From: Busy Person’s Guide to Mark 9 to 16 Return to Home
By
Roland H. Worth, Jr. © 2019
All reproduction of
text in paper, electronic, or computer
form both permitted and encouraged so long as
authorial
credit is given and the text is not altered.
Busy Person’s Guide to the
New Testament:
Quickly Understanding Mark
(Volume 2: Chapters 14 to 16)
by
Roland H. Worth, Jr.
Copyright © 2019 by author
Chapter Fourteen
While The Religious Leaders Plot To Destroy Jesus, He Is
Honored By Being Anointed in the
House of Simon the Leper In Bethany (14:1-9):
1 Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the chief priests and the experts
in the law were trying to find a
way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 2 For they said, “Not during the feast, so there won’t be a
riot among the people.”
3 Now while Jesus was in
6 But Jesus said, “Leave
her alone. Why are you bothering her?
She has done a good service for me. 7 For you will always have the poor with you, and you can do good for them whenever you
want. But you will not always have me! 8 She did what she could. She anointed my body beforehand for
burial. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever
the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what
she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
--New English
Translation (for comparison)
14:1 After two days it was the
Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought
how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. Technically the Passover was on the 14th of Nissan and
that of unleavened bread began on the 15th and ran for seven days. The person going to
14:2 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an
uproar of the people.” They were faced with a major
time problem: They needed to arrest Him
in the next two days or in the narrow time frame between the end of the Feast
of Unleavened Bread and the return to
14:3 And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,
as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly
oil of spikenard. Then she broke the
flask and poured it on His head. At dinner at the home of a healed leper, a woman
poured out a flask of expensive perfume on His head. In the gospel of John we discover that the
woman was Mary, the sister of Lazarus, who was also present, and that she
poured the liquid on both his head and feet.
This was not only costly in its own right but it was also no less than a
full pound worth of liquid as well (John 12:3).
14:4 But there were some who were
indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? Perhaps they could have handled it well if it had been
a very modest amount, but the pure volume of what was used horrified them as an
inexcusable waste of money. After all
there were far more pressing needs that could be met. . . .
14:5 For it might have been sold for
more than three hundred denarii and given to the
poor.” And they criticized her sharply. One of those criticizing her action was Judas who
thought of the money that could be diverted into his own pocket (John
12:4-6). The fact that “some” were upset
(verse 4) argues that there were others who shared in that sentiment but out of
honorable motives. That it was not “all”
or even “most” tells us that the majority recognized the awesome honor--because
of what it cost--that was being bestowed.
14:6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. What she had done was not essential, but it was still
honorable and well intended. Peter
learned an important lesson from this for when the number of poor disciples in
14:7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you
wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. The simple fact was that poverty never ends. Even in societies where the bulk of the
population is prospering far above anyone in the first century could imagine, a
significant number of people still “fall through the cracks.” That is not mere cynicism; it is a simple
statement of fact. We are never going to
fully “end poverty” for the best of intentions will always fall short of
accomplishing it. Reality trumps theory;
pious good will should recognize the successes that occur and never be guilt
ridden that complete victory is never obtained.
We are only accountable for what can be accomplished and nothing
beyond that.
14:8 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Although she could not realize it, she
had actually given Jesus honor far above what she knew. For Jesus was soon going to
die and she had treated His living body with the lavish treatment that
would willingly be bestowed on the dead body of a respected man. In light of His coming death, how could
anyone possibly criticize the well intended action?
14:9 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole
world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” This wasn’t the most “vital” or “critical” incident
that had ever happened to the Lord, but it was still so praiseworthy that when
the good news (“gospel”) of Jesus’ life was shared throughout the world, part
of what was taught would describe what was done that evening.
After Jesus’ Anointing, Judas Makes The
Decision To Betray Jesus (
Other
factors surely included Jesus’ persistent refusal to accept the opportunity to
become a temporal king (as in John
Preparation For The Passover (
Sidebar: The two apostles were Peter and John (Luke
22:8).
Sidebar: In the culture of the day, it was
overwhelmingly the women who carried such containers of water. A male doing so would stand out “like a sore
thumb” and be very hard to miss even in the crowds.
It being “furnished and prepared”
means that the necessary furniture would be in place and the de-leavening
requirement would already have been carried out.
