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.
Currently Selected:
Mark 15: GW
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
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 Delivered to Pilate
1 #
Matt. 27:1; Luke 22:66 And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests #ch. 3:6 held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And #Matt. 27:2 they bound Jesus and #Luke 23:1; John 18:28 led him away and #See ch. 10:33 delivered him over to #Luke 3:1; 13:1; Acts 3:13; 4:27; 1 Tim. 6:13Pilate. 2#For ver. 2-5, see Matt. 27:11-14; Luke 23:2, 3; John 18:29-38 And Pilate asked him, #ver. 9, 12, 18, 26; Matt. 2:2; John 18:39; 19:3; [ver. 32] “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, #[1 Tim. 6:13]; See Luke 22:70“You have said so.” 3And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4And Pilate again asked him, #[John 19:10]; See Matt. 26:63“Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5But Jesus #[See ver. 4 above]made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.
Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified
6 # For ver. 6-15, see Matt. 27:15-26; Luke 23:18-25; John 18:39, 40; 19:16 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7And among the rebels in prison, who had #Acts 3:14 committed murder #[Acts 5:36, 37]in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10For he perceived that #[John 12:19]it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with #[John 19:15]the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14And Pilate said to them, “Why? #[Luke 23:41; John 8:46]What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having #ch. 10:34; Isa. 50:6; 53:5; [Luke 23:16; John 19:1]scourged#15:15 A Roman judicial penalty, consisting of a severe beating with a multi-lashed whip containing embedded pieces of bone and metal Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
Jesus Is Mocked
16 # For ver. 16-20, see Matt. 27:27-31; John 19:2, 3 And the soldiers led him away inside #See Matt. 26:3 the palace (that is, #John 18:28, 33; 19:9; Acts 23:35; Phil. 1:13 (Gk.) the governor’s headquarters),#15:16 Greek the praetorium and they called together the whole #See Acts 10:1battalion.#15:16 Greek cohort; a tenth of a Roman legion, usually about 600 men 17And they clothed him in #Rev. 18:12, 16; [Luke 23:11]a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18And they began to salute him, #See ver. 2“Hail, King of the Jews!” 19And they were striking his head with a reed and #See ch. 14:65 spitting on him and #See Matt. 8:2kneeling down in homage to him. 20And when they had #ch. 10:34 mocked him, they stripped him of #[See ver. 17 above] the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they #Isa. 53:7led him out to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
21 #
Matt. 27:32; Luke 23:26; [John 19:17] And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22#For ver. 22-38, see Matt. 27:33-51; Luke 23:32-38, 44-46; John 19:17-19, 23, 24, 28-30And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23And they offered him wine mixed with #Matt. 2:11; See John 19:39myrrh, but he did not take it. 24And they crucified him and #Ps. 22:18divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25And #[John 19:14]it was the third hour#15:25 That is, 9 a.m. when they crucified him. 26And the inscription of the charge against him read, #ver. 2“The King of the Jews.” 27And with him they crucified two #[John 18:40] robbers, #[ch. 10:37]one on his right and one on his left.#15:27 Some manuscripts insert verse 28: And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “He was numbered with the transgressors” 29And #Ps. 22:7; 109:25; [Lam. 1:12] those who passed by derided him, #Job 16:4; Jer. 18:16; Lam. 2:15 wagging their heads and saying, #Ps. 35:25; 40:15 “Aha! #ch. 14:58You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, #[Luke 4:23] “He saved others; #[Matt. 26:53, 54; John 10:18]he cannot save himself. 32Let #See Matt. 1:17 the Christ, #John 1:49; 12:13; [ver. 26] the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may #John 20:29 see and believe.” #[Luke 23:39-43]Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.
The Death of Jesus
33And when the sixth hour#15:33 That is, noon had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.#15:33 That is, 3 p.m. 34And at the ninth hour Jesus #[Heb. 5:7] cried with a loud voice, #Cited from Ps. 22:1“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36And someone ran and filled a sponge with #Ruth 2:14 sour wine, put it on a reed #Ps. 69:21and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37And Jesus #ver. 34 uttered a loud cry and #[John 10:18]breathed his last. 38And #Ex. 26:31-33; 2 Chr. 3:14the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39#For ver. 39-41, see Matt. 27:54-56; Luke 23:47, 49 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he#15:39 Some manuscripts insert cried out and breathed his last, he said, #Matt. 27:43“Truly this man was the Son#15:39 Or a son of God!”
40There were also #John 19:25 women looking on #Ps. 38:11 from a distance, among whom were #See Luke 8:2, 3 Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and #ch. 16:1; [Matt. 27:56]Salome. 41When he was in Galilee, they followed him and #[See ver. 40 above] ministered to him, and there were also many other women who #Luke 2:4came up with him to Jerusalem.
Jesus Is Buried
42 # For ver. 42-47, see Matt. 27:57-61; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42 And when evening had come, since it was #See Matt. 27:62the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathea, #Acts 13:50; 17:12 a respected member of the council, who #Luke 2:25, 38was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died.#15:44 Or Pilate wondered whether he had already died And summoning #ver. 39the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45And when he learned from #[See ver. 44 above]the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46And Joseph#15:46 Greek he bought #See ch. 14:51 a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and #[Isa. 53:9] laid him in a tomb #Isa. 22:16 that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled #ch. 16:4; [John 11:38]a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47#ver. 40Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV: