Mark 15
15
Jesus Before Pilate. 1#Mt 27:1–2, 11–14; Lk 23:1–3. As soon as morning came,#Jn 18:28. the chief priests with the elders and the scribes, that is, the whole Sanhedrin, held a council.#Held a council: the verb here, poieō, can mean either “convene a council” or “take counsel.” This reading is preferred to a variant “reached a decision” (cf. Mk 3:6), which Mk 14:64 describes as having happened at the night trial; see note on Mt 27:1–2. Handed him over to Pilate: lacking authority to execute their sentence of condemnation (Mk 14:64), the Sanhedrin had recourse to Pilate to have Jesus tried and put to death (Mk 15:15); cf. Jn 18:31. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. 2Pilate questioned him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”#The king of the Jews: in the accounts of the evangelists a certain irony surrounds the use of this title as an accusation against Jesus (see note on Mk 15:26). While Pilate uses this term (Mk 15:2, 9, 12), he is aware of the evil motivation of the chief priests who handed Jesus over for trial and condemnation (Mk 15:10; Lk 23:14–16, 20; Mt 27:18, 24; Jn 18:38; 19:4, 6, 12). He said to him in reply, “You say so.” 3The chief priests accused him of many things. 4Again Pilate questioned him, “Have you no answer? See how many things they accuse you of.” 5Jesus gave him no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.
The Sentence of Death.#See note on Mt 27:15–26. 6Now on the occasion of the feast he used to release to them one prisoner whom they requested.#Mt 27:15–26; Lk 23:17–25; Jn 18:39–40. 7A man called Barabbas#Barabbas: see note on Mt 27:16–17. was then in prison along with the rebels who had committed murder in a rebellion. 8The crowd came forward and began to ask him to do for them as he was accustomed. 9Pilate answered, “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” 10For he knew that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed him over. 11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 12Pilate again said to them in reply, “Then what [do you want] me to do with [the man you call] the king of the Jews?” 13#Crucify him: see note on Mt 27:22. They shouted again, “Crucify him.” 14Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” They only shouted the louder, “Crucify him.” 15#See note on Mt 27:26. So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and, after he had Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified.
Mockery by the Soldiers. 16#Praetorium: see note on Mt 27:27. #Mt 27:27–31; Jn 19:2–3. The soldiers led him away inside the palace, that is, the praetorium, and assembled the whole cohort. 17They clothed him in purple and, weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him. 18They began to salute him with, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him. They knelt before him in homage. 20And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him.
The Way of the Cross. 21They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian,#They pressed into service…Simon, a Cyrenian: a condemned person was constrained to bear his own instrument of torture, at least the crossbeam. The precise naming of Simon and his sons is probably due to their being known among early Christian believers to whom Mark addressed his gospel. See also notes on Mt 27:32; Lk 23:26–32. who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.#Mt 27:32; Lk 23:26.
The Crucifixion. 22#Mt 27:33–51; Lk 23:32–46; Jn 19:17–30. They brought him to the place of Golgotha (which is translated Place of the Skull). 23They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24#See notes on Mt 27:35 and Jn 19:23–25a. #Ps 22:18. Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take. 25It was nine o’clock in the morning#It was nine o’clock in the morning: literally, “the third hour,” thus between 9 a.m. and 12 noon. Cf. Mk 15:33, 34, 42 for Mark’s chronological sequence, which may reflect liturgical or catechetical considerations rather than the precise historical sequence of events; contrast the different chronologies in the other gospels, especially Jn 19:14. when they crucified him. 26#The inscription…the King of the Jews: the political reason for the death penalty falsely charged by the enemies of Jesus. See further the notes on Mt 27:37 and Jn 19:19. The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27With him they crucified two revolutionaries, one on his right and one on his left.#Lk 23:33. [28]#This verse, “And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘And he was counted among the wicked,’” is omitted in the earliest and best manuscripts. It contains a citation from Is 53:12 and was probably introduced from Lk 22:37. 29#See note on Mt 27:39–40. Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,#Jn 2:19. “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30save yourself by coming down from the cross.” 31Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves and said, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also kept abusing him.#Lk 23:39.
