Marcos 15

Marcos 15

Henry writes in Experiencing God: 'At times I went before the Heavenly Father, and I saw behind my daughter the Cross of Jesus Christ. I said, 'Father, don't ever let me look at circumstances and question your love for me. Your love for me was settled on the Cross. That has never changed and will never change for me.' Our love relationship with the Heavenly Father sustained us through a very difficult time.' God was pleased to heal Carrie and restore her to her family. But even if God had not done so, Henry Blackaby would have taken his stand on God's perfect love shown through His Son Jesus. In today's reading, Jesus continues down the road to the Cross. While He is on trial before the Sanhedrin, Peter is outside in the courtyard. As Jesus had predicted (Mk 14:29-31), out of fear Peter three times denies knowing his Lord. When he realizes what he's done (v. 72), Peter weeps over his faithlessness. We know that his repentance will bring Jesus' forgiveness (John 21:15-19). Meanwhile Jesus is taken to another trial, before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Blasphemy doesn't qualify as a capital crime here, so the Sanhedrin charges Jesus as a political rebel who is setting up his own kingdom (cf. John 18:36-37). Sensing that envy, not justice, motivates them, Pilate tries to duck responsibility by offering to release a prisoner. When the crowd calls for Barabbas's freedom and Jesus' death, he gives in to please them. Infected by the general atmosphere, the Roman soldiers taunt and strike Jesus. They even set a crown of thorns on His head little did they know that their badge of mockery would become to the church a symbol of love! TODAY ALONG THE WAY In his fear and weakness, Peter denied knowing or following Jesus. How about you? Do you own Christ publicly? Do your words and actions boldly proclaim your Savior? Do you know how to answer someone who asks you about your faith? To motivate you for witnessing, we suggest you memorize one of the following: Mark 8:38 or, if you're feeling more ambitious, 1 John 2:20-25. These verses impress upon us the seriousness of our responsibility to share the gospel. If we are ashamed of Christ, He will be ashamed of us. If we claim to know God, our actions should show it. And if we know that Jesus is the Christ, this truth should remain in us. Tomorrow we'll follow up on this and suggest a specific way you can witness to those around you. Mark 15:14 But Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they shouted all the more, "Crucify Him!" Why: Isa 53:9 Mt 27:4,19,24,54 Lu 23:4,14,15,21,41,47 Joh 18:38 Joh 19:6 Heb 7:26 1Pe 1:19 But they shouted : Ps 69:4 Isa 53:3 Mt 27:23-25 Lu 23:23,24 Joh 19:12-15 Ac 7:54-57 19:34 22:22,23 James Stalker - The Shipwreck of Pilate Mark 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 27:23-25+ And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!” 24When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” 25 And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” Luke 23:22-23+ And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” 23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. PILATE ATTEMPTS TO DEFUSE THE JEWS But - Term of contrast Pilate is still trying to turn the tide in favor of Jesus but they would have none of it. Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil (kakos) has He done (poieo)?" - Pilate was convinced Jesus was innocent so he makes an appeal to the crowd's sense of justice. They were only incensed by their injustice! It was a mob mentality by now and there was no reasoning with them! They smelled blood, the blood of the Lamb, on the very day 100's of lambs were being sacrificed in the Temple causing blood to flow down into the Kidron Valley! John MacArthur feels that Pilate said Jesus was innocent some 6 times quoting Jn 18:38; 19:4, 6; Lk 23:4, 14, 22. I am not convinced Luke's references are clearly distinct from the 3 "not guilty" verdicts in John 18:38, 19:4, 6, especially since Luke himself makes the statement in Lk 23:22 that for "the third time...I have found in Him no guilt." You be the judge. But - Term of contrast. Pilate says innocent, but they cry "guilty." The religious leaders have succeeded in stirring in mob into a bloodthirsty frenzy, to the point that they have no concern for justice but only desire the blood of Jesus! They shouted (krazo) all the more, "Crucify (stauroo - command in aorist imperative = Do it now!) Him!" - The crowd had no answer to Pilate but instead repeatedly commanded with their shrill cry of "Crucify Him!" CHRIST CONDEMNED Mark 15:1–15 - Croft Pentz Christ came to help man. He healed the sick. He fed the hungry. He performed miracles. He did many wonderful works. Now He is brought before the Sanhedrin for trial. 1. THE CONSULTING—vv. 1–5 2. THE CHOOSING—vv. 6–11 3. THE CONDEMNATION—vv. 12–15 It was our sin which helped crucify Christ. It was our sins that placed the nails into His hands. Though we were not there at His crucifixion, we helped crucify Him. Mark 15:15 Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified. NET Mark 15:15 Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then, after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified. NLT Mark 15:15 So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified. ESV Mark 15:15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. NIV Mark 15:15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. KJV Mark 15:15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. YLT Mark 15:15 and Pilate, wishing to content the multitude, released to them Barabbas, and delivered up Jesus -- having scourged him -- that he might be crucified. ASV Mark 15:15 And Pilate, wishing to content the multitude, released unto them Barabbas, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. CSB Mark 15:15 Then, willing to gratify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. And after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified. Wishing to satisfy the crowd: Pr 29:25 Ps 57:11 Mt 27:26 Lu 23:24,25 Joh 19:1,16 Ac 24:27 Ac 25:9 Ga 1:19 after having Jesus scourged: Mk 10:34 Ps 129:3 Isa 50:6 Mt 20:19 27:26 Lu 18:33 Joh 19:1 1Pe 2:24 Mark 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Isaiah 50:6 I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. Isaiah 53:5+ But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening (LXX = paideia) for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging (Hebrew = chabburah = stripe, blow, bruise; LXX = molops = MARKS LEFT BY A BLOW) we are healed. Matthew 27:24-26+ When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” 25 And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” (cf. Acts 5:28+).26 Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified. Luke 23:24+ And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. 