The Death of Jesus, Mark 15:33-39

3 May 2012 · 1 min

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The passage narrates the climactic moments of Jesus' crucifixion as recorded in Mark 15:33‑39. Around noon, darkness covers the sky until about three in the afternoon. In this gloom, Jesus cries out, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”—“My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” Bystanders misinterpret the cry, thinking he calls for Elijah, and one of them offers a sponge soaked in wine on a stick, suggesting they wait to see if Elijah will rescue him. Jesus then gives a final “Ah!” and dies. At the moment of his death, the temple curtain tears from top to bottom, symbolizing the removal of the barrier between God and humanity. A Roman officer witnessing the event declares, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” The narration presents these events in a solemn, scriptural tone, emphasizing the theological significance of the darkness, the cry of abandonment, the tearing of the veil, and the Roman officer’s confession.

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About noon, the sky turned dark and stayed that way until around 3 o'clock. Then, about that time, Jesus shouted, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?" Some of the people standing there heard Jesus and said, "Is he calling for Elijah?" One of them ran and grabbed a sponge, After he had soaked it in wine, he put it on a stick and held it up to Jesus. He said, "Let's wait and see if Elijah will come and take him down." Jesus shouted, "Ah!" and then died. At once the curtain in the temple tore in two from top to bottom. A Roman army officer was standing in front of Jesus. When the officer saw how Jesus died, he said, "This man really was the Son of God."