PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 2
Edward Henry Bickersteth, 1825–1906 · 320,775 words · 302 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 2 — Section 241
etection and imagined danger, but there must have beeu rage as well, to explain his violent and passionate language. Several of the bystanders recognize him; a kinsman of Malchus is there who had seen him in the garden; his Galilean dialect bewrays him ; accusations crowd upon him; proofs multiply against him. Peter…
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TIL. Perer’s Rerenrance. 1. Hxtenuating circumstances. We may just notice, very briefly, in connection with Peter’s repentance, certain extenuations of his sin. His sin, largely the outcome of his own impulsive nature, came on him with the suddenness and strength of an unexpected impulse. There had been no premedita…
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little dreamt, perhaps, that it would-lead to Jesus being evil entreated, condemned, and crucified. When he pocketed the reward of iniquity, he felt satisfied with the bargain and sere that the Master would find some way of escape. Had this been the case; had no ill consequences resulted from his treachery ; had not…
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Ver. 1.—And straightway in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate. Straightway in the morning (ev0éws mpwi). The proceedings recorded in the last chapter terminated probably betwe…
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the chief priests had delivered our Lord for envy. That he could not help observing, as a “shrewd Roman judge, from their gestures and manner. And then he knew also, at least by report, of the purity of Jesus, and of the holy freedom with which he rebuked their vices. So he thought, reasonably enough, that if th…
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Ver. 19.—And they smote his head with a reed—the same reed, according to St. Mat- thew (xxvii. 29, 30), which they had first put into his right hand as a sceptre, to com- plete the mocking symbolism—and did spit upon him (évémrvoy ai7vd). The verb is in the imperfect; they did it again end again. Ver. 20.—And wh…
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read that he refused it. St. Mark does not record this second occasion. Ver. 24.—And they crucify him (xa) orav- podow avrdyv). Such is the most approved reading. The evangelist states the fact without staying to dwell on the painful cir- cumstances connected with the act of nailing him to the cross; and passes …
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Ver. 31.—The chief priests and the scribes are more bitter than the people. In fact, they had all along endeavoured to rouse the bad passions of the people against our Lord. And now they take advantage of this his present degraded condition to renew the old charge that his miracles of healing had been wrought by…
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and gave up the ghost. The three synop- tists all mention this cry, which appears to have been something different from the words which he uttered at or about the time of his death. It was evidently something supernatural, and was so regarded by the ecenturion who stood by; and who had no doubt been accustomed t…
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Ver. 43.— Joseph of Arimathwa. St. Jerome says thut this city was called Ramathaim-Zophim (the lofty place), where dwelt Elkanah and Hannah of old, and where Samuel was born. Joseph was most probably a native of Arimathea; but he was now a citizen and counsellor of Jeru- salem. He was an honourable counsellor (…
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Il, THE FICKLENESS AND THE UNPRINCIPLED CHOICE OF THE MULTITUDE. But a few days ago the crowds in the streets of Jerusalem had welcomed the Prophet of Nazareth with the cry, “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Of those who thus hailed the triumphal entry of the Nazarene,…
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Il. Toe MooxEnrEs. These were many, base, and repeated. 1. Jesus was invested with a purple robe. Probably this was a military cloak, whose crimson hue might render it an emblem of the imperial purple. 2. He was crowned with acirclet of thorns, another symbol of royalty, doubtless roughly woven from the stem of a pr…
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Il. THE CRUCIFIXION AND ITS ACCOMPANYING OIRSUMSTANCES. “They crucified him;” such is the brief notification of the most stupendous crime committed in the bistory of mankind. Every circumstance recorded in such a connection is worthy of attention. 1. There is a note of time. It was the third hour, 7.e. nine o’clock …
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I. The evangelist relates CIRCUMSTANCES PRECEDING CHRIST’s DEATH. 1. The dark- ness which brooded sver the city, and over the whole land, for the space of three hours (from 12 unti! 3 p.m.), was apparently supernatural, and has usually been regarded as a manifest woken of Nature’s sympathy with her Lord. It was an a…
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TI. The evangelist puts upon record CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES FOLLOWING UPOW Curist’s DEATH. 1. One incident occurs which is typical of the influence of our Saviour’s death upon the elder, the Jewish, dispensation: the rending of the temple veil. This curtain screened off the holiest place, which was representative of t…
