Well, would you please turn with me in your Bibles back to that passage that we've read in Mark's Gospel, Mark chapter 15.
We're going to work through a fair part of this chapter tonight, so there's not any one specific verse to look at, just to consider some of the people that are recorded for us around the death of Jesus.
Let's bow our heads in prayer, though, before we begin. Heavenly Father, as we come to this great passage of Scripture,
that we've already spent time in this morning, we pray, Father, for your blessing and wisdom to be given to us.
May the Holy Spirit himself be at work here tonight. We pray that hearts will be opened, that you would enable particularly those who have not yet come to know you as a Savior,
who have not yet come to know Jesus and find delight in him alone. We pray, Father, that you would open their hearts tonight,
that you would be a good God and merciful in all of your ways.
And so help us, Lord, to look towards Christ Jesus for all of our salvation and our hope.
And may we know the truth of God and the blessing of God alive in our hearts.
We ask all of this in Jesus' name. Amen.
So Mark, as he records for us the events of Golgotha and the crucifixion of Jesus,
he gives us quite a lot of information about not only the events that have happened themselves,
but some of the, what we could call, eyewitnesses to these events.
It's like the other gospel writers, Mark is relying on sources,
and he wants us to be able to have confidence in these sources.
So when he tells us, for example, about Simon of Cyrene, who was compelled to carry the cross of Jesus,
he identifies Simon by saying he is the father of Rufus and Alexander.
And so presumably those reading this in the early church would be able to go and find Rufus and Alexander or Simon himself,
but they would know who this was because of who he has said he is.
And so that lends us that confidence that Mark's intention is not to record a made-up tale or an imaginary story.
He wants us to have confidence that this is history.
This is not only is it theological truth, as we were thinking a bit about this morning,
but it's also historical truth, that these things really happened,
and we can have some confidence in them as well.
I want this evening to look just at four of these people that he mentions around the cross
and see what role they actually play in the events of the cross.
The main thing, of course, is to see Jesus, because that's the point of all of the Gospels.
The Gospels want us to see Christ, and therefore tonight what I hope we can do is maybe see Christ
through the eyes of these other characters,
and that we will be inspired to have faith and to trust in him
because of what we read and discover.
Firstly, then, there are two robbers who are crucified with Jesus,
one on his left, one on his right.
So Jesus is on a cross in the center.
He is therefore presumably the main event.
These two other people who are crucified with him are not as important.
They don't get inscriptions written above their heads saying what their crimes were,
or certainly none that are recorded for us, just that they were robbers.
We tend to remember the significance of them from another Gospel,
which tells us about the interaction between one of the two who came to faith.
And that journey for them was in these last few hours as Jesus died on the cross with them.
And there's that wonderful truth that's given to one of these men.
Today, you will be with me in paradise.
But Mark shares no such details.
What he tells us is that Jesus was crucified as king of the Jews
between a pair of thieves,
who in one throwaway phrase, actually, Mark says,
those who were crucified with him also reviled him.
This tells us a lot about the cross.
One of the things I mentioned this morning was that the Father was present in all of this.
that God's purposes are being worked out and fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus.
And the way in which Jesus is crucified
between these two thieves
is evidence of that.
It shows us
the contempt
that Pilate had
for the Jews.
The way Pilate
sticks up this sign
it tells us
that
Pilate despised the Jewish people.
There's no reverence
in Pilate's sign.
When Pilate says, this is the king of the Jews,
he's really mocking,
pouring scorn on the Jewish hope.
And that's part of
what was necessary
in the crucifixion of Jesus.
That as he died,
he was to be subjected
to scorn.
That's part of the cup
that he has to drink.
It's part of the experience
that he has to endure
at the cross
dying in our place.
Because we deserve
scorn.
We deserve
mockery.
And we should remember
that the cross
is a place
not where Jesus
deserves these things
but where we
deserve them.
And so as we think
about the cross
we should think
about what our
own sinful
shame
deserves.
The shame
of our sin
deserves
public derision.
We are by nature
rebels
against
a holy
God
who has made us
and given us
enormous gifts
and great blessings
and good things.
And we have
turned
and we have
spat in his face
in our rebellion.
