Resurrection of Jesus and His Appearance to Mary and His Disciples

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(John 20:1) Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early, when it was yet dark, to the sepulchre, and saw the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had been buried in the new tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and Matthew 27:60 had told us Joseph had rolled a large stone against the opening of the tomb.  Mary Magdalene now came to the sepulchre very early in the morning on the day after the Sabbath and saw that the stone had been taken away.

(2) Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre and we do not know where they have laid Him."

Mary Magdalene had surely looked inside the tomb after seeing the stone rolled away to know that Jesus was not there.  She assumed the Romans had removed His body or perhaps the men who had laid Jesus there in the first place and she ran to Peter and John to tell them.  Joseph and Nicodemus had laid Jesus in Joseph's tomb because it was nearby, and the Sabbath was soon to commence.  Perhaps she thought they had now moved Him to another location.  The other Gospel accounts speak of other women who were with Mary Magdalene and that they saw angels who told them Jesus had risen.  However, those accounts state the women came at dawn or just after sunrise, and here John said Mary Magdalene came while it was still dark.  It seems she must have come first and then returned a little later with the other women.

(3) Peter therefore went forth, and the other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. (4) So they ran both together and the other disciple outran Peter and came first to the sepulchre.

Peter and John both ran to the sepulchre to see for themselves.  John outran Peter and got there first.

(5) And he, stooping down, saw the linen clothes lying, but he did not go in.

John stooped down to look into the sepulchre and saw the linen wraps that had bound Jesus lying on the ground.  However, he did not go into the sepulchre.

(6) Then came Simon Peter following him and went into the sepulchre and saw the linen clothes, (7) And the napkin that was around His head not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

Then Peter came and he went straight into the sepulchre and also saw the linen wraps lying on the ground.  He also saw the separate wrap that had been wrapped around Jesus's head.  However, it was not lying with the linen wraps, but was wrapped together in another place by itself.  That would suggest that Jesus had not been taken away in a hurry, but that either Jesus Himself or angels had taken time to orderly remove His wraps.

(8) Then the other disciple went in also, who came first to the sepulchre, and he saw and believed. (9) For as yet they did not know the scripture that He must rise again from the dead.

Then John went into the sepulchre also.  He saw the linen wraps and the napkin and he believed.  What exactly he believed, scripture does not tell us.  It says that they didn't yet know and understand the scriptures that said Jesus must rise again from the dead.  Perhaps he believed that what Mary Magdalene had said was true.  But as "believing" usually takes on a deeper sense as truly believing in the Lord, I can't help but wonder if John was sensing that Jesus had risen of His own accord.  After all, Jesus had told His disciples that He would be risen from the dead, even if they did not fully understand the scriptures at that point.

(10) Then the disciples went away again to their own home.

Peter and John then went home.

(11) But Mary stood outside at the sepulchre weeping and as she wept, she stooped down into the sepulchre, (12) And saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain.

Mary Magdalene stayed behind at the sepulchre, weeping outside of it.  She stooped down to look into the tomb.  She saw two angels in white sitting inside the tomb, one at the head of where Jesus's body had lain, and the other at the feet.

(13) And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid Him."

The angels asked Mary Magdalene why she was crying.  She told them what she had assumed, that they (the Romans or Joseph and Nicodemus) had taken away the body of Jesus and she did not know where it was. 

(14) And when she had said this, she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing and did not know that it was Jesus.

Mary then turned away from inside the tomb and saw Jesus standing there, only she did not realize that it was Jesus.  She may have only modestly glanced at whom she thought to be just a man, and also her eyes were full of tears.

(15) Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him from here, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away."

Jesus asked Mary Magdalene why she was crying and who it was she was seeking.  Mary assumed He was the gardener and asked Him if He had carried Jesus's body away and asked Him to tell her where He had taken His body so that she could take it away.

(16) Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned herself and said to Him, "Rabboni," which is to say, "Master."

Jesus then spoke only Mary's name and she turned toward Him and immediately recognized Him as her Lord.

(17) Jesus said to her, "Do not touch Me, for I am not yet ascended to My Father, but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'"

I don't believe Jesus's meaning was that He couldn't be touched at all because He had not yet ascended to His Father in heaven.  We are told in other scriptures that people touched Jesus before He ascended.  In Matthew 28:9, Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" held Jesus by His feet and worshipped Him.  Jesus told "Doubting" Thomas to touch His side (later in this chapter).  In Luke 24:39, Jesus told His disciples to touch Him and see His nail-scarred hands and feet to know that it was really Him.  I believe Jesus's point was that Mary needn't cling to Him because He wasn't going to His Father just yet, and He had a mission for her, to go tell His disciples that He would be ascending to His Father God who was their Father and God.  This would assure them that even though Christ had died, they were still united to Him and to the same Father God in heaven.

(18) Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and He had spoken these things to her.

Mary Magdalene went and told the disciples that she had seen Jesus and she told them what He had told her to tell them.

(19) Then the same day at evening, being the first of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, "Peace to you."

The evening of that same day the disciples had assembled together behind closed doors for fear of the Jews.  However, Jesus was able to divinely come in there and stood in the midst of them and spoke to them a greeting of peace.

(20) And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

Jesus then showed the disciples His hands and His side partly to prove that it was really Him and not a spirit, and to prove that He had been truly resurrected from the dead with the marks of the nails in His hands and the stabbed place in His side.  He had not yet ascended to heaven in His glorified form.  The disciples were very glad to see their Lord.

(21) Then Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you; as the Father has sent Me, even so I send you."

Jesus again gave them a greeting of peace, and then told them that He was sending them out on a mission as the Father had sent Him on one.  Nothing had changed because of His death.  In fact, it would be enhanced by His resurrection and ascension back to heaven.

(22) And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

After Jesus told the disciples He was sending them out, He breathed on them and told them to receive His Holy Spirit.  I believe it was symbolic of when God first breathed life into man at the beginning of creation.  He was now breathing new life into them to be renewed to their mission without Him physically, but with His spirit and everything He had taught and shown them.

(23) "Whosever sins you forgive, they are forgiven them; whosever sins you retain, they are retained."

Only God and Jesus as God can truly forgive sins.  But Jesus was giving them permission as part of their mission to tell one who had repented and professed Jesus as his Savior that his sins were forgiven and God would honor that.  Actually God forgave first; they would have already been forgiven because he had repented and accepted Jesus, but Jesus would have His disciples doing His work as He had done while He was with them.  On the other hand, if they perceived one had not repented and accepted Jesus, then they could declare his sins were still retained by him.

(24) But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

It seems that all of the disciples had assembled together except for Thomas who was not with them when Jesus came to them.  Thomas is the Hebrew name meaning "twin," and Didymus is the Greek name meaning the same thing.  By his name, one would gather that Thomas had a twin, but the Bible never mentioned who that might be.  In an apocryphal book called The Acts of Thomas, it is suggested that Thomas was called Twin because he looked like Jesus, however as that book was rejected as part of the Bible, we can't really know if that was true or not.

(25) The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Except I see in His hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe."

The other disciples told Thomas afterward that they had seen the Lord, but Thomas did not believe that it had really been Jesus they saw.  He told them that unless he could see Him himself and see the wounds of the nails in His hands and even put his fingers into those wounds, as well as put his hand into Jesus's side where He had been stabbed by the Roman soldier, he would not believe that it had been Jesus they saw.

(26) And after eight days, again His disciples were inside and Thomas with them, Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you."

Eight days after Jesus had appeared to His disciples, they were again gathered together behind closed doors and Thomas was with them that time.  Jesus came to them again even though the doors were shut, suggesting it was in a supernatural manner that Jesus appeared to them.  He stood in the midst of His disciples and again gave them a greeting of peace.

(27) Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here and behold My hands, and reach your hand here and thrust into My side; and do not be faithless but believing."

Jesus, knowing what Thomas had said to the other disciples, told Thomas to look at His hands and put his finger into the wounds, and put his hand into His side so that he would believe it was really Jesus who appeared before them and not to remain faithless.

(28) And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God."

It seems Thomas did not have to touch Jesus's wounds, but that he acknowledged Jesus as his Lord.  Not only Lord, but he acknowledged that Jesus was God Himself.  I believe that is the first time any disciple had gone as far as to say that besides John writing it in the beginning of his gospel account.

(29) Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed they who have not seen and have believed."

Jesus acknowledged that He knew that Thomas truly believed in Him at that point because he had seen Him.  However, He added that those who believed in Him, having not seen Him physically, were blessed, perhaps the more blessed.  Their faith would seem to be greater because they hadn't seen physical proof but believed God's word.  As 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."

(30) And many other signs Jesus truly did in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book.

John revealed that Jesus had done many other works in the presence of His disciples about which he had not written in his Gospel.

(31) But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you might have life through His name.

John went on to reveal his purpose in writing his gospel account the way he did.  He wrote to prove that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing that of Him and believing in Him, one would have everlasting life.  Truly, John seemed to go above and beyond the mere actions of Jesus, to show his readers the deity of Christ Jesus more than the previous Gospels did.  And writing this right after he wrote that Jesus said those who had not seen but still believed were blessed, he gives his readers assurance and confidence that although we were not there to witness Jesus in the flesh, what he wrote is true and we may be saved and have everlasting life if we believe.

Jesus's Crucifixion, Death, and Burial

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(John 19:1) Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged Him.