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lil. Tse enrompment. In preparation for this the body was taken down from the cross, was wound iv linen bought for the purpose, being entolded in fragrant myrrh and aloes. Joseph was the owner of a garden near to Calvary, where in the solid rock was hewn a tomb, destined probably for the reception of his own remains…
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Vers. 6—15.—Christ or Barabbas. I. A REVELATION OF THE HATRED OF THE NATURAL MIND FOR TRUTH AND GOODNESS. Several ancient authorities are in favour of readings here and elsewhere which would give us, “ Jesus Barabbas ” (7.e. son of a father or rabbi), as the full name of the “ robber” who was here the favourite of t…
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IL AS A MEANS OF AVENGING THE TRUTH UPON ITS ADVERSARIES. How quick they were to seize upon it and turn it to the best advantage! For a little while they had it all their own way. So infatuated were they, that they put the seeming contradiction in the strongest possible form; the antithesis is all but perfect. Not q…
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Tl. VoLUNTARILY EFFECTED BY MEN. 1. A victory of faith. A “cc uncillor of honourable estate” is moved by an inward impulse to make this his own special con- cern. The tragic circumstances of the last few hours had touched his heart and kindled his enthusiasm ; and he and his friend Nicodemus—“ the same who came to J…
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Ver. 33.—Darkness arownd the cross. When we remember who he was who was dying amidst the mockery of the world he came to save, we are no longer incredulous about this statement. The “Light of the world” was in darkness, the Saviour was refusing to save himself, the King of glory was wearing thorns as his crown, and …
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I. THAT BY BRAVELY DOING WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE RIGHT WE EMBOLDEN AND MELP OTHERS. Joseph required courage on the council, and still more now when he went in to Pilate to beg the body of Jesus. So terrible was the hatred felt against Jesus by the chief priests that the procurator himself had trembled before it, and P…
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and every eye beholds bitu, The other is the embodiment of evil. His name is the synonym of it. ‘The one name men dare not assume from its loftiness; the other they would not from its lowness. But this rabble-host chooses the evil one, and so declares its spirit is in accord with his. It is self-condemned. How painf…
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I. ‘The first was A WORD OF PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS, itself a forgiveness, “ I forgive them: do thou, O Father, forgive.” It was a word of excuse for them who did it ignorantly and in unbelief. “They see only a malefactor: open their eyes that they may see and know.” If the prayer may be offered for them who, with wi…
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Vers. 42-—-47.—The entombment. The sabbath hurried on—the day of rest. Joseph of Arimathwa, “a councillor of honourable estate, who also himself was looking for the kingdom of God,” begged permission of Pilate to have the body of Jesus for interment. Pilate, being satisfied of the death of Jesus, “ granted the corps…
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IV. Iv muusTRATES THE METHODS OF ProvipENcE. When innocence suffers and violence prevails, the foundations of moral order seem to be shaken, and the righteous exclaim, “ What shall we do?” The face of Providence seems obscured. But God is One who hideth himself. What we call the evil in nature may be the disguise of…
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Vers. 1—15. Parallel passages: Matt. xxvii. 1, 2, 11—26; Luke xxiii. 1—7, 13— 24; John xviii. 28; xix. 16.—Judicial processes. I. JESUS SENT FROM THE SaAn- HEDRIM TO PILATE—FROM THE JEWISH TRIAL TO THE Roman TRiau. 1, The first stage of the Jewish trial, After the arrest at Gethsemane, our Lord was conducted back t…
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confessed over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat; and sent him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness; and the goat bore upon him all their iniquities into a land not inhabited. Similarly, the high pries…
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nation, and the principal officer of its great council, his duty surely was to investigate the confession and claim of one who professed to embody the hopes of the nation, and to scrutinize the true nature of that claim, the real meaning of it, the grounds on which it rested, the reasons of it, and the evidence for …
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them had shamefully perverted and prevaricated; but, notwithstanding, it was seized by the high priest from his false notions of Messiah as an acknowledgment of the charge preferred. Stoning was the mode of death which the Law appointed for that crime; but though the Jews could pass sentence, they could not execute …
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his pretensions, or, as some think, a bright or white robe, as though in mimicry of his tandidature for royal honours. Thus sent back to Pilate, he is scourged by the pro- curator’s command. The very thought of that scourging makes the blood run cold and the heart sick. All that preceded, cruel as it was and devilis…
