44 It was now about the sixth hour,[e] and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,[f] 45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.[g] 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.
On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. What was this darkness? Is there a natural explanation?
2. What was the significance of the curtain being torn?
3. Were the crowds that were beating their breast the same people who were mocking Him before?
4. Where was Joseph when they were condemning Jesus?
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2019/05/mark-1533-47-33-at-noon-darkness-came.html?view=flipcard says:
ReplyDeleteBecause it was known in ancient and medieval times that a solar eclipse could not take place during Passover (solar eclipses require a new moon while Passover only takes place during a full moon) it was considered a miraculous sign rather than a naturally occurring event.
a solar eclipse could not have occurred on or near the Passover, when Jesus was crucified, and would have been too brief to account for three hours of darkness. The maximum possible duration of a total solar eclipse is seven minutes and 31.1 seconds.[35] The only total eclipse visible in Jerusalem in this era fell later in the year, on 24 November 29 CE at 11:05 AM.
Some writers have explained the crucifixion darkness in terms of sunstorms, heavy cloud cover, the aftermath of a volcanic eruption,[41] or a khamsin dust storm that tends to occur from March to May.[42] A popular work of the nineteenth century described it as an 'oppressive gloom' and suggested this was a typical phenomenon related to earthquakes.
A common view in modern scholarship is that the account in the synoptic gospels is a literary creation of the gospel writers, intended to heighten the importance of what they saw as a theologically significant event.
conclude that the author did not intend the description to be taken literally.
The image of darkness over the land would have been understood by ancient readers as a cosmic sign, a typical element in the description of the death of kings and other major figures by writers such as Philo, Dio Cassius, Virgil, Plutarch and Josephus.[48] Géza Vermes describes the darkness account as "part of the Jewish eschatological imagery of the day of the Lord. It is to be treated as a literary rather than historical phenomenon notwithstanding naive scientists and over-eager television documentary makers, tempted to interpret the account as a datable eclipse of the sun. They would be barking up the wrong tree".
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Because Jesus was quoting the well-known Psalm 22, there could have been little doubt in the minds of those who were standing there as to what Jesus was saying. They had been taunting Him with His claim to be God’s Son (v. 43), and an appeal for divine help would have been expected. Their saying, “This man is calling for Elijah,” was not conjecture about what He said but was simply an extension of their cruel, cynical mockery.
In this unique and strange miracle, Jesus was crying out in anguish because of the separation He now experienced from His heavenly Father for the first and only time in all of eternity. It is the only time of which we have record that Jesus did not address God as Father. Because the Son had taken sin upon Himself, the Father turned His back.
But because Jesus died as a substitute sacrifice for the sins of the world, the righteous heavenly Father had to judge Him fully according to that sin.
The Father forsook the Son because the Son took upon Himself “our transgressions, … our iniquities” (Isa. 53:5).
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First of all, Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 which begins with, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" Jesus quoted this Psalm in order to draw attention to it and the fact that He was fulfilling it there on the cross. Consider verses 11-18 in Psalm 22.
Psalm 22 was written about 1000 years before Christ was born. At that time, crucifixion had not yet been invented. So, when Rome ruled over Israel, it became the Roman means of capital punishment imposed upon the Jews whose biblical means of execution was stoning. Nevertheless, Jesus is pointing to the scriptures to substantiate His messianic mission.
One thing is for sure. We have no capacity to appreciate the utterly horrific experience of having the sins of the world put upon the Lord Jesus as He hung in excruciating pain from that cross. The physical pain was immense. The spiritual one must have been even greater.
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2019/05/mark-1533-47-33-at-noon-darkness-came.html?view=flipcard continued:
ReplyDeleteThere are several reasons for the incarnation of Christ. One is that God is immortal and cannot die; Jesus took on humanity in order to be able to die.
Another reason for the incarnation is that God Cannot be Tempted. "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone" (James 1:13). And He would have to be tempted in order to become a sinless sacrifice (not merely innocent, but tested and proven without sin).
Jesus was not merely God encased in a body. His humanity was real inside and out. He possessed a human spirit and was psychologically human.
Though fully and truly God, Jesus did not exercise His prerogatives as God. He never ceased to be who He was. He simply chose not to exercise His powers as God. Instead He functioned as the prototype of the Spirit filled man.