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus having been brought before Pilate to receive a sentence of death, Pilate had told the people he had found no fault in Jesus.  However, the people clamored for Jesus's crucifixion, so Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped.  It's difficult to understand Pilate's heart.  At the very least, I find him to be a very weak man.  He found no fault in Jesus, yet he let the people drive him, the Roman governor, to scourge an innocent man and deliver Him to be crucified.  John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, suggested that he might have delivered Jesus to be scourged so that they would be satisfied with that punishment and then he could release Jesus.  This might have some basis in truth as Pilate continued to say that he found no fault in Jesus (v. 4).  However, it was the custom to first scourge the criminals they condemned to be crucified.  Whatever his reasoning, he still was morally weak for having an innocent man scourged.

(2) And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. (3) And said, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands.

In derision, the soldiers braided a crown of thorns and put it on Jesus's head.  They also put a purple robe on Him and mocked Him as a king.  They also struck Him with their hands.

(4) Pilate therefore went forth again and said to them, "Behold, I bring Him forth to you that you may know that I find no fault in Him."

Then Pilate went back out to the Jews to tell them he was bringing forth Jesus to show how He had been scourged and abused and to tell them again that he found no fault in Jesus.  He found no fault, yet he allowed this to be done to Jesus?  Perhaps his purpose was to show that since he had allowed so much to be done to Jesus, if he had found Him to be the least bit guilty, he would have had no problem crucifying Him.  However, he said he still found no fault in Jesus. 

(5) Then Jesus came forth, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!"

Then Pilate brought Jesus forth, and He was wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe and was surely in a worse condition due to the scourging.  Pilate told the people to look at Jesus and see what had been done to Him, hoping this would satisfy the Jews.

(6) When the chief priests and officers therefore saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify! Crucify!" Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him."

However, not at all satisfied, the chief priests and officers cried out to crucify Jesus.  Pilate told them to take Jesus themselves and crucify Him if they thought they must, because he found no fault in Him.

(7) The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by our law, He ought to die because He made Himself the Son of God."

The charge of sedition was not working with Pilate, so the Jews told him that according to their Jewish law, Jesus ought to die because He had called Himself the Son of God, which they were calling blasphemy.  Their law called for stoning, but they had wanted the governor to sentence Jesus so that He would be crucified, a more horrible method of killing.

(8) When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid.

When Pilate heard that, he was afraid.  He was convinced that Jesus was innocent as he could see more and more clearly the design of the Jews.  However, they now brought up a charge of which he did not have a full understanding.  He would bring their wrath if he denied them; however, as he saw Jesus as innocent, he probably wondered if He could truly be divine.

(9) And went again into the judgment hall and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer.

Therefore Pilate went back in to try to get an answer from Jesus.  He asked Him where He was from, but Jesus did not answer him.  He was surely trying to determine if Jesus was indeed divine and not of this world.  Jesus had already told Pilate His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36), and Pilate already had enough information to determine Jesus was innocent, yet he had had Him scourged and ridiculed.  Pilate was a morally weak man refusing to do what his conscience knew to be the right thing, so probably nothing more Jesus could say would change his actions.

(10) Then Pilate said to Him, "You don't speak to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You and have power to release You?"

In arrogance, Pilate cautioned Jesus about not speaking to him, as he told Jesus in his puffed-up pride that he had the power to either crucify Jesus or release Him.

(11) Jesus answered, "You could have no power against Me, except it were given you from above; therefore he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin."

Jesus told Pilate that he had no power over Jesus except what had been given to him by God.  Once Jesus had been delivered to be crucified, it was definitely going to be carried out.  And then Jesus went on to answer the question about Pilate's guilt in this matter.  He said that the one who delivered Him to Pilate had the greater sin.  That indicates that Pilate had indeed sinned in scourging an innocent man, but Jesus held the sin of delivering Him in the first place the greater sin.

(12) And from then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, "If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar."

After Jesus said that to Pilate, Pilate tried to release Him, being convinced of His innocence and probably desiring not to sin anymore against Him.  However, the Jews cried out against him, telling him he was no friend of Caesar's if he let Jesus go because Jesus had spoken of Himself as being king, so they saw that as against Caesar, returning to their charge of sedition.

(13) When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.

When Pilate realized the Jews might make accusations of his treachery against Caesar, he feared more for his own position than he did of condemning an innocent man, and he brought Jesus before the judgment seat, and he sat down as the judge in the place called Gabbatha in Hebrew, the Pavement.  The Greek word translated as "pavement" was "lithostrotos," meaning stoned or mosaic pavement.  "Gabbatha" meant "elevated" or "platform."  The Pavement was evidently an elevated stone or mosaic platform probably where judgments were pronounced.

(14) And it was the Preparation of the Passover and about the sixth hour, and he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"

It was the Preparation Day of the Passover at about noon.  The Jews counted their hours beginning at dawn or six in the morning.  The time was getting short before Passover would begin at sundown, so I suppose Pilate decided it was time to get this deed done.  He told the Jews to behold their king.

(15) But they cried out, "Away with Him! Away with Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your king?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar."

However, the Jews cried out to crucify Jesus, to which Pilate asked if they wanted him to crucify their king.  The chief priests answered that they had no king but Caesar.  They rejected their King Messiah, but also denied God as their king, calling Caesar their only king.

(16) Then he delivered Him therefore to them to be crucified. And they took and led Jesus away.

So the weak governor Pontius Pilate delivered Jesus to the Jews, knowing what they were about to do.  They took Jesus and led Him away.

(17) And He, bearing His cross, went forth to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha, (18) Where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side and Jesus in the middle.

Jesus bore His own cross and was led to a place called the Place of the Skull, or Golgotha in Hebrew, which means "skull."  It was so called because of the bones of criminals who had been executed that lay there.  That is where Jesus was crucified with two others, one on either side of Him, He being in between them.

(19) And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Pilate had made an inscription on the cross above Jesus, as the other Gospels put it, saying, "JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS."  The latter part of the inscription was meant to be the accusation against Him according to the account in Matthew, but it was a true assertion of who Jesus really was.

(20) This title then read many of the Jews, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near to the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

Many Jews had the opportunity to read the inscription because Jesus was crucified close to Jerusalem.  Pilate had written the inscription in three different languages, which probably accounts for the slight varying interpretations of all the Gospels.  Matthew had said it read, THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.  Mark said simply, THE KING OF THE JEWS, however, he did indicate that was the accusation, so he may have been commenting only on that part of the inscription.  Luke said it read, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

(21) Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but that He said, 'I am King of the Jews.'"

The chief priests of the Jews objected to Pilate writing that Jesus was the King of the Jews.  They told him to write it as Jesus had said that He was King of the Jews, not that it was a fact.

(22) Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

However, Pilate answered that what he had written was to stand.  Neither he nor the chief priests realized that it was undoubtedly the will of God that it be written that way.

(23) Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also His robe. Now His robe was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

The soldiers who had raised Jesus up on the cross, apparently four of them, took Jesus's garments and divided them into four parts among them.  However, Jesus's robe or tunic, His outer garment, was made without seams and not easily divided.

(24) They said therefore among themselves, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be," that the scripture might be fulfilled which says, "They parted My garments among them, and for My vesture they cast lots." These things therefore the soldiers did.

The soldiers did not want to tear the robe, but agreed to cast lots for it, not knowing they were fulfilling the scripture in Psalm 22:18, "They part My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture," His outer garment.  The soldiers had indeed divided his garments among them and cast lots for His robe.

(25) Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

Jesus's mother and Mary Magdalene stood by the cross of Jesus.  It's unclear if Mary's sister and Mary the wife of Cleophas were two different women, or one and the same.  It's doubtful that Jesus's mother would have had a sister named the same as her, however, she could be Jesus's mother Mary's sister-in-law, who would have been called her sister.  Matthew and Mark, in their accounts, spoke of a Mary, the mother of James and Joses.  Mark said specifically she was the mother of James the Little and Joses.  James the Little was one of Jesus's twelve apostles, the son of Alphaeus, who is the same as Cleophas (Alphaeus being Greek and Cleophas, Hebrew).  If Cleophas was Joseph's brother (the husband of Jesus's mother), then Mary his wife would be called Jesus's mother Mary's sister; however, we are not told that.  But we are given one more clue when in Mark 6:3, neighbors asked about Jesus's family, specifically His brothers James and Joses.  This would suggest a very close relationship, if not Jesus's brothers from the same immediate family, probably His first cousins, sons of his earthly father Joseph's brother Cleophas, or Alphaeus.  By the way, this Cleophas is probably not the same person Cleopas in Luke 24:18 as Cleopas is a Greek name short for Cleopater, whereas Cleophas in the Greek is Alphaeus.

(26) When Jesus therefore saw His mother and the disciple standing by whom He loved, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son."

Jesus looked upon His mother Mary and also saw His beloved disciple John standing by her.  He told His mother to behold her adopted son who would care for her in the absence of her son Jesus.  Adam Clarke in his Commentary on the Bible pointed out that John was the only disciple who did not die a premature unnatural death.  It seems God protected and preserved him for the care of Jesus's earthly mother.

(27) Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother." And from that hour that disciple took her into his own.

Jesus also told John to behold his mother, and he did indeed care for her as his mother, taking her into his own home.  Albert Barnes in his Notes on the Bible wrote that tradition said that Mary lived with John until her death about fifteen years later.

(28) After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst."

This is really an amazing verse.  Jesus was thirsty, but He could have certainly borne that without complaint, but so that the scripture would be fulfilled, and that all who witnessed it would have further proof that He was the Messiah fulfilling every last detail that was written about Him by the prophets,  Jesus said He was thirsty.

(29) Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar, and they filled a sponge with vinegar and put it upon hyssop and put it to His mouth.

The Roman soldiers dipped a sponge in vinegar and put it on a hyssop branch and then lifted that up to Jesus's mouth.  That indeed fulfilled the scripture in Psalm 69:21 which read, "...in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink."

