1A hned ráno, uradivše se přední kněží {biskupové} s staršími a s zákonníky i se vším shromážděním, svázavše Ježíše, vedli jej a dali Pilátovi. 2I otázal se ho Pilát: Ty-li jsi ten král Židovský? A on odpověděv, řekl jemu: Ty pravíš? 3I žalovali na něj přední kněží {biskupové} mnoho. On pak nic neodpovídal. 4Tedy Pilát otázal se ho opět, řka: Nic neodpovídáš? Hle, jak mnoho proti tobě svědčí. 5Ale Ježíš předce nic neodpověděl, tak že se podivil Pilát. 6V svátek pak propouštíval jim jednoho z vězňů, za kteréhož by koli prosili. 7I byl jeden, kterýž sloul Barabáš, s svárlivými v vězení, kteříž v svadě vraždu byli spáchali. 8A zvolav zástup, počal prositi, aby učinil, jakož jim vždycky činíval. 9Pilát pak odpověděl jim, řka: Chcete-li, propustím vám krále Židovského? 10(Nebo věděl, že jej z závisti vydali přední kněží {biskupové}. 11Ale přední kněží {biskupové} ponukli zástupu, aby jim raději propustil Barabáše. 12A Pilát odpověděv, řekl jim zase: Což pak chcete, ať učiním tomu, kteréhož králem Židovským nazýváte? 13A oni opět zvolali: Ukřižuj ho. 14A Pilát pravil jim: I co zlého učinil? Oni pak více volali: Ukřižuj ho. 15Tedy Pilát, chtě lidu dosti učiniti, pustil jim Barabáše, a dal jim Ježíše ubičovaného, aby byl ukřižován. 16Žoldnéři pak uvedli jej vnitř do síně, do rathouzu, a svolali všecku zběř. 17I oblékli jej v šarlat, a korunu zpletše z trní, vložili naň. 18I počali ho pozdravovati: Zdráv buď, králi Židovský. 19A bili hlavu jeho třtinou, a plili na něj, a sklánějíce kolena, klaněli se jemu. 20A když se jemu naposmívali, svlékli s něho šarlat, a oblékli jej v roucho jeho vlastní. I vedli jej, aby ho ukřižovali. 21I přinutili nějakého Šimona Cyrenenského, pomíjejícího, (kterýž šel z pole, otce Alexandrova a Rufova), aby nesl kříž jeho. 22I vedli jej až na místo Golgota, to jest, (vyložil-li by), popravné místo. 23I dávali mu píti víno s mirrou, ale on nepřijal. 24A ukřižovavše jej, rozdělili roucha jeho, mecíce o ně los, kdo by co vzíti měl. 25A byla hodina třetí, když ho ukřižovali. 26A byl nápis viny jeho napsán: Král Židovský. 27Ukřižovali také s ním dva lotry, jednoho na pravici, a druhého na levici jeho. 28I naplněno jest písmo, řkoucí: A s nepravými počten jest. 29A kteříž chodili mimo něj, rouhali se jemu, potřásajíce hlavami svými, a říkajíce: Hahá, kterýž rušíš chrám, a ve třech dnech vzděláváš, 30Spomoz sobě samému, a sstup s kříže. 31Též i přední kněží {biskupové} posmívajíce se, jeden k druhému s zákonníky pravili: Jinýmť pomáhal, sám sobě pomoci nemůže. 32Kristus, ten král Izraelský, nechažť nyní sstoupí s kříže, ať uzříme, a uvěříme. A i ti, kteříž s ním ukřižování byli, útržku mu činili. 33A když byla hodina šestá, stala se tma po vší zemi až do hodiny deváté. 34A v hodinu devátou zvolal Ježíš hlasem velikým, řka: Elói, Elói, lama zabachtani? Což se vykládá: Bože můj, Bože můj, pročs mne opustil? 35A někteří z okolo stojících, slyševše to, pravili: Hle, Eliáše volá. 36A běžev jeden, naplnil hubu octem, a vloživ na tresť, dával jemu píti, řka: Ponechte, uzříme, přijde-li Eliáš, aby jej složil. 37Ježíš pak zvolav hlasem velikým, pustil duši. 38A opona v chrámě roztrhla se na dvé, od vrchu až dolů. 39Viděv pak centurio, kterýž tu naproti stál, že tak volaje, vypustil duši, řekl: Jistě člověk tento Syn Boží byl. 40Byly pak tu i ženy, zdaleka se dívajíce, mezi nimiž byla Maria Magdaléna, a Maria Jakuba menšího, a Jozesova mátě, a Salome, 41Kteréž, když ještě byl v Galilei, chodily za ním a posluhovaly jemu, i jiné mnohé, kteréž byly s ním vstoupily do Jeruzaléma. 42A když již byl večer, (že byl den připravování, to jest před sobotou), 43Přišed Jozef z Arimatie, počestná osoba úřadná, kterýž také očekával království Božího, směle všel ku Pilátovi, a prosil za tělo Ježíšovo. 44Pilát pak podivil se, již-li by umřel. A povolav centuriona, otázal se ho, dávno-li je umřel. 45A zvěděv od centuriona, dal tělo Jozefovi. 46I koupiv plátna, a sňav ho, obvinul v plátno, a položil do hrobu, kterýž byl vytesán z skály, a přivalil kámen ke dveřům hrobovým. 47Ale Maria Magdaléna a Maria Jozesova dívaly se, kde by byl položen.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 Here we have, I. A
consultation held by the great Sanhedrim for the effectual prosecution of our Lord Jesus. They met
early in the morning about it, and went into a grand committee, to find out
ways and means to get him put to death; they lost no time, but followed their blow in good earnest, lest there should be an
uproar among the people. The unwearied industry of wicked people in doing that which is evil, should shame us for our backwardness and slothfulness in that which is good. They that
war against Christ and thy soul, are up early;
How long then wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? II. The delivering of him up a prisoner to Pilate; they
bound him. He was to be the great sacrifice, and sacrifices must be bound with cords,
