NOTES for Mar 15:16-47
16 And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band. |
17 And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, |
18 And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! |
19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. |
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. |
21 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. |
22 And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. |
23 And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. |
24 And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. |
25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. |
26 And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. |
27 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. |
28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. |
29 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, |
30 Save thyself, and come down from the cross. |
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 that were crucified with him reviled him. |
33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. |
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? |
35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. |
36 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. |
37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. |
38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. |
39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God. |
40 There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; |
41 (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem. |
42 And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, |
43 Joseph of Arimathaea, and honourable counseller, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus. |
44 And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. |
45 And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. |
46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre. |
47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid. |
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Today's reading may help us, to some degree, make sense of the sharpest question facing a person: how does almighty God allow the existence of suffering and evil, especially when it is always the purest and most innocent people who suffer? Today we are given a glimpse of how God relates to evil in the world. We read how the Lord Himself passes through the very thick of human suffering. He descends from heaven in order to share with humanity all the darkness, all the horror of its loneliness and pain. Jesus is abandoned by His disciples; He passes through the soldiers' mockery, the shameful procession to the place of execution, and the agonizing crucifixion on the cross. In order to drink to the end all the bitterness of human torment, He refuses to drink the wine with myrrh that would dull the pain.
The King of all the earth, the Son of God, is "numbered with the transgressors." He does not come down from the cross, so that He may pass through the most terrible thing: "My God! Why have You forsaken Me?" He passes through the darkness of God-forsakenness belonging to fallen humanity. After this He, like each of us, sinks into the cold of death. The veil in the temple, which separated God from people, was torn: the Son of God had walked the human path to the end. The few disciples who remained buried Him like any mortal man.
Such is God's answer to the existence of suffering on earth. He does not merely sympathize; He suffers with us completely, with us and for us.
Here is also our answer: Christians, each in his own measure, take part in the sufferings of Christ, suffer with the world, and in this way take part in Christ's redeeming sacrifice, and through this also in His Resurrection.
Readings for 10 February 2026
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