Mark 15
15
Standing Before Pilate
1At dawn’s first light, the high priests, with the religious leaders and scholars, arranged a conference with the entire Jewish Council. After tying Jesus securely, they took him out and presented him to Pilate.
2-3Pilate asked him, “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?”
He answered, “If you say so.” The high priests let loose a barrage of accusations.
4-5Pilate asked again, “Aren’t you going to answer anything? That’s quite a list of accusations.” Still, he said nothing. Pilate was impressed, really impressed.
6-10It was a custom at the Feast to release a prisoner, anyone the people asked for. There was one prisoner called Barabbas, locked up with the insurrectionists who had committed murder during the uprising against Rome. As the crowd came up and began to present its petition for him to release a prisoner, Pilate anticipated them: “Do you want me to release the King of the Jews to you?” Pilate knew by this time that it was through sheer spite that the high priests had turned Jesus over to him.
11-12But the high priests by then had worked up the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas. Pilate came back, “So what do I do with this man you call King of the Jews?”
13They yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”
14Pilate objected, “But for what crime?”
But they yelled all the louder, “Nail him to a cross!”
15Pilate gave the crowd what it wanted, set Barabbas free and turned Jesus over for whipping and crucifixion.
16-20The soldiers took Jesus into the palace (called Praetorium) and called together the entire brigade. They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thornbush on his head. Then they began their mockery: “Bravo, King of the Jews!” They banged on his head with a club, spit on him, and knelt down in mock worship. After they had had their fun, they took off the purple cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they marched out to nail him to the cross.
The Crucifixion
21There was a man walking by, coming from work, Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. They made him carry Jesus’ cross.
22-24The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha, meaning “Skull Hill.” They offered him a mild painkiller (wine mixed with myrrh), but he wouldn’t take it. And they nailed him to the cross. They divided up his clothes and threw dice to see who would get them.
25-30They nailed him up at nine o’clock in the morning. The charge against him—the king of the jews—was scrawled across a sign. Along with him, they crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: “You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you’re really God’s Son, come down from that cross!”
31-32The high priests, along with the religion scholars, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: “He saved others—but he can’t save himself! Messiah, is he? King of Israel? Then let him climb down from that cross. We’ll all become believers then!” Even the men crucified alongside him joined in the mockery.
33-34At noon the sky became extremely dark. The darkness lasted three hours. At three o’clock, Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
35-36Some of the bystanders who heard him said, “Listen, he’s calling for Elijah.” Someone ran off, soaked a sponge in sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”
37-39But Jesus, with a loud cry, gave his last breath. At that moment the Temple curtain ripped right down the middle. When the Roman captain standing guard in front of him saw that he had quit breathing, he said, “This has to be the Son of God!”
Taken to a Tomb
40-41There were women watching from a distance, among them Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and Joses, and Salome. When Jesus was in Galilee, these women followed and served him, and had come up with him to Jerusalem.
42-45Late in the afternoon, since it was the Day of Preparation (that is, Sabbath eve), Joseph of Arimathea, a highly respected member of the Jewish Council, came. He was one who lived expectantly, on the lookout for the kingdom of God. Working up his courage, he went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate questioned whether he could be dead that soon and called for the captain to verify that he was really dead. Assured by the captain, he gave Joseph the corpse.
46-47Having already purchased a linen shroud, Joseph took him down, wrapped him in the shroud, placed him in a tomb that had been cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the opening. Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of Joses, watched the burial.
Currently Selected:
Mark 15: MSG
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Mark 15
15
Jesus Before Pilate
Mt 27:1–2, 11–14; Lk 23:1–5; Jn 18:28–38
1#Mt 27:1–2; Lk 22:66Early in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole Sanhedrin. And they bound Jesus and took Him away and handed Him over to Pilate.
2#Mt 2:2; 1Ti 6:13Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
He answered him, “You have said so.”
