Sabbath School Lesson for September 14-20, 2024
Overview of Lesson 12, Tried and Crucified
Memory Text: “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 15:34 NKJV
Mark 14 showed us many contrasts and conflicts between characters; but moving on to chapter 15, we also see many ironies woven into the Passion Narrative.
The cruel mocking and treatment of Jesus during His trial was nothing compared to the separation with His Father that He felt as He spoke His last words about being forsaken. That’s the irony of sin. Even Jesus had trouble feeling God’s presence when held in its awful grip at Calvary.
Other ironies in this chapter include:
- the ruling Sanhedrin council, His chosen ones, being the first to accuse, mistreat, and condemn the Lord
- Pontius Pilate, even though he found no fault in Jesus, still agreed to His execution
- compassionate Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Sanhedrin, requesting His body for a proper burial
Here are other ironies in Mark 15:
- Sunday: “Are You the King of the Jews?”–Pilate, a pagan governor, wanted to release Jesus, while the Jewish leaders wanted Him killed.
- Monday: Hail, King of the Jews–Jesus was mocked for being the King of the Jews, when in reality, He was their King.
- Tuesday: The Crucifixion–Jesus did not save Himself from enduring the cross, in order to save the world from sin.
- Wednesday: Forsaken by God–Even though man plotted to change God’s will, it was God’s will that prevailed from beginning to end.
- Thursday: Laid to Rest–Jesus’ missing disciples were not the heroes of the story, but rather it was a member of the plotting religious council, who bravely stepped forward to ask for His body.
Sunday: “Are You the King of the Jews?”
The unfair trial of Jesus before the Jewish ruling council the night He was arrested resulted in a verdict of blasphemy, a crime worthy of death in their culture. In order for an execution to take place, however, He would have to be found guilty by Pilate, their Roman-appointed governor. Therefore, the charge was changed to sedition, or incitement to rebel against the ruling authority of Caesar.
Pontius Pilate was unable to find that Jesus had committed any crime. In order to confirm his suspicions that the members of the Sanhedrin were just jealous of the influence of the humble itinerant preacher, he finally asked Jesus if He was indeed the King of the Jews. Jesus neither denied, nor affirmed it, but softly replied, “You have said so” (Mark 15:2 ESV). In reality, Jesus was both the Messiah and King of the Jews. But His was a kingdom of the heart.
What a terrible irony it was that the pagan governor wanted to release Jesus, but His own people wanted to see His death, a horrible death by crucifixion.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Mark 15:1-5 and Isaiah 53:7
- Why was Jesus silent during both of His trials?
Mark 15:6-15 and Matthew 27:19, 24
- Why did Pilate listen to the crowd, rather than do what he knew was morally right in this case?
Monday: Hail, King of the Jews!
It was customary for a cruel beating to be given to prisoners before their execution. A large number of soldiers, therefore, took Jesus off to the Praetorium to be whipped. But this severe treatment was followed by mocking cries of “Hail, King of the Jews!”, as they wrapped a purple robe around Him and put a crown of thorns on His head.
This callous mockery was emotional torture for the Lord, on top of the intense physical suffering He had just endured. How ironic that He was being called King of the Jews when in fact, He was their King. He was not only King of the Jews, but King of the Roman soldiers who mocked Him.
The one gesture that may have been a concession for this miscarriage of justice was that the soldiers didn’t make Jesus carry the cross naked, which would have been the customary thing to do, and would have pleased the Jewish leaders who wanted Him crucified (Mark 15:20).
Bible Verses to Explore:
Mark 15:15-20 and Isaiah 53:4-6
- How were Isaiah’s prophecies carried out by the Roman soldiers under Pilate?
- Who was Jesus, the Lamb of God, actually suffering for, and how might that have helped Him bear it?
Tuesday: The Crucifixion
Jesus was so beaten down after the soldiers’ mistreatment that they had to recruit a bystander to carry His cross to Golgotha, the site of execution. Simon from Cyrene (somewhere in north Africa) was chosen for this disagreeable task.
