered I was the President.” Simon had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover (; ), and he ended up meeting the Passover Lamb! We have good reason to believe that Simon trusted the Saviour and went home and led his two sons to the Lord. No doubt many of Mark’s Roman readers knew Alexander and Rufus (), and perhaps they had even known Simon.
Golgotha is a Hebrew word that means “skull,” though nowhere does the text explain why the place bore that name. Visitors to the Holy Land today are shown “Gordon’s Calvary,” which does have the appearance of a skull, but guides also point out another possible site in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We do not know the exact place where our Lord was crucified, nor is it important that we know. He was crucified outside the city walls, the place of rejection (); and He died for the sins of the world.
It was customary for the victims to be given a narcotic potion that would help deaden the pain (), but our Lord refused it. For one thing, He wanted to be in full possession of His faculties as He did the Father’s will and accomplished the work of redemption. He would enter fully into His sufferings on our behalf and take no short cuts. He refused the cup of sympathy so that He might better drink the cup of iniquity (). What an example for us to follow as we do God’s will and share “the fellowship of His sufferings” ().
None of the Gospel writers gives us a description of crucifixion, nor is one necessary. Their aim is not to arouse our pity but to assure our faith. Many of their readers had probably witnessed crucifixions, so any details would have been unnecessary. Crucifixion was such a detestable thing that it was not mentioned in decent society, any more than today we would discuss the gas chamber or the electric chair. Suffice it to say, crucifixion is one of the most horrible forms of death ever devised by man. Read Psalm 22 for a description of some of our Lord’s agonies as He hung on the cross.
The victim usually wore a placard that declared his offense. Pilate wrote the one that Jesus wore and that was later hung above Him on the cross: “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The Jewish leaders protested, but Pilate for once stood his ground (). It may be that the message of this sign first aroused the hopes of the repentant thief (). He may have reasoned: “If His name is Jesus, then He is a Saviour. If He is from Nazareth, then He would identify with rejected people (). If He has a kingdom, then perhaps there is room for me!”
The soldiers at the execution were not only doing their duty, but they were also fulfilling prophecy as they gambled for our Lord’s garments (). The fact that the innocent Son of God was placed between two guilty criminals also fulfilled prophecy (; and see ). The word used for “thieves” is rendered robber in in reference to Barabbas, so perhaps these two men had been members of his rebel band.
It seems incredible that the religious leaders so hated Jesus that they even went out to Golgotha to mock Him. Thomas Carlyle called ridicule “the language of the devil,” and in this case, that definition is certainly true. The idle spectators who passed by were only too eager to follow the bad example of their leaders, so enduring mockery was added to the sufferings of our Lord. They mocked Him as Prophet (), as Saviour (), and as King (). It is possible that their sarcastic “He saved others!” may have encouraged the one thief to trust Him. The thief may have reasoned, “If He saved others, then He can save me!” So God uses even the wrath of man to praise Him ().
The sixth hour (v. ). At noon, a miraculous darkness came over the land, and all creation sympathized with the Creator as He suffered. This was indeed a miracle and not some natural phenomenon, such as a sand storm or an eclipse. It would not be possible to have an eclipse during full moon at Passover. By means of this darkness, God was saying something to the people.
For one thing, the Jews would certainly think about the first Passover. The ninth plague in Egypt was a three-day darkness, followed by the last plague, the death of the firstborn (Ex. 10:22–11:9). The darkness at Calvary was an announcement that God’s Firstborn and Beloved Son, the Lamb of God, was giving His life for the sins of the world. It was also an announcement that judgment was coming and men had better be prepared.
The ninth hour (vv. ). Our Lord made seven statements from the cross, three of them before the darkness came: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (); “Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise” (); and “Woman, behold thy son!… Behold thy mother!” () When the darkness came, there was silence on His cross, for it was then that He was made sin for us ().
At the ninth hour, Jesus expressed the agony of His soul when He cried out from the cross, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (see ) The darkness symbolized the judgment Jesus experienced when the Father forsook Him. As was so often the case, the people did not understand His words; they thought He was calling for Elijah the prophet. There was not only darkness over the land, but there was darkness in the minds and hearts of the people (; ; ).
Then Jesus said, “I thirst” (), and the kind act of the soldier in giving Jesus a sip of vinegar (see ) assisted Him in uttering two more wonderful statements: “It is finished!” () and “Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit” (; and see ). Jesus was not murdered; He willingly laid down His life for us (, , ). He was not a martyr; He was a willing sacrifice for the sins of the world.
