"You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!"

And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take. Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the inscription of His accusation was written above:

THE KING OF THE JEWS.

With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And He was numbered with the transgressors." And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!" Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

- Mark 15:22-32

Yesterday, we read about the crowd calling for Jesus to be crucified, despite the fact that Pilate offered to release Him. Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!" So Pilate released to them Barabbas instead, a leader of the rebellion against the Romans. Pilate first has Jesus scourged, then delivered for crucifixion. Then we read about the soldiers who mocked Jesus -- an entire garrison -- putting Him in a purple robe and making for Him a crown of thorns. They then saluted Him, in imitation of a salute to Caesar. On the way to crucifixion, Simon from Cyrene was compelled by the soldiers to carry His cross toward Golgotha.

And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take. We recall that Jesus has said, at the Last Supper, just after instituting the Eucharist, "I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." And He is true to His word -- He refuses that which is designed to make it easier to bear what is coming in crucifixion. To divide His garments, says my study bible, was a right of the squad of executioners. It also fulfills the prophesy of Psalm 22:18. The entire psalm itself is a picture of the Crucifixion.

Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS. The official charge against the prisoner was customarily inscribed on the cross at crucifixion. In this case, my study bible points out, Pilate has made this a political charge. While the council of the temple leadership condemned Jesus on charges of blasphemy, for the Romans this charge characterizes Jesus as a potential political agitator. It also notes, "Crucifixion was a horrifying means of Roman execution reserved for rebellious slaves, violent criminals, and those charged with high treason. Roman citizens were spared crucifixion. The third hour is 9:00 A.M. or thereabouts. The evangelist John reports a time closer to noon." What we understand, then, is that Jesus suffers the worst and most gruesome punishment, reserved not only for rebels or those guilty of some form of treason, but also for outsiders -- those who are not Roman citizens. Whatever we endure in life, He has suffered with us and for us, in the position of least power of all. From betrayal and extra-legal trial held in night session, to the mocking and brutality of both Jewish armed servants and Roman soldiers (an entire garrison!) after enduring the agony of scourging, He is quite thoroughly made a scapegoat. And, we remember, Pilate understands the envy of the temple leadership, and that Jesus is innocent. Jesus is an object upon which the society brings all its ignominious hatred, envy, contempt, ridicule. And yet we proclaim Him as Lord of the universe, all-powerful, with the keys to resurrection and life itself. Whatever we may go through or suffer in injustice and humiliation, He has been there with us already.

With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And He was numbered with the transgressors." My study bible notes that the ancient Jewish historian Josephus defines robbers (Gr. lestes) as insurrectionists, that is, militant nationalist Jews who fought against Romans and Jewish collaborators. Perhaps they are what we might call brigands.

And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!" Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him. My study bible says, "This is the hour of greatest scandal, a seeming triumph for the chief priests and the scribes, but one short-lived." Jesus is mocked and ridiculed as He suffers a terrible death. One can't help but be shocked at the callousness of this time; even in seeming victory against Jesus his enemies must continue to humiliate Him. They take joy in His suffering. Let us remember this picture of cruelty, and understand for ourselves that it is a caution about our own ways of judging and seeing others. The greatest innocent, in this scene, is the one for whom the greatest calumny and punishment is reserved. Jesus, who would bring a kingdom of love and salvation into the world, also bears the great punishment and oppression that marks the kingdom of the "prince of this world."

Let us consider then the picture of Jesus receiving the injustice and ailments and oppression of this world, in our place. It is not that we will all lead charmed lives as His followers, without any suffering or difficulty. But rather, He has gone there for us, borne the injustice that our world may carry, so that we know He has lived a fully human life, and made the great exchange for us of one kingdom for another. He will bear what this world will do in order to bring a kingdom of heaven into this world, as He taught us to pray, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." He sets for us the example of discipleship in the sense that He will follow the Father in faith, in authority, in power, through all things - no matter what it may look like to others. And this is faith -- hence, His invitation for each of us to take up our crosses and follow Him. In this way, we too, make the exchange of one kingdom for another and become His disciples. Can we have that faith? In an ironic sense, it is Jesus who really is leading the most profound sort of "uprising" or rebellion of all. It is against a false prince and the oppression of a false spiritual kingdom of injustice, lies, slander, suffering, slavery. But it is a peaceful and spiritual one, led in the name of a kingdom of love that has the power to touch us all on every level of life and meaning. And He invites us to participate with Him, every single day of our lives, in faith. Can we bear that cross that is ours, as He asks? With His help, we can do so as well. Let us remember that in faith, what looks like the greatest defeat can in reality be our greatest triumph. And the mockery of those who recall to Him His words about the temple will, ironically, have their challenge met -- and His words fully manifest in three days, for all of us.