Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vols. 13–63

Let us read again what we have often read before, that saddest of all stories which, nevertheless, is the fountain of the highest gladness—the story of our Savior's death, as recorded by Mark.

Mark 15:1. And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate. "The whole council" could be there, so early in the morning, for such an evil purpose! Wicked men are very diligent in carrying out their sinful schemes, so, when Christ was to be murdered, His enemies were there, as Luke tells us, "as soon as it was day." How much more diligent ought the followers of Christ to be to give Him their devoted service! It is a good thing to begin the day with united prayer and holy converse with His people. Let these wicked men who were so early in the morning seeking to secure the death of Christ make us ashamed that we are not more diligent in His blessed service.

2, 3. And Pilate asked Him, Are You the King of the Jews? And He answering said unto Him, You say it And the chief priest accused Him of many things: but He answered nothing. Silence was the best answer, the most eloquent reply that He could give to each accusers—they deserved no other answer. Moreover, by His silence, He was fulfilling the prophecy, "As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opens not His mouth."

4, 5. And Pilate asked Him again, saying, Answer You nothing? Behold how many things they witness against You. But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. You will often find that your highest wisdom, when you are slandered, will lie in the imitation of your Lord and Master. Live a blameless life, and it shall be the best reply to the false charges of the wicked.

6-10. Now at that feast He released unto them one prisoner, whomever they desired. And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had always done unto these. But Pilate answered them, saying, Will you that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priest has delivered Him for envy.And he therefore hoped that the people, who were not moved by the same envy, would have chosen to have Jesus set at liberty.

11-13. But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will you then that I shall do unto Him whom you call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify Him.This was the very best reply to the charge of high treason, for if Jesus had really set Himself up as a king in the place of Caesar, the people, when they were thus publicly appealed to, would not have cried out, "Crucify Him." If there had been any truth in the allegation that He was the ringleader of a sedition, the Jews would not have said again and again, "Crucify Him." Thus Christ gave Pilate a much more effectual answer than if He had Himself spoken.

14-16. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil has He done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify Him. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when He had scourged Him, to be crucified. And the soldiers led Him away into the hall, called Praetorium. The hall of the Praetorian guard.

16, 17. And they called together the whole band. And they clothed Him with purple. The uniform of the Roman soldiers was purple, as if to indicate that they belonged to an imperial master. So when these soldiers, in mockery, put on our Lord the old cloak of one of their comrades, it sufficed to clothe Him with the royal purple to which, as King, He was fully entitled.

17-19. And platted a crown of thorns, and put it about His head, and began to salute Him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote Him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon Him, and bowing their knees worshipped Him. All this homage was paid to Him in mockery, yet what stern reality there was in that mockery! That band of soldiers really preached to Christ such homage as a whole world could give Him.

20. And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him, and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.They "led Him out to crucify Him." It seems as if Christ had to lean upon those who led Him. The word almost signifies as much as that. At least it might be the word employed concerning anyone leading a child or a sick man who needed support, for the Savior's weakness must have been very apparent by that time. After the agony and bloody sweat in Gethsemane and the night and morning trials, and scourging, and mockery, and the awful strain upon His mind and heart in being made a Sacrifice for sin, it was no wonder that He was weak! Besides, He was not like the rough, brutal criminals that are often condemned to die for their crimes. He was a man of gentle mold and more delicate sensibilities than they were, and He suffered much more than any ordinary man would have done in similar circumstances.

21. And they compelled one Simon, a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear His Cross.Christ could not bear it Himself. The soldiers saw that He was faint and weary, so they laid the Cross, or at least one end of it, on Simon's shoulders. [See Sermon #1853, Volume 31—up from the country and pressed into

SERVICE]

22. And they brought Him. Here the word almost implies that they lifted Him and carried Him, for His faintness had increased. They "led Him out to crucify Him," but now they bear Him.

22. Unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull We sometimes speak of it as Mount Calvary, but it was not so—it was a little rising ground, the common place of execution, the Tyburn or Old Bailey of Jerusalem.

23. And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but He received it not. He did not wish to have His sufferings abated, but to bear them to the bitter end. Christ forbids not that pain should be alleviated in the case of others, wherever that is possible. But in His own case, it was not fit that it should be so relieved, since He was to bear the full brunt of the storm of vengeance that was due on account of sin.

24. And when they had crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.Christ's garments must go to His executioners in order to carry out the full shame associated with His death as well as to fulfill the prophecy, "They parted my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture."

25-27. And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the superscription of His accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. And with Him they crucified two thieves; the one on His right hand, and the other on His left As if, in carrying out that ordinary etiquette which gives the central place to the chief criminal, they gave to Christ the place of greatest contempt and scorn.

28. And the Scripture was fulfilled, which said, And He was numbered with the transgressors. You could not count the "transgressors" on those crosses without counting Him. There were three, and the One in the middle could not be passed by as you counted the others.

29-32. And they that passed by railed at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, You that destroy the Temple, and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the Cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the Cross, that we may see and believe. That is the world's way—"that we may see and believe." But Christ's way is, "Believe and you shall see." Christ off the Cross is admired by worldlings, but Christ on the Cross is our hope and stay, especially as we know that this same Christ is now on the Throne waiting for the time when He shall return to claim as His own all who have trusted in the Crucified.

32. And they that were crucified with Him reviled Him. Out of their black hearts and mouths came words of ridicule and scorn even then.

33. And when the sixth hour was come. When the sun had reached the zenith, at high noon.

33-41. There was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama Sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Andsome of them that stood by, when they heardit, said, Behold, He calls Elijah. And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave Him to drink, saying, Let Him alone; let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the Temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion, which stood over against Him, saw that He so cried out, and gave up the ghost, He said, Truly this Man was the Son of God! There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome (who also, when He was in Galilee, followed Him, and ministered unto Him). And many other women which came up with Him unto Jerusalem. We can read further about these gracious women if we turn to Luke 8.

Luke 8:1-3. Andit came topass afterward, that He went throughout every city and village, preaching andstrewing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God: and the twelve were with Him. And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto Him of their substance. The previous Chapter tells how the woman in Simon's house manifested her love to the Savior. She showed her love in one way, and in a very special way. But there were others who had similar affection for Him, who showed it in other ways. What is right for one person to do might not be a wise or right thing for everybody to do. Christ did not need His feet washed with tears every minute in the day, nor to have them anointed with even precious ointment very often. There are some Christians who ought to do and I trust will do, some extraordinary thing for Christ—something which shall need no apology from them because they are extraordinary persons, who used to be extraordinary sinners—and it would not be right for them to run in the ruts made by others—they ought to strike out a distinct pathway for themselves. Happy is the Church that has any such members! Happier still if it has many such. But there are others who love Christ just as truly, yet who must be content to show their love to Him in some other and apparently more common but, perhaps, in the long run, more useful way. These gracious women ministered to Christ of their substance. He was only a poor itinerant Preacher who needed daily sustenance. Some people say that every preacher ought to earn his own bread by trade or profession and preach freely, yet the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Preachers, did not do this.

"Oh, but Paul did!" Yes, Paul attained to a very high honor. But we may be perfectly satisfied, as the servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, to attain to as high a degree of honor as our Master did and, inasmuch as He never did any carpentering after He began to preach, but gave His whole soul and being up to the work of preaching, He was fed and cared for by the kindness of these godly women who were glad to minister unto Him of their substance. "The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord." So, as ministers of Christ, we need not be ashamed to minister spiritual things to the people and to receive of their carnal things in return. These women, though they did not wash Christ's feet with their tears, nor anoint them with precious ointment, did well, for they "ministered unto Him of their substance." Let us all do for Him all that we can.