Two remarkable events occurred at His death: there was an earthquake (), and the veil in the temple was torn in two. The veil had separated man from God, but now, through His death, Jesus had opened for the whole world a “new and living way” (; also see ). There had been an earthquake at Sinai when the Law was given (), but now the Law was fulfilled in Jesus Christ and its curse removed (; ). Through His sacrifice, Jesus had purchased not only freedom from the Law, but also freedom from the entire sacrificial system.
It is thrilling to read the witness of the Roman centurion, especially when you consider that his words could have gotten him into trouble with both the Jews and the Romans. That Jesus Christ is the Son of God is one of Mark’s important themes (, ; ; ; ; ). This makes His servanthood even more wonderful ().
It is touching to see how the women stood near the cross until the very end. John had also been there, but he had taken Mary, our Lord’s mother, to his own home where he could care for her (). Faithful women were the last at the cross on Friday and the first at the tomb on Sunday. What a contrast to the disciples who had boasted that they would die for Him! The church of Jesus Christ owes much to the sacrifice and devotion of believing women.
The Jews recognized two evenings: “early evening,” from 3 to 6 o’clock, and “evening,” after 6 o’clock, when the new day would begin. This explains how both Matthew () and Mark could call late Friday afternoon “evening.” It was important that the place of execution be quickly cleared, because the Jewish Sabbath was about to begin, and that Sabbath was a “high day” because of the Passover ().
God had a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin, Joseph of Arimathea, ready to take care of the body of Jesus (). He was assisted by Nicodemus, also a member of the council (). We must not think that these two men suddenly decided to bury Jesus, because what they did demanded much preparation.
To begin with, Joseph had to prepare the tomb in a garden near the place where Jesus died. This tomb was probably not for Joseph himself, since a wealthy man would not likely choose to be buried near a place of execution. The men also had to obtain a large quantity of spices (), and this could not be done when the shops were closed for Passover. And all of this had to be done without the council’s knowledge.
It seems evident that God prepared these two men and directed them in their activities. Nicodemus had come to Jesus privately (John 3) and had even defended Him before the council (). I believe that Joseph and Nicodemus searched the Scriptures together and discovered, led by the Spirit, that the Lamb would die at Passover. It is possible that they were hiding in the new tomb when Jesus died. It was a simple matter for Joseph to go to Pilate for permission to take the body, and for Nicodemus to guard the body until the official release was given. Had these men not acted boldly, the body of Jesus might have been disposed of like rubbish.
It was important that His body be prepared for burial so that the empty graveclothes could be left behind in the tomb (). Also, the way He was buried fulfilled prophecy (). The fact that He was buried is proof that Jesus actually died on the cross, for the Roman officials would not have released the body without proof that Jesus was dead.
Jesus Christ was “delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification” (). A dead Saviour cannot save anybody. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is as much a part of the Gospel message as His sacrificial death on the cross (). In fact, in the Book of Acts, the church gave witness primarily to the Resurrection (; , ).
The Resurrection proves that Jesus Christ is what He claimed to be, the very Son of God (). He had told His disciples that He would be raised from the dead, but they had not grasped the meaning of this truth (, ; ). Even the women who came early to the tomb did not expect to see Him alive. In fact, they had purchased spices to complete the anointing that Joseph and Nicodemus had so hastily begun.
When you combine the accounts in the Gospels, you arrive at the following probable order of Resurrection appearances on that first day of the week: (1) to Mary Magdalene ( and ), (2) to the other women (), (3) to Peter ( and ), (4) to the two men going to Emmaus ( and ), and (5) to ten of the disciples in the Upper Room ( and ).
It was still dark when Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, and Joanna () started out for the tomb (); and they arrived at early dawn (). Their first surprise was finding the stone already rolled away from the door () so that they were able to enter into the tomb. The second surprise was meeting two angels in the tomb (; Mark focused on only one angel); and the third surprise was hearing the message they delivered. No wonder the women were amazed!
The message was that Jesus was not there: He had risen from the dead, and He was going before them into Galilee where He would meet them. The women were the first messengers of the glorious Resurrection message! Note that there was a special word of encouragement for Peter (), and keep in mind that Mark wrote his Gospel with Peter’s assistance.
Mary Magdalene ran to tell Peter and John what she had discovered (), and then she lingered at the tomb after they left. It was then that Jesus appeared to her (). From her conversation with Jesus, it seems that Mary did not fully grasp what the angels had said, but she was the first believer to see the risen Christ. may give the idea that all the women fled, but states that Mary met Jesus personally.