(30) When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, "It is finished," and He bowed His head and gave up the ghost.

Jesus was in complete control the entire time.  He asked for the drink to fulfill prophesy, and when that was done, He declared that His work culminating in dying on the cross was finished.  He then proactively gave up the ghost.  He chose to die at that point.  Everything that happened to Jesus was all within His will.  He could have stopped it at any point, but because of His love for us sinners, He chose to go through it all for us.

(31) The Jews therefore, because it was the Preparation, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath Day (for that Sabbath Day was a high day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken and they might be taken away.

It was the Preparation Day for the Sabbath, and it was a special high one in that the Feast of the Passover commenced on the Sabbath in that year.  It was about 3:00 in the afternoon when Jesus died (Matthew 27:46) and that was the time the Jews started making preparation for their Sabbath.  Jewish law ordered that the bodies of criminals should not hang all night (Deuteronomy 21:23), and because they were anxious to start preparing for their high Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to break the crucified men's legs so that they would die quickly and could be taken away.  To be able to keep breathing when hanging on a cross, one would lift his body up with his legs, so once his legs were broken, he could no longer lift himself to breathe and would die.

(32) Then came the soldiers and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him.

The soldiers did indeed break the legs of the two criminals who were hanging on either side of Jesus.

(33) But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was dead already, they did not break His legs.  

The chief priests of the Jews would have surely liked to see Jesus's legs broken as an added cruelty, but because Jesus laid down His life of His own accord, He was not to be killed by the breaking of His legs.  

(34) But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side and immediately blood and water came out.

One of the soldiers, just to make sure Jesus was indeed dead, pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water spewed forth.  It is a consensus belief among commentators that the soldier had pierced the pericardium that surrounds the heart and that is where the water flowed from.  By piercing the heart, the soldier would guarantee that Jesus was dead or would have been immediately killed by his action.  The blood and the water would have proved that, but additionally may have been symbolic of water baptism and blood atonement.

(35) And he who saw it bore record and his record is true, and he knows that he says truth that you might believe.

This sounds like it was probably John himself who saw the soldier pierce Jesus's side and probably His heart, proving that Jesus was indeed dead so that there could be no claims of His having just fainted when He was later found to not be in His tomb.  John desired to make it a certain truth by an eyewitness that Jesus had indeed died.

(36) For these things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled, "A bone of Him shall not be broken."

Even after Jesus had died, the things that were done to Him fulfilled scripture.  Psalm 34:20 reads, "He keeps all His bones; not one of them is broken."

(37) And again, another scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."

Additionally, the scripture in Zechariah 12:10 was fulfilled which reads in part, "...and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced..."

(38) And after this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave leave. He came therefore and took the body of Jesus.

Afterward, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a secret disciple of Jesus, following Him secretly because he feared the Jews, asked Pilate if he might be permitted to take the body of Jesus.  Pilate indeed gave him permission and he took Jesus's body.

(39) And there came also Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.

Nicodemus, another secret follower of Christ, who had first come to Jesus in the middle of the night so as not to be seen, brought a large quantity of myrrh and aloes, a hundred pounds, to perfume Jesus's body in honor and respect for Him.  John Wesley, in his Notes on the Bible, pointed out that while Jesus's apostles had apparently all left Him dead hanging on the cross, these two followers who had formerly only followed Jesus in secret, now came out publicly to care for His body.

(40) Then they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

Joseph and Nicodemus took Jesus's body and wrapped it in linen with the spices as was the custom of the Jews to bury someone.

(41) Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new sepulchre in which was never a man yet laid.

Near the place where Jesus had been crucified there was a garden in which was a new sepulchre that had never been used.  Matthew 27:60 told us it was Joseph's own new tomb that he had hewn out of rock.  

(42) There they laid Jesus because of the Jews' Preparation, for the sepulchre was near at hand.

Had they had more time, they may have prepared a different place for Jesus to be buried in His own tomb, but because it was near the end of Preparation Day and the Sabbath was fast approaching, they buried Him in Joseph's tomb as it was nearby.  This fulfilled another prophetic scripture in Isaiah 53:9, "And He made His grave with the wicked and with the rich in His death..."  Jesus had died among wicked criminals and was buried in a rich man's tomb, as Joseph was said to be a rich man.  Matthew told us in chapter 27:57 that Joseph was a rich man and a disciple of Jesus.  Mark 15:43 stated he was also a respected member of the council of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking for the kingdom of God.  Luke 23:50 added that he had not agreed to the council's decision regarding Jesus.  He was a good and just man who cared for Jesus's body and gave Him his own new tomb.  

Christ's Resurrection, Appearance to Disciples, and Ascension

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels: 

(Luke 24:1) Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

At the end of the last chapter, Joseph of Arimathea had laid Jesus's body in his own new and unused tomb.  Some of the women who had been following Jesus saw where He was buried, and went home to prepare spices and ointments for Him.  However, as the Sabbath had begun at 6:00 in the evening on the day Jesus had died, they were not able to bring the spices back to Him that night.  A full second day had passed, the Sabbath, and now it was the morning of the third day that they went back to the sepulchre where Jesus had been buried.  It seems some others, probably women, went with them.

(2) And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

The account in Matthew had said that Joseph had rolled a huge stone in the doorway of the sepulchre where he had buried Jesus.  The women now found the stone rolled away from the door.  

(3) And they entered in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

The women entered into the sepulchre and found that Jesus's body was not there.

(4) And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed about this, two men stood by them in shining garments.

As the women stood there perplexed about Jesus's missing body, it seems there appeared two angels in the form of men in shining garments.  In the accounts of Matthew and Mark, they spoke of only one angel.  Luke and John spoke of two angels.  I'm sure the angels must have come and gone at will, as it seems they must have surely just appeared before the women, as they certainly would have seen them as they entered into the sepulchre if they had already been there.  Matthew and Mark may have only mentioned one with whom the women had communication and didn't mention the other.  However, in John Gill's Exposition of the Bible, he pointed out that there were two angels because as they were the first witnesses of Jesus's resurrection, it was therefore established He had risen, as scripture tells us often that out of the mouth of two or three witnesses a thing will be established.

(5) And as they were afraid and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?"

The women were very afraid and while they bowed down their faces to the ground, the angels asked them why they were searching for the living among the dead.

(6) "He is not here but is risen; remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, (7) Saying, 'The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and the third day rise again.'"

The angels told the women that Jesus was not there because He had risen, and then reminded them of Jesus's words telling them how He must suffer and die at the hands of sinful men, but that He would rise again on the third day.  

In studying this, I began to contemplate why it was that Jesus had to be in the tomb for three days before He rose.  Why not right away or why not seven days, the number of perfection?  I am sure He had to be dead in the tomb long enough for people to know that He was really dead.  If he had risen right away, people could have claimed He had only fainted.  If he stayed much longer, His body would have started severely decaying.  And I found this scripture from Psalm 16:10, "For You will not leave My soul in Sheol; neither will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption."  "Sheol" can sometimes mean hell, but it also means "grave" and that definition makes more sense here.  God would not leave Jesus's body in the grave and He would not allow it to become corrupted, or destroyed or decayed.  Although the body begins decaying right away after death, God would not allow Jesus's body to stay long enough to start noticeable decaying.  Of course, God could have prevented it from decaying at all in that span of three partial days.  Although it was counted as the third day that Jesus rose, if you count the hours, it only totaled 36 hours, more like a day and a half.  So as God does all things in perfect timing, He allowed Jesus's body to stay in the tomb long enough that no one could deny that He was really dead, but not so long that it began to decay.  Also Jesus fulfilled a prophecy that He would say of Himself, that just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days, so He would be in the grave three days.

(8) And they remembered His words, (9) And returned from the sepulchre and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.

The women did indeed remember Jesus's words and they left the sepulchre and went back to tell the eleven disciples and the rest of Jesus's followers what they had seen and heard.

(10) It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary mother of James, and other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.

Mary Magdalene, Joanna whom we were told in Luke 8:3 was the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Mary the mother of James and also of Joseph and said to be Jesus's mother Mary's sister, as well as other women were the ones who told the apostles what they had seen and heard.

(11) And their words seemed to them as idle tales and they did not believe them.

The eleven disciples, who had heard the words of Jesus just as these women had, did not believe them and thought they were just speaking nonsense.

(12) Then Peter arose and ran to the sepulchre, and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering to himself at that which had come to pass.

At least Peter had enough doubt about what the women had told him to go and check it out for himself.  He ran to the sepulchre and stooped down to observe only the linens that had been used to wrap Jesus's body lying there.  He left the tomb contemplating those things he had seen and had heard from the women.

(13) And behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus which was from Jerusalem sixty furlongs.

That same day two of Jesus's disciples, probably not two of the twelve apostles as they weren't named, were going to a village called Emmaus that was about seven and a half miles from Jerusalem.

(14) And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

As they were walking, they were discussing all the things that had recently happened.  They may have been talking about Jesus's betrayal by Judas and His awful crucifixion and the awesome signs from heaven, and they may have been among the disciples who heard what the women had to say that morning.  Whatever it was exactly, they had a lot to contemplate.

(15) And it came to pass that while they communed and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.

While they walked and talked, Jesus Himself came up on them and walked with them.

(16) But their eyes were restrained that they should not know Him.

Although He walked with them, they did not recognize Him.  The way it is written, it seems that Jesus may have veiled their eyes that they should not recognize Him at first.  However, it may be that they were looking downward at the road ahead, probably melancholy over the events they were discussing, and didn't notice Him.

(17) And He said to them, "What manner of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?"

Jesus then spoke to them asking what they were talking about as they walked along and why they were so sad.