We have chosen
to say
I will live
as a sinner
away from you.
I don't need
to follow you.
I don't need
your ways.
I don't need
your laws
and your direction
for life.
I will do
my own thing.
And increasingly
in our day
and generation
that
is becoming
ever more prevalent.
Radical expressions
of individualism.
that we're seeing
today
are just an
ongoing
rebellion
against God's
pattern
for human life.
And those
who rebel
against such
a gracious
God
deserve
shame.
They deserve
public
humiliation.
persecution.
And so
Pilate's
attempt to
humiliate
the Jews
tells us
a little
of what we
deserve
and a lot
about what
Christ
has done
for us.
Jesus
is not
as well
that the
actual
crucifixion
itself
among
these
two
thieves
places
Jesus
among
common
criminals.
And again
this is part
of the
Father's
purpose
being worked
out in
full.
It's not
a coincidence.
If you see
in verse
28
missing in
some of
the earliest
manuscripts
so it's
only footnoted
in our
ESVs.
But verse
28
it tells
us
this little
phrase
that this
was done
to fulfill
scripture.
The fulfillment
of scripture
is absolutely
everywhere
around the
cross.
It's there
as the
soldiers
cast lots
for the
garments of
Jesus
and it's
there as
he is
crucified
on the
central
cross
between
two
common
criminals.
You go
back to
the prophecies
of Isaiah
and you
see there
that Jesus
was numbered
in his
death
with the
transgressors.
When Jesus
goes to die
for his
people
even that
is not
something that
takes place
in a
magnificent
hall.
It's not
something that
takes place
in a place
of glory
and triumph.
It's a
place of
shame and
derision.
It's a
place of
scorning and
mocking that
belongs to
common
criminals.
And there
our Lord
was rejected
and died
for his
people.
God
the Father
was in
all of
this.
These
things happen
by divine
appointment.
They are no
mere accident
and they're
to tell us
and to
confirm to
us what
Jesus did
at the
cross.
He takes
upon himself
the derision
that our
sin
deserves.
He goes
to die
like a
common
criminal
because that
is what
we
deserve.
He
becomes
sin
for us
and is
therefore
experiencing
the
humiliation
that the
defeat of
sin at the
hands of
God's wrath
deserves.
It is an
awful place.
It is not
a pleasant
place
because it
is a
place
where sin
gets
what it
deserved.
The awful
reality of
course is
that this
points us
towards the
reality of
sin itself
in our
lives if
we find
ourselves
without
Christ.
If we
find ourselves
without
Jesus then
one day
a day of
judgment
will come.
A day
when our
sin will
catch up
with us
and there
we would
experience
the lostness
and the
shame
and the
derision
of going
into a
lost
eternity
away from
God
and the
comfort
and the
peace
and the
hope
of the
new
heavens
and the
new
earth.
It is a
place the
Bible
describes
as the
second
death.
It is
an awful
terrifying
scene
but some
of that
was poured
out
at
Golgotha
because
at
Golgotha
Jesus
tasted
that
rejection
for us
and carried
away
our
sin.