Pss 118:27. Christ was bound, to make bonds easy to us, and enable us, as Paul and Silas, to sing in bonds. It is good for us often to
remember the bonds of the Lord Jesus, as bound with him who was
bound for us. They led him through the streets of Jerusalem, to expose
him to contempt, who, while he taught in the temple, but a day or two before, was had in veneration; and we may well imagine how miserably he looked after such a night's usage as he had had; so buffeted, spit upon, and abused. Their delivering him to the Roman power was a type of ruin of their church, which hereby they merited, and brought upon themselves; it signified that the promise, the covenant, and the oracles, of God, and the visible state church, which were the glory of Israel, and had been so long in their possession, should now be delivered up to the Gentiles. By delivering up the
king they do, in effect, deliver up the
kingdom of God, which is therefore, as it were, by their own consent, taken from them, and given to another nation. If they had delivered up Christ, to gratify the desires of the Romans, or to satisfy and jealousies of theirs concerning him, it had been another matter; but they voluntarily betrayed him that was
Israel's crown, to them that were
Israel's yoke.
III. The examining of him by Pilate upon interrogatories (
Mark 15:2);
Art thou the king of the Jews? Dost thou pretend to be so, to be that Messiah whom the Jews expect as a temporal prince? - Yea, saith Christ, it is as
thou sayest, I am that Messiah, but not such a one as they expect. He is the king that rules and protects his Israel according to the spirit, who are Jews inwardly by the circumcision of the spirit, and the king that will restrain and punish the carnal Jews, who continue in unbelief.
IV. The articles of impeachment exhibited against him, and his silence under the charge and accusation. The chief priests forgot the dignity of their place, when they turned informers, and did in person
accuse Christ of many things (
Mark 15:3), and witness against him,
Mark 15:4. Many of the Old Testament prophets charge the priests of their times with great wickedness, in which
well did they prophesy of these priests; see
Ezek 22:26;
Hos 5:1;
Hos 6:9;
Mic 3:11;
Zeph 3:4;
Mal 1:6;
Mal 2:8. The destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans is said to be for the
iniquity of the priests that shed the blood of the just, Lam 4:13. Note, Wicked priests are generally the worst of men. The better any thing is, the worse it is when it is corrupted. Lay persecutors have been generally found more compassionate than ecclesiastics. These priests were very eager and noisy in their accusation; but Christ
answered nothing, Mark 15:3. When Pilate urged him to clear himself, and was desirous he should (
Mark 15:4), yet still he stood mute (
Mark 15:5), he
answered nothing, which Pilate thought very strange. He gave Pilate a direct answer (
Mark 15:2), but would not answer the prosecutors and witnesses, because the things they alleged, were notoriously false, and he knew Pilate himself was convinced they were so. Note, As Christ
spoke to admiration, so he
kept silence to admiration.
V. The proposal Pilate made to the people, to have Jesus released to them, since it was the custom of the feast to grace the solemnity with the release of one prisoner. The people expected and demanded that he should do
as he had ever done to them (
Mark 15:8); it was not an ill usage, but they would have it kept up. Now Pilate perceived that the chief priests delivered up Jesus
for envy, because he had got such a reputation among the people as eclipsed theirs,
Mark 15:10. It was easy to see, comparing the eagerness of the prosecutors with the slenderness of the proofs, that it was not his
guilt, but his
goodness, not any thing
mischievous or
scandalous, but something
meritorious and
glorious, that they were provoked at. And therefore, hearing how much he was the darling of the crowd, he thought that he might safely appeal from the priests to the people, and that they would be proud of rescuing him out of the priests' hands; and he proposed an expedient for their doing it without danger of an
uproar; let them demand him to be
released, and Pilate will be ready to do it, and stop the mouths of the priests with this - that the people insisted upon his release. There was indeed another prisoner,
one Barabbas, that had an interest, and would have some votes; but he questioned not but Jesus would out-poll him.
VI. The unanimous outrageous clamours of the people have
Christ put to death, and particularly to have him
crucified. It was a great surprise to Pilate, when he found the people so much under the influence of the priests, that they all agreed to desire that Barabbas might be
released, Mark 15:11. Pilate opposed it all he could;
What will ye that I shall do to him whom ye call the King of the Jews? Would not ye then have him released too?
