Steve Whitacre
Mark 15.16-47—Now I See the Cross
The Son of God took the wrath of God for the people of God.

1. The preparation

2. The crucifixion

“Even the mere word, Cross, must remain far not only from the lips of the citizens of Rome, but also from their thoughts, their eyes, their ears. Crucifixion is the grossest, cruelest, or most hideous manner of execution.” Cicero, in William Lane, The Gospel of Mark, 561.

“The most wretched of all ways of dying.” Josephus, in William Lane, The Gospel of Mark, 561.

“Death by crucifixion was one of the cruelest and most degrading forms of punishment ever conceived by human perversity, even in the eyes of the pagan world.” William Lane, The Gospel of Mark, 561.

“The wounds swelled about the rough nails, and the torn and lacerated tendons and nerves caused excruciating agony. The arteries of the head and stomach were surcharged with blood and a terrific throbbing headache ensued… The victim of crucifixion literally died a thousand deaths…” Josephus, in John Piper, Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, 75.

“You shall measure the height of His love, if it is ever measured, by the depth of His grief, it that can ever be known. Charles Spurgeon, The Power of the Cross of Christ, 104.

3. The declaration

“As Jesus dies, bearing in mind all that his death signifies for the saving of sinners, the way is truly opened directly to God for all who come by faith. This is the glorious meaning of the tearing of the curtain, and particularly from top to bottom, signifying God’s action in Christ, a point to be constantly remembered in all our reflections on the meaning of Christ’s death. Donald English, The Message of Mark, 235.

[I didn’t use this quote because of time, but I liked it…]

“In Jesus’ death on the cross a Gentile outside — a Roman officer in charge of Jesus’ execution — becomes the first person to confess Jesus in faith as God’s Son, thus fulfilling the purpose of Mark’s Gospel. While Jesus is alive, humanity wills his death; only in his death can humanity see him as the way to life. James Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark, 475.

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