Jesus Faces Pilate

15 As(A) soon as it was morning, having held a meeting with the elders,(B) scribes,(C) and the whole Sanhedrin, the chief priests(D) tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.(E)

So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king(F) of the Jews?”(G)

He answered him, “You say so.”

And the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate(H) questioned him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? Look how many things they are accusing you of!” But Jesus still did not answer, and so Pilate was amazed.

Jesus or Barabbas

At(I) the festival(J) Pilate(K) used to release for the people a prisoner whom they requested. There was one named Barabbas, who was in prison with rebels who had committed murder(L) during the rebellion.(M) The crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do for them as was his custom. Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release the king(N) of the Jews(O) for you?” 10 For he knew it was because of envy(P) that the chief priests had handed him over. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd so that he would release Barabbas to them instead. 12 Pilate asked them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call the king of the Jews?”

13 Again they shouted, “Crucify him!”

14 Pilate said to them, “Why? What has he done wrong?”

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

15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them; and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

Mocked by the Military

16 The(Q) soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence(R)) and called the whole company together. 17 They dressed him in a purple(S) robe, twisted together a crown(T) of thorns, and put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail,(U) king(V) of the Jews!” 19 They were hitting him on the head with a stick and spitting on him. Getting down on their knees,(W) they were paying him homage. 20 After they had mocked(X) him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his clothes on him.

Crucified Between Two Criminals

They led him out to crucify him. 21 They(Y) forced a man coming in from the country, who was passing by, to carry Jesus’s cross.(Z) He was Simon of Cyrene,(AA) the father of Alexander and Rufus.(AB)

22 They(AC) brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of the Skull(AD)). 23 They tried to give him wine(AE) mixed with myrrh,(AF) but he did not take it.

24 Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, casting lots(AG) for them to decide what each would get. 25 Now it was nine in the morning[a] when they crucified him. 26 The inscription of the charge written against him was: The King(AH) of the Jews.(AI) 27 They(AJ) crucified two criminals[b](AK) with him, one on his right and one on his left.[c]

29 Those(AL) who passed by were yelling insults(AM) at[d] him, shaking their heads,(AN) and saying, “Ha! The one who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,(AO) 30 save yourself by coming down from the cross!”(AP) 31 In the same way, the chief priests with the scribes(AQ) were mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! 32 Let the Messiah,(AR) the King(AS) of Israel,(AT) come down now from the cross,(AU) so that we may see and believe.”(AV) Even those who were crucified with him taunted him.

The Death of Jesus

33 When(AW) it was noon,[e] darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.[f](AX) 34 And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”[g](AY)

35 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “See, he’s calling for Elijah.”

36 Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, fixed it on a stick, offered him a drink,(AZ) and said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”

37 Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 Then the curtain(BA) of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 When the centurion, who was standing opposite him, saw the way he[h] breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” [i](BB)

40 There(BC) were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene,(BD) Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 In Galilee(BE) these women followed him and took care of him. Many other women had come up with him to Jerusalem.(BF)

The Burial of Jesus

42 When(BG) it was already evening, because it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward(BH) to the kingdom of God,(BI) came and boldly went to Pilate(BJ) and asked for Jesus’s body.(BK) 44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had already died. 45 When he found out from the centurion, he gave the corpse to Joseph. 46 After he bought some linen cloth, Joseph took him down and wrapped him in the linen. Then he laid him in a tomb(BL) cut out of the rock and rolled a stone(BM) against the entrance to the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene(BN) and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where he was laid.

Footnotes

  1. 15:25 Lit was the third hour
  2. 15:27 Or revolutionaries
  3. 15:27 Some mss include v. 28: So the Scripture was fulfilled that says: And he was counted among criminals.
  4. 15:29 Or passed by blasphemed
  5. 15:33 Lit the sixth hour
  6. 15:33 Lit the ninth hour, also in v. 34
  7. 15:34 Ps 22:1
  8. 15:39 Other mss read saw that he cried out like this and
  9. 15:39 Or a son of God

15 And immediately when it was morning, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes and the whole council, held a consultation; and when they had bound Jesus, they took Him away [[a]violently] and handed Him over to Pilate.(A)

And Pilate inquired of Him, Are You the King of the Jews? And He replied, It is as you say.

And the chief priests kept accusing Him of many things.

And Pilate again asked Him, Have [b]You no answer to make? See how many charges they are bringing against You!

But Jesus made no further answer at all, so that Pilate wondered and marveled.(B)

Now at the Feast he [was accustomed to] set free for them any one prisoner whom they requested.

And among the rioters in the prison who had committed murder in the insurrection there was a man named Barabbas.

And the throng came up and began asking Pilate to do as he usually did for them.

