Mark15

Jesus is brought before Pilate, who, despite finding no fault in him, yields to the chief priests and the multitude's demand to release Barabbas instead. Jesus is then scourged, mocked by soldiers, and led to Golgotha where he is crucified between two thieves. After a period of darkness, Jesus cries out and gives up the ghost, prompting the temple veil to be rent and a centurion to confess his divine sonship. Joseph of Arimathaea subsequently requests and buries Jesus' body in a rock-hewn sepulchre.

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Jesus Delivered to Pilate

And straightway in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate.

And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering saith unto him, Thou sayest.

And the chief priests accused him of many things.

And Pilate again asked him, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they accuse thee of.

But Jesus no more answered anything; insomuch that Pilate marvelled.

Now at the feast he used to release unto them one prisoner, whom they asked of him.

And there was one called Barabbas, lying bound with them that had made insurrection, men who in the insurrection had committed murder.

And the multitude went up and began to ask him to do as he was wont to do unto them.

And Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up.

But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.

And Pilate again answered and said unto them, What then shall I do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?

And they cried out again, Crucify him.

And Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, Crucify him.

And Pilate, wishing to content the multitude, released unto them Barabbas, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.

The Mockery of the King

And the soldiers led him away within the court, which is the Prætorium; and they call together the whole band.

And they clothe him with purple, and platting a crown of thorns, they put it on him;

and they began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!

And they smote his head with a reed, and spat upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.

And when they had mocked him, they took off from him the purple, and put on him his garments. And they lead him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

And they compel one passing by, Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them, that he might bear his cross.

And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.

And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.

And they crucify him, and part his garments among them, casting lots upon them, what each should take.

And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.

And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

And with him they crucify two robbers; one on his right hand, and one on his left.

Not present in the manuscripts this translation follows.

And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ha! thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,

save thyself, and come down from the cross.

In like manner also the chief priests mocking him among themselves with the scribes said, He saved others; himself he cannot save.

Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reproached him.

The Death of Jesus

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elijah.

And one ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to take him down.

And Jesus uttered a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

And the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom.

And when the centurion, who stood by over against him, saw that he so gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

And there were also women beholding from afar: among whom were both Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him; and many other women that came up with him unto Jerusalem.

The Burial

And when even was now come, because it was the Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,

there came Joseph of Arimathæa, a councillor of honorable estate, who also himself was looking for the kingdom of God; and he boldly went in unto Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.

And when he learned it of the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph.

And he bought a linen cloth, and taking him down, wound him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of a rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.

And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.

Study Notes for Mark 15

Verse 1

The Sanhedrin held a formal consultation in the morning to ratify their night trial and ensure the proceedings were legal before delivering Jesus to the Roman governor, Pilate, as only Rome could authorize capital punishment.

Verse 2

Jesus’ affirmation ('Thou sayest it') is a qualified acceptance of the title 'King of the Jews,' acknowledging the truth of the claim while rejecting the political and military definition Pilate assumed.

Verse 5

Jesus’ silence fulfills prophetic expectation (Isa. 53:7) and demonstrates his sovereign willingness to submit to the Father’s plan, astonishing the seasoned Roman governor.

Verse 6

The custom of releasing a prisoner at the Passover highlights the crowd’s ultimate rejection of the Messiah, setting up the critical choice between Jesus and Barabbas.

Verse 7

Barabbas was a revolutionary and murderer, symbolizing the violent resistance to Rome. The crowd’s choice of this rebel over the peaceful Christ underscores the tragic substitutionary nature of the event.

Verse 11

This verse emphasizes the active manipulation by the chief priests, who incited the populace to demand the release of Barabbas, ensuring Jesus’ execution.

Verse 15

Pilate’s decision was driven by political expediency ('willing to content the people'), prioritizing Roman order and his own career over justice. Scourging was a brutal beating often intended to bring the victim near death.

Verse 16

The Praetorium was the Roman governor’s official residence. The 'whole band' refers to a cohort or detachment of soldiers, gathered to participate in the humiliation of Jesus.

Verse 17

The soldiers mock Jesus by dressing him as a parody of royalty (purple robe, crown of thorns, mock salute), fulfilling the humiliation prophesied for the suffering servant.

Verse 21

Simon is identified by his sons, Alexander and Rufus, suggesting these men were known figures in the early Roman Christian community. Carrying the crossbeam (patibulum) was the condemned man's burden.

Verse 23

The wine mingled with myrrh was a narcotic intended to dull the intense pain of crucifixion. Jesus refused it, choosing to face the full suffering consciously.

Verse 24

The casting of lots for Jesus’ garments directly fulfills the prophecy found in Psalm 22:18, highlighting the divinely ordained nature of the events.

Verse 25

Mark’s specific mention of 'the third hour' (9:00 AM) fixes the timeline for the start of the crucifixion.

Verse 26

The inscription (titulus) stated the charge against the condemned. 'THE KING OF THE JEWS' was a political charge of sedition, confirming the reason for execution under Roman law.

Verse 28

This verse explicitly connects Jesus’ crucifixion alongside criminals to the prophecy in Isaiah 53:12, confirming that the Messiah would be 'numbered with the transgressors.'

Verse 32

The taunts reflect the ultimate theological challenge: if Jesus is the powerful Christ, he should save himself. Salvation, however, required him to remain on the cross and endure suffering.

Verse 33

The supernatural darkness lasting three hours (from noon to 3:00 PM) signifies divine judgment and mourning, recalling Old Testament prophecies of the Day of the Lord (Amos 8:9).

Verse 34

This cry, a quotation of Psalm 22:1, expresses the profound spiritual abandonment Jesus experienced as he bore the sin of humanity, facing the Father's wrath.

Verse 37

Jesus 'cried with a loud voice' before dying, suggesting his death was not simply due to exhaustion, but a voluntary yielding of his spirit in full control.

Verse 38

The tearing of the temple veil (which separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies) symbolizes the immediate access to God now available through Christ’s finished sacrifice, abolishing the old covenant system.

Verse 39

The centurion, a Gentile Roman officer, provides the first human confession of Jesus’ divine identity in the passion narrative, contrasting sharply with the failure of the disciples.

Verse 40

The presence of these faithful women contrasts with the disappearance of the male disciples. They serve as crucial, faithful witnesses to the death and subsequent burial.

Verse 42

The 'preparation' refers to Friday, the day before the Sabbath. Jewish law required the body to be interred before sundown (6:00 PM).

Verse 43

Joseph of Arimathaea, a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin, risked his reputation and safety by publicly associating with the executed 'King of the Jews,' demonstrating unusual courage and faith.

Verse 46

The burial in a rock-hewn tomb was typical for the wealthy. The sealing of the tomb ensures that the resurrection, when it occurs, cannot be explained away by theft or interference.

Verse 47

The women’s witnessing of the exact location of the burial is crucial, establishing them as the necessary witnesses for the subsequent discovery of the empty tomb.

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Mark15

Jesus Delivered to Pilate

The Mockery of the King

The Crucifixion

The Death of Jesus

The Burial

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