At The Time of the Passover Observance Jesus Warns of His Betrayal . . . (
20 He said to them, “It
is one of the twelve, one who dips his
hand with me into the bowl. 21 For the Son of Man will go as it is
written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for
him if he had never been born.” --New English
Translation (for comparison)
Sidebar on how the Passover feast
was carried out--Since few of us give much thought to this, it would be useful
to provide a detailed summary of what typically went on that night (from Cambridge
Bible for Schools and Colleges): “(i) With the Passover, by
Divine ordinance, there had always been eaten two or three flat cakes of
unleavened bread (Exodus 12:18), and the rites of the feast by immemorial usage
had been regulated according to the succession of four cups of red wine always
mixed with water (Psalms 16:5; 23:5; 116:13). These were placed before the master of the
house where the Paschal Feast was celebrated, or the most eminent guest, who
was called the Celebrant, the President, or Proclaimer
of the Feast.
“(ii) After those assembled had reclined, he took one of
the Four Cups, known as the ‘Cup of Consecration,’ in his right hand, and
pronounced the benediction over the wine and the feast, saying, “Blessed be Thou, Jehovah, our God, Thou King of the universe, Who
hast created the fruit of the vine,” He then tasted the Cup and
passed it round.
“(iii) Water was then brought in, and he washed, followed
by the rest, the hands being dipped in water.
“(iv) The table was then set out
with the bitter herbs, such as lettuce, endive, succory,
and horehound, the sauce called Charoseth,
and the Passover lamb.
“(v) The Celebrant then once more blessed God for the
fruits of the earth, and taking a portion of the bitter herbs, dipped it in
the charoseth,
and ate a piece of it of ‘the size of an olive,’ and his example was followed
by the rest.
“(vi) The Haggadah or ‘shewing forth’ (1 Corinthians
“(vii) Then the second Cup of wine was filled, and a
child or proselyte inquired, “What mean ye by this service?”
(Exodus
“(viii) The Celebrant now washed his hands again, and
taking two of the unleavened cakes, broke one of them, and pronounced the thanksgiving
in these words, “Blessed be Thou, O Lord our God, Thou King
of the universe, Who bringest forth fruit out of the
earth.” Then he distributed a
portion to each, and all wrapping some bitter herbs
round their portion, dipped it in the charoseth and
ate it.
“(ix) The flesh of the lamb was now eaten, and the Master
of the house, lifting up his hands, gave thanks over the third Cup of wine,
known as the ‘Cup of Blessing,’ and handed it round to each person.
“(x) After thanking for the food of which they had
partaken and for their redemption from
At The Time of the Passover Observance . . . The Lord's
Supper Is Instituted
(12:22-26): 22 While they were
eating, he took bread, and after giving
thanks he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it. This is my body.” 23 And after taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many. 25 I tell you the truth, I will no longer drink of
the fruit of the vine until that day
when I drink it new in the
Or would it? If Jesus’ flesh and blood are literally
everywhere whenever this memorial is performed, wouldn’t that require that the
flesh and blood be simultaneously in tens of thousands (or more) places
at one time? We can imagine a
non-tangible Being present in vast areas at one time, but literal flesh and
blood . . . well, the mind firmly rebels at such an idea. That it is symbolic of . . . that it represents
. . . Jesus’ body makes far better interpretive sense.
Sidebar: The “bread” would have been unleavened, not
necessarily because it was wrong for later generations to use anything else,
but because it was the only form of bread permissible at Passover. (If Communion had been instituted at any
other time of the year, would not the broad language of “bread” been taken as
authorizing any form of it we preferred?) The strongest argument for unleavened
continuing to be required is because we do know that was the form
originally used and because the lack of leaven is a vivid symbolic reminder
that Jesus was free from the leaven of human sin.
One is inclined to consider the
fruit of the vine as grape juice because if it has not been fermented (roughly
the liquid equivalent of leavened) it better represents the “unfermented” (by
sin) body of the Lord. On the other
hand, the Talmud provides no hint that regular wine was considered as a
leavened product and removed from the house as both leaven and leavened baked
products had to be prior to the Passover observance.
14:25 Assuredly, I say to you, I will no
longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the
kingdom of God.” Although the new “
Jesus Emphasizes The Imminence Of
His Betrayal And The Apostolic Panic At
It Occurring (
29 Peter said
to him, “Even if they all fall away, I will not!” 30 Jesus said
to him, “I tell you the truth, today—this very night—before
a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But Peter
insisted emphatically, “Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you.” And all of them said the same
thing.
