Mark 15:30 kjv
Save thyself, and come down from the cross.
Mark 15:30 nkjv
save Yourself, and come down from the cross!"
Mark 15:30 niv
come down from the cross and save yourself!"
Mark 15:30 esv
save yourself, and come down from the cross!"
Mark 15:30 nlt
Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!"
Mark 15 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 27:40 | "You who destroy the temple... save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." | Direct parallel mockery; challenges identity. |
| Lk 23:37 | "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!" | Soldiers' identical taunt, challenging kingship. |
| Lk 23:39 | "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" | Criminal's mocking request for self-preservation. |
| Isa 53:3 | "He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." | Prophecy of suffering Messiah. |
| Isa 53:5 | "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities." | Substitutionary atonement; suffering for others. |
| Ps 22:6-8 | "But I am a worm and no man... All who see me mock me." | Prophetic psalm of crucifixion mockery. |
| Ps 69:19-20 | "You know my reproach... Reproach has broken my heart." | Describes the deep sorrow of scorn. |
| Phil 2:6-8 | "...He emptied Himself... became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." | Christ's humility and voluntary sacrifice. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." | Christ took on sin for our sake. |
| Rom 5:8 | "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." | Divine love manifest through His death. |
| Jn 10:17-18 | "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me..." | Jesus' willing sacrifice; authority over life. |
| Jn 15:13 | "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." | The ultimate act of selfless love. |
| Matt 4:3-4 | "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread... 'Man shall not live by bread alone...'" | Satan's temptation to use power for self. |
| Matt 16:21-23 | "...He must suffer many things... Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him..." | Peter's temptation for Jesus to avoid suffering. |
| Lk 4:9-11 | "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here..." | Satan's temptation to prove identity by self-display. |
| Heb 12:2 | "...looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross..." | Jesus endured the cross by choice, not coercion. |
| Acts 2:23 | "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken..." | God's sovereign plan behind the crucifixion. |
| Acts 4:27-28 | "...both Herod and Pontius Pilate... did whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done." | Execution of God's foreordained plan. |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | "...but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." | Christ's perfect sacrifice for redemption. |
| Col 2:14-15 | "...having nailed it to the cross... triumphing over them in it." | The cross as a place of victory. |
| Lk 17:20-21 | "The kingdom of God does not come with observation... the kingdom of God is within you." | Misconception of an outwardly spectacular kingdom. |
Mark 15 verses
Mark 15 30 Meaning
Mark 15:30 captures a profound moment of intense mockery during Christ's crucifixion, as passersby challenge Jesus, taunting Him to save Himself and descend from the cross. This demand, uttered in derision, presents a paradoxical challenge: it is precisely by not saving Himself that Jesus accomplishes the salvation of humanity. The verse highlights the profound misunderstanding of His Messiahship, as His mockers expected a worldly savior who would demonstrate power by escaping suffering, rather than enduring it for redemptive purposes.
Mark 15 30 Context
Mark 15:30 is set in the immediate aftermath of Jesus' crucifixion, following the drawing of lots for His garments and the placing of the inscription "THE KING OF THE JEWS" above His head. He is hanging on the cross between two criminals. The mocking in this verse comes from those "passing by" (Mark 15:29) – including the chief priests and scribes (Mark 15:31), representing the religious authorities. Their taunts underscore the pervasive misunderstanding of Jesus' identity and mission among both Jewish leaders and the general populace. They expected a triumphant, powerful Messiah who would visibly demonstrate divine power, not one suffering humiliation and death. The specific challenge to "save yourself" directly contradicts Jesus' messianic purpose of saving others through His self-sacrifice.
Mark 15 30 Word analysis
- Save (Greek: σῷσον, sōson): This is an imperative verb, commanding an action of rescue or deliverance. In this context, it is demanded from a human perspective – physical escape from suffering and death on the cross. The irony is profound: the one being told to save Himself is precisely the one who is the Savior, and His very act of not saving Himself is the means by which He achieves salvation for all humanity (Heb 9:12, Heb 10:10). The crowd's limited view restricts "save" to immediate physical deliverance, failing to grasp the eternal, spiritual salvation Christ was securing.
