[Mark 15:21–32]

 

Mark 15:22–25 says:
“They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the Place of the Skull). Then they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it. And they crucified Him. Dividing up His clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. It was the third hour when they crucified Him.”
Here, “the place called Golgotha (which means the Place of the Skull)” refers to the execution site where Jesus was crucified. Other gospels record it similarly: “a place called Golgotha, which means the Place of the Skull” (Matt. 27:33), “the place called the Skull” (Luke 23:33), and “the place of the Skull (called in Hebrew, Golgotha)” (John 19:17). In the King James Version, “the place of the Skull” in Luke 23:33 is translated as “Calvary.”

In Mark 15:23, it says Jesus was offered “wine mixed with myrrh,” while Matthew 27:34 states it was “wine mixed with gall.” Myrrh is plant-derived, and gall comes from animals, but both had anesthetic properties. According to tradition, the Jews customarily offered sedative wine to condemned criminals to lessen the pain of crucifixion (source: internet). Most likely, the two criminals crucified with Jesus drank it, but Jesus, after tasting it, refused to drink (Matt. 27:34).

The reason is that Jesus, who was without sin, came to this world to perform the great work of salvation—to forgive all our sins and transfer us from eternal hell to eternal life. Therefore, He willingly endured full suffering.
Though He suffered severe physical pain for our salvation, Jesus also endured mental anguish and spiritual abandonment by God the Father with a clear mind. He refused to drink the wine mixed with myrrh that would have acted as a painkiller to reduce His suffering.
For Jesus, this suffering was glory.

John 12:23–24, 28 says:
“Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds... Father, glorify Your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’”
The suffering and death of Jesus on the cross was the moment when He was glorified. Not only Jesus, but God the Father was glorified as well.
John 17:1 says:
“After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.’”
Jesus did not drink the wine with gall to dull His pain or suffer the cross in a dazed state. Rather, He fully endured the suffering to redeem us from our sins. He did not seek to lessen His pain in accomplishing our salvation.

In today’s passage, Mark 15:24 states: “And they crucified Him.” Jesus was crucified at the third hour (v.25), which was around 9 a.m. (modern translation).
John 19:14, on the other hand, says that when Pilate was interrogating Jesus, it was “the day of Preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour” [“about noon” in modern translation].
There are various theories to explain this difference; one suggests it's similar to the distinction between the solar and lunar calendars used in Korea.
While the times may seem to conflict, because we believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, we trust that these apparent discrepancies stem from our limited understanding.

When Jesus was crucified, nails were driven through both His hands and feet. The charge written against Him was “The King of the Jews” (Mark 15:26, modern version).
Two criminals were crucified alongside Him—one on His right and the other on His left (v.27).

Also, in Mark 15:24, it says: “They divided His clothes and cast lots to see what each would get.”
John 19:23–24 gives more detail:
“When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took His clothes and divided them into four shares, one for each of them. But the undergarment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. ‘Let’s not tear it,’ they said to one another. ‘Let’s decide by lot who will get it.’ This happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled that said, ‘They divided My garments among them and cast lots for My clothing.’ So this is what the soldiers did.” (modern version)
Here, it says the soldiers who crucified Jesus divided His garments into four parts, each taking one.
According to Pastor Hendriksen and Pastor James Boice, these four parts were (a) head covering, (b) sandals, (c) belt, and (d) outer garment, distributed among the four soldiers.
The undergarment was not torn but was awarded by casting lots, fulfilling the prophecy in Psalm 22:18: “They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” (modern translation)

Mark 15:29–32 says:
“Those who passed by hurled insults at Him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save Yourself!’ In the same way, the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked Him among themselves. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but He can’t save Himself! Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.’ Those crucified with Him also heaped insults on Him.”
A similar account is found in Matthew 27:39–44. In that passage, the passersby mocked Jesus for blasphemy against the temple and against God. They tempted Him in two mocking ways:
(1) “If You are the Son of God, save Yourself,” and
(2) “Come down from the cross” (Matt. 27:40).
The chief priests, scribes, and elders joined in and also mocked Him:
“He saved others, but He can’t save Himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue Him now if He wants Him, for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” (vv.42–43)

From their words, it is clear that they, like the passersby, were demanding Jesus to come down from the cross to prove He was the Son of God. They mocked that if He were truly God’s Son, He would not die on the cross—either He would save Himself or God would.
This is precisely the work of Satan. Satan did not want Jesus to die on the cross. More specifically, Satan did not want Jesus to take on the sins of all humanity and die.
Satan does not want us to receive forgiveness and salvation.

But God willed that His beloved and well-pleased Son (Matt. 3:17) be crushed and afflicted (Isaiah 53:10), even to the point of turning His face away when Jesus cried out from the cross:
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46).
Why? Because God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).
Even the criminals crucified with Him hurled insults in the same way (Matt. 27:44).

Jesus endured all the punishment we deserved.
By bearing the shame of the cross and dying upon it, He accomplished our salvation.
Jesus was glorified, and He glorified God the Father.
Therefore, with thankful hearts, we must live our lives on this earth to glorify the Lord alone.