Jesus lived in continuous fellowship with the Father, in continuous obedience to the Father, in continuous dependance upon the Father, and thus experienced continuous empowerment from the Father. On earth, He was the proto-type of the Spirit-filled man.
God's Attitude Toward Sin is One of Wrath and Fury.
The reason for this horrifying wrath is the horrid, offensive nature of sin. God hates sin. It deserves to be punished. It should be punished. God is just; it will be punished.
Christ's Substitutionary Work on the Cross Made Him the Object of God's Wrath
On the cross Christ was experiencing sin for us. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2nd Corinthians 5:21).
Was Jesus Actually Forsaken?
In that He, in fact, experienced the wrath of God on the cross Jesus was in some way, forsaken.
Jesus, as Man, had Lived in continuous fellowship with the Father - "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." (John 8:29). Yet, now, at the cross His fellowship with the Father is broken.
Notice that Jesus speaks as Man to God, not as Son to Father. His prayer addresses, "My God, My God," not "My Father." Jesus is functioning as a man functions and dies on the cross functioning as a man.
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2019/05/mark-1533-47-33-at-noon-darkness-came.html?view=flipcard continued:
ReplyDeleteQuestion: "What was the significance of the temple veil being torn in two when Jesus died?"
Answer: During the lifetime of Jesus, the holy temple in Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religious life. Hebrews 9:1-9 tells us that in the temple a veil separated the Holy of Holies—the earthly dwelling place of God’s presence—from the rest of the temple where men dwelt. This signified that man was separated from God by sin (Isaiah 59:1-2).
There is uncertainty as to the exact measurement of a cubit, but it is safe to assume that this veil was somewhere near 60 feet high. An early Jewish tradition says that the veil was about four inches thick, but the Bible does not confirm that measurement.
Above all, the tearing of the veil at the moment of Jesus' death dramatically symbolized that His sacrifice, the shedding of His own blood, was a sufficient atonement for sins. It signified that now the way into the Holy of Holies was open for all people, for all time, both Jew and Gentile.
When Jesus died, the veil was torn, and God moved out of that place never again to dwell in a temple made with hands (Acts 17:24). God was through with that temple and its religious system, and the temple and Jerusalem were left “desolate” (destroyed by the Romans) in A.D. 70, just as Jesus prophesied in Luke 13:35.
This is indicated by the fact that the high priest had to enter the Holy of Holies through the veil. Now Christ is our superior High Priest, and as believers in His finished work, we partake of His better priesthood. We can now enter the Holy of Holies through Him. Hebrews 10:19-20 says that the faithful enter into the sanctuary by the “blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which he opened for us through the veil, that is, through his flesh.”
The veil in the temple was a constant reminder that sin renders humanity unfit for the presence of God. The fact that the sin offering was offered annually and countless other sacrifices repeated daily showed graphically that sin could not truly be atoned for or erased by mere animal sacrifices. Jesus Christ, through His death, has removed the barriers between God and man, and now we may approach Him with confidence and boldness (Hebrews 4:14-16).
ReplyDeletehttps://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2019/05/mark-1533-47-33-at-noon-darkness-came.html?view=flipcard continued:
There he is a lifeless corpse on a cross. There is an eerie silence. then a voice was heard breaking the silence of Calvary saying, “Surely this man was the Son of God.” This is the first confession that Christ is God’s Son in the gospel of Mark.
He was the officer in charge of the execution squad. He had often been in the presence of death and so he was not particularly emotional or vulnerable on Golgotha .
That was the atmosphere in which this centurion grew up. It was not one of rigid monotheism – which one meets in the Middle East today – but one in which many men might be considered to be divine and sons of god. There were altars and temples to various gods on every street corner in the big cities. This centurion had gods coming out of his ears as did every citizen of the Roman Empire .
He had stood before Christ watching and listening and so his words were not blurted out; they were the product of reflection, not of emotion.
Waves of sound cascaded all around him, full of scorn and hate, and that went on for hours. Sometimes his own men joined in the shouting, but then it grew unnaturally dark and cold; birds roosted and for three hours in the gloom there was a chill in the world, and all the time the centurion stood in front of Jesus.
He heard Jesus speak seven times, and he heard Jesus praying for him as he supervised the crucifixion. The centurion had seen many men die but none like this, and then the very ground shook and shook. They were at the very epicentre of a powerful earthquake.
