First Baptist Church Ottawa
Our Online Church School Lesson - March 24, 2024
The Crucifixion of Jesus - Mark 15:16-47
Today’s Scripture: Mark 15:16-47
Today’s Theme: The Crucifixion of Jesus
Opening Prayer: Dear God, thank you for allowing us to gather here today to learn more about Jesus. Please help our ears to listen, our minds to learn, and our hearts to love as we hear the stories of His work. Amen.
Today’s Lesson: During the past few weeks, we have talked about Jesus’s final week in Jerusalem, beginning with his entry to the city on Palm Sunday and ending with his trial before Pontias Pilate. Today, we will finish the story of Holy Week by looking at what happened to Jesus after he was sentenced to death by Pilate. We will read the text from the book of Mark, though each of the Gospels tells this story in its own way. As you grow as a Christian, you will hear and read this story many times. The words will never change but each year, they will take on a different meaning for you, depending on what is happening in your own life.
Summary of the Events of Good Friday: Let’s summarize the events of Good Friday before we read the scripture from Mark:
The soldiers mocked Jesus - These Roman soldiers were hardened death squads. The Romans had perfected crucifixion as a method of punishment, and they were making a sport of it. They placed a crown made from thorns on his head, they put a purple robe on him (mocking him as "king"), spit on him, hit him on the head with sticks, and pretended to worship him.
Simon carried Jesus' cross for him - They took Jesus to a hill called Golgotha (which meant, the "Place of the Skull"). They required Jesus to carry his own cross up the road. Along the way, Jesus grew tired and wasn't able to keep carrying it. So the soldiers forced a man named Simon to carry it for him.
The soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross - These were not ordinary nails like you get at the hardware store. These were about 4-6" long and thick. If you can get hold of some, get some cut nails from the hardware store, which are much more like the nails they used. They nailed one into each of his wrists and one into both of his feet.
The soldiers offered Jesus something to drink several times - Jesus was offered wine vinegar (literally just really old, sour wine) mixed with gall (a form of poison or narcotic) that he refused. After he said, "I thirst", they also offered him sour wine (also called vinegar, or wine vinegar) which he drank.
The soldiers cast lots for his clothes - Again, making a game of this horrible torture, the soldiers cast lots (think rolling dice or choosing straws) to see who could take his clothes home as a souvenir of their day's work.
The crowd mocked Jesus - The crucifixion lasted several hours. It was meant as a public embarrassment as much as it was torture. As people passed by, they shouted at him and mocked him. The soldiers had placed a sign over his head on the cross that said, "King of the Jews" to mock him. The people passing by told him that if he really was the Son of God, that he should just come down off the cross himself.
Darkness fell over the land for 3 hours before he died - The Mark account tells us that at about noon, darkness fell over the land for about 3 hours until Jesus died.
Jesus' last words - Jesus said several phrases that were recorded as his last words. Two of them were especially noteworthy. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” comes from Psalm 22:1. This helps us understand that Jesus was carrying our sins on him on the cross and that he was taking our punishment (separation from God). Then, just before he breathed his last breath, he said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46)
Miracles happened when Jesus died - The Matthew account gives us details about several miracles that occurred just as Jesus died. The temple curtain was torn in two; there was an earthquake; tombs broke open and saints were raised to life and they went back to Jerusalem and appeared to others.
Joseph of Arimathea helped bury him - A man named Joseph of Arimathea bought a tomb and took Jesus' body down off the cross, wrapped him in a linen cloth and placed him in the tomb.
Now, let’s read the text of this journey from the Book of Mark. As we read it, try to form an image in your head of what happened. How does this story make you feel?
Mark 15:16-47 (NRSV):
16 Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. 18 And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. 20 After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
21 They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. 22 Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.
25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. 29 Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.
33 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” 36 And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”
40 There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
42 When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. 45 When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus saw where the body was laid.
Today, as you hear the events that led up to the death of Jesus on the cross, please take a moment to reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. How do you feel about the events of Holy Week and Good Friday this year, as compared to how you might have felt about the same events one year ago? How do you think you will feel about them next year?
Closing Prayer: Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for me. I know it was painful for you and that you did it because of your great love for everyone. Please forgive me. Thank you for saving me! Thank you for loving me and wanting everything to be right again. I am so glad that you are risen and live forever. In Your Name I pray, Amen.