Reading the Gospels Together

The Death and Burial of Jesus – Part 2

The moment Jesus dies Mark’s story takes a turn. He tells his readers that the curtain of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Readers of Mark’s gospel are reminded immediately of the heavens being “torn open” at the time of Jesus’ baptism. As shocking as Mark’s story has become in the death cry of despair from Jesus lips Mark’s readers are thrust back to the beginning of Mark’s gospel. This is part of Mark’s genius! We will have more to say about that later. What is the meaning of the tearing of this curtain? To understand what Mark is up to we need to think about some of the architecture of the Temple. The curtain Mark is talking about is almost certainly the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple. The people of God had come to understand that God dwelt within the Holy of Holies and the curtain was there to prevent someone from entering into God’s presence which would have meant certain death. Now that barrier is removed. There are two ways in which we should think about this. First of all, God is now accessible. The barrier that separates God from humanity is removed and humanity is welcomed into God’s presence. But, even more importantly, the tearing of the Temple curtain is likely thought of by Mark’s as God’s invasion into the world – much like the tearing open of the heavens was God’s invasion. God is “on the loose!” That is both a comforting and a very frightening reality and Mark wants his readers to feel both of these emotions at once. And not only is the curtain of the Temple torn in two from top to bottom but when the Roman centurion who oversaw the crucifixion witnesses the death of Jesus he says the words, “Truly this man was God’s son.” Did he mean those words sarcastically much like Pilate’s sarcasm in identifying Jesus as the “king of the Jews?” Or did he say them truthfully knowing that Jesus indeed was the Son of God? Likely we should hear them as words of sarcasm. And once again Mark’s wonderful irony takes over. The Roman centurion says more than he means. Either way Mark’s readers know that the truth has been spoken – Jesus is the Son of God! And Mark wants his readers to know the mystery that it is only when looking at the Crucified Messiah – the dead Jesus – that any human being can truly recognize that he is the Son of God! Mark has finally revealed the true identity of Jesus – he is the Crucified Messiah, the Son of God. Of course Mark had told his readers that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, in the very first sentence of his gospel. Once again the ending sends us back to the beginning.

At this point Mark tells his readers that some women had been watching from a distance. Readers are reminded that all the male followers of Jesus have fled – never to be seen or heard from again in Mark’s gospel. Perhaps there is a glimmer of hope in the presence of these women. We will need to wait and see. The identity of these women is striking and important. The first woman is Mary Magdalene. Mark has not mentioned her before. Mary Magdalene is the only woman that all four gospel writers place at the empty tomb following the resurrection. The second woman is named Mary and identified as the mother of James the younger and Joses. Interestingly another Mary, the mother of Jesus, is also the mother of four brothers of Jesus two of whom are named as James and Joses. That story is in the sixth chapter of Mark when Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth. Is this the same Mary? And if it is has Mark told his readers that Jesus’ mother was one of those who viewed his crucifixion from a distance? We will hear John tell his readers that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was right at the foot of the cross. Do Mark and John finally agree? Of course we cannot be sure one way or the other but it is plausible to make the connection. Likely in the traditions that underlie both Mark and John there was a story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the scene of the crucifixion. Together Mark and John witness to that reality. The last named woman was Salome. This is also the first time Mark mentions her. Other than Mark’s mention of her here and at the tomb we know nothing else about her. Without any further names Mark speaks of many other women who have come from Galilee with Jesus. Mark has not mentioned women as followers of Jesus before this time in his gospel but here they are and Mark tells his readers that they had followed Jesus from Galilee. Until this point in Mark’s gospel we have only a vision of male followers. All the male followers have fled – will the women finally “come through” and remain faithful to Jesus?

Mark tells his readers that it was now Friday evening and with the coming of darkness the Sabbath would begin. Joseph of Arimathea, who Mark describes as a respected member of the council who was waiting expectantly for the Kingdom of God, makes the bold request of Pilate that he might have the body of Jesus. Mark provides no motive for Joseph’s actions. There are several possibilities. Perhaps, being an observant Jew, he simply wanted to get the dead body of Jesus buried to avoid desecrating the Sabbath. Perhaps Mark wants his readers to think of Joseph as another of the “little people” who are true examples of discipleship. Or, more cynically, perhaps Joseph wanted to put the body of Jesus in a tomb where he could make sure he stayed there since there were at least rumors that Jesus had claimed that he would rise on the third day. Mark provides his readers with no answers to these questions. When Joseph asks for the body of Jesus Pilate expresses his surprise that Jesus is already dead – remember those who were crucified often lived for a few days while hanging on their crosses. The centurion verifies that Jesus has been dead for some time and Pilate releases his body to Joseph who bought a linen cloth and wrapped the body in it and laid the body in a tomb hewn out of the rock and rolled a stone against the door. Readers of Mark’s gospel are perhaps reminded of the young man wearing only a linen cloth who had fled naked at the time when Jesus was arrested. The same word for linen cloth is used in each case. And with that Mark concludes his story by telling his readers that two of the women, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses, saw where the body of Jesus was laid.