Jesus “Gave Up The Ghost”
May 17, 2021
Commentary
Sacrifice may cause others to mock you. “He saved others; Himself He cannot save.” (v.31) Sacrifice may cause others to abandon you. “My God,… why have you forsaken me?” (v.34)Sacrifice may cause others to believe you. “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (v.39)Sacrifice may produce forgivenessSacrifice may show your dependence on God. “Father, I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46)Between the sixth hour (noon) and the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.) darkness came over the whole land (v. 33). At the end of the supernatural darkness Jesus cried out, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken Me” (v. 34)? Some of the people standing there heard Jesus and said “He is calling for Elijah” (v. 35). Up to this moment Jesus had never gone through the experience of being separated from the Father, but in order to be completely identified with our humanity He had to go through it.
A soldier offered Jesus a sponge saturated with a mixture of vinegar and water (v. 36). The centurion who stood nearby goes on to identify Jesus as truly, “the Son of God” (v. 39). Following this Jesus “gave up the ghost,” (v. 37), which literally means He “breathed out His life” or died. At this point “the veil of the temple” (v. 38) which separated the Holy of Holies (into which no man was permitted to go) from the rest of the temple ripped from top to bottom. This symbolized the fact that the way was now open for all believers to enter into the very presence of God at any time. Some women who had come with Jesus to Jerusalem were looking on from a distance (vv. 40-41).
Application
When I realized that Jesus actually became a sacrifice for my sins I accepted Him as my personal Savior? Now the question is How can I more effectively communicate the good news of Jesus’ death.
Mark 15:33– 41 (NET)
33 Now when it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 Around three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 When some of the bystanders heard it they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah!” 36 Then someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down!” 37 But Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last. 38 And the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” 40 There were also women, watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they had followed him and given him support. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were there too.
Illustration: The Declaration of Independence
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or the hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners, men of means, well educated. (Source Unknown).