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Vers. 16—41. Parallel passages: Matt. xxvii. 27—56; Luke xxiii. 26—49; John xix. 17—87.—The closing scene. 1. THE CRUCIFIXION AND ACCOMPANYING EVENTS. 1. The words of the Creed. The words of the Creed, “ crucified under Pontius Pilate,” are familiar to almost every young person who has been trained in the Christian …
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that of the third sort. And now we are arrived at the last sad scene in that shocking drama. Criminals usually carried their cross, or the cross-beams of it, as they went to execution ; hence the term furcifer, or cross-bearer. Jesus, exhausted by all he had previously endured, and crushed beneath that heavy cross, …
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Of no one in all the glorious company of the apostles, or in all the goodly fellowship of the prophets, or in al] the noble army of martyrs, or in all the holy Church throughout all the world, could it be said, “ He was crucified for you.” How, then, are we to account for the unparalleled sufferings of the Son of Go…
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rather than his son; nay, he would have given life itself for his son’s life. For now, when he has learnt at length that that fair and favourite son had fallen by the hand of the martial but merciless Joab, “the king,” we read, “ was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thu…
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d, “I too would like to be saved.” We do not wonder that the story of the cross Py SS a powerful effect on the first convert in Greenland. 5. Christ’s death on the cross a satisfaction. The death of Christ did not cause God to love us, but, on the con- trary, was the expression of that love; it did not originate God…
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ciling us to him, through the blood of the cross. But the death of Christ (2) is a purtfica- tion. It purifies the whole man; its purifying influence goes on, and is needed, till death. “The blood of Jesus Christ,” we read, “cleanseth us from all sin.” No doubt it cleanseth as a propitiation from the guilt of sin, b…
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in more glaring characters in the sacrifice of the cross, because “God spared not his own Son,” when that Son undertook the penalty of our sin, ‘‘ but delivered him up for us all.” 2. The highest morality comes from the cross. No theory of morals is so persuasive, no precepts so powerful, as the picture of dying lov…
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4. His seven sayings on the cross. Of these three are recorded by St. Luke, other three by St. John, and the remaining one by both St. Matthew and St. Mark. The firat of those seven sayings, or seven words,, is a prayer for his murderers; “ Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” There is no doubt tha…
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Vers.42—47. Parallel passages: Matt.xxvii.57—61; Luke xxiii.50—56.— The burial. I. SzorEer piscrpLes. Among secret disciples of our Lord were Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. ‘The residence of the former was Ramah, or Ramathaim, the name signi- fying a hill; while some identify it with Ramleh in Dan, others with R…
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Il]. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BLOOD AND WATER. The blood and water that flowed from the fountain thus opened in the Saviour’s side are significant of the two great blessings which believers partake through Christ. There was blood for redemption, water for regeneration; blood for remission, water for renewal; blood for pa…
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Ver. 6.—And he saith unto them, Be not amazed—p}) éxdauBeicbe, the same word— ye seek Jesus, the Nazarene, which hath been crucified; heis risen; he isnot here: behold, the place where they laid him ; thatis, behuld, here ts the place where they laid him (Ge, 6 tém0s). St. Matthew (xxviii. 6) says, ‘“‘ Come, see…
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believeth, and as an evidence of his faith accepts Christ’s baptism, and fulfils the promises and vows which he then took upon himself, working out his own salvation with fear and trembling, shall be saved. But he that disbelieveth shall be condemned (5 8 amotioas, KataxpOhoera) The condeme nation anticipates th…
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Il. We IMAGINE DIFFICULTIES WHICH GoD HAS ALREADY SOLVED Yor us. No wonder that these feeble women questioned one with another, “ Who shall roll us away the stone?” Strong men had closed the entrance to the tomb by placing this huge stone against it; how should this barrier to the carrying out of their intentions b…
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. Vers, 9—14.—Disbelief convinced. The day of Christ’s resurrection was a day which opened in gloom and closed with gladness. In the morning our Lord’s disciples and (riends were mourning their Master’s death, were grieving at what they deemed their forsaken and friendless lot; in the evening the same persons were r…
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Vers. 15—18.—The great commission. Whether these words were spoken at once upon one occasion, or whether they are the summing up of many words uttered by our Lord between his resurrection and ascension, one thing is clear—they are the unburdening of his great heart of what was the load chiefly pressing upon it. Why …
