Putting Life to Death
Pastor Marty Tuesday, March 23, 2021 at 12:36PM Mark 15:33-47. This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on March 21, 2021.
In our rush for progress, there are many things that society appears to be trying to jettison. It is true that there are often obstacles that I need to remove or find away around in order to progress in life. However, the influence that Jesus Christ has upon many people throughout the world, has been moving to the top of the list. The argument is being developed that Christians and the Bible are holding back the USA, even the world, from creating a society that is truly Utopia.
Now to be clear, it isn’t Christians and the Bible per se. The challenge will come against “those kind of Christians” who interpret the Bible “in that kind of way.” O, how ancient is the human tendency to tell itself that if we just rid ourselves of “those people” then we can be a greater society. Of course, this is impossible. The type of person who would think such a thought, and go along with it, is twisted already. Such people cannot build a true Utopia, no matter how much science they follow.
The Bible tells us that Jesus is not only the Truth, but the Life of men. “In him was life and the life was the light of men. And, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:4-5 NKJV). Think about how all life on this planet eventually dies, while new life rises up to take its place. This is bad enough. Humans must die, while others take their place. However, there are situations in life in which life is purposefully extinguished. The devil led Adam and Eve into an act that extinguished something of the life in them, that is why Jesus called him a “murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44). Cain also extinguished something of the life in his brother Abel. Yet, it is in Jesus that we see the true heart of humanity. All people murdered by other humans up to that point were imperfect, and we can always tell ourselves that we were justified by their imperfections. In Jesus, we didn’t just put to death a life. In Jesus, we were putting to death The Life, the One who gave life to us in the first place (at least we were attempting to do so). This is our problem. We want God to go away, disappear, pretend that He doesn’t exist…, even die, so that we can do what we want, but with His stuff. “God, go away, but leave your stuff for us to play with.” This is a horrendous definition of Utopia because it believes it can exclude the giver of life and still have life.
When Jesus was put to death on the cross, he was offering us a way back to the Fullness of Life and we tried to snuff that out. Newsflash: True Life cannot be snuffed out. Yes, they killed his mortal life, but not his eternal life. God knew our hearts and had incorporated such evil in His plan of salvation. Know this; if the life of Christ dwells in you, you too cannot be snuffed out. Yes, you may be killed, but they cannot snuff out eternal life, and this is the joyful inheritance that God has given to all of humanity who will turn from their sins and believe in what Jesus has done, and what he is telling us to do.
The death of Jesus
In our passage, we come to the point of the death of Jesus. He will be on the cross from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, six hours.
At noon, a darkness comes over the land that lasts until Jesus dies three hours later. This cannot be an eclipse for two reasons. First, Passover always occurs during the full moon. By definition, solar eclipses can only happen during the new moon. Lunar eclipses can happen at the full moon, but they do not darken the whole land during the day, which leads us to the second point. Solar eclipses only last minutes for the totality, not hours.
Through the years, many conjectures have been made for what caused this darkness: a sandstorm, a volcanic eruption in the region, storm clouds, etc. Whatever the cause of this darkness, it is strange enough by itself, but when added to the crucifixion of Jesus, it gives an ominous picture. The literal event becomes symbolic of a spiritual event. God had sent them light and they tried to snuff it out. Therefore, God sends a spiritual darkness upon them. This is prophesied throughout the Old Testament. The Apostle Paul refers to it when he says, “But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.” (2 Corinthians 3:14-15 NKJV).
Simultaneously, the darkness becomes symbolic of the dark night of the soul of Jesus, as the Father must abandon his son to a punishment he didn’t deserve. By the way, it is interesting that Amos 8:9 prophesies of a time when it will be dark at noon by God’s doing.
Mark then tells us that Jesus cried out with a loud voice in the Aramaic language, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This statement of Jesus has at least two purposes. It stands to let us know how he feels in that moment as he approaches his death. The Father is not stepping in and protecting him from injustice. The Father is also placing all of humanity’s sins upon him. The separation of relationship in the moment is something that even the eternal Son of God had never known. Most likely, this was the most horrible part of his crucifixion.
Secondly, Jesus is actually giving a direct quote of the first verse of Psalm 22. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize that he is directing our attention to that passage. What Scripture verse would you quote when you were being executed unjustly? It would be one that would fit the situation well enough to highlight the injustice. When you read Psalm 22 (a great homework assignment by the way), it sounds as if it was written by Jesus on the cross. For 20 verses, David describes a horrible plight of oppression and torture at the hands of others. Verse 21 has a clear change. “Save me from the lion’s mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered me!” The rest of the psalm then goes on to praise God. Clearly, Jesus intends for us to make the connection. He is going to die, and it will look like God has not heard him, but has forsaken him. However, Psalm 22 promises that the moment will come when God will answer him. It wouldn’t be the case for Jesus and it won’t be the case for you! No matter what injustice you suffer, even death, God has not abandoned you and will resurrect you to keep His promises.
Mark then tells us that Jesus gave a loud cry and gave up his last breath. He doesn’t tell us what that cry was, but from the Gospels of John and Luke, we have at least two sentences Jesus spoke as he came to his death.
