February 27– Reading Mark 15:1-20

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Are You King of the Jews?”  Mark 15:2a

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The Gospel according to Mark 15:1-20

We’ve read how Jesus was arrested, hauled into a mock hearing and trial in front of the High Priest of Israel and the Sanhedrin, who deemed Him worthy of death. He was knocked around a bit (for fun). Now, at dawn, the Sanhedrin “formally convened” and “officially sentenced” Jesus to death.

Problem:  THEY could not execute Jesus.

Under Roman rule, the Jews could not execute someone  (although later, they DID stone Stephen).  Also, to fulfill scripture, Jesus could not be stoned. He had to be “hanged” on a “tree,” and so become “cursed” by God for us.  (See Galatians 3:13, with Deuteronomy 21:23.)

Solution to the problem?

They had to convince the Roman Governor Pilate, who was in Jerusalem for Passover, that Jesus was worthy of Roman capital punishment.  It wouldn’t be simple (as you know, if you read all the Gospel accounts together), but they would succeed!

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Vss. 1-5.

The Jewish leaders (with the Temple guard) bound Jesus and took Him to the Pretorium, where Pilate judged cases.  The Governor would not have listened to a charge of blasphemy, so they came up with three accusations that were sure to catch Pilate’s attention (See Luke 23:2)

1. Misleading our nation
2. Forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar
3. Saying that He is Christ, a King.

Pilate jumped on that last one, because if Jesus was proclaiming Himself a King, that meant He was a rebel and insurrectionist against Caesar – a crime worthy of execution.

“ARE You a King?”  he asked Jesus.

“You have said so,” He answered.  By saying that, Jesus was indeed agreeing that He was the King of the Jews, but that Pilate had no “earthly” idea of what that meant.  Jesus answered no more questions, and Pilate seriously doubted He was a terrorist.

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Vss. 6-10.

It was a custom that, during Passover, Roman Governors would sometimes grant amnesty for a prisoner at the people’s request.  Pilate saw this as a possible way to release the harmless Jewish “wannabe king.”  Not a dummy, he KNEW that the Jewish leaders had accused Jesus of such a serious crime, because they were jealous of Him.  Pilate did not want to play up to them.  And … conveniently, he had in his dungeon right then a very vile criminal, who was really guilty of insurrection, as well as murder. His name was Barabbas (which weirdly means “son of the father!!”)

So, when the crowd outside asked him to do as he usually did and release a prisoner, Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?

(Remember, just five days earlier, Jesus had ridden triumphantly into Jerusalem to the cries of “Hosannah!” and “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” and “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosannah in the highest!”)

But the chief priests went through the crowd, stirring them up so much that they would as for Barabbas instead!

Surprised and confused, Pilate asked, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?”  He was not ready for their startling and brutal answer.

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Vss. 11-15 

“Crucify Him!” they shouted, responding to the urging of the Jewish leaders.

“Why?  What evil has He done?” Pilate asked.  He KNEW that crucifixion was “the cruelest and most hideous punishment possible.”

“Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!”  The riotist chant was repeated over and over.

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So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd (and not stir up a complaint against him to Rome),  released Barabbas for them.

(A lucky day for this criminal.  I wonder if he ever considered the Man who actually took his place on the cross … a visual of what Jesus did for each person who would ever believe in Him.)

Pilate then had Jesus scourged and condemned Him to be crucified.

(Scouraging was also a fearful thing.  It was done with a whip of metal-tipped leather thongs, which cut the flesh down to the bone and caused severe bleeding.  This torture would weaken the prisoner (sometimes to death) and intensify the pain for the following ordeal.)

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Oh, Jesus!  Thank You!