Mark Vol. 3 - Week 13 (15:1-20)
Mark 14:53-72
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Innocent King, Guilty World
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Mark 14:53-72 〰️ Innocent King, Guilty World 〰️
"Are you the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked. Jesus answered him, "You say so" (v2). This passage in Mark continues the pace at which the author writes, as we read multiple times that Jesus was "handed over" to different parties. This gives us a glimpse at the legal injustice Jesus faced in facing the religious and legal leaders. This parallels the injustice of Jesus' death on mankind's behalf. Jesus, the Son of God 1) had no sin (1 Pet. 2:21-22) but chose to bear it on our behalf and 2) while living a sinless life, faced unjust trial and execution by authorities of His time.
In this passage, we see three "acts" in which Jesus faces three parties: i. Pilate (v1-5), ii. the crowd (v6-15), and iii. the military (v16-20).
Pilate
In the opening paragraphs of this passage, Mark maintains his usual pace, making quick work of what would have been a lengthy trial, but the religious leaders did not want it to be so. After questioning themselves in 14:53-65, the religious leaders tie Jesus up and give Him to Pilate with the hopes of Jesus being accused of treason for claiming to be Lord (above Caesar). "So Pilate asks him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He answered him, "You say so." (v2). Jesus' response here was either noncommittal (something like "I haven't said those words") or an acknowledgment ("What you are saying is true"), but not a denial. [1] The religious leaders continued to berate Jesus with questions and accusations, but He refused to answer, to Pilate's amazement (v5). We don't know the specific reason for Jesus' refusal to answer, but in the end, He knew that He must die, so saying anything would be rendered pointless.
The People
In this next portion, Jesus is judged by the people. Pilate, catching a glimpse of the motives of the religious leaders (v10), offered to release Jesus at the people's request, but the religious leaders "stirred up the crowd so that [Pilate] would release Barabbas to them instead" (v11). "Ironically, the crowd chose Barabbas ("son of the father") over Jesus, the true Son of the Father." [2] Knowing that sedition and treason were still a threat, Pilate then asked the crowd, "What do you want me to do with the one you call the king of the Jews?" (v12). Interestingly, Pilate said that the people call Jesus "king of the Jews," although Mark never accounts for this. This could have been Pilate's attempt to clear himself of guilt or accountability before Rome. In other Gospel accounts, Pilate attempts to hand Jesus over to Herod Antipas (Luke 23:5-12), but here, Pilate appears to want to wipe his hands of this Jesus mess, especially during such a high-profile festival as Passover.
The Military
After the release of Barabbas, Jesus was sent away to the palace; what would be Jesus' rightful place as the Messiah, the Son of God. Instead, he was brought there to be mocked, abused, and tortured. A company in the Roman army totaled about 600 men, but it's unlikely that the number of soldiers was actually that great. The soldiers then mocked Jesus, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!," a cruel and perverted play on the greeting "Hail, Caesar." After this, Jesus was led out to be crucified on a cross.
We’ll discuss it again as Easter Sunday approaches, but something for us to consider as we look ahead to the Easter is that Jesus, the Son of God, bore the penalty we all deserved. Christ did so during the exact time period when the death penalty and capital punishment was at its worst. Death on a cross was and is universally considered to be the most painful, inhumane, and brutal form of death ever devised by humans. As heartbreaking as this is, how amazing is it that Our Lord, Jesus, took on the worst form of death humankind has ever created?
Jesus did so to have our hearts. He literally took a cross on His back and carried it to His own death so that, in Him, we could be restored before the Father. For those of us who have heard the Gospel for years and years, it can be easy to gloss over the Sunday School perspective of "Jesus died on a cross,” forgetting that Jesus was tortured and died the most horrendous and barbaric death mankind has ever invented. God, the creator of creativity, died at the hands of His creation.
Discussion Questions
What stood out to you from the passage?
Does anything in this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Do you have any questions?
What's the significance of Jesus's response to Pilate in v2?
If Jesus was trying to avoid being executed, why do you think He remained silent before Pilate?
How does Jesus' experience before the Sanhedrim (14:53-65), Pilate (15:1-5), and the crowd (15:6-15) compare to how we define "justice" for a criminal today? What's different, and what is similar?
1. Ross H. McLaren, CSB Study Bible: Notes (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1590.
2. Ibid., 1590.