The Death of Jesus. 33At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”#An Aramaic rendering of Ps 22:2. See also note on Mt 27:46. which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”#Ps 22:2. 35#Elijah: a verbal link with Eloi (Mk 15:34). See note on Mk 9:9–13; cf. Mal 3:23–24. See also note on Mt 27:47. Some of the bystanders who heard it said, “Look, he is calling Elijah.” 36One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down.” 37Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38#See note on Mt 27:51–53. The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. 39#The closing portion of Mark’s gospel returns to the theme of its beginning in the Gentile centurion’s climactic declaration of belief that Jesus was the Son of God. It indicates the fulfillment of the good news announced in the prologue (Mk 1:1) and may be regarded as the firstfruit of the passion and death of Jesus. #Mt 27:54–56; Lk 23:47–49. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” 40#See note on Mt 27:55–56. There were also women looking on from a distance.#6:3; Lk 8:2–3. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome. 41These women had followed him when he was in Galilee and ministered to him. There were also many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
The Burial of Jesus. 42#Mt 27:57–61; Lk 23:50–56; Jn 19:38–42. When it was already evening, since it was the day of preparation, the day before the sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathea,#Joseph of Arimathea: see note on Mt 27:57–61. a distinguished member of the council, who was himself awaiting the kingdom of God, came and courageously went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44Pilate was amazed that he was already dead. He summoned the centurion and asked him if Jesus had already died. 45And when he learned of it from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. 46Having bought a linen cloth, he took him down, wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. 47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched where he was laid.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Mark 15
15
1And immediately in the morning the chief priests, having taken counsel with the elders and scribes and the whole sanhedrim, bound Jesus and carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate. 2And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered and said to him, Thou sayest. 3And the chief priests accused him urgently. 4And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? See of how many things they bear witness against thee. 5But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marvelled. 6But at the feast he released to them one prisoner, whomsoever they begged of him. 7Now there was the person named Barabbas bound with those who had made insurrection with him, and that had committed murder in the insurrection. 8And the crowd crying out began to beg that he would do to them as he had always done. 9But Pilate answered them saying, Will ye that I release to you the King of the Jews? 10for he knew that the chief priests had delivered him up through envy. 11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd that he might rather release Barabbas to them. 12And Pilate answering said to them again, What will ye then that I do to him whom ye call King of the Jews? 13And they cried out again, Crucify him. 14And Pilate said to them, What evil then has he done? But they cried out the more urgently, Crucify him.
15And Pilate, desirous of contenting the crowd, released to them Barabbas, and delivered up Jesus, when he had scourged him, that he might be crucified. 16And the soldiers led him away into the court which is called the praetorium, and they call together the whole band. 17And they clothe him with purple, and bind round on him a crown of thorns which they had plaited. 18And they began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! 19And they struck his head with a reed, and spat on him, and, bending the knee, did him homage. 20And when they had mocked him, they took the purple off him, and put his own clothes on him; and they lead him out that they may crucify him. 21And they compel to go with them a certain passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, coming from the field, the father of Alexander and Rufus, that he might carry his cross.
22And they bring him to the place called Golgotha, which, being interpreted, is Place of a skull. 23And they offered him wine to drink medicated with myrrh; but he did not take it. 24And having crucified him, they part his clothes amongst themselves, casting lots on them, what each one should take. 25And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. 26And the superscription of what he was accused of was written up: The King of the Jews. 27And with him they crucify two robbers, one on his right hand, and one on his left. 28And the scripture was fulfilled which says, And he was reckoned with the lawless. 29And they that passed by reviled him, shaking their heads, and saying, Aha, thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days, 30save thyself, and descend from the cross. 31In like manner the chief priests also, with the scribes, mocking with one another, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. 32Let the Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and may believe. And they that were crucified with him reproached him.
33And when the sixth hour was come, there came darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour; 34and 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? 35And some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calls for Elias. 36And one, running and filling a sponge with vinegar, fixed it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone, let us see if Elias comes to take him down. 37And Jesus, having uttered a loud cry, expired. 38And the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom. 39And the centurion who stood by over against him, when he saw that he had expired having thus cried out, said, Truly this man was Son of God. 40And there were women also looking on from afar off, among whom were both Mary of Magdala, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; 41who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him and ministered to him; and many others who came up with him to Jerusalem.
42And when it was already evening, since it was the preparation, that is, the day before a sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable councillor, who also himself was awaiting the kingdom of God, coming, emboldened himself and went in to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. 44And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and having called to him the centurion, he inquired of him if he had long died. 45And when he knew from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46And having bought fine linen, and having taken him down, he swathed him in the fine linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was cut out of rock, and rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre. 47And Mary of Magdala and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was put.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.