Mark 15:12. No, say they,
Crucify him. The priests having put that in their mouths, the insist upon it; when Pilate objected,
Why, what evil has he done? (a very material question in such a case), they did not pretend to answer it, but
cried out more exceedingly, as they were more and more instigated and irritated by the priests,
Crucify him, crucify him. Now the priests, who were very busy dispersing themselves and their creatures among the mob, to keep up the cry, promised themselves that it would influence Pilate two ways to condemn him. 1. It might incline him to believe Christ
guilty, when there was so general an out-cry against him. Surely, might Pilate think, he must needs be a bad man, whom all the world is weary of. He would now conclude that he had been
misinformed, when he was told what an interest he had in the people, and that the matter was not so. But the priest had hurried on the prosecution with so much expedition, that we may suppose that they who were Christ's friends, and would have opposed this cry, were at the other end of the town, and knew nothing of the matter. Note, It has been the common artifice of Satan, to put Christ and his religion into an ill name, and so to run them down. When once this sect, as they called it, comes to be
every where spoken against, though
without cause, then that is looked upon as
cause enough to condemn it. But let us
judge of persons and things by their merits, and the standard of God's word, and not prejudge by common fame and the cry of the country. 2. It might induce him to condemn Christ, to
please the people, and indeed for
fear of displeasing them. Though he was not so
weak as to be governed by their opinion, to believe him guilty, yet he was so
wicked as to be swayed by their outrage, to condemn him, though he believed him innocent; induced thereunto by reasons of state, and the wisdom of the world. Our Lord Jesus dying as a
sacrifice for the
sins of many, he fell a sacrifice to the
rage of many. 15 Here, I. Pilate, to gratify the Jews' malice, delivers Christ to be
crucified, Mark 15:15.
Willing to content the people, to
do enough for them (so the word is), and make them easy, that he might keep them quiet, he
released Barabbas unto them, who was the scandal and plague of their nation, and
delivered Jesus to be
crucified, who was the glory and blessing of their nation. Though he
had scourged him before, hoping that would
content them, and then not designing to crucify him, yet he went on to that; for no wonder that he who could persuade himself to
chastise one that was innocent (
Luke 23:16), could by degrees persuade himself to
crucify him.
Christ was
crucified, for that was, 1. A
bloody death, and
without blood no remission, Hebre 9:22. The blood is
the life (
Gen 9:4); it is the
vehicle of the
animal spirits, which
connect the soul and body, so that the exhausting of the blood is the exhausting of the life. Christ was to lay down
his life for us, and therefore
shed his blood. Blood
made atonement for the soul (
Lev 17:11), and therefore in every sacrifice of propitiation special order was given for the
pouring out of the blood, and the
sprinkling of that before the Lord. Now, that Christ might answer all these types, he
shed his blood. 2. It was a
painful death; the pains were exquisite and acute, for death made its assaults upon the vitals by the exterior parts, which are
quickest of sense. Christ died, so as that he might
feel himself die, because he was to be both the priest and the sacrifice; so that he might be
active in dying; because he was to
make his soul an offering for sin. Tully calls crucifixion,
Teterrimum supplicium- A most tremendous punishment: Christ would meet death in its greatest terror, and so conquer it. 3. It was a
shameful death, the death of slaves, and the vilest malefactors; so it was accounted among the Romans. The
cross and the
shame are put together. God having been injured in his honour by the sin of man, it is
in his honour that Christ makes him
satisfaction, not only by denying himself in, and divesting himself of, the honours due to his divine nature, for a time, but by submitting the greatest reproach and ignominy the human nature was capable of being loaded with. Yet this was not the worst. 4. It was a
cursed death; thus it was branded by the Jewish law (
Deut 21:23);
He that is hanged, is accursed of God, is under a particular mark of God's displeasure. It was the death that Saul's sons were put to, when the guilt of their father' bloody house was to be expiated,
2Sam 21:6. Haman and his sons were
hanged, Esth 7:10;
Esth 9:13. We do not read any of the prophets of the Old Testament that were
hanged; but now that Christ has submitted to be
hanged upon a tree, the reproach and curse of that kind of death are quite rolled away, so that it ought to be any hindrance to the comfort of those who die either innocently or penitently, nor any diminution fRom. but rather an addition to, the glory of those who die martyrs for Christ, to be as he was, hanged upon a tree.