But there is
hope
entangled
in all of
this as
well
because
that day
you remember
there was
supposed to
have been
a third
insurrectionist
a third
robber
a third
murderer
put to
death
by the
Romans
made
an object
of that
derision
and that's
this man
Barabbas
and the
great
likelihood
is
it's not
drawing
an unfair
conclusion
to say
this
the cross
on which
Jesus
dies
is
Barabbas
cross
he is
the leader
of the
insurrection
he is
the one
who belongs
on that
central cross
that day
and so
as we
think about
the fact
that Jesus
is crucified
among two
robbers
let us
remember
that Jesus
takes the
place of
someone
spared
that Jesus
on that
day
literally
took the
place of
someone
spared
that
Barabbas
receives
a second
chance
now it's
interesting
we don't
know anything
about him
we can't
say who
else he
is
we don't
know of
any
recording
of anything
more about
him in
the Bible
or in
contemporary
secular
records
I'm not
sure
Josephus
I don't
think
mentions
him
he's
one of
the most
famous
authors
on this
event
from outside
of scripture
but you
have to
wonder
don't you
what did
Barabbas
make of
the second
chance
was he
inspired by
it to
turn his
life around
did he
go and
find some
miraculous
good thing
to do
with the
rest of
his
days
did he
devote
himself
to
charity
or did
he squander
the grace
that was
shown him
that day
did he
continue
in his
path of
sin and
rejection of
the authorities
perhaps committing
himself to that
life of crime
and finding
himself ultimately
defeated
and futile
Jesus took
someone else's
cross
the just
in the place
of the unjust
the innocent
in the place
of the guilty
this is our
king
this is the
one who today
we have
celebrated
dying in our
place
and remembered
that
and the
question
for us
therefore
tonight
is a
simple
one
did he
die
for you
did he
take
your
place
and the
rejection
you deserve
the second
group are
the crowd
and the
priests
and the
scribes
it's a
crowd made
up of
probably
local
people
Jerusalem
at this
point
it's a
very busy
city
it's full
of people
who've
come to
Jerusalem
for the
feast
for the
Passover
and so
the numbers
in the
city
are greatly
inflated
it would
probably
be stretching
things a
little bit
to say
that this
crowd are
literally
the same
people
who a
week
earlier
have been
acclaiming
Jesus
as the
son of
David
the one
who is
blessed
in the
name
of the
Lord
who
comes
to
set
his
people
free
waving
palm
branches
on their
clothes
before him
as he
entered
the city
on a
donkey
but
nevertheless
they
represent
the people
of Israel
and the
world
and
they
have an
interesting
thing to
say to
us
Mark
tells us
what their
cry is
come down
from the
cross
you who
would
destroy
the temple
and rebuild
it in
three days
save
yourself
and come
down
from the
cross
this tells
us again
a few
things about
people and
what is
happening at
the cross
one of the
things it
tells us
is for
certain
that without
the regenerating
work of God
and his grace
in our lives
we will not
get what
is going
on here
we might
understand the
facts
and so we
might be able
to read a
passage like
this and say
Jesus was
crucified
we might be
able to say
it was an
unjust death
we might be
able to
repeat the
theology
and say
well you
know
somehow God
was dealing
with sin
in this
and that's
how sin
is forgiven
but actually
at a deeper
level
there will be
no embrace
or understanding
of this
the people
are like
that
unless God
has begun
a work of
regeneration
in us
the things
of God
God's way
of doing
things
God's word
and his
wisdom
will often
wash over
us completely
and so
tonight I
want to
encourage you
in this way
that God
is not
tonight
wanting
you to
be ignorant
he shows
you an
example
of a
group of
people
who are
perhaps
aligned
the same
way you
are
perhaps
impressed
at the
things
Jesus
is claimed
to have
done
you who
said you
would destroy
the temple
and raise
it up
again in
three days
but who
missed the
point
of his
death
you might
say to
yourself
Jesus is
someone who
is worth
listening to
someone who
is worth
following
he's got
wise things
to say
about how
we should
love one
another
he's got
wise things
to say
about how
we should
forgive one
another
he's got
wise things
