Jesus Before Pilate
Study note
The Jewish leaders hand Jesus over to the Roman governor Pilate, who asks whether he is the King of the Jews. Jesus' enigmatic reply and subsequent silence amaze Pilate, who recognizes that the charges are motivated by envy. Pilate offers to release Jesus under the Passover custom, but the crowd, stirred by the chief priests, demands Barabbas, a convicted murderer and insurrectionist. The irony is devastating: the innocent Son of God is condemned while a guilty rebel goes free, providing a vivid picture of the substitutionary nature of Jesus' death. Pilate, wanting to satisfy the crowd rather than do justice, has Jesus whipped and hands him over for crucifixion.
1 At the crack of dawn, the chief priests met with the elders, scribes, and the full council. They tied Jesus up, led him away, and turned him over to Pilate. And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.
2 Pilate asked him directly, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "Those are your words." And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it.
3 The chief priests threw one charge after another at him. But Jesus did not answer any of them. And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.
4 Pilate pressed him again: "You are not going to say anything? Listen to how many charges they are bringing against you!" And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.
5 But Jesus still refused to speak. Pilate could not believe it. But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.
6 Every year during the festival, Pilate would free one prisoner. The crowd got to pick which one. Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.
7 At that time, a man named Barabbas was in prison. He was locked up with others who had committed murder during a riot. And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.
8 A crowd came together. They asked Pilate to follow his usual custom. They wanted him to let a prisoner go free. And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.
9 Pilate asked them, "Would you like me to let the King of the Jews go free?" But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
10 He could tell that the chief priests had only handed Jesus over because they were jealous of him. For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.
11 But the chief priests worked the crowd into a frenzy, convincing them to demand the release of Barabbas instead. But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
12 Pilate turned back to the crowd and asked, "Then what am I supposed to do with the one you call the King of the Jews?" And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
13 They screamed back, "Nail him to a cross!" And they cried out again, Crucify him.
14 Pilate asked, "Why? What crime has he committed?" But they screamed louder, "Nail him to a cross!" Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.
15 Pilate wanted to keep the crowd happy, so he released Barabbas. Then he ordered his soldiers to whip Jesus and hand him over for crucifixion. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
Study note
Roman soldiers gather the entire cohort to humiliate Jesus, dressing him in purple, crowning him with thorns, and mockingly hailing him as King of the Jews. They strike his head, spit on him, and bow in mock worship. Every detail of their cruelty unwittingly proclaims the truth: Jesus is indeed a king, though his kingdom is established through suffering, not military might. After the mockery, they return his own clothes and lead him out for execution.
16 The soldiers took Jesus inside the governor's headquarters, called the Praetorium. They called the whole unit of soldiers together. And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Prætorium; and they call together the whole band.
17 They put a purple robe on him. Then they twisted together a crown made of thorns and jammed it onto his head. And they clothed him with purple, and plaited a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
18 They started mocking him with a fake salute: "Long live the King of the Jews!" And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!
19 They beat him on the head with a stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in phony worship. And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
20 When they finished making fun of him, they took off the purple robe. They put his own clothes back on and led him out to be crucified. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
Study note
Simon of Cyrene is compelled to carry Jesus' cross to Golgotha. Jesus refuses drugged wine, choosing to face death fully conscious. The soldiers crucify him at the third hour (9 AM), dividing his clothing by lot. The charge posted above him, 'THE KING OF THE JEWS,' is meant as mockery but proclaims the truth. Two criminals are crucified alongside him. Passersby, chief priests, and even the criminals hurl insults, challenging him to save himself and come down from the cross. The supreme irony of Mark's Gospel is that it is precisely by not saving himself that Jesus saves others.
21 A man named Simon from Cyrene -- the father of Alexander and Rufus -- was coming in from the countryside. The soldiers forced him to carry Jesus's cross. And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
22 They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha, which translates to "Skull Hill." And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.
