One of the tasks that Mark has endeavored to achieve in his telling of the Gospel of Jesus is to set before his readers the nature of Jesus’ Kingship. What does it mean that Jesus is the King?
This lesson, assuming as tradition tells us that Mark wrote to the church in Rome, would have been particularly relevant to his first readers. After all, they were confronted frequently with the spectacle of empire. They would want to know – is this kingdom which Jesus established just another kingdom like the ones we see about us? Does it operate on the same principles as Caesar’s?
Again and again, in other words, Mark has been pointing us to the true nature of God’s kingdom and the true character of Jesus, the King. In our text today, in the crucifixion of Jesus, that lesson comes to the forefront. Who is this man named Jesus? What does it mean that He is the King? What has He done for His people?