to say
about how
we should
live
sacrificially
and show
kindness to
people in
need
you might
say there's
lots of
good things
about Jesus
but when it
comes down
to the
crunch
when it
comes to
his death
your response
is
well if you
really want
to impress
me
do something
different
and in
fact what's
going on
here is
people
unwittingly
I think
are joining
in the
chorus
of Satan
and the
fallen angels
themselves
because right
back at the
beginning of
Mark's gospel
somebody has
said something
similar to
Jesus previously
the devil
has come to
Jesus to
tempt him
and one
of the
temptations
that was
put before
Jesus
was to
say simply
this
there is a
quick way
out
the devil
took him
to a pinnacle
of a high
mountain
and showed
him all the
nations of
the earth
and said
to him
all of this
can be
yours
if you
would just
bow before
me for a
moment
pay homage
to me
show your
loyalty to
my authority
and Jesus
of course
rejects the
temptation
he dismisses
Satan's
claims
and locks
himself in
to the
mission that's
before him
and this is
the great
temptation
that's always
before Jesus
that somehow
the glory
can be
achieved
without having
to do the
hard difficult
thing of
the cross
we'll believe
in you
if you'll
show us
the spectacle
of coming
down from
the cross
we'll
believe you
if you do
something truly
miraculous at
this moment
and that is
don't die
but rather
choose to
live
and these
words are
echoing in
the ears of
Jesus as
the darkness
descends over
him and
the father's
face is
turned away
there's an
easy way out
of this
you can have
our allegiance
if just
you would do
the opposite
to what
you have
agreed from
all eternity
to do
if only
you would
avoid
the shame
and the
derision
of the
cross
then we
would trust
you
and we
would love
you
and maybe
that's the
kind of
bargains
you want
to make
with Jesus
yourself
today
it's
often is
isn't it
so often
the way
we treat
God
we say
well
you give
me something
that I
want
some
spectacle
that I
want to
see
some
wonderful
thing
that's
just
going to
be
enough
to
convince
me
on
my
terms
and
then I
will
give
you
my
allegiance
and yet
tonight
what we're
reminded of
here is
that Jesus
demands
our
allegiance
because
of what
he has
done
because
he has
already
taken
our
sin
upon
himself
and
then
gone
to
the
cross
and
died
in
our
place
and
risen
again
on
the
third
day
the
victory
is
already
his
and
we
foolishly
sometimes
think
that we
can offer
some
alternative
route
the
crowd
you see
they want
the opposite
of what
God
wants
their
hearts
are not
aligned
to
God's
way
and
they
long
for
something
different
but
you know
their
jeers
also
tell us
something
of
hope
because
at
the
cross
and
in
the
agony
of
the
cross
and
in
the
agony
of
experiencing
the
rejection
of
the
father
the
agony
that
finds
its
culmination
in
that
verse
we
were
considering
this
morning
my
God
my
God
why
have
you
forsaken
me
Jesus
chose
not
to
listen
to
the
jeers
of
the
crowd
he
chose
not
to
listen
to
the
chief
priests
and
the
scribes
and
the
Pharisees
he
chose
rather
obedience
to
the
mission
that
he
had
from
the
father
and
that
tonight
is
where
our
salvation
ultimately
lies
that
Jesus
did
what
was
necessary
for
your
salvation
and
mine
that
at
the
cross
the
blood
price
of
salvation
of
forgiveness
of
atonement
of
propitiation
the
covering
of
our
sin
it
was
done
in
completeness
by
Jesus
and
he
chose
to
do
it
he
chose
at that
moment
not
to
unleash
the
legions
of
angels
who
are
standing
by
perplexed
that
the
son
of
God
is
about
to
go
through
all
of
this
he
chose
not
to
abandon
the
mission
that
the
father
has
given
him
and
find
an
easy
way
out
he
chose
to
suffer
and
die
in
the
place
of
his
people
this
is
my
king
this
is
the
one
who
did
this
for
me
and
tonight
I
would
ask
you
would
you
want
him
to
have
done
it
for
you
do
you
want
this
gospel
do
you
want
this
good
news
that
Jesus
laid
down
his
life
for
his
people
there
was
also
then
the
centurion
and
the
centurion
is
here
a
Roman
officer
probably
Italian
probably
Roman
in
fact
from
the
city
of
Rome
itself
and
Mark
is
it's
interesting
actually
to
read
this
because
Mark
is
writing
probably
in
dependence
on
Peter's
own
eyewitness
