Mark

By Joyce Webb 2023

Chapter 15      Verses 39-47

Verse 39 Jesus has died on the cross.
A Roman soldier watched all that had happen

—the unusual darkness that has come over the land for hours in the early afternoon

—what Jesus said to one of them

—–what Jesus said as he died.

All of these things—the soldier has been thinking about—-now, he said—”True, this man was the Son of God.”

Verse 40 There were women who came to watch—-they were standing farther away.
They were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James (the less and of Joses), and Salome.
———————–

(There were 3 men named James—that were associated with Jesus.
This James –was the son of Alphaeus. He was younger than the other apostle James the son of Zebedee.

1. So, he was called James, the less, or lesser—meaning younger.
2. There was James the son of Zebedee—an apostle.
3. And later, after Jesus came alive again, there was Jesus’ brother, James.

He became a believer and he also became one of the leaders of the group of believers in Jerusalem. This group of believers in Jerusalem became the first “Christian ‘church’”.

The name of “church” was not used at first —when talking about the group of believers.)

Verse 41 These women who were at the cross—-had followed Jesus when he was teaching in Galilee.
They ministered to Jesus—(see Luke 8:2,3)

( meaning they did things or gave Jesus things that he needed—such as clothing, food, etc.—one woman is mentioned that she gave Jesus money as an offering.)

This verse says that there were other women—not named—that also followed Jesus and came with him to Jerusalem.

Verse 42 As evening came, it would begin the Sabbath—(holy day or the Jewish “Sunday for church”) It was also a special Sabbath because it was the celebration of the Passover.

Verse 43 Jesus’ followers did not want to leave Jesus’ body on the cross over the Passover.

One of the followers, who was a Jewish leader, named Joseph from Arimathaea,—-went to Pilate, the Roman ruler,—-and asked permission to take Jesus’ body down from the cross.

Verse 44, 45 Pilate was surprised that Jesus had died already.

(Death on a cross took a long time—which is one reason why it was such an awful way to die—a person was in terrible pain for a long time, and with the arms up it made it hard to breath—-if the person pushed up with their feet so they could breath better—then the nails in the feet caused more pain. It was a terrible way to die.)

Pilate called for the Roman soldier in charge and asked if it was true that Jesus was dead already.
The Roman soldier said, “Yes, it was true.”
So, he gave the body to Joseph.

Verse 46 Joseph wrapped the body in long strips of linen cloth.

Then he put Jesus’ body in a tomb—which was like a carved out hole in the side of a hill.

The hill was full of huge stones and the tomb was carved out of the stone–to make a small room. Then a large stone was rolled over the opening.

Joseph was a rich man. This was his tomb prepared ahead of time for Joseph’s own death some day. But now, he was going to put Jesus in it instead.

See Isaiah 53:9–prophecy hundreds of years before that Jesus would be laid with the rich.

(It also says, that Jesus’ death would be with the wicked. Two thieves were beside Jesus when he died. Dying on a cross was for the worse kind of crimes.

Joseph put Jesus in the tomb, and rolled a stone in front of the opening.

Verse 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses and James the less) watched to see where Jesus was laid.