Rev. Joel Heckmann, pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Okarche, OK, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 15:33-41.
Darkness covers the whole land for the final three hours of Jesus’ crucifixion. All creation now mourns its Creator as the full wrath of God comes down upon Jesus on this Day of the LORD. Jesus prays Psalm 22 on the cross in His moment of greatest agony; He experiences hell in our place when He is forsaken by His Father. God has abandoned Jesus so that we would never be abandoned. Though the bystanders misunderstand, Jesus continues resolutely on as He willingly gives up His life. The mystery is great and wonderful: God died for us. The tearing of the temple curtain proclaims that Jesus has accomplished our reconciliation to God, and the centurion’s confession is exactly right at exactly the right moment. Mark has been writing his Gospel account for this moment: Jesus shows Himself to be the Son of God by His death on the cross.
“The Gospel in Action” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the Gospel according to St. Mark. The Evangelist hits the ground running with the very first verse of his Gospel account, and he never lets up the pace. As one deed of Jesus comes right after another, always paired with His authoritative Word, St. Mark proclaims the good news that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, revealed conclusively by His death on the cross.
Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God’s Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen.
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Mark 15:33-41
The Death of Jesus
33 And when the sixth hour[a] had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.[b] 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he[c] breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son[d] of God!”
40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
Footnotes
- Mark 15:33 That is, noon
- Mark 15:33 That is, 3 p.m.
- Mark 15:39 Some manuscripts insert cried out and
- Mark 15:39 Or a son
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