II. Pilate, to gratify the gay humour of the Roman soldiers, delivered him to them, to be abused and spitefully treated, while they were preparing for the execution. They called together
the whole regiment that was then in waiting, and they went into an inner hall, where they ignominiously abused our Lord Jesus, as a king, just as in the high priest's hall his servants had ignominiously abused him as a Prophet and Saviour. 1. Do kings wear robes of purple or scarlet? They
clothed him with purple. This abuse done to Christ in his apparel should be an intimation to Christians, not to make the putting on of apparel
their adorning, 1Pet 3:4. Shall a purple or scarlet robe be matter of pride to a Christian, which was matter of reproach and shame to Christ. 2. Do kings wear
crowns? They
platted a crown of thorns, and
put it on his head. A crown of straw, or rushes, would have been banter enough; but this was pain also. He wore the crown of thorns which we had deserved, that we might wear the crown of glory which he merited. Let us be
taught by these
thorns, as Gideon taught the men of Succoth, to hate sin, and be uneasy under it, and to be in love with Jesus Christ, who is here a lily among thorns. If we be at any time afflicted with a
thorn in the flesh, let it be our comfort, that our high priest is touched with the feelings of our infirmities, having himself known what
thorns in the flesh meant. 3. Are kings attended with the acclamations of their subjects,
O king, live for ever? That also is mimicked; they saluted him with
Hail, King of the Jews; such a prince, and such a people, even good enough for one another. 4. Kings have
sceptres put into their hand, marks of dominion, as the crown is of dignity; to imitate this, they put a
reed in his right hand. Those that despise the authority of Jesus Christ, as not to be observed and obeyed, who regard not either the precepts of his word, or the threatenings of his wrath, do, in effect,
put a reed in his hand; nay, and, as these here,
smite him on the head with it, such is the indignity they do him. 5. Subjects, when they swear allegiance, were wont to
kiss their sovereign; and this they offered to do, but, instead of that,
spit upon him. 6. Kings used to be addressed upon the
knee; and this also they brought into the jest, they
bowed the knee, and worshipped him; this they did in scorn, to make themselves and one another laugh. We were by sin become liable to
everlasting shame and contempt, to deliver us from which, our Lord Jesus submitted to this shame and contempt for us. He was thus mocked, not in
his own clothes, but in another's, to signify that he suffered not for his own sin; the crime was ours, the shame his. Those who pretend subjection to Christ, but at the same time give themselves up to the service of the world and the flesh, do, in effect, the same that they did, who bowed the knee to him in mockery, and abused him with,
Hail, king of the Jews, when they said,
We have no king but Caesar. Those that bow the knee to Christ, but do not bow the soul, that
draw nigh to him with their mouths, and
honour him with their lips, but
their hearts are far from him, put the same affront upon him that these here did.
III. The soldiers, at the hour appointed, led him away from Pilate's judgment-hall to the place of execution (
Mark 15:20), as a sheep to the slaughter; he was
led forth with the workers of iniquity, though he did no sin. But lest his death, under the load of his cross, which he was to carry, should prevent the further cruelties they intended, they compelled one Simon of Cyrene to carry his cross for him. He
passed by, coming out of the country or out of the
fields, not thinking of any such matter. Note, We must not think it strange, if crosses come upon us suddenly, and we be surprised by them. The cross was a very troublesome unwieldy load: but he that carried it a few minutes, had the honour to have his name upon the record in the book of God, though otherwise an obscure person; so that, wherever this gospel is preached; so that, wherever this gospel is preached, there shall this be told for a memorial to him: in like manner, though
no affliction, no cross,
for the present, be joyous, but grievous, yet afterward it yields a crown of glory to them that are exercised thereby.
22 We have here the
crucifixion of our Lord Jesus.
I. The
place where he was crucified; it was called
Golgotha - the place of a scull: some think, because of the heads of malefactors that were there cut off: it was the common place of execution, as Tyburn, for he was in all respects numbered with the transgressors. I know not how to give any credit to it, but divers of the ancients mention it as a current tradition, that in this place our first father Adam was buried, and they think it highly congruous that there Christ should be crucified; for as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. Tertullian, Origen, Chrysostom, and Epiphanius (great names), take notice of it; nay, Cyprian adds,
Creditur piis- Many good people believe that the blood of Christ crucified did trickle down upon the scull of Adam, who was buried in the same place. Something more credible is the tradition, that this mount Calvary was
that mountain in the land of Moriah (and in the land of Moriah it certainly was, for so the country about Jerusalem was called), on which Isaac was to be offered; and the ram was offered instead of him; and then Abraham had an eye to
this day of Christ, when he called the place
Jehovah-jireh - The Lord will provide, expecting that so it would be seen in the
mount of the Lord. II. The
time when he was crucified; it was the
third hour, Mark 15:25. He was brought before Pilate about the sixth hour (
John 19:14), according to the Roman way of reckoning, which John uses, with which ours at this day agrees, that is at six o'clock in the morning; and then, at the
third hour, according to the Jews' way of reckoning, that is, about nine of the clock in the morning, or soon after, they nailed him to the cross. Dr. Lightfoot thinks the
third hour is here mentioned, to intimate an aggravation of the wickedness of the priests, they were here prosecuting Christ to the death, though it was after the
third hour, when they ought to have been attending the service of the temple, and offering the peace-offerings; it being the first day of the
feast of unleavened bread, when there was to be a
holy convocation. At that very time, when they should have been, according to the duty of their place, presiding in the public devotions, were they here venting their malice against the Lord Jesus; yet these were the men that seemed so zealous for the temple, and condemned Christ for speaking against it. Note, There are many who pretend to be
for the church, who yet care not how seldom they
go to church.
