Sabbath School Summary

By Elder Dr Masimba Mavaza

Tried and Crucified

Lesson 12

Memory Text: “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is translated, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ ” (Mark 15:34, NKJV).

INTRODUCTION

Mark 15 is the heart of the Passion Narrative. It presents the trial of Jesus, His condemnation, the mockery by the soldiers, His crucifixion, and then His death and burial. The events in this chapter are presented in stark, crisp detail, likely because the author let the facts speak for themselves.
Throughout this chapter, irony plays an important role. Because of this, it is helpful to have a clear definition of what irony is.
Irony often contains three components: (1) two levels of meaning, (2) the two levels are in conflict or contrast to each other, and (3) someone does not see the irony and does not recognize what is happening and does not know that he or she is the one who will suffer the consequences.

This week, from the question of Pilate, “ ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ” to the mocking soldiers, the sign above the cross, and the mocking of the religious leaders, “ ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save,’ ” to the unexpected appearance of Joseph of Arimathea, the chapter is filled with painful ironies that nevertheless reveal powerful truths about the death of Jesus and what it means.

SABBATH:
The final hours of Jesus were filled with great pain. A betrayal from a trusted friend, denial from His confidant, mockery by soldiers & religious leaders, & the cry of the mob to crucify him. He was beaten with the Roman lash in the sight of His accusers. Mark 15 is central to the Passion story. In it, we find irony throughout, with two conflicting points often unnoticed by those involved, & the abrupt sight of Joseph of Arimathea.

SUNDAY:
Pilate was a brutal governor but he wanted to let Jesus go. An irony is that the pagan ruler wanted to free Jesus while the religious leaders wanted Him crucified (Mark 15:1-15, Luke 13:1). No clear charge was made against Jesus but it could be deducted from the query “Are you the King of the Jews?” The irony is that Jesus is in fact the Messiah and King of the Jews. He didn’t deny or affirm that (John 18:33-38).

MONDAY:
Jesus wasn’t taken to Calvary without being beaten with a whip. It was a custom to whip prisoners before they were executed (Mark 15:15-20). A group of soldiers arrayed Him in purple robe, placed a crown of thorns on His head, & mocked Him as king of the Jews before they put His own clothes on Him. Thus, ironically, they recognized His kingship. Jesus took all the shame & mockery in silence as they led Him into crucifixion.

TUESDAY:
Jesus was a silent victim. He who was once a Master of activities & strong preacher was worn out by the beatings, & the lack of food & sleep. A stranger had to bear His cross, soldiers cast lots on His garment & were nailed to a tree (Mark 15:21-38; Ps. 22:18). Crucifixion was a fairly bloodless way to kill a criminal who dies from asphyxia (John 20:24-29). Ironically, the religious leaders condemned themselves when they used the title “Messiah” for Christ.

WEDNESDAY:
The seven last words of Jesus on the cross is best known as the cry of dereliction. He called out to God about why He had been forsaken. Mark presents the cross as a very dark place, both physically & spiritually. We find a supernatural darkness that comes to cover Calvary (Mark 15:33-41). Events at his baptism (the start of His ministry) are similar to the cross (the end/goal of His ministry) (Mark 1:9-11; 15:34-39, 10:45) as prophesied (Dan. 9:24-27).

THURSDAY:
Jesus breathed His last & died on the cross. This was confirmed by the centurion in charge. This goes against the claim that Jesus didn’t die but only fainted. What is touching is that Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin who prosecuted Jesus asked Pilate to bury His body. Where were His trusted disciples? (Mark 15:42-47, 16:1, 5). The two Mary’s & Salome watched the crucifixion from a distance & will be witnesses to the empty tomb in Mark 16.

FRIDAY:
The sorrow Christ felt at the cross can never be understood by man. The heavy load of our guilt was on Him. The joy of heaven was shut off for Him & the wrath of God for sin filled His soul. Nature itself was in sympathy with the scene. Pilate wanted to save Jesus but chose to protect his own power instead, sacrificing an innocent life. Many people compromise their principles for self-interest, leading to guilt. Be faithful!

—Ellen G. White, “In Pilate’s Judgment Hall,” pp. 723–740; “Calvary,” pp. 741–757; “ ‘It Is Finished,’ ” pp. 758–764, in The Desire of Ages.

Keywords

Pontius Pilate- He was the governor of Judea from A.D. 26–A.D. 36. He asked Jesus “‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ because, in the Old Testament times, Israel anointed its kings; so, it is not hard to see how the term Messiah (“Anointed One”) could be twisted into claiming homage as a king in competition with the emperor.

Barabbas- It was customary at the feast of the Passover to set at liberty one prisoner, chosen by the people. When Pilate turned to the crowd to release a prisoner between Jesus & Barabbas, the crowd chose Barabbas to be freed & Jesus crucified.

The death of Jesus- It pointed to the fulfilment of the sacrificial system, as type meets antitype, and a new phase of salvation history begins.

Joseph of Arimathea- He was a wealthy man, a Sanhedrin, & secretly a disciple of Jesus.

Jesus’ cry- When He cried “my God, my God” (Eloi, Eloi, a transliteration of the Aramaic ’elahi), some bystanders misconstrue Him as calling for Elijah (Aramaic ’eliyyah, which means “My God is YHWH”).

Captions

SUNDAY- “Are You the King of the Jews?”
MONDAY- Hail, King of the Jews!
TUESDAY- The Crucifixion
WEDNESDAY- Forsaken by God
THURSDAY- Laid to Rest

Discussion Questions

📌 Look at how central the theology of substitution was to Ellen G. White and also to the Bible (see, for instance, Isaiah 53). Why is any theology that downplays the central role of substitution and Christ’s dying in our stead, paying in Himself the penalty for our sins, a false theology?

📌 Who or what is the “Barabbas” in today’s world that gets asked for instead of Jesus?

📌 What should the story of Joseph of Arimathea tell us about not judging outward appearances?

📌 Review Daniel 9:24–27. Why should you be able to give a Bible study on this section to anyone who asks? Can you?

For September 14–20. Happy Sabbath!