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the eternal life. Similarly with our view of the Redeemer’s ministry of service, his tenure of priestiy, royal office. We are too prone to regard his life as closing with the conclusion of our Gospel narratives. We follow him in thought until the cloud, descending upon Olivet, receives him out of our sight, and then…
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removal of the Lord to heaven. In fact, the ascension of the Lord Jesus was, in the Divine counsels, the condition and the occasion of the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, iz the manner and measure distinctive of the new, the Christian dispensation. He him- self had put this with great plainness before his disciples’ mi…
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Vers, 1—14.—Resurrection proofs. The last days of the manifestation of God in Christ were signalized by a great deprivation and a great recovery. A life beyond the dread confines of the grave completed the cycle of wonders associated with the earth- life of Jesus. This, although not sufficiently realized ere it actu…
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Il. THE POWER IT REPRESENTS. The power of a finished work of atonement, a victory over death and hell, and an exalted, glorified humanity. 1. The highest exalta- tion has been reached by him of whom it speaks. He is invested with Divine power, and executive authority in the universe of God. Whether there be any such…
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U1. THe sToNz ROLLED AWAY MAY ALSO BE REGARDED BY US AS A REMINDER OF EXPECTED DIFFIOULTIES UNEXPECTEDLY REMOVED. It was natural enough that these feeble women should say among themselves, “ Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?” For a moment it appeared as if all their labour of love, in…
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V. The resurrection of Christ is THE COMPLETE DEMONSTRATION OF TRIUMPH. “ Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raiseit up.” It has ever been held that the Resurrection was the Divine seal of testimony to the perfectness and acceptability of the work of Christ. The rage of wicked men, the antagonism of error…
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Ill. There is a step further. THE CoNDUCT OF THOSE WHO REJECT OHRIST AWAITS VINDICATION. Where shall it be found? Given the facts of Jesus’ life, his death, his resurrection, and ascension on high, where can any justify their repudiation of him ? Precisely as faith and obedience are vindicated, so is unbelief and ne…
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graphically) with the spices and perfumes they had carefully prepared, the sun by this time having begun to rise. But lo! in their confusion and haste and sorrow they have overlooked an important fact; they have not known, or forgotten, the efforts of his enemies to make sure the sepulchre, already secured with a gr…
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we snatch the early flowers of the spring and strew them on the grave of some dear one gone; carefully we wreathe the garland and place it on the spot or hang it on the shrub — that points it out. Many a time have we stood in cemeteries more like a flower-garden than a garden of the dead, and admired the care, the t…
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him in the cerements, and laid him in the coldness of the tomb. Was it strange, then, that the sun suffered an obscuration when the Saviour expired, that the sky put on mourning when the Lord of glory gave up the ghost, or that the frame of nature shook when the Divine Upholder of its system died? Was it strange tha…
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/cation. We have visited the empty tomb, and now we may inquire why he lay there and rose thence. It was in the first place for our justification. ‘ He was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification.” “ By his death,” says one, “he paid our debt, in his resurrection he received our acquittanc…
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the plain, where lay the bleaching bones of former comrades, strewn in disorder or piled _ in heaps as they had fought and fallen. Fragments of weapons, limbs of horses, heads \\ ~ of men stuck on trunks of trees, were to be seen on every hand. In groves hard by dy were the savage altars where tribunes and centurion…
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way across the mount to Jerusalem. The middle summit of Olivet, Jebel-et-Tur, is, however, the traditional place of ascent. He has led ourselves further than to Bethany, for he has led us all our life till now; while all the way by which he has led us has been strewn with blessings—blessings temporal and spiritual. …
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V. Tue WITNeSssES OF THE SCENE. The witnesses of the scene were men on earth and angels from the sky—the one to testify that he rose from earth, the other to bear witness that he entered heaven. The former fact may perhaps be expressed by éwhp6y, the other by 4veAhpén ; while his intermediate progress and journey be…
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THEME Paq The Illustrative Example of Ohrist’s Work ... eos oo 208 46 The Cleansing of the Leper coor ee The Galilean Ministry eee coe §6=—-E The Healing of a Demoniac, ets. ... 78 The Cure of Peter’s Wife’s Mother and Others ee ae é A Physician for both Beda A Soul 7é The Oure of a Leper vee eo «78 OHAPTER I…
659 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Text from OCR of an original historical scan; OCR may contain recognition errors.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.