3#Isa 53:7The chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. 4#Jn 19:10So Pilate asked Him again, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You.”
5But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate was astonished.
Jesus Sentenced to Die
Mt 27:15–26; Lk 23:13–25; Jn 18:39–19:16
6#Jn 18:39–40Now at the feast he always released to them one prisoner, whomever they requested. 7There was one named Barabbas, who had committed murder in the insurrection and was bound with the rebels. 8The crowd began crying aloud, asking Pilate to do as he had always done for them.
9He answered them, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 10For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over out of envy. 11#Ac 3:14But the chief priests stirred the people, so that he should instead release Barabbas to them.
12Pilate answered them again, “What then would you have me do to Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
13They again cried out, “Crucify Him!”
14#Lk 23:41Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out even more, “Crucify Him!”
15#Mt 27:26; Jn 19:1So Pilate, resolving to satisfy the people, released Barabbas to them. And when he had scourged Jesus, he handed Him over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
Mt 27:27–31; Jn 19:2–3
16#Jn 18:28; 19:9The soldiers led Him away to Praetorium Hall, and they called together the entire battalion. 17#Lk 23:11They clothed Him with a purple robe. And they wove a crown of thorns and put it on His head, 18and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19#Mk 14:65They struck His head with a staff and spit on Him. And bowing their knees, they worshipped Him. 20When they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off of Him and put His own garments on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him.
The Crucifixion
Mt 27:32–44; Lk 23:26–43; Jn 19:17–27
21#Mt 27:32; Lk 23:26; Ro 16:13They compelled a man named Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was passing through from the country, to bear Jesus’ cross. 22#Mt 27:33–44They brought Him to the place called Golgotha, which means, “Place of a Skull.” 23#Mt 27:34They gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. 24When they had crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them, to decide what each man should take.
25#Mk 15:33; Jn 19:14Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. 26#Mt 27:37The inscription of His accusation was written above:
THE KING OF THE JEWS.
27With Him they crucified two thieves, one on His right and the other on His left. 28And the Scripture was fulfilled, which says, “He was numbered with the lawless ones.”#Isa 53:12. 29#Ps 109:25; Mk 14:58Those who passed by blasphemed Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Ah, You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31Likewise the chief priests mocked Him among themselves with the scribes and said, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! 32#Lk 23:39–43; Mt 27:44Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with Him also reviled Him.
The Death of Jesus
Mt 27:45–56; Lk 23:44–49; Jn 19:28–30
33#Mt 27:45; Mk 15:25; Lk 23:44–45When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34#Ps 22:1; Mt 27:46; Lk 23:46And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”#Ps 22:1.
35Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, “Listen, He is calling Elijah!”
36#Ps 69:21; Mk 15:23One man ran and filled a sponge with vinegar, put it on a stick, and gave it to Him to drink, saying, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”
37#Jn 19:30; Mt 27:50But Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the spirit.
38#Lk 23:45And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39#Mt 27:54; 27:43When the centurion#Commander with the rank of captain over 100 soldiers. who stood facing Him saw that He cried out and gave up the spirit, he said, “Truly, this Man was the Son of God.”
40#Ps 38:11; Mt 27:55–56There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joseph, and Salome. 41#Lk 8:2–3They also had followed Him and had ministered to Him when He was in Galilee. And many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem were there.
The Burial of Jesus
Mt 27:57–61; Lk 23:50–56; Jn 19:38–42
42When the evening had come, because it was the Day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43#Lk 2:25; 2:38Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable member of the Council, who also waited for the kingdom of God, came and went in boldly to Pilate, and requested the body of Jesus. 44Pilate wondered if He were already dead. And calling for the centurion, he asked him whether He had been dead for a while. 45When he learned about it from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46#Isa 22:16; 53:9So he bought fine linen, and taking Him down, wrapped Him in the linen and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47#Mk 15:40; 16:1Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph 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
Military Bible Association