“The Death of Jesus”

 

BIBLE READING :Mark 14-16

Chapters 14-16 takes the reader through the events in the last three days related to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Chapter 14 (Thursday) reveals the plot to kill Jesus (14:1-2); his anointing by the woman which leads Judas to slip away and arrange for the betrayal of Judas (14:3-11); the observance of the Passover meal and the institution of the Lord’s Supper which will take place after his resurrection (14:12-26); the foretelling of Peters denial and the fulfilment of the action (14:26-31; 66-72). It also describes Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane (14:32-42); his betrayal by Judas and his arrest by a crowd sent by the chief priests, scribes and the elders (14-43-50); and the mockery of a trial before the Jewish Council (14:53-65).

Chapter 15 (Friday) describes the trial before Pilate (15:1-15); the mockery of Jesus during the trial (1:16-20) and as he is carried out of the city to be hung on a cross, the cruelest death known to man at that time. (15:16-32). Verses 33-47, describe how as Jesus is placed on the cross, seemly to face death and the end of all his teaching, the presence of God is shown through the darkness that comes over the scene and the curtain of the temple being torn in two pieces from top to bottom  (15:33-39). Later we learn that this was symbolic of the transition from the Old covenant to the New Covenant. To those who were present at the cross everything seems to be over, Jesus who had made such strong statements as to his relationship to God, hangs on the cross in humility, bleeding, and DEAD.  However, the centurion, watching these events sees through this seeming tragedy states, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” (15:38).  At the end of chapter 15, Mark describes how at the end of the day, Israel’s holiest days the Passover, will begin so the body of Jesus is taken down from the cross, wrapped  carefully in a linen garment, and laid in a tomb carved into rock. A stone is rolled against the entrance and his followers, believing that his life was over leave for home and his story seems to end. 15:42-47).

Chapter 16 (Sunday) begins with the preparation of Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome to go and anoint the body of Jesus with spices believing that the body of Jesus would be stinking by this time, but the book which begins with the words “In the beginning of the gospel about Jesu Christ, the Son of God” reveals that the end is not over, It is BEGINNING. All the things described in the book of Mark had to take place so that salvation could be brought to mankind. After describing the meeting with the young man sitting inside the open, empty tomb and the instructions to go and tell the disciples what had happened (16:6-8) the grief of the ladies was over. Jesus later meets with Mary Magdalene, two men on the way to Emmaus, and to the disciples. The women do not realize at the time, but they are the first to enter into a world made for ever new by the resurrection of the son of God. 

Mark ends his gospel by relating the great commission given to the apostles to “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation, Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”  Marshall Keeble, a noted African-American preacher, of the 1960’s and 70’s once remarked that he liked Mark16:15-16 because it reads “every creature (KJV),: instead of “all nations”(KJV) as found in Matthew 28:19-20.

Many people believe that the Gospel of Mark is the most evangelistic of the gospels.