(18) And one of them whose name was Cleopas, answering, said to Him, "Are You only a stranger in Jerusalem and have not known the things which have come to pass there in these days?"

This interaction does seem to suggest that their eyes had been supernaturally veiled so as not to recognize Jesus at first.  One of the disciples or followers of Jesus named Cleopas asked Him if He was a stranger in Jerusalem to not have known what had taken place there in the past few days.

(19) And He said to them, "What things?" And they said to Him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people."

Jesus asked them what things had come to pass the past few days.  They answered that it concerned Jesus of Nazareth and they described Him as a prophet mighty in deed as in all His miraculous healings and other miracles He performed and mighty in His preaching and teaching before God indicating He had God's blessing, and to all the people.

(20) "And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death and have crucified Him."

They continued telling Jesus what had happened, that the chief priests and rulers delivered Jesus to be condemned to death, and He was indeed crucified.

(21) "But we trusted that it had been He who should have redeemed Israel, and besides all this, today is the third day since these things were done."

This is probably the reason that Jesus had veiled their eyes so as not to recognize Him.  He wanted them to speak aloud what they were thinking about Him, for it seems they still didn't have a full understanding of what He had come to do.  They said they had trusted that He was going to redeem Israel as they would expect an earthly king to do, but it had now been three days since He had been crucified.

(22) "Yes, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, who were early at the sepulchre, (23) And when they did not find His body, they came saying they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive."

It appears they had indeed been witness to what the women had said that morning and told Jesus about it.  They told Him how the women had gone to His sepulchre and did not find His body there, and then went to Jesus's disciples and followers and told them about it and how they had seen angels who told them Jesus was alive.

(24) "And certain of those who were with us went to the sepulchre and found it even as the women had said, but Him they did not see."

They told Jesus that certain of the group who had heard what the women had to say, we know Peter was one of them, went to the sepulchre and found it just as the women had said; they did not see His body.

(25) Then He said to them, "O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken."

Jesus then rebuked them as foolish and slow to understand all that the prophets had spoken about their Messiah.

(26) "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?"

As they had been told by the scriptures, if Christ was to redeem them and fulfill the prophecies concerning Him, wasn't He to suffer these things?  Those very things that caused them doubt were the things that proved He was the Messiah.

(27) And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Jesus then began to explain to them the scriptures from Moses to all the prophets who prophesied about Him just how they spoke of Him.

(28) And they drew near to the village where they went, and He made as though He would have gone further.

The disciples came to their destination at Emmaus, but Jesus appeared to be going on further.

(29) But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us for it is toward evening and the day is far spent." And He went in to tarry with them.

The disciples asked Jesus to stay with them, still not realizing who He was.  They said because it was late in the day and evening was coming, He should stay with them, and He did.

(30) And it came to pass, as He sat at the meal with them, He took bread and blessed and broke and gave to them. 

When Jesus sat down with the disciples for a meal, He took the role of the master of the house and took bread, broke it, and gave it to them, just as He had done so many times before when He was with His disciples.

(31) And their eyes were opened and they knew Him, and He vanished out of their sight.

It was at that point that the disciples' eyes were opened and they knew it was Jesus who sat with them, but then He vanished out of sight.

(32) And they said to one another, "Didn't our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the way and while He opened to us the scriptures?"

The two disciples then talked with each other about how their hearts had indeed burned with passion at Jesus's words and His knowledge of the scriptures.  It was as if they were saying, "Of course, it was Jesus!  Who else but Him could stir our hearts so?"

(33) And they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, (34) Saying, "The Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon!"

The two disciples rose up immediately and returned to Jerusalem where they found the eleven apostles gathered together with other disciples with them.  The apostles told the returning disciples that the Lord had indeed risen and had appeared to Simon Peter.  It's interesting that none of the Gospels tell of this encounter, not even Mark, who was thought to be Peter's scribe.  However, the fact that it did happen is backed up by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:5.

(35) And they told about the things on the road and how He was known by them in breaking of bread.

The two disciples then told the others about how they had met Jesus on their way to Emmaus, but He wasn't made known to them until His breaking of bread at their meal.

(36) And as they spoke Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them and said to them, "Peace to you."

While the two disciples were telling their story, Jesus Himself appeared in the midst of them all and saluted them with, "Peace to you."

(37) But they were terrified and frightened and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

It's interesting that they were so frightened and thought they were seeing a spirit when they had just then been talking about how Jesus had appeared to some of them.  But the account in John tells us it was night and they had assembled together in a shut and presumably locked house because they were afraid of the Jews.  The fact that Jesus just appeared having not come through a door and not making a sound took them very much by surprise.

(38) And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts?"

However, Jesus spoke to them and asked why they were troubled at His appearance.  By "thoughts" I think He meant "doubts".  Why were they having doubts about whether or not they were really seeing Him?

(39) "Behold My hands and feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." (40) And when He had spoken this, He showed them His hands and feet.

Jesus told them to look at Him, specifically at His hands and feet which surely showed the wounds He had received from being nailed to the cross.  He told them to touch Him and see that He was flesh and bones and not a spirit.  Then He showed them His hands and His feet.

(41) And while they still did not believe for joy and wondered, He said to them, "Have you here any meat?"

It's not that the disciples did not believe Jesus at all, it was just so incredible and filled them with such joy that they couldn't believe their own eyes.  Then Jesus asked them if they had any food.  I doubt Jesus really needed to eat at that point, but it was another point of proof that He was indeed flesh and bones.

(42) And they gave Him a piece of broiled fish and of a honeycomb. (43) And He took it and did eat before them.

The disciples gave Jesus a piece of broiled fish and a piece of honeycomb which He did indeed eat.

(44) And He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms concerning Me."

Jesus may have been referring to His words that would follow, or perhaps more likely He was saying that the things they had witnessed were the fulfillment of the words He had previously spoken to them regarding His death and resurrection, prophecies that had been written by Moses, the prophets, and in the psalms.

(45) Then He opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures.

Jesus opened the disciples' hearts and minds and gave them a full understanding of the scriptures concerning Him.

(46) And said to them, "Thus it is written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day."

Jesus told His disciples, having given them full understanding, that it had been written in scripture and it was necessary for Christ to suffer and die and then be risen from the dead on the third day.

(47) "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem."

Jesus added that repentance of sin and the forgiveness of it should be preached in Christ's name to all nations, but beginning at Jerusalem to God's chosen people.

(48) "And you are witnesses of these things."

Jesus declared to His disciples that as they had been witnesses to His life, His suffering, His death, His resurrection, and His fulfillment of the scriptures, they could therefore witness to all nations.

(49) "And behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."

Jesus assured them that He would send the promise of His Father, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17 and 26).  However, He told them to stay in Jerusalem until they had received that power of the Holy Spirit descending upon them.

(50) And He led them out as far as Bethany and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.

Jesus led the disciples out to the district of Bethany, not the actual town, for later in Acts it will tell us they returned from the Mount of Olives which was in the district of Bethany.  He then lifted up His arms and blessed them.

(51) And it came to pass while He blessed them, He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.

While Jesus was blessing His disciples, He was carried up into heaven.  Jesus's ascension into heaven did not occur the same day as when He appeared to all His apostles and ate fish.  Scripture later states that He spent forty days on earth after His death appearing to many others (Acts 1:3).

(52) And they worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

The disciples praised and adored Jesus and then with great joy returned to Jerusalem to stay as Jesus had told them to do.

(53) And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

The disciples spent their time in Jerusalem in the temple continually praising and blessing God until that day when they would receive His gift of the Holy Spirit.  Their days of mourning had ended, and they were filled with the assurance of redemption.  They, and every saved Christian after them, should be full of joy that their Savior had descended from heaven, died, risen, and ascended back to heaven to save them from their sin and give them eternal life.  Amen, that is, so be it, verily, firm, it is true and certain.

Jesus's Power Over Storms, Demons, and Death

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 8:1) And it came to pass afterward, that He went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God, and the twelve were with Him,

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had been eating a meal with a Pharisee who had invited Him to his house after He had been teaching and curing many people of various sorts of afflictions.  After that episode, He continued teaching throughout every city and village, bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  His twelve apostles were with Him.

(2) And certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, (3) And Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to Him from their substance.

Along with the twelve apostles, there also went with Jesus many women, including Mary Magdalene, out of whom Jesus had cast out seven demon spirits.  There went also Joanna who was the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, which meant he was the manager of the property of Herod Antipas.  Joanna had also been healed by Jesus, but we aren't told if it was from evil spirits or some other infirmity; and it is likely she was now a widow who followed Jesus and ministered to Him out of her substance.  A woman named Susanna was also one who had been healed by Jesus and followed Him, and even though not much is written about her, we might assume she was a woman of means who could afford to minister to Jesus from her substance.

(4) And when many people were gathered together, and had come to Him out of every city, He spoke by a parable.

When many people had gathered together around Jesus from the surrounding cities and villages, He began to teach them with the following parable.

(5) "A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden down and the fowls of the air devoured it."

Jesus began telling the parable of the sower, which was described in the gospels of both Matthew and Mark.  A sower went out to sow his seed and some of it fell by the wayside, the edges of the field, where it was trodden down by people who walked along those edges of the field, and some was devoured by birds.

(6) "And some fell upon a rock, and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away because it lacked moisture."

Some of the seed fell upon rocks and therefore had no roots in the soil, as the other gospel writers told it.  As soon as it had sprung up, it withered away.

(7) "And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it."

Some of the sower's seed fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with the seed and choked it.

(8) "And other fell on good ground, and sprang up and bore fruit a hundredfold." And when He had said these things, He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

The rest of the seeds fell on good ground, rooted in good soil, and it came up and produced fruit a hundredfold.  Jesus then exhorted His listeners to really hear and understand His parable.

(9) And His disciples asked Him, saying, "What might this parable be?"

Jesus's followers asked Him what His parable meant.

(10) And He said, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to others in parables that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand."

Jesus told His disciples that they were privileged to be able to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God.  It was given to them to understand spiritual things, but to others the parables would not be understood in a spiritual sense.  He referenced Old Testament scripture that spoke of people seeing and hearing, but not understanding (Isaiah 6:9, Jeremiah 5:21).  To those who were being led by the Holy Spirit, they might have the ears to understand.  However, those with no regard for spiritual things would not be able to understand the parables Jesus told.  In that way, the beautiful mysteries of the kingdom of God were hidden from people who had no real desire to understand, and Jesus did not cast His pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6).

(11) "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God."

Jesus began explaining the parable to His disciples.  The seed represented the word of God.

(12) "Those by the wayside are they who hear; then comes the devil and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved."

The seed that fell by the wayside that was trampled and devoured by birds represented those who heard the word of God, but before they could truly understand and come to salvation, that word was trampled by the world and snatched away by Satan, represented by the birds.  Satan's purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), so he must divert the attention of one who has heard the word in any way he can in order to destroy and kill the one who might be otherwise saved if he retained God's word.

(13) "They on the rock, which when they hear, receive the word with joy, but these have no root, who for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away."

The seed that fell on the rocks represented those who heard the word of God and received it with genuine joy, but it was more of a head knowledge and joy, and never became rooted in their hearts.  They believed for awhile, but that belief quickly withered away when temptation came.

(14) "And that which fell among thorns are they who when they have heard, go forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to perfection."

The seed that fell among thorns represents probably a huge number of Christians today.  They hear the word and believe it, but it is choked by the busyness of this life, and they bring forth no real fruit of their faith.

(15) "But that on the good ground are those which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

The seed that fell on good ground represented the word that was planted in a good and honest heart where it took root and brought forth fruit with endurance and perseverance, which is the more complete definition of the original word "hupomone" that was translated as "patience."  Patience in the Bible is sometimes called longsuffering.  When you think of patience that way, it fits here perfectly.  Bringing forth fruit with patience is bringing it forth even through long suffering with endurance and perseverance.

(16) "No man when he has lit a candle, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a candlestand that those who enter in may see the light."

It's as if Jesus was saying, "Let your fruit appear openly."  When that light is lit in our hearts, it should not be hidden there, but should be revealed that those who come in contact with us will see it.

(17) "For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest, neither hidden that shall not be known and come abroad."

There are no secrets in this world.  God sees all.  There is nothing hidden in the hearts that will not be known and come to light.  Regarding the secret mysteries of the kingdom of God (v. 10), that which was hidden in parables, would come to light abroad in the entire world.  What might seem hidden to the disciples at that time would not remain hidden as nothing remains hidden.

(18) "Take heed therefore how you hear; for whoever has, to him shall be given, and whoever has not, from him shall be taken even that which he seems to have."

Jesus cautioned His disciples to be careful about how they heard the truths and doctrines He would teach, that it not be with a careless ear, for whoever had knowledge of the doctrines of Christ and had spiritual gifts and abilities to spread that knowledge, would be given more knowledge and spiritual gifts.  However, those who did not have true spiritual knowledge would lose even what they thought they had.  That way they could not pass on false spiritual knowledge to others, endangering their souls.

(19) Then came to Him His mother and His brothers and could not come at Him for the press.

Jesus's mother and brothers came seeking Him but could not approach Him because the crowd of people pressed in on Him so.

(20) And it was told Him, saying, "Your mother and your brothers stand outside desiring to see You."

The account in Matthew stated that Jesus had ceased talking to the multitude that had gathered from every city (v. 4) and He had gone into a house where the disciples had then asked Him about the parable of the sower.  Apparently, a crowd had gathered at the house and that is where Mary and Jesus's brothers had come to see Him.  Someone told Jesus that His mother and brothers were outside wishing to see Him.

(21) And He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."

Jesus took that opportunity to demonstrate that there was no closer bond among men than the one between man and his Lord, when that man embraced Him with true faith and adherence to God's word.  "There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24).

(22) Now it came to pass on a certain day that He went into a ship with His disciples, and He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." And they launched forth.

On another day Jesus and His disciples boarded a ship where He told them to go over to the other side of the lake, which was Lake Gennesaret or the Sea of Galilee.  They set sail.

(23) But as they sailed, He fell asleep, and there came down a storm of wind on the lake, and they were filled with water and were in jeopardy.

As they sailed to the other side of the lake, Jesus slept.  A windstorm came upon them, and their boat was filling up with water and they were in danger, at least seemingly so.

(24) And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we perish!" Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they ceased and there was a calm.

The disciples came to Jesus and woke Him up, declaring they were about to perish.  Jesus rose up, rebuked the wind and the raging sea, and they ceased, and all was calm.

(25) And He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they being afraid, wondered, saying to one another, "What manner of man is this! For He commands even the wind and water, and they obey Him."

Jesus rebuked His disciples, asking where their faith was.  After all, He had said, "Let us go to the other side."  He didn't say there would be no dangers along the way, but they were going to the other side; Jesus said so.  I love this!  I recently heard a teaching on this that pointed that out.  Jesus said, and there was no need to fear any danger.  "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me..." (Psalm 23:4).  The disciples marveled at Jesus's action in calming the sea for even the winds and the water obeyed Him.

(26) And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.

Their ship arrived at the country of the Gadarenes which was across the sea from Galilee.

(27) And when He went forth to land, there met Him out of the city a certain man who had devils a long time, and he wore no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.

When Jesus stepped on the land from the boat, a man came out of the city to meet Him.  He was a man who had had demons for a long time, and he wore no clothes and didn't live in a house, but among the tombs.

(28) When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, and with a loud voice, said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of God most high? I beseech You, do not torment me!"

When the man saw it was Jesus, possessed by the demon inside of him, he cried out in a loud voice and fell down before Jesus.  The demon recognized Jesus and asked what it had to do with Jesus, admitting He was the Son of the most high God.  Then it begged Jesus not to torment it.

(29) (For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him, and he was kept bound with chains and in shackles, and he broke the bonds, and was driven by the devil into the wilderness.)

It seems the demon begged Jesus not to torment it when Jesus had commanded it to come out of the man.  The parenthetical statement goes on to tell how powerful it had been against the man it possessed, breaking the chains and shackles that had been used to bind him, and driving him into the wilderness.

(30) And Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," because many devils had entered into him.

Jesus would have certainly already known the name of the demon that possessed the man, but for the sake of the observers, to understand the miserable state of this poor man possessed by such a demon, He asked it its name.  The demon answered "Legion" because there were many demons that had possessed the man.

(31) And they beseeched Him that He would not command them to go out into the deep.

The demons begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss or hell.  They understood that they must obey Him; they had no power against Him, so they begged Him not to send them to hell.

(32) And there was there a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain, and they besought Him that He would allow them to enter into them. And He permitted them.

There was a huge herd of swine there feeding on the mountain, and the demons begged Jesus to allow them to enter into the swine.  Jesus allowed them.  Why would Jesus allow the demons to bargain with Him?  Again, it was for the benefit of the witnesses to see exactly what end there was for those possessed by demons.

(33) Then the devils went out of the man and entered into the swine, and the herd ran violently down a steep place into a lake and were drowned.

Apparently, this bargaining of the demons took place while they were still within the man, beginning when Jesus had commanded them to come out of him.  That shows that it was Jesus Himself who allowed them to bargain and plead, as they would have immediately gone out of the man against their will when Jesus commanded, but He permitted them this for the benefit of the witnesses.  The demons then went out of the man and into the herd of swine, and the herd ran violently over a cliff, into the lake, and were drowned.

(34) When they who fed them saw what was done, they fled and went and told it in the city and in the country.

When those who fed the swine, which totaled about 2000 head, according to the account in Mark, saw what happened to the herd, they ran away and told what had happened far and wide, in the city and in the country.

(35) Then they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

When people heard the story of what had happened, they went out to see for themselves and went to Jesus where they found the man who had been possessed by the demons sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  This made them afraid.

(36) They also who saw it told them by what means he who was possessed of the devils was healed.

The eyewitnesses to what had happened told the people who came out to see for themselves, the details of how it was that the man who had been possessed came to be healed.

(37) Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes all around besought Him to depart from them, for they were taken with great fear; and He went into the ship and returned.

The entire country of the Gadarenes begged Jesus to leave them because they were so afraid.  One can only assume that they feared some great loss as had happened to the herd of swine, for if their fear was a reverential one for this prophet or God, they would have wanted to learn more and see others healed by Him.  They seemed to have more selfish concern for their possessions than they did for the miraculous healing of one of their own.  That may have been another reason why Jesus allowed the demons to have what they wished.  What a vivid example of unrepentant sinners it was that the Gadarenes, when they witnessed an awesome miracle in that Jesus could command devils, and what those devils were able to do to destroy their hosts, and what peace and right-mindedness Jesus gave, they yet chose to drive Him out of their country.  They chose their possessions over the gift of Jesus, and Jesus obliged and returned from whence He came.

(38) Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought Him that he might be with Him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, (39) "Return to your own house and show what great things God has done to you." And he went his way and published throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done to him.

It seems there was one man in the whole country of the Gadarenes who chose to follow Jesus, the man who had been healed of the demons.  He asked Jesus to allow him to follow Him, but Jesus sent him back to his home to be a witness for Him.  At this time, that was where he could better serve, to give his testimony to all he could reach, for they had rejected Jesus and sent Him away.  The man did just that, reporting all the things Jesus had done for him throughout the city.

