So, page 1023.
So, from verse 33,
At the sixth hour, darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.
And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
Eloi, Eloi, lama sabaxanai,
which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
When some of those standing near heard this, they said,
Listen, he's calling Elijah.
One man ran and filled a sponge with wine vinegar,
put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.
Now, mate, leave me alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down, he said.
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom,
and when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus,
heard his cry, and saw how he died, he said,
Surely this man was the Son of God.
Some women were watching from a distance.
Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James,
and the younger of Joseph and Salome.
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.
So Christmas is all about Jesus being born, right?
Well, look at verse 37.
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
Here we find Jesus not in the cradle, but dead on the cross.
Well, you say, where's the story about Jesus being born in a stable,
wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger?
Let's do that story.
We like that story.
Please, can we do the Christmas story?
Well, you may have noticed that Mark's Gospel doesn't include anything about Jesus' birth.
There's no mention of angels appearing to Mary and Joseph.
There's no account of the shepherds and the magi who brought gifts.
We read nothing about the escape from King Herod,
who had ordered the killing of all the baby boys.
Mark has nothing to say about the birth of Jesus.
Instead, he jumps straight to the last three years of his life.
In fact, he dedicates almost a third of his book to the death of Jesus.
Why does he do that?
Does Mark not like Christmas?
Was he a bit of a Christmas scrooge, a bar humbug?
I'm not going to write anything about the Christmas story.
No, Mark wants us to see that the reason Jesus was born was to die.
For Mark, the centre of the story is not the cradle, but the cross.
You see, the crucifixion, the death of Jesus, is the climax of the Christmas story.
Without the death of Jesus, there is no Christmas story.
So as we come to see the death of Jesus,
we're going to look at three things that will help us to celebrate Christmas better.
Instead of the light coming into the world,
we're going to see darkness over the land.
And instead of finding a baby wrapped in cloths,
we're going to see the tearing of a curtain.
And instead of shepherds coming to worship,
we find the confession of a soldier.
So three things, darkness, the curtain, and the soldier.
First of all, the darkness.
As Jesus was dying, something extraordinary happened.
Verse 33.
At the sixth hour, that's twelve midday,
darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.
That's three in the afternoon.
So for three hours, when the sun was at its highest,
and when the sun was at its brightest,
the whole land went completely dark, pitch black.
One moment bright shining sun,
the next complete and utter darkness.
Why?
What did it all mean?
Well, we don't have to think very hard
to associate darkness with evil and disorder.
Do you remember the creation story?
This is what it says at the very beginning of our Bible.
Now the earth was formless and empty.
Darkness was over the face of the surface of the deep.
The earth, in its unformed shape,
was covered in darkness.
Literally, it's telling us the earth was in chaos and disorder.
And then God spoke into that darkness.
And he said,
Let there be light.
And there was light.
By God's power,
the darkness was dispelled.
And in its place,
creation came about.
And we see harmony.
We see beauty.
We see creation in all its perfection.
And that's a picture of what we see happening at the cross.
Because again,
at this moment,
as Jesus dies,
for three hours,
darkness descends again,
look at verse 33,
over the whole land.
Evil and disorder seem to rule.
We have witnessed the false charges.
We've seen the unjust trial,
the beating and the mocking.
The guilty Barabbas is released.
And now the innocent Jesus dies.
And as we look in on this event,
as the darkness comes down,
it's as if darkness has won.
Satan and the evil powers of darkness
seem to have defeated and destroyed God's King.
The light that came into the world
has been extinguished.
Chaos and disorder rule.
But look what happens on the cross.
At the ninth hour,
the darkness is lifted.
The light returns.
The sun begins to shine.
You see,
just as God spoke into the darkness
of the disorder
and created light,
so at the cross,
Jesus dispels the darkness
of evil and disorder.
To all looking on,
this seems the end of a life.
But at the cross,
Jesus shows his mighty power.