And he replied to them, Do you wish me to set free for you the King of the Jews?

10 For he was aware that it was [[c]because they were prompted] by envy that the chief priests had delivered Him up.

11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to get him to release for them Barabbas instead.

12 And again Pilate said to them, Then what shall I do with the Man Whom you call the King of the Jews?

13 And they shouted back again, Crucify Him!

14 But Pilate said to them, Why? What has He done that is evil? But they shouted with all their might all the more, Crucify Him [[d]at once]!

15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, set Barabbas free for them; and after having Jesus whipped, he handed [Him] over to be crucified.(C)

16 Then the soldiers led Him away to the courtyard inside the palace, that is, the Praetorium, and they called the entire detachment of soldiers together.

17 And they dressed Him in [a] purple [robe], and, weaving together a crown of thorns, they placed it on Him.

18 And they began to salute Him, Hail (greetings, good health to You, long life to You), King of the Jews!

19 And they struck His head with a staff made of a [bamboo-like] reed and spat on Him and kept bowing their knees in homage to Him.(D)

20 And when they had [finished] making sport of Him, they took the purple [robe] off of Him and put His own clothes on Him. And they led Him out [of the city] to crucify Him.

21 And they forced a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming in from the field (country), to carry His cross.

22 And they led Him to Golgotha [in Latin: Calvary], meaning The Place of a Skull.

23 And they [attempted to] give Him wine mingled with myrrh, but He would not take it.

24 And they crucified Him; and they divided His garments and distributed them among themselves, throwing lots for them to decide who should take what.(E)

25 And it was the third hour (about nine o’clock in the morning) when they crucified Him.(F)

26 And the inscription of the accusation against Him was written above, The King of the Jews.

27 And with Him they crucified two robbers, one on [His] right hand and one on His left.

28 [e]And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, He was counted among the transgressors.(G)

29 And those who passed by kept reviling Him and reproaching Him abusively in harsh and insolent language, wagging their heads and saying, Aha! You Who would destroy the temple and build it in three days,

30 Now rescue [f]Yourself [[g]from death], coming down from the cross!

31 So also the chief priests, with the scribes, made sport of Him to one another, saying, He rescued others [[h]from death]; Himself He is unable to rescue.(H)

32 Let the Christ (the Messiah), the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see [it] and trust in and rely on Him and adhere to Him! Those who were crucified with Him also reviled and reproached Him [speaking abusively, harshly, and insolently].

33 And when the sixth hour (about midday) had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour (about three o’clock).

34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?—which means, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me [[i]deserting Me and leaving Me helpless and abandoned]?(I)

35 And some of those standing by, [and] hearing it, said, See! He is calling Elijah!

36 And one man ran, and, filling a sponge with vinegar (a [j]mixture of sour wine and water), put it on a staff made of a [bamboo-like] reed and gave it to Him to drink, saying, Hold off! Let us see whether Elijah [does] come to take Him down.(J)

37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed out His life.

38 And the curtain [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

39 And when the centurion who stood facing Him saw Him expire this way, he said, [k]Really, this Man was God’s Son!

40 Now some women were there also, looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome,

41 Who, when [Jesus] was in Galilee, were in the habit of accompanying and ministering to Him; and [there were] also many other [women] who had come up with Him to Jerusalem.

42 As evening had already come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, [the day] before the Sabbath,(K)

43 Joseph, he of Arimathea, noble and honorable in rank and a respected member of the council (Sanhedrin), who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, daring the consequences, took courage and ventured to go to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

44 But Pilate wondered whether He was dead so soon, and, having called the centurion, he asked him whether [Jesus] was already dead.

45 And when he learned from the centurion [that He was indeed dead], he gave the body to Joseph.

46 And Joseph bought a [fine] linen cloth [[l]for swathing dead bodies], and, taking Him down from the cross, he [m]rolled Him up in the [fine] linen cloth and placed Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of a rock. Then he rolled a [very large] stone against the door of the tomb.(L)

47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary [the mother] of Joses were [[n]attentively] observing where He was laid.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 15:1 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  2. Mark 15:4 Capitalized because of what He is, the spotless Son of God, not what the speaker may have thought He was.
  3. Mark 15:10 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  4. Mark 15:14 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
  5. Mark 15:28 Many manuscripts do not contain this verse.
  6. Mark 15:30 Capitalized because of what He is, the spotless Son of God, not what the speakers may have thought He was.
  7. Mark 15:30 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
  8. Mark 15:31 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
  9. Mark 15:34 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  10. Mark 15:36 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  11. Mark 15:39 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
  12. Mark 15:46 James Moulton and George Milligan, The Vocabulary.
  13. Mark 15:46 Robert Young, Analytical Concordance.
  14. Mark 15:47 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.