(40) And it came to pass that, when Jesus returned, the people welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.

In striking contrast to the Gadarenes, when Jesus returned, those people had been waiting for Him and welcomed Him gladly.

(41) And behold, there came a man named Jairus and he was a ruler of the synagogue; and he fell down at Jesus's feet and besought Him that He would come into his house.

A man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came up to Jesus and fell down at His feet and begged Him to come to his house.

(42) For he had one only daughter about twelve years of age, and she lay dying. But as He went, the people thronged Him.

Jairus asked Jesus to go to his house because there his only daughter, only twelve years old, was dying.  As Jesus went with him toward his house, the multitude of people crowded Him.

(43) And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, who had spent all her living on physicians but could not be healed by any, (44) Came behind and touched the border of His garment, and immediately her issue of blood stopped.

Among the crowd was a woman who had had an issue of blood for twelve years.  She had spent her whole livelihood on doctors, but none had ever healed her.  She came up behind Jesus and touched the border of His garment and immediately her issue of blood stopped.  The account in Mark told us she had purposed to touch Jesus's garment to be healed, and indeed, she was.

(45) And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" When all denied, Peter and those who were with Him said, "Master, the multitude throngs You and presses You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"

Jesus immediately asked who had touched Him.  Everyone denied touching Him, but Peter and those with Him asked how He could ask such a question when it was obvious a crowd of many people pressed in on and touched Him.  Of course, we know that Jesus already knew who had touched Him, but for the benefit of the woman and the witnesses, including Peter and the disciples, He asked the question.

(46) And Jesus said, "Somebody has touched Me, for I perceive that power has gone out of Me."

Jesus said, in an answer to Peter, that He knew someone had touched Him for He felt power going out of Him.  It's not as if Jesus had not willed the power to go forth from Him and heal the woman.  It was not as if His healing power went out from Him just because people touched Him, or else the people who crowded Him would have also been healed.  Jesus said this to make a point and bring everyone's attention to just what had happened.  It was one of those teaching moments of Jesus.

(47) And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before Him, she declared to Him before all the people for what reason she had touched Him, and how she was healed immediately.

When the woman saw that what she had done in secret was not a secret to Jesus, she came to Him, trembling, and fell down before Him.  She confessed the reason she had sought to touch Him and told how she had been healed immediately.

(48) And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good comfort; your faith has made you whole; go in peace."

Jesus told the woman to be at peace; He was not angry with her.  On the contrary, He recognized her faith and told her that is why she had been healed, and she could go in peace.

(49) While He was still speaking, there came one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Master."

While Jesus was still speaking to the woman, someone came from Jairus's house and told him that his daughter had died, so he should not trouble Jesus.

(50) But when Jesus heard, He answered him, saying, "Fear not; believe only, and she shall be made whole."

I believe it was by design that Jesus tarried with the woman who had the issue of blood.  Not only had valuable lessons been taught with the woman, but now Jesus could show that there was no need to fear even in the most hopeless situation when one had faith in Jesus.  And of course, He would demonstrate His power over death.

(51) And when He came into the house, He permitted no man to go in except Peter, James, John, and the father and the mother of the girl.

When Jesus came to Jairus's house, He only allowed Peter, James, and John, and of course, the parents of the girl, to go into the house.  There was no reason to allow a crowd of people to trample all over Jairus's house, but as was Jesus's usual custom, there would be two or three witnesses to establish a thing as truth (Deuteronomy 19:15, Matthew 18:16).

(52) And all wept and bewailed her, but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping."

All the people who were already in the house wept and mourned over the girl.  However, Jesus told them not to weep because she was not dead, only sleeping.

(53) And they laughed Him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.

The people in the house only laughed and ridiculed Jesus because they knew the girl was dead.

(54) And He put them all out, and took her by the hand and called, saying, "Maid, arise."

Jesus put all those people out.  It is not helpful to have a bunch of non-believers and naysayers when one is holding onto faith in the seemingly impossible.  Besides, what kind of people were they, who were supposedly mournful over the girl, but then could turn so quickly to laughter and ridicule at so solemn a moment?  They were unworthy to be witnesses of this great miracle.  Jesus did not cast His pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6).  He then took the girl by the hand and called out to her to arise.

(55) And her spirit came again and she arose immediately, and He commanded to give her food.

The girl's soul and life returned to her, and she rose up from her bed immediately.  Jesus commanded her parents to give her some nourishment.

(56) And her parents were astonished, but He charged them that they should tell no one what was done.

The girl's parents were obviously amazed, but Jesus told them not to publish far and wide what was done there in private.  Of course, everyone could see that the girl was now alive, but after all, Jesus had said she was only sleeping.  There was no need to publish the details of this miracle and bring about the wrath of the Pharisees before the proper time.

This chapter began with Jesus preaching and teaching, and culminated with his restoring life to a dead girl.  That is, of course, the reason He came, to give us life, and life more abundantly (John 10:10).

The Resurrection of Jesus and His Great Commission

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Mark 16:1) And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome had brought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him.

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had died on the cross and Joseph of Arimathea had placed Him in his own sepulchre hewn out of rock and had placed a large stone at the entrance.  That was on the day before the Sabbath.  Now it was after the Sabbath when Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, who would seem to be the same Mary and same James mentioned in the last chapter, that is Mary the mother of James the Little, and also Salome came to Jesus's tomb with sweet spices with which to anoint Jesus.  These were the same three women the last chapter had mentioned who followed Jesus and ministered to Him.  Here they were also ministering to Him in death, a very loving gesture indeed.

(2) And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came to the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

The women came very early in the morning at sunrise to the sepulchre where Jesus had been laid.  It was said to be the first day of the week, the day after the Sabbath.  Jesus had been buried on the day before the Sabbath.  When counted as authors of the Bible counted, this was the third day, the day before the Sabbath being the first, then the full day of the Sabbath, and now the day after the Sabbath.

(3) And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?"

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary had seen Joseph roll the large stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and knew they would not be able to move such a large stone themselves, and they asked among themselves who could move it for them.

(4) And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away; it was very large.

However, when the women reached the sepulchre, they saw that the very large stone had been rolled away from the entrance of the tomb.

(5) And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side clothed in a long white garment, and they were alarmed.

The women went into the tomb and saw a young man in a long white garment sitting there, and they were greatly alarmed.

(6) And he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He is risen. He is not here. Behold the place where they laid Him."

The young man, obviously an angel, told the women not to be alarmed.  He told them he knew that they were looking to see Jesus, but He was not there; He had risen.  He encouraged them to see the place where Jesus had been laid, but He was not there.

(7) "But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before you into Galilee; there you shall see Him as He said to you."

The angel told the women to go tell Jesus's disciples that He was going before them into Galilee and that they would see Him there just as He had told them they would.  Note that the angel said "His disciples and Peter."  This was not intended to mean that Peter was no longer a disciple, but to say especially Peter, the same Peter who had denied Jesus three times, to comfort and encourage him.

(8) And they went out quickly and fled from the sepulchre for they trembled and were amazed, neither did they say anything to any man for they were afraid.

They women ran quickly out of the tomb trembling in fear and amazement.  As they ran, they didn't say anything to anyone along the way as they were afraid.

(9) Now when risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom He had cast seven devils.

After He had risen from the dead early the first day of the week, that being the third day of His being in the tomb, He appeared to Mary Magdalene first.  She had been healed by Jesus when He cast seven demons from her.  John tells a much longer and more beautiful story about just how Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene.  In short, she had gone back to the tomb and was crying because she supposed someone had taken Jesus's body away.  Jesus appeared when her back was turned and asked why she was crying.  She did not recognize Him at first, supposing He was the gardener, but when He spoke her name, she knew it was Him.

(10) She went and told them who had been with Him as they mourned and wept.

The account in John stated further that Jesus told Mary Magdalene to go to His disciples, those who had been with Him, and that is what she did, finding them weeping in mourning.

(11) And they, when they had heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, did not believe.

However, when Mary Magdalene told His disciples that Jesus was alive and that she had seen Him, they did not believe her, thinking her words were idle tales (Luke 24:11) of her imagination.

(12) After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.

The account in Luke tells us this happened later the same day; Jesus appeared to two disciples as they walked and were going into the country.  Luke also tells us that one of the men was Cleophas (Luke 24:18), so this evidently meant that He appeared to two of His followers, disciples, but not just to His chosen twelve apostles.

(13) And they went and told it to the rest; neither did they believe them.

Those two disciples went to the rest of Jesus's disciples to tell them they had seen Him, but they didn't believe those two, either.

(14) Afterward He appeared to the eleven as they sat at a meal, and upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He was risen.

Jesus's chosen disciples were now called the eleven, rather than the twelve, with Judas Iscariot obviously gone from them then.  His chosen disciples were gathered together where they had been eating when Jesus appeared to them.  He severely rebuked them for not believing the testimonies of those who had seen Him after He had risen.  He called out their hardness of heart, not because they were cold and unfeeling about His torture and death, but because after all He had taught them and told them about meeting them in Galilee after He had risen and even after eye-witness accounts, they still did not consider that He had risen.  Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, pointed out that this made a most significant bit of evidence to prove that Jesus's resurrection was true and not a trick of His disciples to fool the people as has been suggested.  His very own chosen disciples had given up all hope after He died and did not expect a resurrection at all.  Even after they were told by witnesses they had seen Jesus, it still never occurred to them to accept the fact He might have risen from the dead.

(15) And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

Jesus then told His disciples to go forth into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, signifying there were no limitations to whom and where they preached.  They were to go out all over the world and teach the Gentiles of the world.

(16) "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be damned."