--New English Translation (for comparison)
14:30 Jesus said to
him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this
night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” The crisis that
would overwhelm Peter’s emotional and spiritual resources would not occur at
some indefinite time and place in the future.
It would occur on the very next day before the rooster could sound out
multiple times his “wake up” call to everyone.
Sidebar: To us this language would suggest at
sunrise. This was not the way they
thought of things. In a parable in Mark
13 Jesus describes the events of the nighttime hours as “in the evening, at
Jesus Emotionally Prepares For Death In
The
35 Going a little
farther, he threw himself to the ground
and prayed that if it were
possible the hour would pass from him. 36 He said, “Abba,
Father, all things are possible for you. Take
this cup away from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
37 Then he came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter,
“Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay
awake for one hour? 38 Stay awake and pray
that you will not fall into temptation.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 He went away again and prayed the same
thing. 40 When he came again he found
them sleeping; they could not keep their eyes open. And they did not know what to tell him.
41 He came a third time
and said to them, “Are you still sleeping
and resting? Enough of that! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Get up, let us go. Look! My betrayer is approaching!” --New English Translation
(for comparison)
14:35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and
prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. Knowing what was going to happen; indeed knowing that
it was essential for it to happen, He still felt overwhelmed and prayed
that there--somehow--might yet be an honorable way to escape it. The “hour” was no more a mere theoretical
“some time in the future” but quite literally not all that many in the future.
For the betrayal is about to occur
and even though it is being done in the name of the “highly religious”
Sanhedrin, both they and these men they use to carry out their wishes are
nothing short of unrepentant “sinners.”
They had betrayed their most obligatory religious duties and principles
in order to destroy the Man they could not answer and who refused to bend to
their humanly invented religious traditions.
Judas
Betrays Jesus To His Face, He Is Arrested, And The
Panicked Apostles Flee In Horror (
46 Then they took hold of
him and arrested him. 47 One of the bystanders drew his
sword and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting
off his ear. 48 Jesus said to them, “Have you come with swords
and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw? 49 Day after day I was with you, teaching in
the temple courts, yet you did not
arrest me. But this has happened so that the scriptures would be fulfilled.”
50 Then all the disciples
left him and fled. 51 A young man was following him,
wearing only a linen cloth. They tried to arrest
him, 52 but he ran off naked, leaving his linen cloth behind.
--New English
Translation (for comparison)
Sidebar: Although Jesus had warned of His coming death
three times in this gospel (
Sidebar: Mark, the author of this gospel, is the most
often suggested individual to have been this young man. But even if that be the case, it was only the
apostles who had partaken of Passover with Jesus and come out to this
location. What in the world was he
doing here unless for something along the line of what we have suggested? (Some have speculated that, instead, the
young man came from a home on the way into the city--perhaps even the very one
where the Passover had been observed--and that this incident occurred after the
officers were considerably away from the Garden. The phrase “followed Him” certainly implies at
least a reasonable distance from the Garden itself.)
The Sanhedrin Finds It Even Harder Than They Expected To
Find A “Credible” Lie To Justify the
Lord's Death (14:53-65): 53 Then they led Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief
priests and elders and experts in the
law came together. 54 And Peter had followed him from
a distance, up to the high priest’s courtyard. He was sitting with the guards and warming himself by 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 anything. 56 Many gave false
testimony against him, but their
testimony did not agree.
57 Some stood up and gave
this false testimony against him: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I
will destroy this temple made with hands
and in three days build another not made with hands.’
” 59 Yet even on this point their testimony did not agree.
60 Then the high priest
stood up before them and asked Jesus,
“Have you no answer? What is this that they are testifying against you?” 61 But he was silent and
did not answer. Again the high priest
questioned him, “Are you the Christ, 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 Power and coming with the clouds
of heaven.”
63 Then the high priest
tore his clothes and said, “Why do we
still need witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy! What s your verdict?” They all condemned him
as deserving death. 65 Then some began to
spit on him, and to blindfold him, and
to strike him with their fists, saying, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him and beat him. --New English
Translation (for comparison)
The official calling in of the
entire Sanhedrin would wait until the last minute--and that does not seem to
occur until 15:1--and even then some of those notifications might be
“accidentally delayed” or relayed in the most misleading verbal formulation
possible in order to minimize the presence of those who might oppose the death
penalty. (For example, would they want Gamaliel anywhere near these proceedings if they could
possibly avoid it? Consider his voice
for moderation in Acts 5:33-39.)
