Slain by Wicked Hands: Mark 15:21-38

From: The Servant's Heart: Bible Talks on Mark

Mark 15:21‑38 • 3 min. read • grade level: 8

The soldiers led Jesus from the hall where the Roman ruler had condemned Him to death to the Praetorium. Later they headed toward the hill outside of Jerusalem where they were to crucify Him.

The wooden crosses on which persons suffered this cruel death were very heavy; at first Jesus carried His cross (John 19:17¹⁷And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: (John 19:17)), and then the soldiers compelled a man who was passing along the road to carry it instead.

Cruelty

When they reached the hill, the soldiers fastened Jesus on the cross. We do not like to think of the cruel treatment, but we know He was fastened with strong nails through His hands and His feet, which was foretold in Psalm 22:16¹⁶For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. (Psalm 22:16) (See also John 20:25²⁵The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. (John 20:25)).

Two men who were thieves were crucified at the same time, one on each side of Jesus. This was the third hour of the morning; we would call it 9 a.m. Many people had followed them to this place, some who loved Jesus but many who did not and spoke in ridicule. The priests were there to mock Him, and even the thieves spoke against Him.

The Lord Jesus hung on the cross for six hours, through the middle part of the day. The last three hours, from the “sixth” hour (noon) until the “ninth” hour (3 p.m)., the sun gave no light: “There was darkness over the whole land.” Then Jesus spoke to God and gave up His life.

Laying Down His Life

All the cruel treatment did not take the life of the Lord Jesus, for He had said, “I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself” (John 10:17-18¹⁷Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. ¹⁸No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:17‑18)).

This was the great work which Jesus as the holy Servant of God came to do, to give Himself as the sacrifice for sins, as was pictured in all the sacrifices of all the years before He came.

Notice these words about the Lord Jesus: “Christ Jesus ... took upon Him the form of a servant, ... became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:5-9⁵Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: ⁶Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ⁷But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ⁹Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (Philippians 2:5‑9)).

“Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24²⁴Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)).

“Ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain” (Acts 2:23²³Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: (Acts 2:23)).

Note: The man who was made to carry the cross of Jesus did not live in Jerusalem, but in Cyrene, a city of northern Africa. Except for the soldiers’ orders, he would not have heard the words Jesus said or known so fully of His death. He may have been one of those who listened to the disciples soon after this (Acts 2:10¹⁰Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, (Acts 2:10)). If he learned that the One whose cross he carried was the Christ who was going to bear his sins, how fully he would feel repaid for carrying that heavy cross! Men from his city later “preached the Lord Jesus” in other cities (Acts 11:20-21²⁰And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. (Acts 11:20‑21)). His sons seem to be well known to Mark, the writer of this account, and to other believers.

Further Meditation

1. Why did God darken the whole world for those three hours?

2. Where in the Old Testament can we read of Christ’s inner feelings during this time?

3. You would, no doubt, find The Sufferings of Christ by J. N. Darby both challenging and uplifting.

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