Mark 15:31

[Reformed Biblical] Ἐμταγμῶν. And the first thing mentioned is, as we render it, "cruel mockings." Ἐμταίζομαι is the word constantly used for the mockings that were cast on our Lord Jesus Christ himself, Matthew 20:19, 27:29, 31, 41; Mark 10:34, 15:31; Luke 14:29, 18:32, 22:63, 23:11, 36. Neither is the verb in either voice, active or passive, used in the New Testament, but only as applied to Christ. And it is joined with μαστιγόω, to "scourge," as it is here with "stripes." Ἐμπαιγμός, nowhere used but here, is "ludibrium," a "mocking with reproach and contumely or scorn." Hence we have rendered it "cruel mockings." They reproached them with their God, with their religion, with folly, with feigned crimes. Such mockings are recorded in all the stories of the persecutions and sufferings of the church. The world is never more witty, nor doth more please itself, than when it can invent reproachful names, terms, and crimes, to cast upon suffering believers. And whereas the word is derived from παίζω, (as that is from παῖς,) "to play and mock childishly," it may respect the calumnious reproaches that ofttimes in the streets are cast on suffering professors, by the rude, foolish multitude, like the children that ran after Elisha, mocking and scoffing at him. And this is reckoned among severe sufferings, there being nothing more harsh to ingenuous minds, nor any thing almost which they had not as willingly undergo.

. Likewise also the chief priests mocking,.... Or "laughed at one another", as the Syriac version renders it, having gained their point, and satiated their revenge on him: said among themselves with the Scribes; who were likewise his implacable enemies; he saved others, himself he cannot save; See Gill on "Matthew 27:41", See Gill on "Matthew 27:42". Mark 15:32 Ver. 32. Let Christ the king of Israel,.... Who sets up for the Messiah, and whose followers call him the king of Israel, whom the nation expected: and if he is so, let him descend now from the cross, that we may see; see him come down, and be eyewitnesses of his power: and believe; that he is the Messiah that was prophesied of, and has been waiting for: and they that were crucified with him reviled him; that is, the thieves, at least one of them; See Gill on "Matthew 27:44". Mark 15:33 Ver. 33. And when the sixth hour was come,.... Or twelve o'clock at noon, having hung upon the cross from about the third hour, or nine in the morning: there was darkness over the, whole land until the ninth hour; or three o'clock in the afternoon. The Ethiopic version renders the whole thus, "and when it was noon, the sun was darkened, and the whole world was darkened until the ninth hour"; See Gill on "Matthew 27:45". Mark 15:34 Ver. 34. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice,.... See Gill on "Matthew 27:46"; saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?

thou that destroyest the temple; the Vulgate Latin version adds, "of God": and buildest it in three days; thou poor vain miserable creature, that boasted of thy power, where art thou now? and what dost thou think of thyself? Mark 15:30 Ver. 30. Save thyself, and come down from the cross. Suggesting that if he was what he had pretended to be, and could do what he gave out he could, he might easily free himself from the cross, and make his escape; See Gill on "Matthew 27:39", See Gill on "Matthew 27:40". Mark 15:31

15:22-32 The place where our Lord Jesus was crucified, was called the place of a scull; it was the common place of execution; for he was in all respects numbered with the transgressors. Whenever we look unto Christ crucified, we must remember what was written over his head; he is a King, and we must give up ourselves to be his subjects, as Israelites indeed. They crucified two thieves with him, and him in the midst; they thereby intended him great dishonour. But it was foretold that he should be numbered with the transgressors, because he was made sin for us. Even those who passed by railed at him. They told him to come down from the cross, and they would believe; but they did not believe, though he gave them a more convincing sign when he came up from the grave. With what earnestness will the man who firmly believes the truth, as made known by the sufferings of Christ, seek for salvation! With what gratitude will he receive the dawning hope of forgiveness and eternal life, as purchased for him by the sufferings and death of the Son of God! and with what godly sorrow will he mourn over the sins which crucified the Lord of glory!

Likewise also the chief priests mocking,.... Or "laughed at one another", as the Syriac version renders it, having gained their point, and satiated their revenge on him: said among themselves with the Scribes; who were likewise his implacable enemies; he saved others, himself he cannot save; See Gill on Matthew 27:41, Matthew 27:42.

Mark 15:31 . οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς : both in Mt. and in Mk. the priests lead in the unhallowed chuckling, scribes and elders (Mt.) being mentioned only subordinately ( μετὰ , etc.).— πρὸς ἀλλήλους : a common fear gives place to a common sportiveness in this unholy brotherhood, now that the cause of their fear is removed.

31 . the chief priests ] whose high dignity and sacred office should have taught them better than to descend to the low passions of the mob. mocking said ] “scornynge him, ech to other, with; scribis, seiden,” Wyclif. The ordinary bystanders blaspheme ( Mark 15:29 ), the members of the Sanhedrim mock , for they think they have achieved a complete victory.

Verse 31. - The chief priests and the scribes are more bitter than the people. In fact they had all along endeavored 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 Beelzebub, because, if they had been wrought by God, God would have interposed in this his sore extremity and have set him free. He saved others . They cannot deny this fact. But they now try to turn this fact against him, by alleging that he who pretended to work miracles upon others, wrought them, not by the finger of God, but by Beelzebub, seeing that, if they had been wrought by a Divine power, the same power would now be exercised for his deliverance. They desired to take advantage of this public opportunity of exposing him as an impostor, and so they hoped to get rid of him, and at the same time to blot the very name of Christianity from out of the earth. Mark 15:31

And the scripture was fulfilled ... - This passage of Scripture is found in Isaiah 53:12 . This does not mean that he "was" a transgressor, but simply that in dying he "had a place" with transgressors. Nor does it mean that God regarded him as a sinner; but that at his death, in popular estimation. or by the sentence of the judge, he was "regarded as" a transgressor, and was treated in the same manner as the others who were put to death for their transgressions. Jesus died, the "just" for the "unjust," and in his death, as well as in his life, he was "holy, harmless, undefiled."