You could travel on a horse for half a year and still not reach the borders of the Emperor’s kingdom. That was power! This man, in comparison, was naked and bruised. He was covered in his own blood stains. No one said a word in his support. He had died, and now his corpse hung there. All he left behind was one garment; he’d had nowhere to lay his head, and yet this soldier looked at this dying pauper and listened to his last words, and when Jesus was dead he cried out in astonishment and conviction, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
He heard all the taunts and mockery of the leaders of the most pure and righteous religion in human history. They scorned and hated Jesus. Yet in spite of their utter contempt this centurion said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” It was an extraordinary confession because it was made in such adverse circumstances. A natural man would not have responded like that.
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2019/05/mark-1533-47-33-at-noon-darkness-came.html?view=flipcard continued:
ReplyDeleteWhat Roman ever worshipped a leader like that and called him ‘son of god’? He would never be called ‘God’s son.’ Their divine election to sonship was cancelled by the scourge, and the crown of thorns, and the spitting in their face, and the nails through the hands, and the spear thrust into the side. If this happened to anyone then it was proof that he was a mere man, a weakling, someone who himself needed divine help. You weren’t a son of any god. That god wouldn’t have allowed you to have experienced all of that pain and contempt. He’s have delivered you and sent fire bombs on your enemies. A crucified Son of God was a contradiction in terms to any Roman as much as to any Jew. All of Golgotha , the ugliness and the blood and the anguish, was offensive; the whole claim that this was God’s Son was foolishness to the Greek and the barbarian.
Mark is not saying, “Wasn’t this strange?” when he tells us what the centurion said. Mark wants the world to know the impact of the crucifixion of the Son of God on the pagan world.
This soldier never saw the miracles, nor heard the sermons of Christ but he did see Jesus’ response to the mockery and the sufferings. He was under so much pressure to despise Christ – pagan pressure and the peer pressure of his superiors and Jewish pressure – yet he confessed that Jesus was God’s Son. This conviction arose irresistibly simply by hearing the words of Jesus and seeing how he died.
All the power that the world of men possesses manipulates and makes demands. It can so easily crush others, but here is a power that freely gives itself for those who can make no contribution at all. This centurion had seen it; God’s Son staying on the cross; God’s Son choosing to endure all that; God’s Son not retaliating; God’s son laying down his life. “The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, ‘Surely this was a righteous man.’”
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2019/05/mark-1533-47-33-at-noon-darkness-came.html?view=flipcard continued:
ReplyDeletewhen a person was executed by the Roman government, they not only lost their life, they also lost their property and the right of burial. It was common for a body to be left on the cross to rot, or be eaten by birds and other animals. The release of the body for burial was based solely on the generosity of the magistrate in charge. Usually if the relatives of the condemned man asked for the body, it would be given to them. The problem is that there was no one to ask for Jesus’ body. The only relative of Jesus that we know to have been at the crucifixion was His mother Mary. From the cross, Jesus gave His disciple John the responsibility to care for her. Apparently, John took Mary away immediately after Jesus died. The rest of the disciples had fled in fear. So there was no one to bury Jesus.
Another problem was that Jesus died around 3:00 pm on Friday afternoon. By Jewish reckoning, the Sabbath day would begin at 6:00 pm on Friday. It is certain that no self-respecting Jew would take a dead body down from the cross and bury it on the Sabbath day. So there were only a few hours in which Jesus could be buried.
But there was another problem. We are told in Mark 15:43 that Joseph was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin. This was the very council that condemned Jesus and turned Him over to Pilate to be crucified. Joseph did not consent to that decision because he was a believer in Christ, but no one knew that about him because he had kept it secret.
So why was it such a big deal that Jesus be buried? For one thing, His burial was a confirmation that He actually died. The gospel writers are very precise in noting witnesses who saw Jesus die on the cross and then witnessed His burial as well. You see, if Jesus did not die, then your sins cannot be forgiven. The wages of sin is death. In death, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for sin. But if He did not die then no person has any hope of forgiveness for their sins. Enemies of the Christian faith understand how important this is. I recently read of a well-known critic who accused the early church of making up the story of Joseph of Arimathea. He has absolutely no proof of that, but it shows that he knows Jesus’ death was of monumental importance.
But Jesus not only needed to die, He also needed to be raised from the dead. If Jesus somehow came down off the cross when no one was looking, then people could say that He never really died. But since Joseph buried Jesus in his tomb, and since the tomb was sealed so that no one could go in or out–the fact that the tomb was empty on Sunday morning gave clear testimony that He was risen. He was risen indeed!