events
of these
events
and Peter
is
probably
ministering
in
Rome
itself
at
this
point
and
so
Mark
is
writing
chiefly
I
think
for
a
Roman
audience
and
so
it's
interesting
that
he
highlights
at
the
cross
this
Roman
centurion
and
these
Gentile
Christians
hear about
a
Gentile
convert
at
the
cross
what
Mark
tells us
simply
is this
that
the
Roman
centurion
believed
the
reason
the
reason
we
can
say
that
is
because
the
Roman
centurion
expresses
a
statement
that
nature
does
not
reveal
when
the
centurion
says
truly
this
was
the
son
of
God
that's
telling us
something
about
his
heart
he is
confessing
the
lordship
of
Jesus
he's
probably
a
centurion
who
has
been
involved
earlier
in the
day
in the
mocking
of
Jesus
when
he
was
handed
over
to
the
Roman
garrison
in
the
praetorium
he's
probably
actually
been
there
for
part
of
the
trial
he's
been
standing
close
by
Pontius
Pilate
all
day
and
he's
heard
the
trial
of
Jesus
he's
heard
the
allegations
that
were
made
against
him
he's
heard
the
false
allegations
like
Pilate
he's
recognized
probably
that
there
is
falsehood
and
lies
been
spun
by
the
chief
priests
who
out
of
envy
want
rid
of
Jesus
but
what
really
convinces
him
in
the
end
is
not
the
unjustness
of
what
he
has
seen
in
the
trial
it
is
the
manner
of
his
death
he's
a
Roman
who
thinks
the
gods
are
untouchable
a
Roman
who
thinks
that
the
gods
are
divine
beings
who
live
miles
above
us
and
we
can
have
no
interaction
with
them
and
they
cannot
be
affected
by
the
things
that
happen
to
us
or
the
things
that
happen
among
us
and
yet
here
is
someone
who
is
accused
of
taking
on
himself
the
title
of
God
the
divine
title
of
being
the
son
of
God
and
yet
he
dies
for
his
people
he
dies
in
such
an
awful
way
he
at
the
end
of
it
is
convinced
this
is
the
son
of
God
these
are
not
natural
words
for
that
man
to
have
expressed
they're
far
outside
his
experience
and
so we
have
to
ask
what
what's
persuaded
him
what's
changed
his
mind
what's
he
recognized
and
he
recognizes
!
simply
Jesus
that
Jesus
at
the
cross
does
something
messianic
that
Jesus
at
the
cross
does
something
that
matters
something
that
demands
his
attention
that
demands
his
allegiance
that
demands
things
in his
life
not
be
the
same
again
and
he
confesses
truly
this
was
the
son
of
God
and
so
in
Mark's
gospel
we
have
a
story
at
the
cross
itself
of
someone
who
came
to
faith
seeing
first
hand
Jesus
death
and
tonight
I
would
ask
you
can
that
be
true
of
you
and
can
it
simply
be
true
of
you
that
someone
would
die
for
you
and
you
seen
them
would
say
this
is
my
saviour
this
is
my
God
this
is
the
one
whom
I
will
trust
this
is
the
one
to
whom
I
will
owe
my
allegiance
in
whom
my
faith
will
be
placed
is
he
for
you
is
this
Jesus
for
you
there
is
one
final
group
just
to
note
in
passing
and
again
it
comes
back
to
this
idea
about
the
veracity
of
Mark's
account
if
you
wanted
to
write
an
account
of
something
amazing
you
would
not
rely
on
the
testimony
of
woman
let
alone
Mary
Magdalene
and
Mary
the
mother
of
James
the
less
these
are
not
the
people
that
you
would
put
in
there
as
your
star
witnesses
to
what
happens
next
but
there
they
are
at
the
cross
these
poor
neglected
women
from
Galilee
who
stay at
the cross
until
the very
last
and
they
see
Joseph
of
Arimathea
come
and
take
down
and
take
down
the
body
of
Jesus
from
the
cross
and
they
see him
wrap
the
body
of
Jesus
in
a
linen
shroud
and
take
it
a
short
distance
away
to
the
garden
tomb
and
they
see
the
stone
rolled
against
it
presumably
they
see
other
things
as well
the seal of
Pontius Pilate put
upon the stone
they see
the Roman
guard
and
they
go
away
from
that
place
vowing
to
come
back
after
the
Sabbath
to
properly
prepare
the
body
of
Jesus
for
burial
and
their
intentions
we can
read in
that
their
love
their
devotion
to
Jesus
their
confidence
in his
personhood
that he
was their
friend
their
Lord
whom
they've
ministered
to
and
cared
for
already
previously
and now
they want
to do
for him
in
death
what
they've
done
for
him
in
life
and
what's
remarkable
is
that
Mark
chooses
and again
we can't
say that
this is
Mark's
doing
it's
God's
doing
so
God
chooses
to rely
on the
witness
of these
worthless
witnesses
!