III. The indignities that were done him, when he was nailed to the cross; as if that had not been ignominious enough, they added several things to the ignominy of it.
1. It being the custom to give
wine to persons that were to be
put to death, they
mingled his with
myrrh, which was
bitter, and made it
nauseous; he
tasted it, but would not drink it; was willing to admit the bitterness of it, but not the benefit of it.
2. The garments of those that were crucified, being, as with us, the executioners' fee, the soldiers
cast lots upon his garments (
Mark 15:24), threw dice (as our soldiers do upon a drum-head), for them: so making themselves merry with his misery, and sitting at their sport while he was hanging in pain.
3. They set up a superscription over his head, by which they intended to reproach him, but really did him both justice and honour,
The king of the Jews, Mark 15:26. Here was no crime alleged, but his sovereignty owned. Perhaps Pilate meant to cast disgrace upon Christ as a baffled king, or upon the Jews, who by their importunity had forced him, against his conscience, to condemn Christ, as a people that deserved no better a king than he seemed to be: however, God intended it to be the proclaiming even of Christ upon the cross, the
king of Israel; though Pilate know not what he wrote, any more than Caiaphas what he said,
John 11:51. Christ crucified is king of his church, his spiritual Israel; and even then when he hung on the cross, he was like a king,
conquering his and his people's enemies, and
triumphing over them,
Colos 2:15. Now he was writing his laws in his own blood, and preparing his favours for his subjects. Whenever we look unto Christ crucified, we must remember the inscription over his head, that he is a king, and we must give up ourselves to be his subjects, as Israelites indeed.
4. They crucified
two thieves with him,
one on his right hand, the other on his left, and him in the midst as the worst of the three (
Mark 15:27); so great a degree of dishonour did they hereby intend him. And, no doubt, it gave him
disturbance too. Some that have been imprisoned in the common gaols, for the testimony of Jesus, have complained of the company of cursing, swearing prisoners, more than any other of the grievances of their prison. Now, in the midst of such our Lord Jesus was
crucified; while he lived he had, and there was occasion,
associated with sinners, to do them good; and now when he died, he was for the same purpose joined with them, for he
came into the world, and went out of it, to
save sinners, even the chief. But this evangelist takes particular notice of the fulfilling of the scriptures in it,
Mark 15:28. In that famous prediction of Christ's sufferings (
Isa 53:12), it was foretold that he should be numbered with the
transgressors, because he was made
sin for us. 5. The spectators, that is, the generality of them, instead of condoling with him in his misery, added to it by insulting over him. Surely never was such an instance of barbarous inhumanity toward the vilest malefactor: but thus the devil showed the utmost rage against him, and thus he submitted to the greatest dishonours that could be done him.
(1.) Even they that
passed by, that were no way concerned,
railed on him, Mark 15:29. If their hearts were so hardened, that their compassions were not moved with such a spectacle, yet they should have thought it enough to have their curiosity gratified; but that will not serve: as if they were not only divested of all humanity, but were devils in human shape, they taunted him, and expressed themselves with the utmost detestation of him, and indignation at him, and shot thick at him their arrows, even
bitter words. The chief priests, no doubt, put these sarcasms into their mouths,
Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, now, if thou canst,
save thyself, and
come down from the cross. They triumph as if now that they had got him to the cross, there were no danger of his
destroying the temple; whereas the
temple of which
he spoke, he was now
destroying, and did within
three days build it up; and the temple of which
they spoke, he did by men, that were
his sword and
his hand, destroy not many years after. When secure sinners think the danger is over, it is then most ready to seize them: the day of the Lord
comes as a thief upon those that
deny his coming, and say, Where is the promise of it? much more upon those that
defy his coming, and say,
Let him make speed, and hasten his work. (2.) Even the chief priests, who, being
taken from among men and ordained for men, should have compassion even on those that are out of the way, should be tender of those that are suffering and dying (
Hebre 5:1,
Hebre 5:2), yet they poured vinegar instead of oil into his wounds, they
talked to the grief of him
whom God had smitten (
Pss 69:26), they
mocked him, they said,
He saved others, healed and helped them, but now it appears that it was not by his own power, for
himself he cannot save. They challenged him to
come down from the cross, if he could,
Mark 15:32. Let them but
see that, and they would
believe; whereas they would not believe, when he gave them a more convincing sign than that, when he came up from the grave. These chief priests, one would think, might now have found themselves
other work to do: if they would not go to do their duty in
the temple, yet they might have been employed in an office not foreign to their profession; though they would not offer any counsel or comfort to the Lord Jesus, yet they might have given some help to the thieves in their dying moments (the monks and priests in Popish countries are very officious about criminals broken upon the wheel, a death much like that of the cross); but they do not think that their business.
(3.) Even they that were crucified with him, reviled him (
Mark 15:32); one of them did, so wretchedly was his heart hardened even in the depth of misery, and at the door of eternity.