He shows his victory
as he defeats Satan
and the powers of darkness.
Through his death,
the Bible tells us
that he overcomes the chaos and disorder.
Through his death,
he defeats Satan
and evil and disorder.
and in its place
and into people's lives
who trust him,
he brings about harmony
and beauty.
Literally,
it tells us
that he brings about
a new creation
into the life of each person.
And he brings about
a new creation
that is to come.
Jesus dispels
evil
and disorder.
But that's not
the only darkness.
As Jesus dies
on the cross,
something else
terrible happens.
Verse 34.
At the ninth hour,
Jesus cried out
in a loud voice,
Eloi, Eloi,
lama sabbatani,
which means,
my God,
why have you
forsaken me?
Why have you
left me?
Why have you
rejected and
abandoned me?
The Father
who had said,
you are my Son
whom I love.
Now,
at the moment
of his greatest need,
the Father
turns his back
on the Son
he loves.
and Jesus
is left
alone
on the cross,
isolated
and shut out.
Why?
What did it mean?
Well,
listen to the
prophet Amos.
Here,
the prophet
is speaking
of God's
coming
judgment.
And this is
what he says.
You can see it
on the screen.
In that day,
declares the Lord,
I will make
the sun go
down at noon
and darken
the earth
in broad
daylight.
Centuries
before
Christ
came,
Amos
spoke of
God's
coming
judgment
and these
are the
kinds of
words he
uses
to describe
what that
judgment
would be
like.
He is
describing a
day when
God will
judge the
sin in
this world
and the
rebellion
against him.
It's a
picture of
God's
judgment
against
people like
you and
me.
And now,
as Jesus
dies on
the cross,
the darkness
falls in
broad daylight.
At noon,
there is
complete and
utter darkness
and Jesus
cries out
from the
cross,
My God,
my God,
why have
you forsaken
me?
Jesus is
absorbing the
darkness of
God's
anger and
judgment.
Jesus is
taking my
sin and
your sin
on himself
and as a
result,
he is
shut out
from God.
He has
been abandoned
by God
and rejected.
One author
has helpfully
put it like
this.
He describes
it, he says,
at the ninth
hour,
when the
darkness
lifts.
We'd
expect that
God's
judgment
will have
fallen on
the people
who are
killing his
son.
But when
the light
returns,
only one
person has
experienced
God's
wrath,
his own
son.
Jesus
suffers the
anger and
judgment of
God for us,
so as the
darkness
falls,
Jesus is
saying,
I am the
one who
has come to
absorb the
darkness for
you.
You see,
we think of
the Christmas
story,
we think of
the lights,
we think of
the angels
coming in the
brightness to
announce the
story.
Well, at
the cross,
the light of
God shines in
its most
brilliant and
awesome way.
and here
the light
comes down
and Jesus
dispels the
darkness of
evil and
disorder and
he absorbs
the darkness
of anger
and judgment.
This is
what we are
celebrating
at Christmas.
Second,
there's the
curtain.
for those
watching Jesus
die,
well, they
can see
nothing good
in the
death of
this man.
Verse 35,
when some
of those
standing near
heard this,
when they
had heard
Jesus cry
out,
Eloi,
they thought,
oh, listen,
he's calling
Elijah.
They didn't
quite hear what
he said.
Elijah, you
remember, was
the great prophet
from the past
who they
thought, well,
if he cried
out to him,
he might
come and
rescue him.
Verse 36,
so one man
ran and he
filled a sponge
with wine
vinegar,
that would be
something to
try and
waken Jesus
up a little
bit,
and he put
it on a
stick and
he offered
it to
Jesus to
drink.
Now, let's
leave him
alone, let's
see if
Elijah comes
down to
take him
down, he
said.
But Elijah
doesn't come.
Jesus must
die.
There is
no rescue
for Jesus.
Verse 37,
and with a
loud cry,
Jesus
breathed
his last.
The creator
of the
universe
dies.