Women
whose
testimony
can be
refuted
by the
testimony
of a
man
they can
be overruled
easily
and what
they claim
and yet
they are
the ones
who remember
where the
body of
Jesus
has been
laid
they are
the ones
who go
early in
the morning
on the
first day
of the
week
and they
are the
ones
who see
the evidence
of the
resurrection
they see
the victory
of Jesus
over death
itself
and they
go away
and testify
to this
they tell
the
disciples
and the
disciples
tell
the world
and so I
want to
encourage you
tonight
because
these are
some of
the most
I think
interesting
people at
the cross
people who
feel
themselves
really
worthless
people who
don't think
of themselves
as being
the best
communicators
of the
gospel
the best
witnesses
for Christ
they feel
like perhaps
they're not
the most
eloquent
of speakers
for the
gospel
they think
themselves
just truly
as these
poor
women who
have nothing
to offer
except perhaps
they can
embalm the
body of
Jesus
in its
grave
and we
are here
tonight
because
they went
and told
Peter
he is
risen
Peter who
has denied
Jesus
and who
has then
restored
I wonder
tonight
who will
you go
and tell
who will
you go
and tell
that you
have seen
the risen
Lord
that you
have
experienced
yourself
the
resurrection
of Jesus
that there's
good news
to pass
on
to those
who are
seeking
hope and
salvation
in this
world
let's
pray
our
father in
heaven
we thank
you that
the cross
happened
we thank
you for
the
integrity
of the
records
that we
can rely
on that
tell us
about the
death and
resurrection
of Jesus
these are
words that
are written
to assure
us of
the
historical
accuracy
of these
things
and so
on that
simple
foundation
we can
build
so much
for our
own insight
and understanding
and I
pray Lord
tonight that
that would
truly be the
case for
people here
that they
would be able
to see
the relevance
of Jesus
that they
would be able
to see
why it
matters that
Jesus died
on the
cross for
sinners
and that
in all of
this we
would be
reminded of
the grace
that is to
be found
there
that there
people can
come to a
place where
they can
say truly
this was
the son
of God
they can
find salvation
and hope
in that
place of
great darkness
because the
light of
Jesus shines
there and
brings to
light the
hope of
mankind
we thank
you for the
woman who
bore witness
to the
burial of
Jesus
perhaps in
dismay
but who
a few
hours later
were
transformed
with the
news
of the
resurrection
the
words of
the
angel
he is
not
here
he is
risen
embolden
us in
the same
way
strengthen
us for
your
service
and we
ask this
in
Jesus
name
amen
!
we're
going to
sing in
conclusion
in
Psalm
126
this is
the
Sing
Psalms
version
page 171
when Zion's
fortunes
God
restored
it was
a dream
come true
our mouths
were then
with laughter
filled
our tongues
with songs
in you
the nation
said the
Lord has
done great
things for
Israel
the Lord
did mighty
things for
us
and joy
our hearts
knew well
restore our
fortunes
gracious
Lord
like streams
and desert
soil
a joyful
harvest
will reward
the weeping
sower's
toil
that man
who bearing
seed to
sow
goes out
with tears
of grief
will come
again
with songs
of joy
bearing
his harvest
chief
I think
that last
verse
maybe sums
up the
experience
of the
woman
at the
cross
they went
to the
tomb
with sorrow
and sadness
and yet
they came
back full
of joy
would that
be true
of us
this night
as well
so let's
stand and
sing to
God's
praise
when Zion's
fortunes
God
restored
when Zion's
fortunes
God
restored
they
both
have
been
come
to
our
hearts
were
there
with
laughter
filled
our
tongues
with
!
songs
anew
the
nation
said
the
Lord
has
done
great
things
for
Israel
the
Lord
did
mighty
his
miles
and
joy
our
hearts
new
!
Restore the fortune, gracious Lord, like streams in deserts fall.
Under the harvest will reward, the weakest storm is torn.
The man who bare him, seek to sow, calls out the tears of grief.
Will come again with songs of joy in his harvest sheep.
Now the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship
of God the Holy Spirit be with each one of you now and always.
Amen.
I think there was one thing I forgot to intimate, that the session which had opened last night
for the communion has now closed with the benediction as well.
Thank you.