Sidebar: The death penalty required at least two
witnesses who were in agreement on what had been done (Deuteronomy 17:6;
14:57 Then some rose up
and bore false witness against Him, saying,
58 “We heard Him
say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will
build another made without hands.’ ” 59 But
not even then did their testimony agree.
They could not agree on the details even when they found a major
accusation to use. Obviously if these
“details” related to “where” and “when” and the “surrounding circumstances,”
even the point of agreement was not enough to gain credibility for the charge
when so much else was incompatible.
Either these accusers were also at the actual crucifixion or else their
words burned into the minds of others who were since the same charge was used
to mock Jesus while He was on the cross (Mark 15:29-30).
Oddly enough He had said
something close enough to this for malicious minds to “mishear” what had been
said. It is recorded, however, in the
gospel of John and this is apparently one of those cases where a gospel knows
something has been said or done that it has not included: “18 So
the Jews answered and said to Him, ‘What sign do You show to us, since You do
these things?’ 19 Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ 20 Then
the Jews said, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ 21 But
He was speaking of the temple of His body” (John 2).
Note that Jesus was not the
one that would do the destroying--the words clearly require the interpretive
gloss, you will cause the destruction. But it was close enough to bend into a false
accusation. Yet their efforts still fell
short because the multiple witnesses did not agree on a shared account of what
had been said.
14:60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus,
saying, “Do You answer nothing? What is
it these men testify against You?” At this
point the high priest is clearly desperate:
If His enemies can not even present a consistent, credible accusation
there is nothing to answer in the first place!
Caiaphas is clearly hoping that Jesus will say
something in the stress of the moment so that it can be bent into a
fatal accusation. It doesn’t matter
whether it is correcting what His critics had been saying or introducing some
new topic entirely; the high priest desperately needed something to work
with and he wasn’t getting it.
14:61 But He kept silent
and answered nothing. Again the high
priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Since the high priest has not obtained anything credible to work
with in regard to the destruction of the
As
presented in Mark, one might reasonably assume that this was a question
He was willing to talk about because it did not involve the
14:62 Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the
Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds
of heaven.” On
this Jesus will answer candidly.
He is not only the Messiah but they will “observe/see” Him sitting at
God’s right hand when He comes in judgment.
Symbolically (if they--not just Caiaphas
personally--“have eyes to see” what is really happening) this will occur
at the judgment on
The language makes one promptly
think of the heavenly being in existence even in the days of David, but still
superior to him: “The Lord said to my
Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’ The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of
It is
hard to read Jesus’ words without concluding that Caiaphas
understood the Lord as claiming to be that superior to David king, one even
closer to Jehovah than David could be.
Or if that passage did not come to his mind, as something equally or
even more radical. In short, claiming as
a supposed mere mortal, that kind of nature and position rightly attributed
only to the supernatural world. This, if
wrong and unjustified, qualified as outright blasphemous. And with Caiaphas’
spiritual blinders, it was inevitably interpreted in that manner. It “couldn’t” be true; therefore it “wasn’t”
true.
14:63 Then the high
priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? To him
this settled the issue entirely and conclusively without any need for further
evidence. Why this would be the case
would leave many modern readers puzzled but then the rationale is explained: the claim represents a hideous and
unforgivable insult of Jehovah Himself. . . .
14:64 You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of
death. Being at God’s right hand was rightly regarded as
elevation to the level of Deity regardless of however one might finesse the
definition of exactly what is being claimed.
They reject that Jesus could possibly be such. By definition--in their blinded eyes--he is
therefore both guilty of blasphemy and worthy of a prompt death.
14:65 Then some began to
spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him,
“Prophesy!” And the officers struck Him
with the palms of their hands. We have heard from
his biased judges. Now the emphasis
shifts to His guards. Insult, abuse, and
humiliation are poured upon the Lord even by those who had been in charge of
the arrest. Spitting in the face was, as
with us, a display of extreme contempt (as in Numbers
As Predicted, Peter Repeatedly Denies All Knowledge Of The Prisoner
Jesus (14:66-72): 66 Now while Peter was
below in the courtyard, one of the
high priest’s slave girls came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself,
she looked directly at him and said,
“You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it: “I don’t even understand what you’re
talking about!” Then he went out to
the gateway, and a rooster crowed.
