He Suffered Under Pontius Pilate

HE SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE

An Exposition of Mark 15:1-20

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date: November 7, 2021

Series: Mark: Knowing and Following God’s Son

Note: Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard   Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT

I invite you to turn to Mark 15. As we look at verses 1-20 this morning, what we have is a meditation on the sufferings of Christ. Once again, we are standing on holy ground as we consider this divinely orchestrated moment in the history of the world.

Holy Scripture says,

¹ And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. ² And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” ³ And the chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.”⁵ But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.

⁶ Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. ⁷ And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. ⁸ And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. ⁹ And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” ¹⁰ For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. ¹² And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” ¹³ And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” ¹⁴ And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” ¹⁵ So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

¹⁶ And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. ¹⁷ And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ¹⁹ And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. ²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. (Mark 15:1-20)

This is God's Word. It is for our good. Let's pray:

Father, I pray that you would give us eyes to see the beauty, the grace and the majesty of the Lamb of God, in whose name we pray, amen.

INTRODUCTION

Jesus, the true king, advances toward the throne. He advances toward the throne through suffering, through arrest and accusation, through interrogation and rejection, through condemnation and mockery. It is the world that accuses him, rejects him, and mocks him – the religious world (the chief priests), the political world (Pontius Pilate), the everyday world (the crowd). To mere human eyes, Jesus’ advancement toward the cross doesn't look like a royal procession to the throne. To mere human eyes, the whole thing looks like a pathetic failure or weak and tragic victimhood. Only those who have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of God's beloved Son (Colossians 1:13) have eyes that are able to see the accused, rejected, and mocked King as the most lovely person in the universe.

THE CHIEF PRIESTS DELIVER JESUS OVER TO PILATE (v. 1-5)

Verse 1

As we pick things up at the beginning of Mark 15, we are in the midst of Jesus’ procession to the cross. Here in verses 1-5, the chief priests bring Jesus to stand trial before Pilate, the Roman Governor. Keep in mind that less than ten hours ago, Jesus had concluded eating the Passover meal with his disciples. Mark 14:17 says, “And when it was evening” – which is just the evening before, which by Jewish reckoning is actually the beginning of the day – and at that time they ate the Passover meal (see Mark 14:12, 14, 16, 18). So, the previous evening Jesus had enjoyed this Passover meal with his disciples. And then after that, he went to the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed to the Father (Mark 14:32-42). There in Gethsemane, probably around midnight (give or take), Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:46) and then taken to the house of the high priest (Mark 14:53). In the middle of the night (say, around 1:00am or 2:00am or 3:00am), the Jewish High Council conducted a trial against Jesus (Mark 14:53-64) and “condemned him as deserving death” (Mark 14:64). After telling us that some of the Jewish high officials and the guards treated Jesus with contempt (Mark 14:65), Mark briefly shifted the spotlight from Jesus to Peter, and shows us the tragedy of Peter denying Jesus three times (Mark 14:66-72).

Now, at the beginning of Mark 15, Mark returns to the earlier scene and tells us about the Jewish High Council’s final decision concerning Jesus. They referred the case to the Roman prefect, Pontius Pilate, in the hope that Pilot would ratify their intention to execute Jesus. This consultation and decision took place “as soon as it was morning” (Mark 15:1). This is early morning, probably around 5:00am (give or take). These time markers are important. Mark tells us in Mark 15:25 that Jesus was crucified at the third hour, meaning around 9:00am. So, what happens in Mark 15:1-20 takes place within the timeframe of roughly 4:00am to 8:30am. One thing I learned, in reading about this passage, is that it was customary for Roman officials to begin their workday very early in the morning, around the crack of dawn. So, the Jewish High Council completing their business around 5:00am, and getting Jesus to trial before Pilate around 6:00am – as strange as that sounds to our electricity-influenced modern world – actually corresponds to what we know about the workday of Roman officials. That is exactly when the trial would have taken place, at the very beginning of the day.

The result of the Jewish leaders’ consultation is evident in the latter part of verse 1, where it says that “they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate.” Although the Jewish High Council had a great deal of authority in Roman-occupied Judea, they did not have the authority to execute criminals. Rome had to authorize the imposition of the death penalty. Therefore, the chief priests and the Jewish High Council are now seeking that outcome from the appropriate Roman official, Pilate, who served as the governor (or prefect) of Judea during the years 26-36 AD.

