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Review: Last week we looked at how believers grow and spiritually mature when they seek to do the will of God. We are equipped with everything we need to grow on God’s timetable in Christlikeness.
Title: Our Savior
Text: Mark 15:33-39; 16:1-8
Memory Verse: Mark 16:6, “6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.”
Theme: Jesus’s death paid the price for our sins, and His resurrection made eternal life available for those who believe.
Introduction: In this week’s lesson we see that Jesus came and lived the holy, perfect life in our place to be the substitute payment for our sin and to rise from the dead that we might have resurrection life. We can praise and thank Him for all He’s done for us.
Opening Discussion Question (s): How many of y’all like online shopping. We fill the cart, and at some point we have to pay for those items. We’re all born with a sin shopping cart that we’ve added to, and a payment is required. Which is easier, to spend more money online shopping or in person shopping?
Context: Mark records in historical detail the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. With gravity and respect the authors recount the historical resurrection of Jesus. In Mark 11:1-11, Jesus enters Jerusalem triumphantly, preaches in the temple and answers the people’s questions in Mark 13:1-8, and then a plot to kill him is presented in Mark 14:1-2. Jesus celebrates Passover and explains that He would be that Lamb in Mark 14:3-31. In Gethsemane He surrendered His will to the Father’s plan in Mark 14:32-42; then betrayed by Judas in 14:43-72. We pick up at the trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea. He wanted to keep the piece even if it meant surrendering an innocent man to them, given that he had sustained a recent uprising already. Jesus would be crucified, but the angel would declare in Mark 16:6, “He is risen!” The resurrection of Jesus Christ is historical fact.
Main Points:
- Mocked (Mark 15:33-36)
“33 And when the sixth hour[f] had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.[g] 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, ‘Behold, he is calling Elijah.’ 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’”
- Jesus’ experienced His night of being tried by a kangaroo court and physical abuse and was hung on the cross around 9am.
- They mocked that he was king of the Jews with a placard over his cross.
- A supernatural phenomenon of darkness happened, signaling impending judgement.
- Jesus cried out experiencing the first-ever separation from His father, so that we could have our sins forgiven and be restored and reconciled to fellowship with our Heavenly Father. He quotes Psalm 22:1.
- Jesus is offered sour wine-a common beverage-fulfilling the prophecy of Psalm 69:21.
Discussion: How does an understanding of Jesus’s suffering influence your appreciation of salvation?
II. Killed (Mark 15:37-39)
“37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he[h] breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son[i] of God!’”
- Jesus gives a loud cry, according to Luke 23:46, “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last.” This is amazing considering how physically weak He was after 6 hours of excruciating torture. It was triumphant as Jesus neared the completion of His sacrifice on our behalf.
- He breathed His last showing His voluntary, sovereign control—not just in willingly choosing TO BE crucified, but choosing moment-by-moment TO ENDURE—His crucifixion. Second, we see the definitiveness of His actual, physical death.
- The doctrinal truth here is that Jesus was fully God and fully man (c.f. 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Hebrews 9:12-15).
- The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom as a grand display that direct access had been secured for us to God by Jesus.
- The Centurion—a military commander of some sort—noted the uniqueness and difference with which Jesus died compared to the many others he had most likely crucified. He statement could have been an acknowledgement that he was God, or the statement could have been that he was a great man. The clarity of Who Jesus was would be given three days later when he arose, for sure.
Discussion: How did the events of the cross lead the centurion to believe that Jesus was the Son of God?
III. Resurrected (Mark 16:1-8)
“When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?’ 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”
- That Mary was the first to discover Jesus and give witness, shows to this ancient culture that even though culturally women would not have been considered eligible to give witness or even testify in a court of law Jesus valued her, elevated her, and with her all women.
- Nicodemus and Joseph did the preliminary preparations of Jesus’s body for burial according to John 19:38-42, and the women came to cover Him with the spices that they had no doubt purchased much later the prior crucifixion day.
- They must have wondered how they would be able to move the heavy stone, hoping for some help.
- Mark notes that the angelic being’s clothing glowed with white.
- Initially there was terror and alarm in the response.
- Mark affirms Jesus’s identity without any room for question, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
- He instructed the women to tell the disciples and PETER, emphasizing that Jesus’ wanted no time to pass for Peter to know that Jesus was alive for him, in spite of his failure, denial of Jesus, Jesus immediately communicated grace and mercy and forgiveness that would have brought such rejoicing to Peter’s discouraged and defeated heart.
- Mark notes their fear in not telling anyone initially, and the other gospels reveal that the women made their way to the disciples and told others the good news! The resurrection compels us to tell others the good news!
Discussion: What impact does the empty tomb have on your life each day? How has your encounter with the resurrected Christ changed the trajectory of your life?
Go through the 3 circles and give unsaved visitors an opportunity to pray and invite Jesus to save them!
Theme Repeat: Jesus’s death paid the price for our sins, and His resurrection made eternal life available for those who believe.
Caleb Walker 
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