69 When the slave girl
saw him, she began again to say to the
bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But he denied it again.
A
short time later the bystanders again said to Peter, “You must be one of them, because you are also
a Galilean.” 71 Then he began to curse, and he
swore with an oath, “I do not know this
man you are talking about!” 72 Immediately a rooster crowed a
second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him: “Before a rooster crows twice, you
will deny me three times.” And he
broke down and wept. --New English
Translation (for comparison)
14:66 Now as Peter was
below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. The
high priest was well off financially and both because of that and his
leadership position it was inevitable that he would have a very large staff of
both men and women in his extended household.
Sidebar on the physical layout of
the events at the Lord’s Jewish trial: “This little word ‘beneath’ [‘below,’ NKJV]—one of
our Evangelist's graphic touches—is most important for the right understanding
of what we may call the topography of the scene. We must take it in connection with Matthew's
word (Matt 26:69): ‘Now Peter sat
without in the palace’—or quadrangular court, in the center of which the fire
would be burning; and crowding around and buzzing about it would be the menials
and others who had been admitted within the court. At the upper end of this court, probably,
would be the memorable chamber in which the trial was held—open to the court,
likely, and not far from the fire (as we gather from Luke 22:61), but on a
higher level; for (as our verse says) the court, with Peter in it, was
‘beneath’ it. The ascent to the Council
chamber was perhaps by a short flight of steps.
If the reader will bear this explanation in mind, he will find the
intensely interesting details which follow more intelligible.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Bible Commentary)
14:67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and
said, “You also were with Jesus of
14:68 But he denied it,
saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed. Our
idiom today would be, “I don’t have the foggiest idea what you are talking
about.” And then he walked away so that
the discussion would not be continued. A
visible way of showing apparent contempt both for the question and the
questioner; as if to say, “there’s nothing here worth
talking about.” Also
permitting him to avoid continuing the potentially dangerous conversation.
14:69 And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those
who stood by, “This is one of them.” Their
paths crossed again and by now she was even more convinced that her memory had
not played itself false. This time her
remarks were addressed not so much to Peter as to those around him. It is almost as if she is challenging
them: “What are you going to do about
it?”
14:70 But he denied it
again. And a little later those who
stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for
you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.” The
female servant’s claims gained a certain credibility
among the crowd because Peter spoke with a Galilean accent that was different
from the Judean one that would normally be heard in
This
accusation occurred about an hour after his previous denial (Luke
14:71 Then he began to
curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!” He
wasn’t cursing at Jesus but he was loudly cursing to hide the fact that
he knew far more about the Lord than it was safe to admit in this hostile
crowd. In twentieth-first century
English, this sounds like he was using vulgarities or outright
obscenities. The connotation in the
Greek is that of calling down curses (invoking divine or earthly retribution)
upon himself if he is not telling the truth.
14:72 A second
time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus
had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice,
you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept. At this
point reality penetrates his thinking and he recalls with horror that the Lord
had predicted exactly this kind of repeated denial. This man who not many hours
earlier insisted that nothing could drive him away from the Lord, had loudly
and emphatically denied knowing Him at all. Is it any wonder he cried in his guilt? Especially when it was at that exact time
that Jesus turned from where He stood in the distance and briefly stared at him
(Luke 22:61).
Before
we look down upon him too much, would we have had the courage to even
enter the courtyard to see what was happening?
And would we have been able to resist the panic of possible
retribution that led to his denial of the truth? Bible examples often reveal not only the
weakness of the person being described but also our own as well.
Chapter Fifteen
Pilate Interrogates Jesus (15:1-5): 1 Early in the morning, after forming a
plan, the chief priests with the elders and the experts in the law and the whole Sanhedrin tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. 2 So Pilate asked him,
“Are you the king of the Jews?” He replied, “You say so.”
3 Then the chief priests
began to accuse him repeatedly. 4 So Pilate asked him again, “Have you nothing to say? See how many
charges they are bringing against you!” 5 But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was
amazed. --New English Translation
(for comparison)
15:1 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation
with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus,
led Him away, and delivered Him to
Pilate. “The chief priests, the
elders, and the scribes” had been mentioned as meeting in
The
“consultation” might consist of the formal adoption of the charges but to
absolutely assure that there was the minimum chance of the decision being
challenged, it is likely that the decision was presented as one already
adopted. It was done so, of course,
because it was “impractical” to gather everyone earlier and it was considered
courteous and proper to officially inform everyone what the council had
preliminarily decided. We certainly know
that such absurdities have been delivered with a straight face in many modern
countries in order to gloss over the improprieties of what has already
happened.
