Friday, 24th March 2006
LC Day 21
Mark 15-16 in the Lent Challenge
Jesus went through so much in such a short space of time. A beating at the hands of the Jews, another trial and beating by the Romans and then he has to casse his own heavy cross piece on his shredded back.
It was normal for the scourging to happen a couple of days before the crucifixion. So the prisoner would feel all the pain, then get a chance to heal a bit, so they could feel as much pain all over again. But with Jesus it had to be done quickly.
What gets me is that Jesus would have known what would happen to him. He’d have seen crucifixions happen I’m sure, but he was still willing to go through with it all.
Simon was probably a Black Jewish Passover pilgrim, sleeping on the road side with his two sons. I can’t imagine what he felt being pulled into the procession. It’s thought that his two sons might have become leaders in the early Church: Romans 16: 13 & 2Tim 4: 14.
Myrrh is an embalming agent and anesthetic and is still used today (they’re now finding it might have some cancer killing properties!). It would have been one of the ’spices’ used in the quick embalming of Jesus’ body by Joseph of Arimathea and Nichodemas. The women would have been allowed to touch the body during this time.
In my bible (ncv) it says that 16: 9-20 are not included in two of the oldest Greek copies of Mark. That might account for the two endings.
by james in Lent Challenge | permalink
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