33 Here we have an account of Christ's dying, how his enemies abused him, and God honoured him at his death.
I. There was a thick
darkness over
the whole land (some think over the whole earth), for three hours, from noon till three of the clock. Now the scripture was fulfilled (
Amos 8:9),
I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will
darken the earth in the clear day; and
Jer 15:9,
Her sun is gone down while it is yet day. The Jews have often demanded of Christ a
sign from heaven; and now they had one, but such a one as signified the blinding of their eyes. It was a sign of the darkness that was come, and coming, upon the Jewish church and nation. They were doing their utmost to extinguish the Sun of righteousness, which was now setting, and the rising again of which they would never own; and what then might be expected among them but a worse than Egyptian darkness? This intimated to them, that the things which belonged to their peace, were now
hid from their eyes, and that the day of the Lord was at hand, which should be to them a
day of darkness and gloominess, Joel 2:1,
Joel 2:2. It was the power of darkness that they were now under, the works of darkness that they were now doing; and such as this should their doom justly be, who
loved darkness rather than light. II. Toward the close of this darkness, our Lord Jesus, in the agony of his soul, cried out,
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Mark 15:34. The darkness signified the present cloud which the human soul of Christ was under, when he was making it an
offering for sin. Mr. Fox, in his
Acts and Monuments (vol. 3, p. 160), tells of one Dr. Hunter, a martyr in queen Mary's time, who, being fastened to the stake, to be burnt, put up this short prayer,
Son of God, shine upon me; and immediately the sun in the firmament shone out of the dark cloud, so full in his face, that he was forced to look another way, which was very comfortable to him. But our Lord Jesus, on the contrary, was denied the light of the sun, when he was in his sufferings, to signifying the withdrawing of the light of God's countenance. And this he complained of more than any thing; he did not complain of his disciples' forsaking him, but of his Father's, 1. Because this
wounded his spirit; and that is a thing
hard to bear (
Prov 18:14); brought the waters into his soul,
Pss 69:1-
Pss 69:3. 2. Because in this especially he was
made sin for us; our iniquities had deserved
indignation and wrath upon the soul (
Roma 2:8), and therefore, Christ, being made a
sacrifice, underwent as much of it as he was capable of; and it could not but bear hard indeed upon him who had lain
in the bosom of the Father from eternity, and was
always his light. These symptoms of divine wrath, which Christ was under in his sufferings, were like that fire from heaven which had been sent sometimes, in extraordinary cases, to consume the sacrifices (as
Lev 9:24;
2Chr 7:1;
1Kgs 18:38); and it was always a token of God's acceptance. The fire that should have fallen upon the
sinner, if God had not been
pacified, fell upon the
sacrifice, as a token that he was so; therefore it now fell upon Christ, and extorted him from this
loud and
bitter cry. When Paul was to be
offered as a sacrifice for the
service of saints, he could
joy and
rejoice (
Phili 2:17); but it is another thing to be offered as a sacrifice for
the sin of sinners. Now, at the
sixth hour, and so to the
ninth, the
sun was
darkened by an extraordinary eclipse; and if it be true, as some astronomers compute, that in the evening of this day on which Christ died there was an eclipse of the moon, that was natural and expected, in which seven digits of the moon were darkened, and it continued from five o'clock till seven, it is remarkable, and yet further significant of the darkness of the time that then was. When the
sun shall be
darkened, the
moon also shall
not give her light.
III. Christ's prayer was bantered by them that stood by (
Mark 15:35,
Mark 15:36); because he cried,
Eli, Eli, or (as Mark has it, according to the Syriac dialect)
Eloi, Eloi, they said,
He calls for Elias, though they knew very well what he said, and what it signified,
My God, My God. Thus did they represent him as
praying to saints, either because he had abandoned God, or God had abandoned him; and hereby they would make him more and more odious to the people. One of them
filled a sponge with vinegar, and reached it up to him upon a reed; Let him cool his mouth with that, it is a drink good enough for him,
Mark 15:36. This was intended for a further affront and abuse to him; and whoever it was that checked him who did it, did but add to the reproach;
Let him alone; he has called for Elias:
let us see whether Elias will come take him down; and if not, we may conclude that he also hath abandoned him.
IV. Christ did again
cry with a loud voice, and so
gave up the ghost, Mark 15:37. He was now commending his soul into his Father's hand; and though God is not moved with any
bodily exercise, yet this loud voice signified the great strength and ardency of affection wherewith he did it; to teach us, in every thing wherein we have to do with God, to put forth our utmost vigour, and to perform all the duties of religion, particularly that of
self-resignation, with our whole heart and whole soul; and then, though speech fails, that we cannot
cry with a loud voice, as Christ did, yet if God be the
strength of the heart, that will not fail. Christ was really and truly
dead, for he
gave up the ghost; his human soul departed to the world of spirits, and left his body a breathless clod of clay.
