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.
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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
1And immediately, in the morning, the chief priests having made a consultation, with the elders, and scribes, and the whole sanhedrim, having bound Jesus, did lead away, and delivered [him] to Pilate;
2and Pilate questioned him, ‘Art thou the king of the Jews?’ and he answering said to him, ‘Thou dost say [it].’
3And the chief priests were accusing him of many things, [but he answered nothing.]
4And Pilate again questioned him, saying, ‘Thou dost not answer anything! lo, how many things they do testify against thee!’
5and Jesus did no more answer anything, so that Pilate wondered.
6And at every feast he was releasing to them one prisoner, whomsoever they were asking;
7and there was [one] named Barabbas, bound with those making insurrection with him, who had in the insurrection committed murder.
8And the multitude having cried out, began to ask for themselves as he was always doing to them,
9and Pilate answered them, saying, ‘Will ye [that] I shall release to you the king of the Jews?’
10for he knew that because of envy the chief priests had delivered him up;
11and the chief priests did move the multitude, that he might rather release Barabbas to them.
12And Pilate answering, again said to them, ‘What, then, will ye [that] I shall do to him whom ye call king of the Jews?’
13and they again cried out, ‘Crucify him.’
14And Pilate said to them, ‘Why — what evil did he?’ and they cried out the more vehemently, ‘Crucify him;’
15and Pilate, wishing to content the multitude, released to them Barabbas, and delivered up Jesus — having scourged [him] — that he might be crucified.
16And the soldiers led him away into the hall, which is Praetorium, and call together the whole band,
17and clothe him with purple, and having plaited a crown of thorns, they put [it] on him,
18and began to salute him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews.’
19And they were smiting him on the head with a reed, and were spitting on him, and having bent the knee, were bowing to him,
20and when they [had] mocked him, they took the purple from off him, and clothed him in his own garments, and they led him forth, that they may crucify him.
21And they impress a certain one passing by — Simon, a Cyrenian, coming from the field, the father of Alexander and Rufus — that he may bear his cross,
22and they bring him to the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, ‘Place of a skull;’
23and they were giving him to drink wine mingled with myrrh, and he did not receive.
24And having crucified him, they were dividing his garments, casting a lot upon them, what each may take;
25and it was the third hour, and they crucified him;
26and the inscription of his accusation was written above — ‘The King of the Jews.’
27And with him they crucify two robbers, one on the right hand, and one on his left,
28and the Writing was fulfilled that is saying, ‘And with lawless ones he was numbered.’
29And those passing by were speaking evil of him, shaking their heads, and saying, ‘Ah, the thrower down of the sanctuary, and in three days the builder!
30save thyself, and come down from the cross!’
31And in like manner also the chief priests, mocking with one another, with the scribes, said, ‘Others he saved; himself he is not able to save.
32The Christ! the king of Israel — let him come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe;’ and those crucified with him were reproaching him.
33And the sixth hour having come, darkness came over the whole land till the ninth hour,
34and at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a great voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabachthani?’ which is, being interpreted, ‘My God, my God, why didst Thou forsake me?’
35And certain of those standing by, having heard, said, ‘Lo, Elijah he doth call;’
36and one having run, and having filled a spunge with vinegar, having put [it] also on a reed, was giving him to drink, saying, ‘Let alone, let us see if Elijah doth come to take him down.’
37And Jesus having uttered a loud cry, yielded the spirit,
38and the veil of the sanctuary was rent in two, from top to bottom,
39and the centurion who was standing over-against him, having seen that, having so cried out, he yielded the spirit, said, ‘Truly this man was Son of God.’
40And there were also women afar off beholding, among whom was also Mary the Magdalene, and Mary of James the less, and of Joses, and Salome,
41(who also, when he was in Galilee, were following him, and were ministering to him,) and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
42And now evening having come, seeing it was the preparation, that is, the foresabbath,
43Joseph of Arimathea, an honourable counsellor, who also himself was waiting for the reign of God, came, boldly entered in unto Pilate, and asked the body of Jesus.
44And Pilate wondered if he were already dead, and having called near the centurion, did question him if he were long dead,
45and having known [it] from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.
46And he, having brought fine linen, and having taken him down, wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre that had been hewn out of a rock, and he rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre,
47and Mary the Magdalene, and Mary of Joses, were beholding where he is laid.
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