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2019/05/mark-1533-47-33-at-noon-darkness-came.html?view=flipcard continued:
ReplyDeleteMy 2 cents - summarizing the questions:
1. What caused the darkness?
It was not an eclipse. Solar eclipses did not take place near the Passover. The Passover is always at a full moon, which is the opposite phase of the moon of when a solar eclipse can occur. Was there a natural explanation for the darkness? It's possible. A dust storm going high overhead or ash from distant volcanic activity. Is it possible that the darkness is a literary convention or addition meant to be more symbolic? I think it's possible but probably unlikely. There are too many ways for it to happen literally. If the ripping of the temple veil was literal, then there's no reason that the darkness isn't too.
2. What was the meaning of Jesus' crying out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" And why did the people think He was calling Elijah?
Most "scholars" think that Jesus was making the people around aware of the prophecies concerning Himself (Psalm 22). Was Jesus in such a state to do this? Was the Holy Spirit causing Him to speak these words (because He Himself was too injured to think of anything)? Moreover, was this the point that God abandoned Jesus to the cross? Was this the point where the sins of the world came upon Jesus - therefore God separated Himself?
These are complicated questions and sharply debated among "scholars". It goes back to the question of what the nature of Jesus' atonement was. Did Jesus actually take the sins of the world on Himself, or is that an expression that means Jesus was punished for the sins of the world? Did Jesus actually become impure on the cross, so that God could not stand to be in His presence? This is much debated. In one sense, the Bible seems to teach this. However, it could mean that Jesus took on the punishment for sins, and that's what it means when the Bible tells us that Jesus became sin for us.
I don't know if the Holy Spirit abandoned Jesus on the cross. It's possible that Jesus was just teaching the onlookers who He really was. Or, it's possible that God (and the Holy Spirit) left Jesus at the cross. I must admit that I haven't looked into this enough to form an opinion.
3. Why was the temple curtain torn in two?
"Jesus Christ, through His death, has removed the barriers between God and man, and now we may approach Him with confidence and boldness (Hebrews 4:14-16)." Certainly, the tearing of the temple veil was a great sign of what Jesus' death meant to us. It was also a sign of the end of the old covenant. The old covenant is no longer needed, and the old temple is just a remembrance of that. But, for the sake of the Israelites, God had to destroy the temple so that Israel would not hold onto it.
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2019/05/mark-1533-47-33-at-noon-darkness-came.html?view=flipcard continued:
ReplyDeleteMy 2 cents continued:
4. What was the centurion saying and why?
A few "scholars" say that the centurion was just mocking Jesus (perhaps out of bravado when he saw some of the signs). It's probably more likely that the centurion saw how Jesus died, and saw all the signs (like the darkness), and recognized that Jesus was something special. I also speculate that the centurion was most likely influenced more by the Roman religion and was a polytheist. If this is the case, then him saying that Jesus was a son of a god was a pretty big deal, but not a big deal.
5. Who is Mary the mother of James the younger and Salome?
According to some Catholic traditions (I think), James and younger and Salome were Jesus' brother and sister, and Mary was the mother of Jesus. This is possible, but the Catholic traditions go on into such fanciful additions that I doubt it all. Mary could have been just one of the women who was helping to support Jesus, and had no relationship to Him or His family.
6. Who was Joseph of Arimathea? Was he a believer?
Crazy legends aside, here's what we know. Joseph was probably a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, was most likely a wealthy man, who had an extra tomb (probably reserved for himself or a family member). He believed in Jesus, but didn't make his belief public. He asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. This meant that he had a decent amount of influence or that he was actually a relative of Jesus (like some legends claim).
