The Gospels · New Testament
Mark 15
Mark 15: Pilate, Golgotha, and the veil rent in twain
General context
In the morning the council binds Jesus and delivers him to Pilate. Asked whether he is the King of the Jews he says only that Pilate says it, and then answers nothing at all, so that Pilate marvels. At the feast Pilate used to release a prisoner; Barabbas lay bound with insurrectionists who had committed murder. Pilate offers the King of the Jews, knowing the priests delivered him for envy, but they move the people to ask for Barabbas. When Pilate asks what evil he has done they only cry the more. Willing to content them, he releases Barabbas and delivers Jesus, scourged, to be crucified. The soldiers clothe him in purple, crown him with thorns, hail him as King of the Jews, strike his head with a reed, spit on him and kneel in mockery. Simon a Cyrenian, father of Alexander and Rufus, is compelled to bear the cross. At Golgotha, which the text renders as the place of a skull, he refuses wine mixed with myrrh; they crucify him at the third hour, part his garments by lot, and write over him THE KING OF THE JEWS, with two thieves beside him. Passers-by, priests and scribes, and the two crucified with him mock. From the sixth hour to the ninth there is darkness; he cries out words the text translates as asking why God has forsaken him, and dies with a loud cry. The temple veil is torn in two, and the centurion says this man was the Son of God. Women watch from far off, among them Mary Magdalene and Salome. In the evening Joseph of Arimathea asks Pilate for the body, wraps it in linen, lays it in a rock sepulchre and rolls a stone to the door, while two women watch.
Cited passages: Mark 15:1, Mark 15:2, Mark 15:3, Mark 15:4, Mark 15:5, Mark 15:6, Mark 15:7, Mark 15:8, Mark 15:9, Mark 15:10, Mark 15:11, Mark 15:12, Mark 15:13, Mark 15:14, Mark 15:15, Mark 15:16, Mark 15:17, Mark 15:18, Mark 15:19, Mark 15:20, Mark 15:21, Mark 15:22, Mark 15:23, Mark 15:24, Mark 15:25, Mark 15:26, Mark 15:27, Mark 15:28, Mark 15:29, Mark 15:30, Mark 15:31, Mark 15:32, Mark 15:33, Mark 15:34, Mark 15:35, Mark 15:36, Mark 15:37, Mark 15:38, Mark 15:39, Mark 15:40, Mark 15:41, Mark 15:42, Mark 15:43, Mark 15:44, Mark 15:45, Mark 15:46, Mark 15:47
Mark 15 (KJV)
1And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.
2And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it.
3And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.
4And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.
5But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.
6Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.
7And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.
8And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.
9But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
10For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.
11But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
12And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
13And they cried out again, Crucify him.
14Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.
15And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
16And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Prætorium; and they call together the whole band.
17And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
18And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!
19And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
20And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
21And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
22And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.
23And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.
24And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.
25And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
26And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
27And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
28And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
29And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
30Save thyself, and come down from the cross.
31Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
32Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
33And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
35And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
36And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.
37And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
38And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
39And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
40There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;
41(Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
42And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
43Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
44And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.
45And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
46And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.
47And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.
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Historical context
Mark identifies Simon of Cyrene by his sons Alexander and Rufus, who are named and not described further. He interprets two things for his readers, Golgotha and the cry from the cross, each with "being interpreted". Two clock markers are given, the third hour for the crucifixion and the sixth to the ninth hour for the darkness. The words written over him are printed as THE KING OF THE JEWS. Of Barabbas the text says only that he lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection; no trial or separate charge is described. Three women are named among those looking on afar off, with a note that they had followed and ministered to him in Galilee. Joseph of Arimathea is called an honourable counsellor who waited for the kingdom of God. The harm done is stated without softening: scourging, thorns, blows with a reed, spitting, and crucifixion between two thieves.
Cited passages: Mark 15:21, Mark 15:22, Mark 15:25, Mark 15:26, Mark 15:33, Mark 15:34, Mark 15:7, Mark 15:40, Mark 15:41, Mark 15:43, Mark 15:15, Mark 15:17, Mark 15:19, Mark 15:27
Literary context
One title runs through the chapter and Jesus never uses it. Pilate asks it, offers it and repeats it, the soldiers salute with it, it is written over the cross, and the priests change it to Christ the King of Israel when they mock. His own answers are minimal, one short reply to Pilate, then nothing, then a loud cry. The chapter reports the darkness and the torn veil without explanation, and places the one human confession of the book's opening words in the mouth of the centurion who stood over against him and spoke after watching how he died. The women are introduced only at the death, and the narrator's parenthesis says they had been following all along, so the reader learns of them late.
Cited passages: Mark 15:2, Mark 15:5, Mark 15:9, Mark 15:12, Mark 15:18, Mark 15:26, Mark 15:29, Mark 15:31, Mark 15:32, Mark 15:34, Mark 15:37, Mark 15:38, Mark 15:39, Mark 15:40, Mark 15:41, Mark 1:1
Key moments
- Delivered to be crucified (Mark 15:15). Pilate releases Barabbas and hands Jesus over after scourging him.
- Purple and thorns (Mark 15:17). The soldiers dress him in purple and press a crown of thorns on his head.
- Simon compelled (Mark 15:21). A passer-by from Cyrene is forced to carry the cross.
- Crucified at the third hour (Mark 15:25). The narrator gives the hour of the crucifixion.
- The cry from the cross (Mark 15:34). At the ninth hour he cries out words the text translates for the reader.
- The veil torn (Mark 15:38). The temple veil is rent in two from top to bottom.
- The centurion speaks (Mark 15:39). Having watched him die, the centurion calls him the Son of God.
For reflection
Pilate asks the crowd what evil he has done and receives no answer except a louder cry. What does the chapter show about a decision made to content a crowd?
People in this chapter
Pilate
Jesus Christ
Judah
Barabbas
Joseph of Arimathea
Mary Magdalene
Jacob
James son of Alphaeus
Mary, Mother of Jesus
Salome
Simon of Cyrene
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