Consistently Misunderstood

Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!” Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.” And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. Mark 15:35-37

It is consistent that as He was misunderstood throughout His ministry, His last words in Mark would also be immediately mistaken for a call to a long-dead prophet. It is a cherished myth that our beloved ones always pass away with important last words. So, of course someone runs to give Jesus a bit of vinegar to drink and get some important last words from Him. But no, a loud cry and Jesus has gone. Try to feel that.

Bucky

What He Did Not Want To Do

Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Mark 15:33-34

From Psalm 22:1, Jesus calls out this question to His Father. From years of study, I have come to believe that this is what Jesus did not want to do. This question is unbelief. This question expresses our sin. This question assumes that a forsaking took place and accuses God of doing it. Jesus was intimately connected with His Father and would know better. Of all the things that Jesus suffered from the arrest to His death, I believe this question He wanted to avoid most of all. But by asking this, He became our sin, the worst sin of unbelief. The scapegoat for our sin now had that sin upon Him and the mission was accomplished.

And by His sacrifice we are saved,

Bucky

Ended Him

And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”
Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.  Mark 15:29-32

How a person chooses to behave after defeating an enemy says much about their character and discipline. In our time, it is the exceptions that are what gets reported and not the majority. However, in the case of Jesus, it seems that the majority was the starring act. Chief priests, scribes, Roman soldiers, and the Jews passing by all got into the mocking performance. Luke records that one repented, but here in Mark's gospel both of the other cross occupants reviled our Lord Jesus also. Those who had shouted, "Hosanna to the son of David" (Matt 21:9), were now mocking their Savior and King. Those who did not believe in Jesus thought that ending him was the end of the matter. 

But was it?

Bucky

Died For Us

Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the inscription of His accusation was written above:

THE KING OF THE JEWS.

With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

-- Mark 15:25-28

We are a crazy bunch of fools, according to the world, for believing at this moment that Jesus was perfectly in control and laying down His life to save us from our sins. Those transgressors in the prophecy? They are us as well as the two robbers. The inscription on His cross was meant to be derogatory, but we know it is accurate. Given the chance we might even upgrade it to, King of kings and Lord of lords. Savior, Lord, and Friend, Jesus here in the scripture moment for today will only suffer a little while longer.

And we mourn Him,

Bucky

Foretold

And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take. Mark 15:22-24

They divide My garments among them,
​​And for My clothing they cast lots.
  -- Psalm 22:18

Psalm 22 begins with some of the last words Jesus called out on the cross. The prophetic psalm also foretells the disposition of our Lord's clothing while He worked our salvation. To suffer great pain while others have a little gambling action going on nearby must be both insulting and terribly frustrating. Yet Jesus, I believe, included those soldiers stealing His clothing when He prayed to His Father to forgive them. We too are forgiven in this, for what are we if not similar to those Romans as we ignorantly go about a little of this or that in life while our Lord works to save us?

Praise God for the forgiving of our Lord Jesus,

Bucky

The Other Simon

Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross. Mark 15:21

Jesus chose two Simons, one surnamed Peter, and one known as a zealot, but then a third one is passing by while Jesus bears His cross toward Golgotha. The Roman soldiers chose this third Simon, and they didn't ask whether he wanted to come along with or not. Why did they choose this man from a city in what we know as Libya? Probably due to his appearance, given they knew nothing else about him. For all those who state their piety by desiring to touch the cross of Jesus, Simon gets to do it by the overbearing compulsion of imperial Rome. This Simon may not have seen the honor in it. The cross of Jesus, bloody and sweaty, and probably used for many executions before and after this time. Imagine being compelled to tote an electric chair up the hill to a public execution. You would need no compulsion to let everyone up there know the chair wasn't for you!

Let 'em know, Jesus is Lord!

Bucky

Mocking Game

Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him. Mark 15:19-20

Although the Roman garrison bowed the knee to Jesus, their heart was not in it. How a person or group behaves with another person delivered to them by an authority as a prisoner will say much about their character. We can criticize the Roman soldiers for this, but there is Jesus also to consider. This man who walked across the stormy surface of Lake Tiberias and raised dead people back to life, must not be entirely helpless even in this circumstance. In Matthew's gospel, Jesus tells His valiant, ear-whacking, swordsman to put it away since His Father could send twelve legions of angels to His rescue. One Roman garrison versus twelve legions of angels? Gotta go with the angels on that one. Therefore, as Jesus had the power to call upon a superior force but didn't, what mission holds Jesus on this course? We are grateful that this mission was our salvation, and that Jesus held Himself to it.

Praise God for our Lord's longsuffering and patience,

Bucky