Mocked: Daily Thoughts from Mark (Mark 15:16-32)

The word “mock” can mean to speak derisively of someone, to mimic someone or thing, or to deride someone by mimicking them. It is a hateful and despicable way to treat someone and reveals the true ugliness of a human soul.

And mocking is the consistent treatment Jesus is getting as his crucifixion begins. It is an attempt on the part of some to make Jesus feel worse in addition to the horrible pain he is suffering. It is a reaction on the part of some to congratulate themselves on getting rid of Jesus.

And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.

And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. (Mark 15:16-32, ESV) 

Once Rome has the prisoner to be executed they call a battalion.  This signals that Jesus is considered the leader of a rebellion and safeguards against his followers trying to rescue him.  They mock his claim to be king of the Jews and though he has already been scourged they beat him about the head and seek other ways to humiliate him.

They force Simon of Cyrene to carry his cross, most likely because by this time he has no strength left to do it.  The mention of Simon’s sons suggests that they were well known believers among the churches.  Jesus is taken to Golgotha, a hill that resembles a skull and that sits outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem.  The only kindness he is shown is the offer of wine mixed with myrrh, a mild sedative.  But Jesus refuses it.

They cast lots for Jesus’ clothing, ironically looking to the gods to determine who should get them.  Jesus was probably left with only a small loin cloth or was completely naked as further humiliation.  It was 9am and this place of crucifixion was on a public thoroughfare, so as people passed by coming into the city they recognized who was being crucified and further mocked him.  To them he was a criminal between two criminals, and even the two criminals reviled him.

He was nailed to this wooden cross through his wrists on the cross beam, with his feet put together and nailed together to the vertical beam.  To breath he would have to push up with his feet to give his chest muscles room to expand.  The tax on his heart was significant.  Of course, he was also in shock from the scourging and the nails, and death was expected to come only after several hours of hanging here.  It was a horrible means of execution.

This is perhaps the most shameful time in the history of the human race.  The Son of God is mocked and tortured to death. He could have come down from that cross if it had been his will but he had chosen to rescue us and this was the only means of doing so.

Despite the mocking done of our Savior he held to his purpose and with his resurrection he silenced the mockery. We can expect no less, as his disciples, than to be mocked for our faith in Jesus and should, in fact, consider it a privilege to suffer the way he did. The servant is not greater than his master.