• 马可福音 15:16-32

士兵戏弄耶稣

16士兵把耶稣带进总督府的庭院里，叫齐了全营的兵。 17他们给他穿上紫袍，又用荆棘编了冠冕给他戴上， 18然后向他致敬，说：“万岁，犹太人的王！” 19他们又拿一根芦苇秆打他的头，向他吐唾沫，屈膝拜他。 20他们戏弄完了，就给他脱了紫袍，又穿上他自己的衣服，带他出去，要把他钉十字架。

耶稣被钉十字架

21有一个古利奈人西门，就是亚历山大和鲁孚的父亲，从乡下来，经过那地方，他们就强迫他同去，好背耶稣的十字架。 22他们带耶稣到了一个地方叫各各他（翻出来就是“髑髅地”）， 23拿没药调和的酒给耶稣，他却不受。 24于是他们把他钉在十字架上，抽签分他的衣服，看谁得什么。 25他们把他钉十字架的时候是上午九点钟。 26罪状牌上写的是：“犹太人的王。” 27他们又把两个强盗和他同钉十字架，一个在右边，一个在左边。 29从那里经过的人讥笑他，摇着头，说：“哼！你这拆毁殿、三日又建造起来的， 30救救你自己，从十字架上下来呀！” 31众祭司长和文士也这样嘲笑他，彼此说：“他救了别人，不能救自己。 32以色列的王基督，现在从十字架上下来，好让我们看见就信了呀！”那和他同钉的人也讥讽他。

与几天前骑驴进城相比，此次主受到了截然不同的待遇（见马可福音11:7–10）。这一次，狠心的士兵鞭打他。这是一种难以想象的痛苦刑罚，令受刑者皮开肉绽，接近死亡。然后他们取笑他，因为他曾宣称自己是犹太人的王。他出生后不久，曾被一些博士拜为王（见马太福音2:2, 11），但现在，士兵们用杀惯人的粗暴的手，强行在他血肉模糊的背上披上一件紫袍（紫色为王室的颜色），又在他头顶戴上荆棘冠冕。他们不停地打他的头，向他吐口水，并嘲弄地跪下向他致敬。他浑身是血。然后他们把紫袍从他流血的背上撕下。

他们把耶稣带到城外一座叫各各他的小山，把他钉在十字架上。在路上，他们召了古利奈人西门来，这人是鲁孚的父亲，他替因受酷刑而身体极其虚弱的耶稣背十字架。他们递给耶稣一种混合酒来减轻他的痛苦和麻痹他的知觉，但他拒绝不喝。他们在巳初（上午9点）将耶稣钉在十字架上后，还抽签（“拈阄”）要他的衣服（见马可福音15:24；诗篇22:18预言了此事。这也意味着他们剥光耶稣的衣服，使他当众受辱）。他们写下了他的罪名，并将其告示挂在十字架上，上面写着“犹太人的王” 。这个告示的意义比他们的本意更深。还有两个盗贼也被钉在耶稣左右（见以赛亚书53:12）。他被路人和宗教领袖嘲笑（见诗篇22:7）。他们激将他，要他从十字架上下来以便拯救自己，证明他是自称的那个人。但耶稣为了拯救他们和我们所有人，一直留在十字架上。也许在所有嘈杂的嘲讽背后，他听出了撒但的诱人耳语。

耶稣本可以施展超强的属天大能从十字架上下来，但那将是我们所有人的结局，因为那样我们就再没有救主，而只能下地狱。除了肉体上的痛苦外，耶稣还要承受那些从他死亡中受益的人的侮辱，甚至被钉在十字架上的盗贼也侮辱了他（不过后来有一个悔改了；见路加福音23:40–43）。

思考

在新冠疫情暴发期间，一些基督徒的行为受到了批评。根据今天的读经，什么是敬虔的回应方式？你认为耶稣在这种情况下会如何回应？

有人可能会问，在现在这样的危机时刻，神在哪里？关于神做事的时间和方式，今天的学习给我们什么启示？关于神对我们所有人的深爱，今天的内容又给我们什么教导？

• 花点时间向神献上感恩与祈求

• Mark 15:16-32

Jesus Is Mocked

16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 17And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.

The Lord received very different treatment compared to a few days earlier when He rode into the city (see Mark 11:7–10). This time, hardened soldiers flogged Him, an unimaginably painful punishment that tore flesh and left the victim near death. Then they made fun of Him since He had acknowledged being the king of the Jews. Soon after His birth, He had been worshipped as king by some Magi (see Matthew 2:2, 11), but now rough military hands used to killing forced a purple robe (a royal colour) on His torn back and a crown of thorns on His head. They hit Him repeatedly on His head and spat on Him and mockingly paid homage to Him on their knees. He was a bloody sight. Then they took off the purple robe, tearing it from His bleeding back.

They led Him to be crucified outside the city on a small hill called Golgotha. On the way, they conscripted Simon from Cyrene and father of Rufus to carry the cross for Jesus, severely weakened from the brutal torture. They offered Jesus a wine mixture to dull His pain and senses, but He refused it. After crucifying Him at the third hour (9 a.m.), they cast lots for His clothes (Mark 15:24; foretold in Psalm 22:18, which also meant that they stripped Him naked to suffer public humiliation). They wrote His charge and hung the notice on the cross: “The King of the Jews”. This notice carried more meaning than they had intended. Two thieves were also crucified by His sides (see Isaiah 53:12). He became the object of ridicule from both passers-by and the religious leaders (see Psalm 22:7). They challenged Him to come down from the cross in order to save himself and prove who He claimed to be. But Jesus kept himself fixed to the cross to save them and all of us, perhaps discerning Satan’s tempting whispers behind all the noisy taunts.

Jesus could have come down with overpowering heavenly power, but that would have been the end of us all, for we would then be without the Saviour, bound for hell. In addition to physical agony, Jesus had to suffer the insults of the beneficiaries of His death. Even the crucified thieves insulted Him (though one later repented, see Luke 23:40–43).

Talk It Over

Some Christians have been criticised for their actions during the COVID-19 outbreak. In the light of today’s reading, what would be a godly way to respond? How do you think Jesus would respond in such a situation?

Some might be asking where God is in a time of crisis such as now. What might today’s lesson teach us about God’s timings and ways? What does it teach us about God’s profound love for all of us?

• Take a moment to give thanks and prayers to God