“It is finished!” (John 19:30). The task that Jesus had been sent to do had been accomplished. He could now die and bring the torture to an end. However, the word Jesus uses for being finished was also one that would be stamped on a bill to show that the transaction has been finished. In modern parlance, we would say, “Paid in full!” Jesus had paid the price for our sins completely, through his suffering of our penalty. The wrath of God is poured out upon him and he dies.
Luke 23:46 also tells us that Jesus says, “Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit.” Whether this last part is also cried out or not is immaterial. Even in a moment of feeling forsaken, Jesus teaches us the wisest thing ever. When you have nothing left, don’t turn your back on God. Instead, commit yourself into His hands. He can be trusted even when it doesn’t look like it. Much of our problem comes from not speaking these words each day as we approach our own daily crucifixion (metaphorically). Every day for the Christian is crucifixion day, a day when I will put my own flesh to death. My flesh won’t like it, but we must commit our spirit into the Father’s hands and trust His way, trust the Savior Jesus that He has given us.
Jesus spoke at least seven things from the cross and they are all worth meditating upon. You will have to look through all of the Gospels to find them, but take the time this week to do that (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19).
As Jesus gives up his last breath, the darkness over the land comes to an end. In truth, this is the moment of most spiritual light for the earth. God is dead on a cross. Jesus has perfectly shown us the love of the Father despite all of our accusations against Him. Light is about to be sent out to the ends of the earth through the apostles and disciples of Jesus.
Several other things occur at his death that serve to underscore the gravity of what is happening. Mark mentions that the veil in the temple was torn in half. Mark leaves out that there was a powerful earthquake, which serves as the mechanism of ripping the large veil (about 4 inches thick). The veil separated the area called the holy place. It had the menorah, the table of bread representing the tribes of Israel, and the altar of incense. Priests came into this area each day. However, behind the veil was the ark of the covenant, which served as the footstool of the presence of God on earth. This was the most restricted place in all of Israel. Only the High Priest, on only one day of the year, and only observing the correct rituals, could enter into this space where God’s presence dwelled. The ripped veil represents that the way into the presence of God has been opened up by the great High Priest Jesus. Believers would no longer need an earthly priest to mediate for them every year. They could go directly to God, and His “throne of grace.” The next time someone complains to you about the restrictions on foreigners, women, common men, and common priests, remind them of this moment. We want God to be all-powerful, but not dangerous. That is because, we want a god that we can control, that is safe. God is holy and just. None of us dare approach him without the wisdom of how to do that. However, in Jesus God opens up the way so that every man, woman and child can approach Him through repentance and faith.
At this point, the centurion, whose job it is to make sure Jesus dies, is overwhelmed by what he sees. “Surely, this man was the son of God!” Luke adds, “a righteous man.” He had seen many rebels and murderers put to death, but the death of Jesus was something altogether different. The manner of Jesus and the spectacular events surrounding his death convinced this Roman soldier that Jesus was a righteous man who was the Son of God!
Mark tells us that there were also many of the female followers of Jesus watching all of this. In Luke, we are told that the crowd disperses, beating their breasts in a show of anguish and grief. They too are shocked by what they have seen. This was a tragic day, a day when the lights went out in Jerusalem, a day when they crucified an innocent man.
The burial of Jesus
Jesus has expired in his physical frame around 3:00 PM, and the Sabbath quickly approaches. It is at this point that a rich man named Joseph, from the town of Arimathea- it was northwest of Jerusalem by approximately 8 miles- asks Pilate for permission to bury the body of Jesus. Joseph was member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling elders of Israel. He had dissented to the council’s actions earlier that morning. This is who he is. We are also given information about Joseph’s spiritual condition. He lived waiting for the Kingdom of God. He wasn’t giving it lip service, but actually looked for it to happen. The Apostle Peter gives a similar exhortation to believers in 2 Peter 3:11-12. Knowing that all the things of this earth and the universe are going to be dissolved by fervent heat, what sort of people ought we to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the Day of God? We need to be a people who are waiting and looking (even hastening) the coming of the Day of God, the Second Coming of Jesus. It was people who had given up on the Kingdom of God that gave themselves to crucifying Jesus. Don’t give up spiritually on God. Those who wait on Him will be glad that they did in the end.
When our hopes go beyond this world, and are not desperately seated only in the material plane, then we are spared the desperate acts that, in trying to grasp at life, actually put true life to death. Jesus warned us. “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.” (Mark 8:35 NKJV).
Pilate then confirms that Jesus has truly died and gives Joseph permission to remove the body and bury it. We are told that Joseph wraps the body in a new, expensive linen and lays it in a new, rock tomb that is sealed against intruders by a large stone. No doubt, this tomb had been intended by Joseph to be for his family, but now was given in service to the Lord.
All of this is observed by the women mentioned earlier. They witness where Jesus is buried, and eventually go home for the Sabbath, preparing spices for his body, to bring when the Sabbath is over.
It is good that we pause in this valley of death, at the moment when all seems lost, and life seems dead. Part of what Jesus is showing us is that the Life of God cannot truly be extinguished. I’m not saying that Jesus didn’t actually die, but that this cannot be the final word. We are more than bodies, and Jesus is more than a human spirit. In Christ, we are given assurance that our exit from this world is not the final word on our life. Those who put their faith in God will rise again as Jesus will soon show us in the next chapter. The life of God will cause us to shine like the stars. However, no amount of “following the science” can do anything but lead us into dead ends. Only God can give us what we seek. Put your faith in Him today!