Many of the details are spared us about the method of crucifixion, but history tells us that it was the cruelest form of execution at the time, or maybe even for any time in history.
Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah received the most attention ever, due to the accusation posted above Him as He hung on the cross. The inscription read, “The King of the Jews”. The secret was out…He was indeed their King.
It was the King of the Universe that caused the veil in the temple between the Holy and the Most Holy Place to be supernaturally torn from top to bottom (Mark 15:38). We all have access to God now, through the sacrifice of His dear Son. His will was not to spare His Son, but to save the world from sin.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Mark 15:21-26
- Why do you think Jesus refused the wine, which might have been a narcotic to ease His pain?
Mark 15:27-28 and Isaiah 53:12
- How was Isaiah’s prophecy fulfilled with the two robbers being executed that day?
Mark 15:29-32
- Why was it blasphemy to taunt Jesus to come down from the cross, and what was the irony in this?
Mark 15:33-38 and Isaiah 26:33
- Why was this veil torn and why do we believe it was supernatural?
Wednesday: Forsaken by God
The only words of Jesus that Mark records while on the cross was that heart wrenching cry to God about why He was being forsaken. He spoke this as the whole land was shrouded in darkness for about three hours (Mark 15:33-34). Was this horrific suffering God’s will?
Notice similar features of Jesus’ life showing God’s will for Him, especially in the beginning and end of His earthly ministry.
- John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.–The final baptism Jesus experienced was on the cross (Mark 10:38).
- John the Baptist was mistaken for the prophet Elijah.–Jesus’ cry for God on the cross were misunderstood as a call for Elijah (Mark 15:35).
- The heavens were split at Jesus’ baptism.–The veil of the temple was split at Jesus’ death on the cross (Mark 15:38).
- The Holy Spirit descended like a dove at His baptism.–The breath of life (His Spirit) left Jesus, as His life ended on the cross (Mark 15:37).
- God’s voice declared Him “Beloved Son” when He was baptized.–A soldier declared Him the “Son of God” as He hung on the cross (Mark 15:39).
God’s will prevailed from the beginning of His Son’s ministry to the final, crushing moment of His death on the cross. How ironic that the sinful plot to eliminate Jesus would keep Satan from eliminating the whole world through sin.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Mark 15:33-41 and Hebrews 11:1
- How can we know that God’s truth and goodness will prevail?
Thursday: Laid to Rest
What a surprise ending to Jesus’ life. After having almost all His closest friends desert Him, His Father made sure there were devoted heroes to take care of His body.
Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Sanhedrin, the group of leaders who had so often belittled the Messiah, trying to take Him down. But Joseph, an unlikely hero of the story, was brave enough to ask for the body of Jesus so he could give Him a decent burial. He tenderly took Jesus down from the cross, wrapped Him in fine linen, and placed Him in a tomb till after the Sabbath.
Women, who have always received less prominent attention and roles than men, were the other unlikely heroes in Mark’s story. Several of them, including Salome, Mary the mother of James, and Mary Magdalene, watched the drama unfold from a distance. They later made the woeful preparations for Christ’s embalming, meeting at the tomb on Sunday morning (Mark 16:1).
Bible Verses to Explore:
Mark 15:42-47
- Why was the intervention of Joseph of Arimathea and some of the women disciples at the cross so unexpected?
- What role in the cause of Christ can we have?
Friday: Final Thoughts
As we have seen in chapter 15 of Mark, both religious leaders (the Sanhedrin) and government officials (Pontius Pilate) were responsible for Christ’s death. There have been many unfortunate outcomes in history when religion and politics are mixed. Working together, this kind of relationship always seems to bring with it some kind of persecution. Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords. is alone worthy of that title, as much as Satan would like to imitate it, using both church and state officials to enforce his apostate/false agenda.
On this earth, government should not tell the church how to worship, and the church should not be enforcing its dogmas using the government. Only in God’s heavenly Kingdom will we see a successful combination of governance that will be both loving and fair for the whole universe.
Christ sacrificed His life to see that His Kingdom of love and justice will be the one to outlast them all.
Next Week: The Risen Lord
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