LESSON TWELVE
TRIED AND CRUCIFIED
Mark 15

Mocking the KING of the Jews

Mark 15:16 And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.
15:17 And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his [head],
15:18 And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!
15:19 And they (repeatedly) smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing [their] knees worshipped him.
15:20 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.

During all this mocking and violence, Jesus suffered silently. He was not only the King of the Jews, but King of kings and Lord of lords, but He opened not His mouth to defend Himself against this onslaught of hate, mockery and violence.

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: ..and justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

The prophets John and Daniel tell us these "mockers" will be raised to life to see Jesus as King of kings coming in the clouds of glory.

Dan. 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame [and] everlasting contempt.
Rev,1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

During their lifetime, Jesus called them: "I have called, and you refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all My counsel, and would none of My reproof." Proverbs 1:24, 25. That voice which now calls them from their graves, awakens memories which they would like to forget. With vivid power they remember words Jesus spoke, adjured by the high priest,
"Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." Matthew 26:64.

Now they behold Him in His glory.
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Those who derided His claim to be the Son of God are speechless now. There is the haughty Herod who jeered at His royal title and bade the mocking soldiers crown Him king. There are the very men who with impious hands placed upon His form the purple robe, upon His sacred brow the thorny crown, and in His unresisting hand the mimic scepter, and bowed before Him in blasphemous mockery. The men who smote and spit upon the Prince of life now turn from His piercing gaze and seek to flee from the overpowering glory of His presence. Those who drove the nails through His hands and feet, the soldier who pierced His side, behold these marks with terror and remorse. {GC 643.2}
With awful distinctness do priests and rulers recall the events of Calvary. With shuddering horror they remember how, wagging their heads in satanic exultation, they exclaimed: "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him." Matthew 27:42, 43. {GC 643.3}
And now there rises a cry of mortal agony. Louder than the shout, "Crucify Him, crucify Him," which rang through the streets of Jerusalem, swells the awful,
despairing wail, "He is the Son of God! He is the true Messiah!" {GC 643.4}




The lesson asks: "These men had no idea what they were doing. Why, will their ignorance not excuse them on Judgment Day?"

In those who don't know or have rejected truth there are moments when conscience awakens, and the Holy Spirit calls for them to turn to Christ. The evidence was there, even in those demonic infused hours, when Jesus was tortured and abused, the evidence was there that this was NOT an ordinary man. There was another Spirit also at work, the Holy Spirit, stirring up people's minds to see truth.

We see the thief on the cross, hurling insults at Jesus, but he suddenly changes. He sees and remembers things concerning this man, The Holy Spirit illuminates his mind, and little by little the chain of evidence is joined together. In Jesus, bruised, mocked, and hanging upon the cross, he sees the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. Hope is mingled with anguish in his voice as the helpless, dying soul casts himself upon a dying Saviour. ?Lord, remember me,? he cries, ?when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.?

There was the centurion, a Roman soldier and captain over 100 solders, taking part in the crucifixion. He heard the voice of the Holy Spirit, as He looked at Jesus, the divine patience of the Saviour, and His sudden death, with the cry of victory upon His lips, had impressed this hardened soldier. In the bruised, broken body hanging upon the cross, the centurion recognized the form of the Son of God. He could not refrain from confessing his faith.
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This centurion, born in heathenism, educated in the idolatry of imperial Rome, trained as a soldier, seemingly cut off from spiritual life by his education and surroundings, and still further shut out by the bigotry of the Jews, and by the contempt of his own countrymen for the people of Israel,--this man perceived the truth to which the children of Abraham were blinded. He did not wait to see whether the Jews themselves would receive the One who claimed to be their Messiah. As the "light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9) had shone upon him, he had, though one afar off, discerned the glory of the Son of God. {DA 317.2}

For Jesus it was a joyful token of the gospel reaching the Gentiles....but with deep sadness He pictured the children of the kingdom who would be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Alas, how many are still preparing for the same fatal disappointment! While souls in heathen darkness accept His grace, how many there are in Christian lands upon whom the light shines only to be disregarded. {DA 317.3}