Verse 2

But the chief priests had a real challenge: they had to make the charges stick. Rome didn't care about the fine points of Jewish law. Back in Mark 14, the Jewish High Council had condemned Jesus for blasphemy, but blasphemy was not a capital offense under Roman law. So, more than one commentator has pointed out that what the chief priests had to do, and did, is to reframe the charge against Jesus in order to infuse it with political overtones – in order to make Jesus look treasonous against Rome, to make him look like a political revolutionary, an insurrectionist, a dangerous and destabilizing influence. For that is what Rome cared about: political stability and order. And so, that's the game that the chief priest played.

In Mark 14:61-62, Jesus had affirmed his identity as the Messiah and as the heavenly Son of Man. Now, in Chapter 15, we see that the chief priests have reframed this into a more political and earthly and controversial way. They must have said something like: ‘This man, Jesus, claims to be the King of the Jews.’ That is the primary accusation against Jesus. And Pilate asks Jesus about it in verse 2: “And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”” Verse 2 continues: “And he [Jesus] answered him, “You have said so.””

“You have said so” – that is an interesting answer, isn't it? I am inclined to agree with most commentators that Jesus' answer carries the idea of a qualified yes. Someone put it like this, ‘Yes, but.’ On one level, Jesus concedes that it is true that he is the king of the Jews. But on another level, Jesus is distancing himself from his accusers. He is distancing himself from what they mean, when they make the statement that he claims to be the King of the Jews. He is distancing himself from the political and revolutionary overtones, because such overtones have absolutely nothing to do with his ministry or teaching.

In John 18, Jesus actually explains to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36) Jesus says that his very purpose and mission is “to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37). Is Jesus a king? Yes, but not a typical king with typical ambitions. Therefore, Jesus’ answer to Pilate is very carefully stated: “You have said so.”

Verse 3

At this point, the chief priests accused him of many things.” (v. 3) Mark does not tell us what things. Luke 23 supplies some helpful information for us. Luke 23:2 says, “And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”” And Luke 23:5 says, “[They] were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.””

Verses 4-5

Now Pilate expects someone in Jesus’ position to defend himself. But Jesus refuses to answer the charges. Verse 4 says, “And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.”” Then verse 5 says, “But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.”

Remember, Jesus had already resolved just six hours earlier – in Gethsemane – to do the Father's will and drink the bitter cup (Mark 14:32-36). Although Jesus is willing to answer questions about his identity, he is not willing to defend himself against their accusations and charges. He trusts his Father. He knows that his Father will vindicate him at the proper time. It is just like we see throughout all of the Psalms – that the righteous man doesn't take up his own defense, but takes refuge in the Lord and leaves it to the Lord to defend him in his own time and in his own way. This quiet composure and unworried silence in the midst of lions and fiery beasts – to use language from Psalm 57 – is perplexing to Pilot.

Stalemate

Now up to this point Jesus trial before Pilate is inconclusive. There is something of a stalemate. The chief priests want Jesus executed. They want Pilate to carry out their will, but Pilate is not convinced that Jesus has done anything deserving of death, and he is not yet ready to do their bidding.

PILATE DELIVERS JESUS TO BE CRUCIFIED (v. 6-15)

In verses 6-15, however, the plot thickens, and Jesus is rejected and condemned to death by crucifixion. In the trial in verses 2-5, the action and dialogue revolved around Jesus, Pilate, and the chief priests. Now, in verses 6-15, additional people join the proceedings: in the background. is Barabbas, and in the foreground is the crowd.

Verses 6-8

Verses 6-8 set up the action. In verse 6, we are told of a custom. The feast referenced in verses 6 is the Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread, which Mark had introduced in Mark 14 (v. 1, 12). Pilate had a custom where during each Passover feast, he would release one prisoner that the local people requested. One commentator wisely comments that Pilate was doing this in order to secure goodwill among the people.

In verse 7, we learn about Barabbas. We don't know much about this particular insurrection or revolt that had taken place, but it was apparently a violent and murderous one. And Barabbas was one of the villains, one of the criminals.

And then, in verse 8, we meet the crowd. This language of ‘the crowd’ is used throughout Chapters 11 and following. But in a city of tens of thousands of people, with perhaps well over a hundred thousand people in it from pilgrims coming in from all over to celebrate the Passover, there is no reason to think that the composition of ‘the crowd’ is always the same in every chapter and in every location. That would be highly improbable. The point is that verse 8 is referring to a particular crowd, a particular group of people – perhaps numbering in the hundreds, I really don't know how many were in this crowd – that were gathered together early in the morning while Pilate was carrying out his official duties, and they wanted their prisoner released in accordance with the custom.