V. Just at that instant that Christ died upon
mount Calvary, the veil of the
temple was
rent in twain from the top to the bottom, Mark 15:38. This bespoke a great deal, 1. Of the terror of the unbelieving Jews; for it was a presage of the utter destruction of their church and nation, which followed not long after; it was like the cutting asunder of the
staff of beauty (for this veil was exceedingly splendid and glorious,
Exod 26:31), and that was done at the same time when they gave for his price
thirty pieces of silver (
Zech 11:10,
Zech 11:12), to
break the covenant which he had made with that people. Now it was time to cry,
Ichabod, The glory is departed from Israel. Some think that the story which Josephus relates, of the temple door opening of its own accord, with that voice,
Let us depart hence, some years before the destruction of Jerusalem, is the same with this; but that is not probable: however, this had the same signification, according to that (
Hos 5:14),
I will tear, and go away. 2. It bespeaks a great deal of comfort to all believing Christians, for it signifies the consecrating and laying open to us of a
new and living way into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus. VI. The centurion who commanded the detachment which had the oversight of the execution was convinced, and confessed that this Jesus was the
Son of God, Mark 15:39. One thing that satisfied him, was, that he
so cried out, and gave up the ghost: that one who was ready to give up the ghost, should be able to cry out so, was very surprising. Of all the sad spectacles of this kind he never observed the like; and that one who had strength to cry so loud, should yet immediately give up the ghost, this also made him wonder; and he said, to the honour of Christ, and the shame of those that abused him,
Truly this man was the Son of God. But what reason had he to say so? I answer, 1. He had reason to say that he suffered
unjustly, and had a great deal of wrong done him. Note, He suffered for saying that he was
the Son of God; and it was true, he did say so, so that if he suffered unjustly, as it was plain by all the circumstances of his suffering that he did, then what he said was true, and he was indeed the
Son of God. 2. He had reason to say that he was a
favourite of heaven, and one for whom the almighty power was particularly engaged, seeing how Heaven did him honour at his death, and frowned upon his persecutors. Surely, thinks he, this must be some divine person, highly beloved of God. This he expresses by such words as denote his eternal generation as God, and his special designation to the office of Mediator, though he meant not so. Our Lord Jesus, even in the depth of his sufferings and humiliation, was the Son of God, and was declared to be so
with power.
VII. There were some of his friends, the good women especially, that attended him (
Mark 15:40,
Mark 15:41);
There were women looking on afar off: the
men durst not be seen at all, the mob was so very outrageous;
Currenti cede furori- Give way to the raging torrent, they thought, was good counsel now. The women durst not come near, but stood at a distance, overwhelmed with grief. Some of these women are here named.
Mary Magdalene was one; she had been his patient, and owed all her comfort to his power and goodness, which rescued her out of the possession of seven devils, in gratitude for which she thought she could never do enough for him.
Mary also was there,
the mother of James the little, Jacobus parvus, so the word is; probably, he was so called because he was, like Zaccheus, little of stature. This Mary was the wife of Cleophas or Alpheus, sister to the virgin Mary. These women had followed Christ
from Galilee, though they were not required to attend the feast, as the males were; but it is probably that they came, in expectation that his temporal kingdom would now shortly be set up, and big with hopes of preferment for themselves, and their relations under him. It is plain that the mother of Zebedee's children was so (
Matt 20:21); and now to see
him upon a cross, whom they thought to have seen upon a throne, could not but be a great disappointment to them. Note, Those that follow Christ, in expectation of great things in this world by him, and by the profession of his religion, may probably live to see themselves sadly disappointed.
42 We are here attending the funeral of our Lord Jesus, a solemn, mournful funeral. O that we may by grace be planted in the likeness of it! Observe,
I. How the body of Christ was
begged. It was, as the dead bodies of malefactors are, at the disposal of the government. Those that hurried him to the cross, designed that he should make
his grave with the wicked; but God designed he should make it
with the rich (
Isa 53:9), and so he did. We are here told,
1. When the body of Christ was begged, in order to its being buried, and why such haste was made with the funeral;
The even was come, and it was
the preparation, that is,
the day before the sabbath, Mark 15:42. The Jews were more strict in the observation of the sabbath than of any other feast; and therefore, though this day was itself a
feast-day, yet they observed it more religiously as the
eve of the
sabbath; when they prepared their houses and tables for the
splendid and
joyful solemnizing of the sabbath day. Note, The day before the sabbath should be a day of preparation for the sabbath, not of our houses and tables, but of our hearts, which, as much as possible, should be
freed from the cares and business of the world, and
fixed, and put in frame for the service and enjoyment of God. Such work is to be done, and such advantages are to be gained on the sabbath day, that it is requisite we should get ready for it a day before; nay, the whole week should be divided between the improvement of the foregoing sabbath and the preparation for the following sabbath.
