Mark 15:15-21 - “King of the Jews”

We come now to the first of three sermons from Mark’s crucifixion account. Here’s my introduction to it:

[“Death by crucifixion was one of the cruelest and most degrading forms of execution ever devised by human perversity, even in the eyes of the pagan world.” Thus wrote William Lane, professor of New Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in his commentary on the gospel of Mark. And because I couldn’t figure out how to say it better, or even as well, in my own words, I decided just to quote him. 

A personage no less notable than the Roman poet and politician Cicero wrote this about crucifixion: “Even the mere word, cross, must remain far, not only from the lips of the citizens of Rome, but also from their thoughts, their eyes, their ears.”

Crucifixion was not a polite subject, nor was it brought up in polite conversation. It was unequaled in both suffering and shame. In the Roman world crucifixion was an unspoken vulgarity reserved for the provinces, for slaves, and for the worst forms of criminals. And if it were this way among the Romans, one can only imagine the attitude toward it, or rather against it, among the Jewish population.

The people of Israel had never executed in this manner. Their method, prescribed in the law of Moses, was stoning. In some cases, after a criminal had been executed by stoning, the body would be lifted up and hung on a gibbet as a public display. The message was this—this is what happens to those who commit heinous offenses. Add to that the words of Deuteronomy 21:

“And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.—Deuteronomy 21:22-23

Understand that not everyone stoned was then taken and hung on a gibbet, but some were. And the people understood the implications of that. This person has violated the law of God and for that he is cursed of God. It was an inviolable truth of Jewish thinking that anyone hung on a cross was cursed of God. And now Jesus is about to go to one of those crosses to be cursed of God.]

You will find the audio for the sermon in its entirety in the link below. Just click and listen. God bless you.


Click here: Mark 15:15-21 - “King of the Jews”


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