7. Why was Joseph acting boldly?
It may have been because he was undermining the desires of the Jewish council. They most likely would have censored him for such an action, and possibly discovered him being a secret disciple. It's also possible that he could have implicated himself before Pilate as a follower of Jesus and ended up being killed also.
https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-23/ says:
ReplyDeletei. A Roman historian named Phlegon wrote: “In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was an extraordinary eclipse of the sun: at the sixth hour, the day turned into dark night, so that the stars in heaven were seen; and there was an earthquake.” (Cited in Clarke)
ii. The crucifixion took place during Passover season, and Passover is always held at a full moon. A natural eclipse of the sun is impossible during a full moon.
b. The veil of the temple was torn in two: The tearing of the temple veil signified at least two things. First, now man has free access to the throne of grace by the cross. Second, no one should ever think again that God dwells in temples made with hands.
i. At some point before He died, before the veil was torn in two, before He cried out it is finished, an awesome spiritual transaction took place. The Father set upon Jesus all the guilt and wrath our sin deserved, and He bore it in Himself perfectly, totally satisfying the wrath of God for us.
ii. As horrible as the physical suffering of Jesus was, this spiritual suffering – the act of being judged for sin in our place – was what Jesus really dreaded about the cross. This was the cup – the cup of God’s righteous wrath – that He trembled at drinking (Luke 22:39-46, Psalm 75:8, Isaiah 51:17, Jeremiah 25:15). On the cross, Jesus became, as it were, an enemy of God who was judged and forced to drink the cup of the Father’s fury. He did it so we would not have to drink that cup.
i. “In the hours of crisis it is often the Peters who have sworn loyalty to Jesus with big gestures and fullness of self-confidence, that disappoint, and it is the secret and quiet followers of the Master (like Joseph, Nicodemus and the women) that do not hesitate to serve Him in love – at whatever the cost.”
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-23-commentary says:
ReplyDeleteNow when the centurion saw what had happened - To what is Luke referring? Matthew helps answer this question recording that "And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Mt 27:51-54). It is interesting to note that the verb "said" (in Mt 27:54) is not singular but plural (Mk 15:39 said = singular) indicating that it was not only the centurion who acclaimed Jesus' deity, but the other Roman soldiers who were on guard. Note also that the soldiers undoubtedly had heard the Jewish by passers referring to Jesus as the "Son of God." (Mt 27:40).
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John MacArthur explains Joseph's non-consent in the Sanhedrin meeting in Mark 14:64 ("they ALL condemned Him to be deserving of death") this way - It might be noted that Joseph of Arimathea, whom Luke 23:50-51 indicates was a member of the Sanhedrin who did not approve of Jesus’ condemnation, was apparently not present for this part of the proceedings.
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Recall that Jesus had given a prophecy explaining the "Sign of Jonah" (Mt 12:39) in declaring "for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Mt 12:40) In other words, Jesus had to be buried in the grave before the day ended and the Sabbath began at 6 PM. If He were buried before 6 PM (which He was) then Friday is one day, Saturday (Sabbath) is the second day and Sunday is the third day. You might be saying that Friday was almost finished with less than 3 hours left. That is not a problem because the Jews counted any part of a day as constituting a day (Compare 1 Ki 12:5 with 1 Ki 12:12 and Esther 4:16 with Esther 5:1). This is an amazing story for God sovereignly used two men to accomplish Jesus' burial on Friday which resulted in fulfillment of His prophecy in Mt 12:40!
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-23-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteMacArthur notes that "As soon as a victim was declared dead, his body was taken down from the cross and ordinarily was thrown into a common grave for criminals, as Isaiah had prophesied the Messiah's enemies had planned for Him (Isa. 53:9). The Romans had absolutely no respect for the corpses, which often were thrown into a grave left open to scavenger animals and birds. Sometimes the bodies were simply cast onto a burning garbage dump, such as the one that continually smoldered in the Hinnom Valley (Gehenna) just south of Jerusalem.
Questions and findings:
ReplyDelete1. What was this darkness? Is there a natural explanation?
It wasn't an eclipse, since it lasted too long and was the wrong time of month. It's possible that it was a dust storm or some other natural phenomenon; or it could have been something supernatural. We just don't know.
2. What was the significance of the curtain being torn?
God was showing that the way to God (via the Most Holy Place) was open. Even more so, God was not going to reside in a building any more. We are now the temple. The old temple is no longer representative of anything except the past.
3. Were the crowds that were beating their breast the same people who were mocking Him before?
I don't think so. It's possible that a very few changed their minds. I think that the mockers were the Jewish leaders and people from Jerusalem. Furthermore, I imagine that the mockers left early on, and only those who cared about Him (the ones that came down from Galilee) were the ones that stuck around.
4. Where was Joseph when they were condemning Jesus?
We don't know if he was at the trial of Jesus, or if he was, what he said. It's possible that the other leaders purposely excluded Him and Nicodemus. It's possible that they were there and didn't speak up very much out of fear.