Mark 15
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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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Mark 15
15
Jesus’ Trial before Pilate
1Very early in the morning the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law—the entire high council#15:1 Greek the Sanhedrin; also in 15:43.—met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
2Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
3Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes, 4and Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?” 5But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate’s surprise.
6Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner—anyone the people requested. 7One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising. 8The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner as usual.
9“Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked. 10(For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) 11But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. 12Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”
13They shouted back, “Crucify him!”
14“Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”
But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”
15So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
16The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the governor’s headquarters (called the Praetorium) and called out the entire regiment. 17They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head. 18Then they saluted him and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 19And they struck him on the head with a reed stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship. 20When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.
The Crucifixion
21A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene,#15:21 Cyrene was a city in northern Africa. was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. (Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.) 22And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). 23They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it.
24Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice#15:24 Greek cast lots. See Ps 22:18. to decide who would get each piece. 25It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26A sign announced the charge against him. It read, “The King of the Jews.” 27Two revolutionaries#15:27a Or Two criminals. were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.#15:27b Some manuscripts add verse 28, And the Scripture was fulfilled that said, “He was counted among those who were rebels.” See Isa 53:12; also compare Luke 22:37.
29The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. 30Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
31The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! 32Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.
The Death of Jesus
33At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 34Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”#15:34 Ps 22:1.
35Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 36One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!”
37Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. 38And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
39When the Roman officer#15:39a Greek the centurion; similarly in 15:44, 45. who stood facing him#15:39b Some manuscripts add heard his cry and. saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
40Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph#15:40 Greek Joses; also in 15:47. See Matt 27:56.), and Salome. 41They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there.
The Burial of Jesus
42This all happened on Friday, the day of preparation,#15:42 Greek It was the day of preparation. the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, 43Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.) 44Pilate couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet. 45The officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. 46Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. 47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body was laid.
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