Mark 15:21-41
The Crucifixion of Jesus
21 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus,was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. 22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.
25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.
27 They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. [28] 29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!”31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
40 Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
We read that it was nine in the morning when they began to crucify Jesus...And at nine that morning they wrote a sign and put it on His cross...The written notice of the charge against Him read: the King of the Jews...And three hours later we read that at noon, a darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon...And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”)....When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, He’s calling Elijah.”...Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink...“Now leave Him alone...Let’s see if Elijah comes to take Him down,” he said...With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last breath and died...
So Jesus was on the cross for six hours...He had endured the suffering and torture of the cross for six long hours...Jesus had felt the agony and torment of pain on the cross for these six long hours...And the darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon...Yet in that great darkness of atonement a Light would later shine on a life that had resurrected...At the Place of the Skull, a Savior had died for us; He is the Messiah, and our LORD...This will be a sign to all of the world: where Jesus had bore the pain for mankind for six hours to take away our sins, nailed to a cross, a Light would shine...This sign was a Man that God had appointed and has raised from the dead...