Verses 9-10

So, as we come to verse 9, it is obvious that Pilate is not persuaded that Jesus ought to be executed. So, he actually suggests that Jesus be the beneficiary of the annual prisoner release. Look at verses 9-10:

“And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.” (v. 9-10)

Pilate’s read on the situation is that the chief priests were envious of Jesus’ popularity. Even in recent days, Jesus had taught in the temple – and many of the ordinary folks heard him eagerly and hung on his words. Jesus had a certain measure of popularity with the ordinary people. And so, Pilate thought that perhaps they would like to have Jesus released over and against the will of the chief priests, but that is not how it's going to play out.

Verses 11-14

Verse 11 says, “But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead.” One commentator, R. T. France, plausibly claims that Barabbas as a pro-Jewish nationalist – as an anti-Roman nationalist and revolutionary – would have been popular among the Jewish people.[1] The people might have considered Barabbas and thought, ‘He is fighting for our independence! He is fighting for the pride of Israel!’ And so, with the chief priests and the crowd calling for Barabbas’ release, that left the question open as to what Pilate would do with Jesus. Thus what emerges is a back-and-forth discussion beginning in verse 12:

“And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.”” (v. 12-14)

Verse 15

Pilate reaches his decision in verse 15: “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.” In the heat of the moment, and with the priority of political stability on his mind, Pilate was ultimately unconcerned about the demands of true justice. He was very concerned about satisfying the crowd. It is very difficult to pursue righteousness when you are very overwhelmed by all the people who are shouting, literally at your doorstep. Pleasing God was not on Pilate’s priority list. What was on Pilate’s priority list was pleasing the mob and thus preserving his own political interests. So, Barabbas is released. But Jesus is scourged, and then delivered up to crucifixion.

Historically, scourging or flogging often preceded crucifixion. Eckhard Schnabel explains that the instrument of punishment was “the Roman flagellum, the scourge consisting of a wooden handle to which were attached leather thongs, often weighted with pieces of metal or bone to inflict maximum damage.”[2] Flogging meant torture. In fact, apparently many people actually didn't even survive flogging, it was so awful. I'm reminded of what Jesus taught us in Mark 8. After

“calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”” (Mark 8:34-36)

And here in Mark 15, Jesus out in front losing his life for the sake of the gospel – losing comfort, losing public respectability, and losing his very own life.

JESUS SUFFERS MOCKERY (v. 16-20)

Verses 16-20

After the scourging (v. 15) and before the crucifixion (which takes place in v. 25), Jesus suffers mockery in verses 16-20. In fact, the Roman soldiers stage a mock coronation – a mock crowning ceremony. This mock coronation takes place, ironically enough, in a palace with a sizable number of Roman soldiers present (v. 16). They clothed Jesus in a mock robe – a purple cloak, with purple representing royalty (v. 17). They crown Jesus with a mock crown – a crown of thorns (v. 17). They salute him with mock allegiance – “Hail, King of the Jews!” (v. 18) They take the mock scepter, which they had previously put in his hand (as Matthew 27:29 tells us) – they take the mock scepter and strike him on the head. (v. 19) William Lane says, “The act of spitting at him may be interpreted as a parody on the kiss of homage which was customary in the East.”[3] Psalm 2 says, “Kiss the Son” (Psalm 2:12). But they spit on the Son. Finally, they kneel down in mock homage. (v. 19)

The whole thing is sick and cruel mockery, which flows so easily out of sinful hearts. Do you know what was in their hearts? The same thing that is in your heart and my heart. When Paul was reflecting on what human beings are like, he said:

““All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”” (Romans 3:12-18)

That is what was in their hearts – in the hearts of those soldiers. That is what is in our hearts, unless God graciously intervenes.

After the mock coronation, “they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.” (v. 20)

THREE GLIMPSES OF THE TRUE KING

What should we take away from this passage? We should take away not only information, not only awareness of the facts of the case, not only awareness of human depravity, but some glimpses of the true King. And so, I want to commend three glimpses of the true King.

Jesus is God’s Lamb Who is Delivered Up in Fulfillment of God’s Plan

First, Jesus is God's Lamb led to the slaughter, in fulfillment of God's plan. Notice the repeated word ‘led’. “[They] led Jesus to the high priest.” (Mark 14:53) “[They] bound Jesus and led him away” (Mark 15:1). “[The] soldiers led him away” (Mark 15:16). “And they led him out to crucify him.” (Mark 15:20) 

Jesus, the Son of God, is led. From a human perspective, it looks like utter failure. It looks like Jesus and his movement are going to be snuffed out. But from God's perspective, it is all according to plan. Isaiah 53:7-8 says,

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?”