Anyone, even a Gentile from the farthest reach of the earth, who believed in the gospel of Jesus and understood and accepted His gift of salvation, and was baptized as a proof of his acceptance, would be saved, but those who refused to believe and accept Jesus's gift of salvation would be condemned.  I don't believe this damning or condemning was a punishment for not believing; it is a result of not believing.  If one doesn't accept salvation, how then can he be saved?

(17) "And these signs shall follow those who believe; in My name they shall cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, (18) They shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

Jesus told His disciples that certain miraculous signs would follow those who believed and accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.  In His name, meaning by His will and authority, they would be able to cast out devils, speak with different languages previously unknown to them, take up serpents and drink poison with no ill effects, and lay hands on the sick and heal them.  I do believe that the key here is "in My name."  It is only by Jesus's will and authority that they would be able to do these things, and His will at this time was that more people be saved by witnessing those miracles.  Those who might perform risky acts for the sake of their own fame and glory may not be so fortunate as to have them not be hurt.  All those signs and miracles were for a time of building the church, but that is not to say that miracles don't happen today.  They most certainly do!  However, it is only by the will of God that such miracles occur, and we must be in tune to the Holy Spirit to know when it is God's will to perform a miracle.  1 Corinthians 12:11 tells us that the Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts, among them being the ability to perform miracles, as He wills.  Christian missionaries often report on extraordinary miracles.  It may be that just as with the early church, miracles are used to bring certain peoples and tribes who had no prior knowledge of Jesus, to salvation in Him.  However, most of us in the world today do not need more miracles to know the truth about Jesus.  As it was said in Luke 16:31 in the parable about the beggar Lazarus and the rich man:  the rich man was tormented in hell and asked that Lazarus from the dead go and warn his family so that they might not go to hell.  Abraham told him that they had Moses and the prophets to tell them, and if they wouldn't listen to Moses and the prophets, they wouldn't be persuaded even if one rose from the dead.  And we have so much more!  Jesus did rise from the dead!  We have Jesus and the knowledge of His resurrection and the testimonies of millions of people since then.  We don't need any more miracles.

(19) So then after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

After Jesus had spoken to His disciples and had commissioned them for their great work, He ascended into heaven and sat on the right hand of God.  That last part is not to be taken literally, I don't think.  To be at one's right hand is to be in the place of highest honor.  When Jesus was received up into heaven, He was exalted to the highest honor of the universe.

(20) And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

The disciples went forth and preached everywhere as Jesus had commissioned them to do, and He was with them, working with them, by the Spirit of God, and confirming the word of the gospel they preached by signs and miracles.  Amen, meaning firm and trustworthy.

The Crucifixion, Death, and Burial of Jesus

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Mark 15:1) And immediately in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus and carried Him away and delivered Him to Pilate.

In the last chapter and post, Jesus had been found guilty of blasphemy in a mock trial filled with false witnesses.  The next morning, after the whole council had discussed the matter among themselves, they bound Jesus and took Him to Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea, and the one who had the power to inflict capital punishment.

(2) And Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And He, answering, said to him, "You say it."

Pontius Pilate asked Jesus directly if He was the King of the Jews.  Jesus answered something to the effect of "as you say," meaning that He indeed was, although not the earthly temporal king Pilate and the others imagined.

(3) And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.

At that point the chief priests began accusing Jesus of all sorts of things, but He said nothing in response.

(4) And Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Do You answer nothing? Behold how many things they witness against You."

Pilate then asked Jesus another question, this time about why He answered nothing in response to all the things the chief priests testified against Him.

(5) But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

Jesus still did not answer.  Pilate marveled over the fact that Jesus did not try to defend Himself.  Jesus had answered Pilate directly when he had asked Jesus if He was the King of the Jews.  However, He would not get into a squabbling war against all the false accusations of the priests, and He knew it would do no good anyway, as their minds were set on putting Him to death.

(6) Now at the feast he released to them one prisoner, whomever they desired.

At the Passover Feast, the governor had a custom of releasing one prisoner, whomever the people wanted to have released.

(7) And there was one named Barabbas bound with them who had made insurrection with him who had committed murder in the insurrection.

There was at that time a prisoner named Barabbas bound with those who had committed insurrection with him, he who had committed murder during the insurrection.  It could be read that the group of insurrectionists had committed murder, not necessarily Barabbas himself, but Peter called Barabbas a murderer later in Acts 3:14.  The account in John said Barabbas was a robber.  Matthew called him notable.  It is evident he was at the very least a notorious criminal and probably a murderer.

(8) And the multitude, crying aloud, began to desire him to do as he had always done for them.

A multitude of people had apparently gathered to Pilate and began crying out to him to do as was his custom every year at this time and release a prisoner.

(9) But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" (10) For he knew that the chief priests had delivered Him out of envy.

Pilate answered the crowd asking if they would have him release Jesus, the King of the Jews.  Pilate realized that Jesus was innocent and that the chief priests had only brought Him to him out of envy because of His fame among the people.  Their flimsy arguments against Him had no proof, and Pilate was willing to let Jesus go free.

(11) But the chief priests moved the people that he should rather release Barabbas to them.

The chief priests moved among the people soliciting for Barabbas's release, and indeed persuaded the people to ask for Barabbas to be freed.

(12) And Pilate answered and said again to them, "What do you want then that I shall do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?"

The people having asked that Barabbas be freed, Pilate answered their cries and asked what then they wanted him to do with the one they called King of the Jews.

(13) And they cried out again, "Crucify Him!"

The people cried out in answer to crucify Jesus.  This had to be the rallying cry of the chief priests who incited the people against Jesus for why else would the people who had so recently hailed Him as the Son of David with shouts of "Hosanna!" now want Him crucified?

(14) Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?" And they cried out more exceedingly, "Crucify Him!"

Pilate was probably quite baffled as to why the people should want Jesus crucified.  He asked the people why they wanted that, what evil had He done?  However, they just cried out all the more to crucify Jesus.

(15) And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas to them, and delivered Jesus when he had scourged Him to be crucified.

Pontius Pilate was a weak man.  He, as governor, had found no fault in Jesus, but to please the people, released Barabbas to them, then scourged Jesus and delivered Him to be crucified.  Even if it was his own custom that he release the prisoner Barabbas to the people as they requested, did he have to scourge Jesus and send Him to be crucified just because the people demanded it?  He had found no fault in Him; he could have released Barabbas and continue to hold Jesus, but he let the people take his power as governor from him.  Even though we were told in Matthew 27:24 that Pilate washed his hands before the crowd declaring his innocence of the blood of this just person, he was the one who had Jesus scourged and delivered Him to be crucified.  He was guilty of Jesus's death and a very weak man, indeed!

(16) And the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium and they called together the whole band.

The soldiers led Jesus away into the judgment hall called the Praetorium where they called together their entire company of soldiers.

(17) And they clothed Him with purple and platted a crown of thorns and put it on His head. (18) And began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

They clothed Jesus in the royal color of purple and made a crown of thorns and put it on His head.  They mocked Him as a king, but the crown of thorns added some torture as well.

(19) And they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him and bowing their knees, worshiped Him.

They struck Jesus on the head with a reed and spat on Him.  When they bowed their knees to Him, they only pretended worship; theirs was only mockery.

(20) And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him and put His own clothes on Him and led Him out to crucify Him.

After the soldiers had had their fill of fun at mocking Jesus, they took the purple cloth off Him and put His own clothes back on Him.  They then led Him out to be crucified.

(21) And they compelled one Simon, a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear His cross.

Interestingly, I have always believed and it is indeed taught in the Catholic Church that Jesus fell while carrying His cross, probably very much weakened by His beating and scourging, and that is why Simon was compelled to carry the cross for Him.  However, while studying this verse, I found that nowhere in scripture does it say that Jesus fell.  I didn't even see this when I studied the account in Matthew.  Matthew had stated that it was as they came out, they found Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus's cross.  My commentary at the time was that the account in John stated that Jesus had indeed carried His cross at least a little while before Simon was called.  However, it was not because Jesus had fallen.  Although He may have been wearied and weakened by His beatings, nowhere does scripture suggest that, much to my amazement, as that is what I have always been taught and believed.  The soldiers probably compelled Simon to carry the cross to prolong Jesus's agony on the cross.  They didn't want Him to die too soon and definitely not before He reached the place of His crucifixion, so they found someone and forced him to carry Jesus's cross.

I believe there is some beautiful symbology in Simon of Cyrene bearing Jesus's cross.  Simon was coming out of the country or fields, as opposed to being in the city, and he was just passing by.  He was apparently well known, if for no other reason, than because he was the father of Alexander and Rufus, who were apparently well known enough to be mentioned by name by Mark.  Why mention these names at all?  Perhaps Mark was establishing eyewitness accounts to the crucifixion of Jesus.  Simon was from Cyrene in North Africa, a foreigner.  The account in Luke says that Simon carried the cross after Jesus, behind Him.  That is a beautiful picture of discipleship, taking up the cross and following Jesus (Matthew 16:24).  Not only that, but it was given to foreigners, Gentiles, all people in the world, to have the privilege of carrying the cross and following Jesus.

(22) And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, the place of a skull.

The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha, which literally meant "place of a skull."  It was a gruesome place known for its executions there and the skulls of men lay scattered about.

(23) And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh, but He did not take it.

The soldiers tried to give Jesus wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but He refused it.  Matthew, in his account, called it vinegar mixed with gall, and said that Jesus tasted it and then refused to drink it.  Vinegar was a light wine that had become acidic, and gall was a word used to denote anything exceedingly bitter, and myrrh was indeed a bitter substance.  There was a custom to give this strong drink to dying criminals to make them less sensible to their sufferings.  However, Jesus refused to drink it as He was unwilling to blunt the pain of what He must do and rather chose the cup His Father had given Him to drink.