25 And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will. (IT IS INTERESTING THAT LUKE IS THE ONLY GOSPEL WRITER WHO DOES NOT DESCRIBE THE FLOGGING). John 19:1,16+ Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him.....16 So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified. (JOHN GIVES CONSIDERABLE DETAIL ASSOCIATED WITH THE SCOURGING IN John 19:2-15, WITH John 19:4-15 FOUND ONLY IN JOHN'S ACCOUNT) Schematic of Roman Scourging - click to enlarge PILATE PERCEIVES CROWD READY TO RIOT! Matthew tell us Pilate was about to have a huge problem for "a riot was starting" (Mt 27:24+) and this crisis forced his hand. Wishing (boulomai) to satisfy (poieo) the crowd - Literally "wishing to content the multitude." The persistent cries of the crowd for Christ's crucifixion convinced Pilate "that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” (Mt 27:24+) THOUGHT - We need to learn from Pilate's fatal mistake to not make decisions that please the crowd. We need to base our decisions on what pleases the Lord. There is no middle ground of compromise. Solomon's words still ring loud, clear and truth... The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. -- Proverbs 29:25 Pilate released (apoluo - set free, pardoned) Barabbas for them - Jesus death brought temporal life to a murderer but Jesus' murder made eternal life possible for all who believe in Him. And after having Jesus scourged (phragelloo) - This fulfilled Jesus' prophecy in Mark 10:34+ declaring “They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.” This is similar to Isaiah 50:6 which records a prophecy that Messiah would be scourged, declaring "I gave My back to those who strike Me." Isaiah 53 also prophesied our Lord would be scourged... But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening (LXX = paideia) for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging (Hebrew = chabburah = stripe, blow, bruise; LXX = molops = MARKS LEFT BY A BLOW) we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5+) The scourging, crucifixion and resurrection fulfilled Jesus' prophecy in the Gospels: Mark 10:33-34+ “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles.“They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.” Matthew 20:18-19+ “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.” Luke 18:32-33+ For He will be handed over to the Gentiles (ROMAN SOLDIERS), and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, 33 and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.” NET Note- A Roman flogging (traditionally, "scourging") was an excruciating punishment. The victim was stripped of his clothes and bound to a post with his hands fastened above him (SEE DIAGRAM ABOVE) (or sometimes he was thrown to the ground). Guards standing on either side of the victim would incessantly beat him with a whip (flagellum) made out of leather with pieces of lead and bone inserted into its ends. While the Jews only allowed 39 lashes, the Romans had no such limit; many people who received such a beating died as a result. See C. Schneider, TDNT, 4:515–19. William Lane details for us the horrific beating and punishment scourging entailed: “A Roman scourging was a terrifying punishment. The delinquent was stripped, bound to a post or a pillar, or sometimes simply thrown to [the] ground, and was beaten by a number of guards until his flesh hung in bleeding shreds. The instrument indicated by the Marcan text, the dreaded flagellum, was a scourge consisting of leather thongs plaited with several pieces of bone or lead so as to form a chain. No maximum number of strokes was prescribed by Roman law, and men condemned to flagellation frequently collapsed and died from the flogging. Josephus records that he himself had some of his opponents in Galilee scourged until their entrails were visible (War II.xxi.5), while the procurator Albinus had the prophet Jesus bar Hanan scourged until his bones lay visible (War VI. v. 3).” (The Gospel According to Mark: The English Text - Page 557). Carl Schneider in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT Volume 4, page 519) has the following note on Jesus' scourging: The scourging of Jesus in Jn 19:1 and in the prophecies of the passion in Mt. 20:19 == Mk. 10:34 == Lk. 18:33 is not the synagogue punishment but the Roman verberatio. Mt. 27:26 = Mk. 15:15 have the Lat. loan word φραγελλόω (phragelloo)instead of μαστιγόω (mastigoo). Lk. 23:16 has the weaker παιδεύσας (paideuo) and says nothing about its execution (ED: THAT IS LUKE DOES NOT DESCRIBE THE CARRYING OUT OF THE SCOURGING). Here is one of the many instances of Luke’s softening of the passion story. John seems to think in terms of a compromise between true verberatio and a separate whipping. The aim of Pilate is to awaken pity by the scourging. It seems as though he wants to impose only a scourging without crucifixion. (This would be a kind of examination, cf. 3. and Schl. J. on 19:1.) According to Roman law the verberatio always accompanied a capital sentence, condemnatio ad metalla, and other degrading punishments with the loss of freedom or civil rights.17 In many cases it was itself fatal. It usually preceded crucifixion.18 It was so terrible that even Domitian was horrified by it.19 Women were exempted.20 We know little about the details. The number of strokes was not prescribed. It continued until the flesh hung down in bloody shreds. Slaves administered it, and the condemned person was tied to a pillar.21 He handed Him over (paradidomi) to be crucified (stauroo) - NLT = "turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified." In context Jesus was delivered over not to the Jews but to the Roman soldiers (Mk 15:16). John