{"id":51785,"date":"2014-12-16T10:40:32","date_gmt":"2014-12-16T17:40:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/?page_id=51785"},"modified":"2014-12-16T11:37:07","modified_gmt":"2014-12-16T18:37:07","slug":"chapter-15","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/commentary\/mark\/chapter-15\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 15"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jesus before Pilate<\/span><\/h3>\n

15\u00a0<\/span>And as soon as it was morning…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Good Friday<\/p>\n

…the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council held a consultation; …<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

They came together to plot Jesus’ demise.<\/p>\n

…and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Jews weren’t allowed to administer capital punishment<\/p>\n

2<\/sup> And Pilate asked him, \u201cAre you the King of the Jews?\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This was the angle the Jews used to get the verdict that they wanted. They painted Jesus as a contender for Ceasar’s crown<\/p>\n

And he answered him, \u201cYou have said so.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus isn’t defending Himself<\/p>\n

3\u00a0<\/sup>And the chief priests accused him of many things.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever they could do to get the verdict they wanted.<\/p>\n

<\/span>4\u00a0<\/sup>And Pilate again asked him, \u201cHave you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.\u201d <\/span>5\u00a0<\/sup>But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate wondered.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Men usually try and defend themselves when their life is on the line.<\/p>\n

Pilate Hands Jesus over to Be Crucified<\/span><\/h3>\n

6\u00a0<\/sup>Now at the feast…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Passover<\/p>\n

…he used to release for them one prisoner whom they asked.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Public Relations between Rome and Jerusalem<\/p>\n

7\u00a0<\/sup>And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barab\u2032bas.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Barabbas was a criminal who actually had tried to overthrow the Romans. Ironically, he was far closer to what the people of the time were expecting of a Messiah.<\/p>\n

<\/span>8\u00a0<\/sup>And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he was wont to do for them. <\/span>9\u00a0<\/sup>And he answered them, \u201cDo you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?\u201d <\/span>10\u00a0<\/sup>For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Pilate isn’t an idiot. He’s worked in politics for long enough to know that their motives are self-seeking.<\/p>\n

<\/span>11\u00a0<\/sup>But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barab\u2032bas instead.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This demonstrates the power the leaders had over the people.<\/p>\n

Remember the great crowds which followed Jesus? Where are they now?<\/p>\n

<\/span>12\u00a0<\/sup>And Pilate again said to them, \u201cThen what shall I do with the man whom you call the King of the Jews?\u201d <\/span>13\u00a0<\/sup>And they cried out again, \u201cCrucify him.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The cruelest mode of execution in the ancient world. The victim suffocates to death.<\/p>\n

<\/span>14\u00a0<\/sup>And Pilate said to them, \u201cWhy, what evil has he done?\u201d But they shouted all the more, \u201cCrucify him.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

No reasoned explanation. They want Him dead because they want Him dead.<\/p>\n

<\/span>15\u00a0<\/sup>So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barab\u2032bas; and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

To keep the peace, Pilate gives them what they want.<\/p>\n

The Soldiers Mock Jesus<\/span><\/h3>\n

16\u00a0<\/sup>And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the praetorium); …<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Note the use of the Latin word.<\/p>\n

…and they called together the whole battalion.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Roman soldiers.<\/p>\n

17\u00a0<\/sup>And they clothed him in a purple cloak, …<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Purple was a sign of royalty<\/p>\n

…and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on him.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Again, another sign of royalty<\/p>\n

<\/span>18\u00a0<\/sup>And they began to salute him, \u201cHail, King of the Jews!\u201d <\/span>19\u00a0<\/sup>And they struck his head with a reed, and spat upon him, and they knelt down in homage to him.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

More mockery of Christ’s kingship<\/p>\n

<\/span>20\u00a0<\/sup>And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Fun time is over. It’s now time to kill him.<\/p>\n

The Crucifixion of Jesus<\/span><\/h3>\n

21\u00a0<\/sup>And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyre\u2032ne, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Allegorically, it points to our participation in Calvary, as well as echoing Jesus’ words about taking up our cross and following Him.<\/p>\n

Note the very specific details concerning who this guy was. Were Alexander and Rufus well known to the Early Church?<\/p>\n

22\u00a0<\/sup>And they brought him to the place called Gol\u2032gotha (which means the place of a skull). <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Note the translation.<\/p>\n

There are some interesting traditions about the significance of this location.<\/p>\n

23\u00a0<\/sup>And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh; but he did not take it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This was a painkiller, which Jesus rejected. This could be because of the fact that He was suffering for the world (which therefore shouldn’t be mitigated), but it could also relate to “The Fourth Cup” of the Passover (see Scott Hahn’s audio).<\/p>\n

24\u00a0<\/sup>And they crucified him, and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This was prophesied.<\/p>\n

<\/span>25\u00a0<\/sup>And it was the third hour, when they crucified him.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This was the hour when the lambs would be slaughtered in the Temple.<\/p>\n

<\/span>26\u00a0<\/sup>And the inscription of the charge against him read, \u201cThe King of the Jews.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This is what we see in Church – INRI.<\/p>\n

<\/span>27\u00a0<\/sup>And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus is identified with criminals<\/p>\n

29\u00a0<\/sup>And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads, and saying, \u201cAha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, <\/span>30\u00a0<\/sup>save yourself, and come down from the cross!\u201d\u00a031\u00a0<\/sup>So also the chief priests mocked him to one another with the scribes, saying, \u201cHe saved others; he cannot save himself. <\/span>32\u00a0<\/sup>Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.\u201d Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

More mockery.<\/p>\n

Fulfilled prophesy from Wisdom.<\/p>\n

Continued misunderstanding of what Jesus said about the Temple.<\/p>\n

The Death of Jesus<\/span><\/h3>\n

33\u00a0<\/sup>And when the sixth hour had come, …<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He has been hanging there for three hours.<\/p>\n

…there was darkness over the whole land\u00a0<\/span>until the ninth hour.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The sun is darkened for three hours.\u00a0See Moses on Sinai.<\/p>\n

34\u00a0<\/sup>And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, \u201cE\u2032lo-i, E\u2032lo-i, la\u2032ma sabach-tha\u2032ni?\u201d which means, \u201cMy God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He is quoting Psalm 22, a psalm that begins with a cry for help…but ends in vindication.<\/p>\n

<\/span>35\u00a0<\/sup>And some of the bystanders hearing it said, \u201cBehold, he is calling Eli\u2032jah.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Probably a mishearing of “Elo-i”.<\/p>\n

<\/span>36\u00a0<\/sup>And one ran and, filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink,\u00a0saying, \u201cWait, let us see whether Eli\u2032jah will come to take him down.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Fourth Cup of Consummation (Vinegar is soured wine).<\/p>\n

37\u00a0<\/sup>And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed his last.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Literally, “gave up the spirit”.<\/p>\n

<\/span>38\u00a0<\/sup>And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The separation between man and God has been broken.<\/p>\n

The Temple is revealed as being empty.<\/p>\n

The Temple is “mourning”<\/p>\n

39\u00a0<\/sup>And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that he thus\u00a0breathed his last, he said, \u201cTruly this man was the Son\u00a0of God!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Given that Mark’s Gospel is for Rome, it’s significant that here, at the climax of the Gospel, it is a Roman who recognizes who Jesus is.<\/p>\n

40\u00a0<\/sup>There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Mag\u2032dalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger\u00a0<\/span>and of Joses, and Salo\u2032me, <\/span>41\u00a0<\/sup>who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered to him; and also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Those who witnessed his death included:<\/p>\n