Mark 15

Pilate Puts Jesus on Trial

1Very early in the morning, the chief priests agreed on a verdict with the elders, the teachers of the law, and the whole Sanhedrin. They tied Jesus up, took him away, and turned him over to Pilate.

2“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

3The chief priests brought many charges against him. 4So Pilate questioned him again. “Aren’t you going to answer?” he asked. “Look at how many things they’re accusing you of!”

5But Jesus still didn’t reply, and Pilate was amazed.

6It was his usual practice to let one prisoner go free at the Passover Feast. The people could choose the one they wanted. 7A man named Barabbas was in prison with some others who had committed murder in a rebellion against Rome. 8The crowd came up and asked Pilate to release a prisoner for them as usual.

9“Do you want me to let the king of the Jews go free?” asked Pilate. 10He knew that the chief priests had brought Jesus to him for trial because they were jealous of him. 11But the chief priests riled up the crowd and got them to ask Pilate to let Barabbas go free instead.

12“Then what should I do with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

13“Crucify him!” they shouted.

14“Why? What has he done wrong?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted even more loudly, “Crucify him!”

15Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd, so he let Barabbas go free. But he ordered Jesus to be whipped, and then he handed him over to be nailed to a cross.

The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus

16The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace, which was called the Praetorium. There they called together the whole company of soldiers. 17They put a purple robe on Jesus, twisted thorns together to make a crown, and forced it onto his head. 18They pretended to greet him the way they would Caesar: “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19But then they repeatedly beat him on the head with a stick and spit on him. They fell on their knees and pretended to honor him. 20After they had made fun of him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to nail him to a cross.

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

21A man from Cyrene named Simon (he’s the father of Alexander and Rufus) was coming in from the country. When he went past the soldiers who were leading Jesus away, they stopped him and forced him to carry the cross. 22They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which means the Place of the Skull. 23They offered him wine mixed with spices, but he wouldn’t drink it. 24Then they nailed him to the cross. They divided up his clothes, casting lots to see what each of them would get.

25It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26They put up a written notice of the charge against him. It read,

the king of the jews.

27-28Two men who had rebelled against Rome were crucified with him, one on his right and the other on his left. 29Those who passed by shouted insults at Jesus. They shook their heads and said, “So, you’re going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days? 30Then come down from the cross! Save yourself!” 31The chief priests and teachers of the law made fun of him in the same way. They said to each other, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself! 32Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down from the cross now! If we see that, then we’ll believe.” Those who were being crucified with Jesus also insulted him.

Jesus Dies

33At noon, darkness covered the whole land. It lasted for three hours. 34At three o’clock in the afternoon, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (That means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”)

35Some of the people who were standing nearby heard Jesus cry out, and they said, “Listen! He’s calling for Elijah.”

36Someone ran and filled a sponge with wine vinegar. He lifted it up on a long stick and offered it to Jesus to drink. Then he said, “Now let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”

37With a loud cry, Jesus took his last breath.

38The curtain in front of the Most Holy Place in the temple was torn in half from top to bottom. 39When the Roman commander who was standing there in front of Jesus saw how he died, he exclaimed, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

40Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and Joseph, and Salome. 41These women had traveled with Jesus in Galilee and taken care of his needs. Other women had also come up with him to Jerusalem, and many of them were there too.

Jesus Is Buried

42It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). As evening approached, 43a man named Joseph from the town of Arimathea, who was a leading member of the Jewish Council and who was looking forward to the kingdom of God, went bravely to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 44Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead. He called for the Roman commander and asked if Jesus had already died. 45When the commander said that this was true, Pilate gave the body to Joseph. 46Then Joseph bought some linen cloth, took the body down, wrapped it in the cloth, and put it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. 47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body was placed.

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Mark 15

Pilate Questions Jesus

(Matthew 27:11–14; Luke 23:1–4; John 18:28–38)

1Early in the morning the chief priests immediately came to a decision with the leaders and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. The whole Jewish council decided to tie Jesus up, lead him away, and hand him over to Pilate.

2Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Yes, I am,” Jesus answered him.

3The chief priests were accusing him of many things.

4So Pilate asked him again, “Don’t you have any answer? Look how many accusations they’re bringing against you!”

5But Jesus no longer answered anything, so Pilate was surprised.

The Crowd Rejects Jesus

(Matthew 27:15–26; Luke 23:18–25; John 18:39–40)

6At every Passover festival, Pilate would free one prisoner whom the people asked for. 7There was a man named Barabbas in prison. He was with some rebels who had committed murder during a riot. 8The crowd asked Pilate to do for them what he always did. 9Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to free the king of the Jews for you?” 10Pilate knew that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous.

11The chief priests stirred up the crowd so that Pilate would free Barabbas for them instead.

12So Pilate again asked them, “Then what should I do with the king of the Jews?”

13“Crucify him!” they shouted back.

14Pilate said to them, “Why? What has he done wrong?”

But they shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”

15Pilate wanted to satisfy the people, so he freed Barabbas for them. But he had Jesus whipped and handed over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus

(Matthew 27:27–30; John 19:1–3)

16The soldiers led Jesus into the courtyard of the palace and called together the whole troop. 17They dressed him in purple, twisted some thorns into a crown, and placed it on his head. 18Then they began to greet him, “Long live the king of the Jews!” 19They kept hitting him on the head with a stick, spitting on him, and kneeling in front of him with false humility.

The Crucifixion

(Matthew 27:31–44; Luke 23:33–38; John 19:16b–24)

20After the soldiers finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the purple cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. 21A man named Simon from the city of Cyrene was coming ⌞into Jerusalem⌟ from his home in the country. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. As he was about to pass by, the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.

22They took Jesus to Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 23They tried to give him wine mixed with a drug called myrrh, but he wouldn’t take it. 24Next they crucified him. Then they divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice to see what each one would get. 25It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26There was a written notice of the accusation against him. It read, “The king of the Jews.”

27They crucified two criminals with him, one on his right and the other on his left.#15:27 Some manuscripts and translations add verse 28: “And what the Scriptures said came true: ‘He was counted with criminals.’ ”

29Those who passed by insulted him. They shook their heads and said, “What a joke! You were going to tear down God’s temple and build it again in three days. 30Come down from the cross, and save yourself!” 31The chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings made fun of him among themselves in the same way. They said, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself. 32Let the Messiah, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now so that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with him were insulting him.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

(Matthew 27:45–56; Luke 23:44–49; John 19:28–30)

33At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34At three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

35When some of the people standing there heard him say that, they said, “Listen! He’s calling Elijah.” 36Someone ran and soaked a sponge in vinegar. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus a drink. The man said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”

37Then Jesus cried out in a loud voice and died. 38The curtain in the temple was split in two from top to bottom.

39When the officer who stood facing Jesus saw how he gave up his spirit, he said, “Certainly, this man was the Son of God!”

40Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary from Magdala, Mary (the mother of young James and Joseph), and Salome. 41They had followed him and supported him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come to Jerusalem with him were there too.

Jesus Is Placed in a Tomb

(Matthew 27:57–61; Luke 23:50–56; John 19:38–42)

42It was Friday evening, before the day of rest—a holy day, 43when Joseph arrived. He was from the city of Arimathea and was an important member of the Jewish council. He, too, was waiting for God’s kingdom. Joseph boldly went to Pilate’s quarters to ask for the body of Jesus.

44Pilate wondered if Jesus had already died. So he summoned the officer to ask him if Jesus was, in fact, dead. 45When the officer had assured him that Jesus was dead, Pilate let Joseph have the corpse.

46Joseph had purchased some linen cloth. He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in the cloth. Then he laid the body in a tomb, which had been cut out of rock, and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47Mary from Magdala and Mary (the mother of Joses) watched where Jesus was laid.

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