Behold the Lord Jesus Christ, “led [like a lamb] to the slaughter”. From a human perspective, and from the point of view of the men involved in what is happening here, they think that they are in charge and that they are delivering Jesus over according to their own will. In Chapter 14, Judas betrayed or handed over Jesus (Mark 14:43-46). At the beginning of Chapter 15, the high priests “delivered him over to Pilate.” (Mark 15:1) And then at the end of verse 15, “[Pilate] delivered him to be crucified.” (Mark 15:15) But from God's perspective, as the apostle Peter proclaimed in Acts 2:23, Jesus was “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23). Mankind is being utterly cruel to God's beloved Son, and yet at the very same time and in the very same circumstances, God is being utterly kind to sinners by offering up his Son for the salvation of the world.

Jesus is the Righteous One Who Suffers for the Unrighteous

And this leads me into the second glimpse: Jesus is the righteous one who suffers so that the unrighteous can be released.

The human actors in Mark 15:6-15 are unwitting participants in a grand drama that they are utterly blind to. Barabbas is a murderous insurrectionist who deserves to be executed. Jesus is the life-giving Savior and Healer, who deserves to be honored. But Jesus dies, and Barabbas lives. Ben Witherington notes, “Jesus is going to be killed for the sort of crime that the man set free actually committed.”[4] We don't know if Barabbas was ever given eyes to see the truth that Jesus took the place of sinners on that cross, but we see it. As it says in one of the hymns: “In my place condemned he stood – Sealed my pardon with His blood”.[5] Or as the Apostle Peter proclaimed in 1 Peter 3, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus is delivered over to death, so that sinners can be rescued and released from death. This is the gospel, and we see it right here in verses 6-15.

Jesus is the True King Whose Kingship is Expressed in Surrender

Finally we come to the third glimpse: Jesus is the true King, whose kingship is expressed in surrender. He prayed to the Father, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36) His kingship is expressed in silence. He refuses to defend himself against the accusations and charges. And his kingship is expressed in sacrifice and service: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom [or payment] for many.” (Mark 10:45) His kingship is mocked in verses 16-20, but the truth is that he is the only man in the universe who was worthy to ascend the throne. Jesus, the true King, advances toward the throne through suffering and through the cross. He is the One who gives his life for others. He bears the sin, the guilt, the judgment, and the shame of his followers and of his enemies. He obeys the Father to the point of death, even death on a cross. He trusts the Father, and not his own resources. We read Chapters 14 and 15 of Mark’s Gospel, and we are likely to think that Jesus is on trial. But actually, it is the whole world that is on trial. God's beloved Son shows up, and the character of the world is seen for the darkness that it is. The chief priests and the religious establishment – those who were supposed to be close to God – actually have hearts that are far from God, and they scheme to crucify God’s Son. Pilate, the political establishment, and the soldiers are expedient and cruel, with no concern for truth or justice. The Jewish crowd, everyday people like you and me, would rather have a true criminal released and the Holy One put to death. Barabbas is a thoughtless murderous beneficiary of Jesus’ death. Peter denied that he even knew Jesus just a couple hours earlier. If you think that you are any better then this sorry cast of characters, then there is something wrong with you. As Stuart Townend wrote,

“Behold the man upon a cross

 My sin upon his shoulders

Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers”[6]

In our kingdom, we crucify the Son of God. But when Jesus brings his kingdom into ours and into our broken world, the only one worthy to be King expresses his kingship by laying down his life for others. For this very reason, Philippians 2 tells us that the Father will exalt the humble Lamb to the position of highest honor.

As Jesus is led away to the cross in Mark 15:20, he is right in the center of God's plan; he is square in the middle of God's appointed pathway to the throne.

Let's pray.

Father, I pray that you would rescue us from our dullness, and that you would give us eyes to see the beauty of his sacrifice. In his name we pray, amen.

ENDNOTES

[1] R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark (The New International Greek Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002: p. 630-633.

[2] Eckhard J. Schnabel, Mark (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries Vol. 2). Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017: p. 404.

[3] William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark (The New International Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974: p. 560.

[4] Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001: p. 391.

[5] Philip P. Bliss, “Hallelujah, What a Savior!”

[6] Stuart Townend, “How Deep The Father’s Love For Us.”

BIBLIOGRAPHY

William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark (The New International Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.

R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark (The New International Greek Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

Eckhard J. Schnabel, Mark (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries Vol. 2). Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017.

Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.