(24) And when they had crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots on them to see what every man should take.

Mark's meaning of "crucified" seems to be that they had fastened Jesus to the cross and raised it up, not that He had yet died on the cross.  The soldiers parted His garments between them, casting lots to determine who should take what.  This fulfilled a prophecy in Psalms 22:18, "They part My garments among them and cast lots on My vesture."

(25) And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.

I don't believe that Mark meant Jesus was crucified at specifically the third hour of the day, 9:00 a.m., but that it was during the third hour and the entire three-hour period of the day, meaning the time between 9:00 and 12:00 noon.  The Jews divided their days into four three-hour periods, and also their nights into four three-hour periods, each beginning at 6:00.  Matthew and Luke stated it was in the sixth hour, which could have meant exactly the sixth hour, 12:00 noon, or the time between noon and 3:00 in the afternoon.  It is reasonable to suppose that Jesus was raised up on the cross about noon, perhaps a few minutes before, so as to make it in the third hour period as Mark stated, but close enough to noon that Matthew and Luke called it the sixth hour.

(26) And the inscription of His accusation was written above, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Pilate had made a sign to be placed above Jesus on the cross that read THE KING OF THE JEWS.  Pilate had found no fault in Jesus, so His only "crime" was being King of the Jews.  Perhaps it was written with a hint of mockery, as certainly many of the people who read it would take it.  Perhaps Pilate didn't even know the reason he wrote it, but God intended it as truth of the sovereign King.  Behold what the people were doing to their King who conquered death! 

(27) And with Him they crucified two thieves, one on His right hand and the other on His left.

Two thieves were also being crucified at the same time as Jesus.  They were on either side of Him with Jesus Himself in the middle.

(28) And the scripture was fulfilled which said, "And He was numbered with the transgressors."

Prophecy from Isaiah 53:12 was fulfilled which said that Jesus was numbered with the transgressors.  He was certainly no transgressor of the law, but He was counted as one and hung with thieves.

(29) And those who passed by railed against Him, wagging their heads and saying, "Ah, You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, (30) Save Yourself and come down from the cross!"

People who passed by Jesus on the cross jeered and mocked Him, shaking their heads and saying that He who could destroy the temple and build it up again in three days should save Himself and come down from the cross.  Of course, that is not exactly what Jesus had said, and little did they know He was doing just that in allowing the temple of His body to be destroyed and He would be raised again three days afterward.  Also unbeknownst to them was the fact that if He had indeed come down from that cross as He surely could have if He wanted to, His temple would not have been destroyed and wouldn't have raised again in three days, and there would be no salvation for the world He came to save, including some of their wretched souls.  Jesus died for all, but not all would accept His gift of salvation.

(31) Likewise, also the chief priests, mocking, said among themselves with the scribes, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. (32) Let Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross that we may see and believe." And they who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

Even the chief priests and the scribes mocked Jesus, and chimed in that He saved others, but He couldn't save Himself, and if He was truly Christ the King, then He should come down from the cross and then they would believe Him.  Once again, if He had done that, then their foolish souls could never be given the opportunity to be saved.  They had seen and heard more than enough to prove Jesus was who He said He was, but they didn't want to believe.  Mark stated that the thieves crucified with Him also reviled Him.  Matthew stated as much in his account.  However, the account in Luke stated that just one of the thieves chimed in at this point saying if He was the Christ, He should save Himself and them, too.  Maybe the other had at first mocked Jesus, but more likely it was probably that the mocking one was loud and noticeable among all the ones who mocked Jesus at that particular time that it was seen as the thieves (plural) mocking, too.  Additionally, the conversation between Jesus and the one thief who did not mock Him was private and not shouted among all the other cries of "Save Yourself!"  It may not have been witnessed and known by the other Gospel authors, but it was given to Luke by inspiration of the Holy Spirit to know what transpired that we might all know that we can be saved no matter what we have done and no matter what the late hour.  That one thief rebuked the other, and calling Him Lord, asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom, and Jesus told him he would indeed be with Him in paradise that very day.

(33) And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

In this case, since both ends of the time period are mentioned, I believe it is meant to be taken literally that there was darkness over the whole land from noon until 3:00 in the afternoon.  This fulfilled prophecy; Amos 8:9 said, "'And it shall come to pass in that day,' says the Lord God, 'that I will cause the sun to go down at noon and I will darken the earth in the clear day.'"  Indeed, it was a very dark time for the Jewish nation.  It might also be seen as the people extinguishing the Light and Sun of righteousness, though they never actually could.  It was that sign they were always demanding of Christ.

(34) And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which being interpreted, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

The darkness that was over Christ during that time could also be seen as symbolic of the darkness of the sin of the world that was upon Him as He was offering Himself in atonement for the sin of the world.  At the end of that time period, at about 3:00 in the afternoon, Jesus cried out to God, asking why He had forsaken Him.  The light of God had been withdrawn from Jesus as He took on all the filthy sin of the world.  This was the one thing that Christ found almost impossible to bear, as He had said in His prayers in the garden at Gethsemane, being separated from God the Father.  Jesus Christ was God on earth in human form, but at this moment he was only man, separated from His Godness, so to speak, and that was a most terrible thing.  Jesus could tolerate His disciples forsaking Him, but God Himself forsaking Him was a terrible thing to bear.

(35) And some of them who stood by, when they heard it, said, "Behold, He calls Elijah!"

Whether they truly misunderstood Jesus, or used it as another taunt, some when they heard Him cry "Eloi" said He was calling Elijah.  It looked to them as if God had apparently abandoned Him, so now He cried for a saint to help Him.  Whether or not they truly believed that, I'm sure they believed it would make Him more odious to the people to suggest that.

(36) And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar and put it on a reed and gave Him to drink, saying, "Let Him alone; let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down."

The account in John says that Jesus had actually said at that time that He was thirsty, so in response, someone lifted up on a reed a sponge full of vinegar or sour wine for Him to drink.  That actually fulfilled another prophecy in Psalms 69:21, "...in My thirst, they gave Me vinegar to drink."  The account in Matthew said that it was actually others telling the man who offered Jesus the drink to leave Him alone and they would see if Elijah would come to help Him.

(37) And Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost.

Jesus then cried out loudly and gave up the ghost, His Spirit, which of course, meant He died.

(38) And the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.

The temple veil separated the most holy place from the holy place and was said to be where God's presence rested.  The tearing of the veil in two might be seen as a symbol of God's leaving the building as what could be seen as prophecy in Hosea 5:14, "...I will tear and go away..."  However, as God was indeed leaving the nation of Israel at this point, the tearing of the veil in two represented to the world that because of that sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the veil separating God from the people was torn in two, and anyone was able to approach God who was covered by the blood of Jesus's sacrifice by accepting Him as Lord of his life.

(39) And when the centurion who stood opposite Him saw that He cried out and gave up the ghost, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

According to this account in Mark, it seems as if only from watching Jesus cry out loudly and then immediately die, that he was able to state emphatically that Jesus was indeed the Son of God.  Perhaps, because he had witnessed many die on the cross being crucified that he knew no one could have the energy and breath to cry out in such a loud voice immediately before they died.  Perhaps he could see it just as it was, that Jesus Himself gave up His Spirit and died, as it did not seem to be plausible to him that Jesus died naturally at that moment.  However, the account in Matthew said that it was after the centurion had witnessed Jesus at that moment and also the earthquake and other things that were done at the time like the tearing of the veil, and also other things not mentioned by Mark like the aforementioned earthquake, and rocks being broken apart and graves opened, that the centurion remarked that Jesus was truly the Son of God.  The account in Matthew also stated that other soldiers with the centurion also saw all the signs and feared and stated that Jesus was truly the Son of God.

(40) There were also women looking on from afar, among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Little and of Joses, and Salome, (41) (Who also, when He was in Galilee, followed Him and ministered to Him), and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

There were many women watching Jesus on the cross from afar.  They included Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Little, so called because he might have been little in stature or because he was young, to differentiate him from other Jameses; his mother was also the mother of Joses.  Also among the women was Salome, who was most likely the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John, if the assumption that Matthew named the same three women is true:  "Among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children" (Matthew 27:56).  The three women specifically named had been followers of Jesus and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee.

(42) And now when the evening was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, (43) Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable counsellor, who also waited for the kingdom of God, came and went in boldly to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

Evening had come and it was Preparation Day, the day before the Sabbath, and no bodies could be left hanging on the Sabbath.  Therefore, Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable counsellor, likely meaning of the council of the Sanhedrin, a righteous man who looked forward to the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

(44) And Pilate marveled that He was already dead, and calling the centurion, asked him whether He had been already dead.

Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead as it is said that often those being crucified lasted days on the cross.  The fact that He died so soon and suddenly was one of the reasons the centurion in verse 39 stated emphatically that Jesus was the Son of God, as He had given up His life Himself.  Pilate called the centurion to confirm that Jesus was truly dead before he would consent to Joseph taking His body.

(45) And when he knew from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.

When the centurion had confirmed that Jesus was indeed dead, he allowed Joseph to take His body.

(46) And he bought fine linen, and took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a sepulchre which had been hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre.

Joseph bought fine linen and then took Jesus's body down from the cross and wrapped Him in the linen.  He laid Him in a sepulchre that had been hewn out of a rock, his own sepulchre as the account in Matthew told us, and he then rolled a stone in front of the entrance.

(47) And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where He was laid.

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses apparently had seen Joseph take Jesus's body and followed him to the tomb, so they saw where Jesus was buried.