He's
and as
he dies,
to everybody
who's looking
at him,
they see it
all as
useless and
pointless,
a complete
waste of
time.
But only a
few hundred
yards away,
something
supernatural
happened as
Jesus breathed
his last.
Look at
verse 38,
the curtain
of the
temple was
torn in
two from
top to
bottom.
Why?
What did
that mean?
Well, two
things.
First, this
curtain in
the temple
was a
constant reminder
to people
that they
were separated
from God
because of
their sin.
You remember
back to the
story in
creation,
to the
garden of
Eden?
Do you
remember what
happened to
Adam and
Eve when
they rebelled
against God?
They were
literally shut
out of
God's
presence.
They were
banished from
the garden
of Eden.
And two
angels with
flashing
swords were
put at the
gate to stop
them getting
back into
the garden.
And it
acted as a
huge sign
that said
to them,
no entry,
stay away.
And so
throughout
time, the
temple curtain
was a
reminder of
all of
that.
You see, at
the centre of
this great
temple was
a building,
not unlike,
if you could
imagine, this
building here,
or this hall
that we're in.
It was called
the most
holy place.
It was
beautifully
decorated
with colours
and images
that reflected
the garden
of Eden.
And together
this holy
place
represented
God's
presence.
It was
somehow to
take people
back in
their memories
and their
thoughts to
the perfection
of the
garden of
Eden where
God lived
with his
people.
But at the
entrance to
this most
holy place
was this
large big
curtain.
So if you
could imagine
a big
curtain
stretching all
the way
across this
room.
It was a
huge curtain,
an inch
thick, solid
material,
30 feet
long by
30 feet
high.
And decorated
all across
this curtain
were images
of angels.
The symbolism
again was
crystal clear,
reminding them
of the angels
that guarded
the way
back into
Eden.
No entry.
It read
like a big
sign to
the people,
keep out,
stay away,
you're
separated
from God.
Sinful
people can't
meet with
a perfect
and a pure
God.
Darkness
can't come
into the
light.
You see
the consequences
of rebelling
against God
means we
can no longer
live with
him and
enjoy him.
In fact,
to meet
with God
as we
are means
we would
die.
His purity
is so
great,
his light
so brilliant
it would
consume us.
And there
is nothing
that we
can do
about that.
God
is
to
God
but look
what
happens
when Jesus
dies.
Verse 38
the curtain
of the
temple
was torn
in two
from top
to bottom.
This is
something
supernatural.
No human
being could
rip open
this curtain.
It was too
big,
it was too
thick,
it would
take days
to get
some kind
of cutting
implement
to try
and tear
this curtain.
But all
of a sudden
it is torn
from top
to bottom,
ripped apart.
This is an
act of God.
This is an
act that is
coming down
from heaven,
from top
to bottom
and it all
happens just
as Jesus
dies.
And we've
got to
remember
that as
we see
Jesus
die.
He is
taking the
place of
you and
me.
Remember
what he
cried out?
My God,
my God,
why have
you forsaken
me?
On the
cross he's
taking my
sin and
your sin.
And as a
result of
becoming like
us, he
is shut
out from
God's
presence.
He is,
if you like,
put beyond
the curtain.
Jesus was
the only
one who
was pure
enough,
the only
one who
was good
enough to
live with
God.
He was
the only
one who
could enjoy
that intimate
and perfect
relationship
with the
Father.
But now
as Jesus
dies, as
Jesus takes
our place,
he is the
one separated
from God
for us.
And his
cry of
agony from
the cross
reflects the
torment of
hell itself.
Jesus is
plunged into
the darkness.
But
wonderfully,
incredibly,
as Jesus
dies, the
curtain is
torn open.
The symbolism
is crystal
clear.
As Jesus
has been
shut out by
the Father,
so the way
is now
opened up
for us.
The sign
that read,
keep out,
stay away,
is now
ripped apart
so that we
can enter
in.
