Mark 15:8-15

Rachel Workman: ⁸ The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

⁹ “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, ¹⁰ knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

¹² “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

¹³ “Crucify him!” they shouted.

¹⁴ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

What can one add to a reading like this? Jesus has committed no crime. Yet he was to be crucified. You can blame the religious leaders but everyone in that crowd was to blame. The crowd behaved like animals in my opinion. Why would anyone enjoy seeing anyone else being crucified? Especially someone as innocent as Christ. But God used that to crowd just like he used the religious leaders for his purpose and his glory.

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John Burnett:  ⁵³ They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together. ⁵⁴ Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.

⁵⁵ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. ⁵⁶ Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.  Because He was perfect and did not do anything wrong.

⁵⁷ Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: ⁵⁸ “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’” ⁵⁹ Yet even then their testimony did not agree.

⁶⁰ Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶¹ But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

⁶² “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

⁶³ The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. ⁶⁴ “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

They all condemned him as worthy of death. ⁶⁵ Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.  He took the punishment we deserved here but this was only the beginning of what we really deserve.

Peter Disowns Jesus

⁶⁶ While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. ⁶⁷ When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.

“You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.

⁶⁸ But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway.^[g]

⁶⁹ When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” ⁷⁰ Again he denied it.

After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”

⁷¹ He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”

⁷² Immediately the rooster crowed the second time.^[h] Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice^[i] you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.  Peter had so boldly proclaimed He would never deny Jesus but just as Jesus had said, he denied him three times.  Peter repented of these sins and was forgiven.  Just think of how many in this world deny Him by saying He doesn’t exist and all of creation is the result of a big bang or primordial ooze producing the first cell.  Unfortunately when they finally do believe and bow the knee to Him, it will be too late and their fate will have been sealed.

Mark 15:1-15

Jesus before Pilate

15 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

² “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

³ The chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

⁵ But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

⁶ Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. ⁷ A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. ⁸ The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

⁹ “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate,¹⁰ knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

¹² “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

¹³ “Crucify him!” they shouted.

¹⁴ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.  This was always part of the plan for redemption and Jesus willingly went to the cross to pay our price so we could become co-heirs with Him and adopted sons and daughters of God the Father.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krtljFVYQv0

I found this amazing video that shows scriptures and preachers teaching about what is going on in the world today and what is coming.  The church will be raptured before His return and the video shows how the birth pains are getting closer together.  The video is very graphic and you have to log in to youtube just to see it.  It is disheartening to see the lost world represented but it is a great comfort to know that our Savior is already victorious over all of the sin represented in the video.  Come quickly Lord Jesus.

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Mike Grimm:  ⁸ The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. Where were the disciples and the crowds who days earlier shouted, “Hosanna in the highest”? His so called loyal followers went into hiding either because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, or they turned against Jesus when they saw that he was not going to be an earthly conqueror and their deliverer from Rome. I’m often amazed that there is even a church today as Christ’s disciples often showed little faith.

⁹ “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, ¹⁰ knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. The Jews hated Pilate, but they went to him for the favor of condemning Jesus to crucifixion. Pilate could see that Christ was being framed. Why else would these people, who hated him and the Roman Empire he represented, ask him to convict of treason and give the death penalty to one of their fellow Jews? ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

¹² “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

¹³ “Crucify him!” they shouted. If Jesus died by crucifixion, he would die the death of a rebel or slave, not the king he claimed to be. This is just what the Jewish leaders wanted, and the reason they whipped the mob into a frenzy. In addition, crucifixion would put the responsibility for killing Jesus on the Romans, and thus the crowds could not blame the religious leaders.

¹⁴ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. Who was guilty of Jesus’ death? In reality, everyone was at fault. The disciples deserted him in terror. Peter denied that he ever knew Jesus. Judas betrayed him. The crowds who had followed him stood by and did nothing. Pilate tried to blame the crowds. The religious leaders actively promoted Jesus' death. The Roman soldiers tortured him. What would I have done had I been there? Would I have seen him as the true Messiah, would I have seen him as the coming king who was going to save us, or would I have been one of the cowards hiding to save myself? In hindsight I know what I would have liked to do. But when I really think about it “Faith or Belief” could only really be defined after Christ died and was resurrected. Was there really a case for Faith/Belief before that? Their Faith/Belief was instilled into them only by visual proof that Christ was going to do what he said he would do.

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Monday’s reading for Mark 15:16-20

¹⁶ The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷ They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” ¹⁹ Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. ²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.