After He appeared to Mary, Jesus met the other women as they were on their way to report their conversation with Jesus to the disciples (). Initially, the women were both joyful and afraid, but after they met the risen Christ, they found the disciples and shared the good news (). It is one thing to hear the message and quite something else to meet the risen Lord personally. When you meet Him, you have something to share with others.
The emphasis in is on the unbelief of the disciples who were mourning and weeping instead of rejoicing at the good news. Was it because they were prejudiced against the witness of the women? Perhaps, for the testimony of a woman was not accepted in a Jewish court. But even when the two Emmaus disciples gave their witness, not everybody believed. Compare with . Apparently there was division in the Upper Room until Jesus Himself appeared.
But when He did appear, He reproached them for their unbelief which was caused by their hardness of heart (see ; ). He was making it clear that the witnesses of His resurrection could and should be trusted. The phrase “the Eleven” in simply means “the Apostles,” because there were only ten of them together at that time, since Thomas was absent ().
Before His ascension forty days later, the Lord gave several commissions to His followers (; ; ; ; ). The one Mark gives probably is a part of the Great Commission that Jesus gave on a mountain in Galilee ().
In this commission, Jesus pointed out our message and our ministry, and then backed it up with the miraculous credentials that only He could give. The message is the Gospel, the Good News of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The ministry is to share this message with the whole world.
A superficial reading of would suggest that sinners must be baptized to be saved, but this misinterpretation disappears when you note that the emphasis is on believing. If a person does not believe, he is condemned, even if he has been baptized (see , ). It was expected in the early church that believers would be baptized (; ).
When God sent Moses to challenge Pharaoh in Egypt, He gave him special miracles to perform as his divine credentials, proving that he was sent from God (). This was also true of some of the prophets (1 Kings 18; ). The Apostles were also given special “signs” that enforced their message (; ; ). Of themselves, miracles do not prove that a person has been sent by God, for the message must also be true to God’s Word (see 2 Thes. 2; Rev. 13).
Most of the signs listed here did take place in the days of the Apostles and are recorded in the Book of Acts. The closest thing we have to taking up serpents is Paul’s experience on Malta (), but we have no biblical record of anyone drinking poison and surviving. No doubt God has performed many wonders for His own that we know nothing about, but we shall learn about them in heaven.
It is tragic when well-meaning but untaught people claim these signs for themselves and then die because of snake bites or poison. Of course, the excuse is given that they did not have enough faith! But whatever is not of faith is sin (); therefore, they should not have done it in the first place.
The person who takes up serpents just to prove his or her faith is yielding to the very temptation Satan presented to Jesus on the pinnacle of the temple (): “Cast Yourself down and see if God will take care of You,” Satan said in effect. He wants us to “show off” our faith and force God to perform unnecessary miracles. Jesus refused to tempt God, and we should follow His example. Yes, God cares for His children when, in His will, they are in dangerous places; but He is not obligated to care for us when we foolishly get out of His will. We are called to live by faith, not by chance, and to trust God, not tempt Him.
In a remarkable way, the Gospel of Mark parallels the great “Servant passage” in Philippians 2.
He came as a Servant ()—Mark 1–13
He died on a cross ()—Mark 14–15
He was exalted to glory ()—Mark 16
Both Paul and Mark emphasize the need for God’s people to get the message out to all nations (; ), and there is the added assurance that God is at work in and through them (; ).
Our Lord’s ascension marked the completion of His earthly ministry and the beginning of His new ministry in heaven as High Priest and Advocate for His people (Heb. 7–10; ). The “right hand of God” is the place of honor and authority (; ). Our Lord is like Melchizedek, King of Righteousness and King of Peace (; ).
One of His heavenly ministries is that of enabling His people to do His will (). It is fitting that the Gospel of the Servant should end with this reference to work, just as it is fitting for Matthew, the Gospel of the King, to end with a reference to His great authority. By His Holy Spirit, the Lord wants to work in us (), with us (), and for us ().
The Apostles and Prophets laid the foundation for the church (), so their work is finished and the apostolic signs have ceased. But the Lord’s working has not ceased, and He is still working in and through His people to save a lost world. His Servant-Son Jesus returned to heaven, but He still has His people on earth who can be His servants, if they will.
What a privilege to have the Lord working with us!
What an opportunity and obligation we have to carry the Gospel to the whole world!
“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many” ().
Are you serving—or are you expecting others to serve you?