2. Who was it that begged the body, and took care for the decent interment of it; it was
Joseph of Arimathea, who is here called an
honourable counsellor (
Mark 15:43), a person of character and distinction, and in an office of public trust; some think
in the state, and that he was one of Pilate's privy council; his post rather seems to have been
in the church, he was one of the
great Sanhedrim of the Jews, or one of the high priest's council. He was
euschemon bouleutes -
a counsellor that conducted himself in his place as did become him. Those are truly honourable, and those only, in place of power and trust, who make conscience of their duty, and whose deportment is agreeable to their preferment. But here is a more shining character put upon him; he was one that
waited for the kingdom of God, the kingdom of grace on earth, and of glory in heaven, the kingdom of the Messiah. Note, Those who
wait for the kingdom of God, and hope for an interest in the privileges of it, must show it by their forwardness to own Christ's cause and interest, even then when it seems to be crushed and run down. Observe, Even among the
honourable counsellors there were some, there was
one at least, that waited for the kingdom of God, whose faith will condemn the unbelief of all the rest. This man God raised up for this necessary service, when none of Christ's disciples could, or durst, undertake it, having neither purse, nor interest, nor courage, for it.
Joseph went in boldly to Pilate; though he knew how much it would affront the chief priests, who had loaded him with so much reproach, to see any honour done him, yet he
put on courage; perhaps at first he was a little afraid, but
tolmesas -
taking heart on it, he determined to show this respect to the remains of the Lord Jesus, let the worst come to the worst.
3. What a surprise it was to Pilate, to hear that he was
dead (Pilate, perhaps, expecting that he would have saved himself, and come down from the cross), especially that he was
already dead, that one who seemed to have more than ordinary vigour, should so soon yield to death. Every circumstance of Christ's dying was marvellous; for from first to last his name was called
Wonderful. Pilate doubted (so some understand it) whether he was yet dead or no, fearing lest he should be imposed upon, and the body should be
taken down alive, and recovered, whereas the sentence was, as with us, to hang
till the body be dead. He therefore called the centurion, his own officer, and asked him
whether he had been any while dead (
Mark 15:44), whether it was so long since they perceived any sign of life in him, any breath or motion, that they might conclude he was dead past recall. The centurion could assure him of this, for he had particularly observed how
he gave up the ghost, Mark 15:39. There was a special providence in it, that Pilate should be so strict in examining this, that there might be no pretence to say that he was buried alive, and so to take away the truth of his resurrection; and so fully was this determined, that the objection was never started. Thus the truth of Christ gains confirmation, sometimes, even from its enemies.
II. How the body of Christ was
buried. Pilate gave Joseph leave to take down the body, and do what he pleased with it. It was a wonder the chief priests were not too quick for him, and had not first begged the body of Pilate, to expose it and drag it about the streets, but that remainder of their wrath did God restrain, and gave that invaluable prize to Joseph, who knew how to value it; and the hearts of the priests were so influenced, that they did not oppose it.
Sit divus, modo non sit vivus- We care not for his being adored, provided he be not revived. 1. Joseph bought
fine linen to wrap the body in, though in such a case old linen that had been worn might have been thought sufficient. In paying respects to Christ it becomes us to be
generous, and to serve him with the
best that can be got, not with that which can be got at the best hand.
2. He
took down the body, mangled and macerated as it was, and
wrapt it in the linen as a treasure of great worth. Our Lord Jesus hath commanded himself to be delivered to us sacramentally in the ordinance of the Lord's supper, which we should receive in such a manner as may best express our love to him who loved us and died for us.
3. He
laid it in a sepulchre of his own, in a private place. We sometimes find it spoken of in the story of the kings of Judah, as a slur upon the memory of the wicked kings, that they were not buried in the
sepulchres of the kings; our Lord Jesus, though he did no evil but much good, and to him was given the throne of his father David, yet was buried in the graves of the common people, for it was not in this world, but in the other, that
his rest was glorious. The sepulchre belonged to Joseph. Abraham when he had no other possession in the land of Canaan, yet had a burying-place, but Christ had not so much as that. This sepulchre was
hewn out of a rock, for Christ died to make the grave a
refuge and shelter to the saints, and being hewn out of a rock, it is a
strong refuge.
O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave! Christ himself is a
hiding place to his people, that is, as
the shadow of a great rock. 4. He
rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre, for so the manner of the Jews was to bury. When Daniel was put into the lion's den, a stone was laid to the mouth of it to keep him in, as here to the door of Christ's sepulchre, but neither of them could keep off the angels' visits to the prisoners.
5. Some of the good women attended the funeral, and
beheld where he was laid, that they might come after the sabbath to anoint the dead body, because they had not time to do it now. When Moses, the mediator and lawgiver of the Jewish church, was buried, care was taken that no man should
know of his sepulchre (
Deut 34:6), because the respect of the people towards his person were to die with him; but when our great Mediator and Lawgiver was buried, special notice was taken of his sepulchre, because he was to
rise again: and the care taken of his body, bespeaks the care which he himself will take concerning his body the church. Even when it seems to be a dead body, and as a valley full of dry bones, it shall be preserved in order to a resurrection; as shall also the dead bodies of the saints, with whose dust there is a covenant in force which shall not be forgotten. Our mediations on Christ's burial should lead us to think of our own, and should help to make the grave familiar to us, and so to render that bed easy which we must shortly make in the darkness. Frequent thoughts of it would not only take off the dread and terror of it, but quicken us, since the
graves are always ready for us, to get ready for the graves,
Job 17:1.