23 They tried to give him wine mixed with myrrh as a painkiller, but he refused to drink it. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.
24 Then they nailed him to the cross. They split up his clothing among themselves by gambling to see who would get each piece. And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.
25 They crucified him at nine in the morning. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
26 A sign above his head displayed the charge: THE KING OF THE JEWS. And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
27 Two criminals were crucified alongside him, one on his right and one on his left. And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
28 This fulfilled the scripture that says, "He was grouped with criminals." And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
29 People walking by yelled insults at him, shaking their heads. "Ha! You said you would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days!" And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
30 "Well, save yourself! Come on down from that cross!" Save thyself, and come down from the cross.
31 The chief priests and scribes joined in, mocking him to each other: "He rescued others, but he cannot rescue himself!" Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
32 "If he truly is the Christ, the King of Israel, let him climb down from that cross right now. Then we will believe!" Even the criminals hanging beside him hurled insults at him. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
The Death of Jesus
Study note
Darkness covers the land from noon to 3 PM, and Jesus cries out Psalm 22:1 in Aramaic: 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' This cry of dereliction expresses the full weight of bearing humanity's sin and experiencing separation from the Father. After his final cry and death, the temple curtain tears from top to bottom, symbolizing that the barrier between God and humanity has been destroyed. The Roman centurion, a Gentile standing at the foot of the cross, makes the definitive confession of the Gospel: 'Truly this man was the Son of God.' In Mark's theology, it is only through the cross that Jesus' true identity can be fully understood.
33 At noon, darkness covered the entire land. It lasted until three in the afternoon. And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
34 At three o'clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" Those words mean, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
35 Some people nearby heard him and said, "Listen -- he is calling for Elias!" And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
36 Someone ran and soaked a sponge in sour wine, stuck it on a stick, and held it up to his lips. The man said, "Hold on -- let us see if Elias shows up to take him down." And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.
37 Jesus let out one last loud cry and took his final breath. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
38 Then, the huge curtain inside the temple ripped in two from top to bottom. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
39 The Roman officer standing before Jesus watched how he died. He said, "There is no doubt about it -- this man truly was the Son of God." And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
The Faithful Women
Study note
While the male disciples have fled, Mark notes that several women watch from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and Salome. These women had followed Jesus and served him since his ministry in Galilee and had come up with him to Jerusalem. Their faithful presence at the cross contrasts sharply with the disciples' abandonment and establishes them as key witnesses to the events of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.
40 A group of women stood watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene; Mary, the mother of James the less and Joses; and Salome. There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;
41 These women had followed Jesus and helped take care of him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had made the trip to Jerusalem with him were there too. (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
The Burial of Jesus
Study note
Joseph of Arimathaea, a respected council member who was waiting for the kingdom of God, boldly asks Pilate for Jesus' body. Pilate verifies that Jesus is dead through the centurion before releasing the body. Joseph wraps Jesus in linen and places him in a rock-cut tomb, rolling a stone across the entrance. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observe where he is laid, ensuring that the women know the exact location of the tomb for their return on Sunday morning. The burial confirms the reality of Jesus' death and sets the stage for the resurrection.
42 By this time it was evening. Since the next day was the Sabbath, this was the day of Preparation -- the day to get everything ready. And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
43 A man named Joseph of Arimathaea gathered his courage and went to see Pilate. Joseph was an important member of the council and someone who was eagerly waiting for God's kingdom. He asked Pilate for permission to take Jesus's body. Joseph of Arimathæa, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
44 Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus had already died. He called the centurion over and asked whether Jesus had truly been dead for a while. And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.
45 After the centurion said Jesus was dead, Pilate let Joseph take the body. And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
46 Joseph purchased a roll of fine linen, took Jesus's body down from the cross, and wrapped it in the cloth. He placed the body in a tomb carved out of solid rock and rolled a heavy stone across the entrance. And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.
47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched carefully. They saw exactly where the body was placed. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.