- Yourself (Greek: σεαυτόν, seauton): This reflexive pronoun emphasizes the subject of the saving action. The taunt focuses Jesus on self-preservation, directly antithetical to His divine nature and redemptive purpose (Jn 3:16, Rom 5:8). Christ came not to save Himself but to lay down His life for others. The self-serving implication of this demand starkly contrasts with His example of selfless love (Jn 15:13, Eph 5:2).
- And (Greek: καί, kai): A simple conjunction connecting the two imperative commands. It implies a causal link: if He saved Himself, the logical follow-up would be to come down from the cross. It strings together their derision into a single, cohesive challenge.
- Come down (Greek: κατάβηθι, katabēthi): Another imperative, urging a physical descent. This signifies a demand for an immediate, visible display of miraculous power that would avert His suffering and prove His claim to be the Messiah according to their expectations (Matt 27:40, Lk 23:37). Had He come down, the sacrifice would have been aborted, nullifying the atoning work (Heb 9:22). His staying on the cross, despite the power to descend, demonstrates His unwavering commitment to His mission and obedience to the Father's will (Phil 2:8).
- From the cross (Greek: ἀπὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ, apo tou staurou): "Cross" (σταυρός, stauros) refers to the instrument of agonizing Roman execution, a symbol of public humiliation and death. In Christian theology, the cross is the central locus of atonement, where sin and death were defeated (Col 2:14-15). The mockers, in demanding His descent, wished to invalidate the very event God had ordained for human salvation (Acts 2:23). Their taunt targeted the visible sign of His impending sacrifice, hoping to negate its meaning.
Words-group analysis:The entire phrase "Save yourself, and come down from the cross!" functions as a complete expression of ultimate derision and a profound theological challenge. It encapsulates humanity's fallen tendency to judge God by human standards, demanding visible displays of power rather than accepting humble self-sacrifice. This group of words simultaneously reflects satanic temptation (reminiscent of the temptations in the wilderness to use divine power for selfish ends, Matt 4:1-11), human unbelief, and a profound misunderstanding of the true nature of the Messiah and His kingdom. The mockers unknowingly articulate the very means of Christ's triumph: His willingness not to save Himself ensured humanity's salvation.
Mark 15 30 Bonus section
The taunt in Mark 15:30 echoes themes of testing and temptation throughout Jesus' ministry. It resonates with Satan's wilderness temptations for Jesus to use His divine power for personal comfort or gain (Matt 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). It also reflects Peter's well-intentioned but misguided rebuke, "Far be it from You, Lord! This shall not happen to You!" (Matt 16:22), when Jesus foretold His suffering. In all these instances, the temptation is for Jesus to choose a path other than that of suffering and self-sacrifice, which was God's redemptive plan. His steadfast refusal to "save Himself" demonstrates perfect obedience to the Father's will, ensuring the New Covenant was established through His blood (Mk 14:24). The very demand to abandon the cross signifies a deep spiritual blindness to the path of true salvation and resurrection power.
Mark 15 30 Commentary
Mark 15:30 succinctly captures the raw irony and theological depth of Christ's crucifixion. The taunt, "Save yourself, and come down from the cross!", perfectly articulates the world's misunderstanding of the Suffering Servant (Isa 53). His mockers demanded a self-serving savior who would rescue Himself from indignity, a dramatic display of power consistent with their flawed expectations of a conquering Messiah. Yet, Jesus' entire mission revolved around saving others by not saving Himself. His endurance on the cross, despite having the power to descend, was the supreme act of obedient love and sacrificial atonement. Had He come down, it would have validated their earthly expectations but nullified God's redemptive plan (Heb 9:22). The scorn of the crowd, fueled by unbelief and satanic temptation, inadvertently highlighted the profound nature of Christ's choice: His vulnerability was His victory, and His apparent weakness on the cross was the very display of power that defeated sin and death (Col 2:15).