THE DEATH OF JESUS

Passage: Mark 15:33-41

Key verse: 39b

NIV

The Death of Jesus(A)

33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.(B) 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?”).[a](C)

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,(D) 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.(E)

38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.(F) 39 And when the centurion,(G) who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,[b] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”(H)

40 Some women were watching from a distance.(I) Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,[c] and Salome.(J) 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.(K)

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Footnotes
  1. Mark 15:34 Psalm 22:1
  2. Mark 15:39 Some manuscripts saw that he died with such a cry
  3. Mark 15:40 Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph; also in verse 47
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Death of Jesus

33 And when the sixth hour[a] had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.[b] 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus (A)cried with a loud voice, (B)“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with (C)sour wine, put it on a reed (D)and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus (E)uttered a loud cry and (F)breathed his last. 38 And (G)the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 (H)And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he[c] breathed his last, he said, (I)“Truly this man was the Son[d] of God!”

40 There were also (J)women looking on (K)from a distance, among whom were (L)Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and (M)Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and (N)ministered to him, and there were also many other women who (O)came up with him to Jerusalem.

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Footnotes
  1. Mark 15:33 That is, noon
  2. Mark 15:33 That is, 3 p.m.
  3. Mark 15:39 Some manuscripts insert cried out and
  4. Mark 15:39 Or a son
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Jesus' cry (33-37)

On the day Jesus died there was darkness at noon. All creation suffered with the suffering Creator God. Jesus' greatest agony was the weight of the world's sins that separated him from his Father God. In that awful moment when it seemed that God had forsaken him, he experienced the depths of utter loneliness. But even in that moment he sought God through his word, and he prayed (Ps 22:1,11,17-19,27).

2. The torn curtain (38)

The curtain in the temple separated sinful men from the Holy God. Jesus' atoning death opened the way for every person to go to God for himself, through Jesus.

3. The centurion's confession (39-41)

The Gentile centurion confessed Jesus to be the Son of God. He represented the Gentile world that would come to Jesus. The women watched, broken-heartedly.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the blood of Jesus which opens the way for this sinner and for the whole world to come to you.

One Word: Just as I am, I come