Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for June 24, 2012

End of Series in Mark

“The Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ” – Mark 15:46-16:8

Jesus’ crucifixion is being told in Mark with Psalm 22 as background. The first part of the psalm speaks of feelings of abandonment but in verse 22 that all changes from despair to triumph, praise, and rejoicing. We think what happened was that a prophet or a priest came to him and told him that the Lord was going to revive him and bless him or that the actual deliverance arrived in an overwhelming way and David went to the Tabernacle where he began to praise God for it and to call the people to join him in praise. Remember though, that deliverance came only after a long period of despair. David was so much in agony over his dilemma that he was sore all over; he could count all his bones, which felt like they were all out of joint. God brings David deliverance but only after his suffering. It is against this background that the crucifixion and resurrection are told in Mark. Chapter 15 of Mark corresponds to verses 1-21 of Psalm 22 and chapter 16 of Mark corresponds to the remainder of the psalm.

Jesus died as a result of His suffering. He was completely and totally dead; He was not simply asleep but His body was completely lifeless so that they had to take Him down from the cross and wrap Him in linen and place Him in a tomb for the dead. That was how terrific Jesus’ suffering was; it took His life.

Mark 15:46-47
Chapter 15 ends with Mary the mother of Jesus, along with Mary the mother of Joses, observing where they laid Jesus’ dead body. The chapter ends on the saddest note you could ever imagine — a mother experiencing the death of her child. This isn’t supposed to happen; parents are supposed to die before their children.

Chapter 16:1-8
They had no way of embalming bodies at that time, so Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices after the Sabbath was over to anoint Jesus’ body to preserve it. Although these women cared deeply, they are women who do not believe. They are coming to the tomb to anoint someone they believe is still dead.
Very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb and observed that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance to the tomb where Jesus had been laid. The women are told by angels that Jesus had risen and for them to tell the disciples that He would meet them in Galilee just as He had told them.

Mark 8:31; 9:30-31; 10:32-34
Jesus told the disciples plainly on three different occasions that He would be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, be turned over to the gentiles, suffer humiliation, be killed, and after three days rise again.

Mark drives this point home in Chapter 16, when the angel speaks to the women. The crowd around Jesus’ heard Him tell them how it would all happen, but nobody believed it. Jesus will never lie to you and never spin anything to His advantage; it is against His divine nature to do so.

The women left, trembling in fear and bewilderment. Again those who should have been comforted by the faithfulness of Jesus’ word reacted with fear. We see in Mark’s gospel that the majority of the people who witnessed Jesus’ miracles reacted with fear and bewilderment or amusement rather than belief.

The most trustworthy manuscripts of Mark end with verse 8 chapter 16.

Faith is nothing more and nothing less than taking the Lord and his prophets and apostles at their word. It will always be just as Jesus has said.