Remember
back to the
beginning of
Mark's Gospel
when Jesus
was baptised?
This is what
we read.
As Jesus
was coming
up out of
the water,
he saw
heaven being
torn open.
Heaven being
torn open
and the
Spirit
descending
on him
like a
dove.
Literally,
the presence
of God
coming
down.
And that's
the same
image that
we have
here with
the curtain.
It's the
same words
that Mark
is using.
He is
saying the
curtain is
torn open.
Heaven is
being ripped
apart.
The entrance
into the
presence of
God for
all eternity
is made
available.
God is
coming down
to you.
Where once
we were
separated,
we are now
welcomed.
Where once
we stood
in fear,
we can now
come without
fear and
enjoy God
and live
with him
in all
his purity.
at Christmas
we so
often think
of
Emmanuel,
God
with us.
At the
cross,
Emmanuel,
God
with us
becomes
a reality.
The
Spirit of
God
comes to
us to
dwell
amongst
his
people.
God
is with
us
now.
He is
present in
the lives
of those
who love
him and
trust him
and heaven
itself is
torn open
so that we
can live
with the
Father
forever.
This is
what we
are celebrating
at Christmas.
and then
third we
have the
soldier.
Many
people
witnessed
the death
of Jesus.
Over the
weeks we've
been looking
at the
soldiers who
beat him,
the crowds
who insulted
him,
the religious
leaders who
mocked him
and then the
women,
verse 41,
who had
cared for
him.
But as
Jesus dies
on the
cross,
there is
only one
who has
been changed
by Jesus
and that's
the soldier,
verse 39.
And when
the centurion
who stood
there in
front of
Jesus heard
his cry
and saw
how he
died,
he said,
surely this
man was
the son
of God.
Here's
this
great
commander,
the one
who's in
charge of
all the
soldiers.
He's the
one who's
in charge
of this
execution.
He's been
there many
times up
to this
hill.
He's
witnessed
many other
people die
these terrible
deaths.
But for
this time
it's
different.
he has
heard the
cry of
Jesus,
my God,
why have
you forsaken
me?
He has
seen how
Jesus died
as the
darkness fell
for three
hours over
the whole
land and
as he
stands in
front of
this bloodied,
beaten and
dead body,
as he gazes
at this
body in
front of
him,
stretched out
on the
cross for
all to
see.
He says,
surely this
man was
the Son
of God.
His
confession
is a
statement of
belief.
He has
come to
see amongst
all the
crowds who
shout and
roar and
mock him,
he sees
who Jesus
really is.
Do you
remember how
Mark's
gospel opens
up?
The very
first verse
of Mark's
gospel,
it says
this,
the beginning
of the
gospel about
Jesus Christ,
the Son
of God.
Mark has
been telling
us the
whole way
through his
story that
Jesus,
the Son
of God,
the God
man,
is the
good news.
Jesus is
the good
news.
He is
the Son
of God,
but for
him the
good news
reaches its
climax,
not in
the cradle,
but on
the cross.
This is
where we
see Jesus
in all
his glory,
in all
his magnificence,
in all
his beauty.
So this
Christmas,
my
encouragement
to us
all is
this,
is to
come like
this
soldier,
and not
to look
into the
cradle,
but to
stand as
this soldier
did in
front of
the cross.
Look at
that bloodied,
beaten,
and dead
body.
Look at
him with
his arms
stretched out.
And as
we do,
see the
darkness
that has
been
dispelled.
see the
evil that
has been
defeated.
See Satan
destroyed.
And see
the curtain
torn in
two.
See heaven
being ripped
apart,
and his
people being
welcomed in.
Stand
before the
cross.
And like
the shepherds
and the
magi who
came to
worship
the Jesus
who was
born,
stand at
the cross.
and worship
the Son
of God
who was
born,
but died.
This
is what we
are celebrating
at Christmas.
Let's pray.
Amen.