15:2 Then Pilate asked
Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He
answered and said to him, “It is as you
say.” The
charges of blasphemy were irrelevant to Pilate.
A charge had to be presented that would be both offensive to the Romans
and worthy of the death penalty in their eyes.
The charge of being a king was one that fit the need perfectly since a
Jewish kingly claim was normally associated with the willingness to back up the
claim with insurrection.
Jesus
readily conceded the charge was true but Pilate had to be more than a little
suspicious. For the Sanhedrin to be so
enthusiastic for punishment when Pilate’s own people had not picked up any
rumor of insurrection--and to maintain power he and those supporting him had
to be constantly alert to such dangers.
Likewise one would expect that a daily report of activities in
And
it would explain Pilate’s unwillingness to take the “admission” at face
value. Facing reluctance to act, the top
clerics sought some accusation that would compel Pilate to invoke the death
penalty. . . .
15:3 And the chief
priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. Jesus refused to get into an argument over the latest tall
tales that were being invented. The very
fact that His foes insisted upon branding Him with “many” false accusations
argued that they knew full well that they had a perilously weak case. With a strong one, all this would be
unnecessary.
Sidebar: This happened in the court outside Herod’s Praetorium rather than within its walls because “they themselves did not go into the Praetorium,
lest they should be defiled;” this way they could still “eat the Passover” (John
15:4 Then Pilate asked
Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!” 5 But Jesus still
answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.
So many charges were being thrown
that Pilate was startled that none of them could rouse Him to make a
self-defense. The natural human defense
seems to be talk . . . and keep talking . . . but when you know that no good
will come out of it, what then but silence?
If you know that no one is going to listen or change their minds, what
is the use? Especially when they have
made clear that removing one accusation is just going to cause them to invent a
new one.
Pilate Makes Them Choose Between Freedom For
Jesus Or That Of the Murderer Barabbas (15:6-15): 6 During the feast it
was customary to release one prisoner
to the people, whomever they requested. 7 A man named Barabbas was imprisoned with rebels who had committed murder during an insurrection. 8 Then the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to
release a prisoner for them, as was his
custom.
9 So Pilate asked them,
“Do you want me to release the king of
the Jews for you?” 10 (For he knew that the chief priests had
handed him over because of envy.) 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas instead. 12 So Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do
you want me to do with the one you call
king of the Jews?”
13 They shouted back,
“Crucify him!” 14 Pilate asked them, “Why? What has
he done wrong?” But they shouted more insistently,
“Crucify him!” 15 Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd,
Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then, after he had
Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be
crucified. --New English Translation (for comparison)
15:6 Now at the feast he was
accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. It was a token of good will,
a symbol of good intentions. What more
appropriate symbolism for the Passover day that remembered the salvation of the
Jews from death--and ultimately Egyptian servitude--than freeing a prisoner
from his captivity and certainty of death? Furthermore they would get to choose the
identity of the prisoner, making the matter symbolic of their collective right
to decide matters of life and death.
From the Roman standpoint, however, it was simply an act of good
will intended to encourage a cooperative mentality within the subject
community.
15:7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow
rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. Barabbas had been involved in an
attempt at revolution and had committed murder during it: “Murder” could have been defined as anyone
killed “on the other side” or it could carry the more traditional usage of
noncombatants--a poor soul who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong
time and gets killed for “no good reason at all.” Jesus, for all His supposed “faults,” did not
have blood on His hands. He was
obviously a better choice for release than this violent troublemaker.
15:8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to
ask him to do just as he had always done for them. Mobs don’t always do what their leaders want them to
do. The religious leaders had gotten
them together, stirred up their emotions, and now they are
diverted--passionately diverted--into demanding that the prisoner release
tradition be continued. Pilate tries to
take advantage of their request. . . .
15:9 But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to
release to you the King of the Jews?” For all of Jesus’ kingship
“delusions,” He had never murdered an innocent person; indeed had never killed
anyone at all. Releasing a “deluded”
soul inherently made better sense than releasing a man with a documented murder
record. Pilate took this tack because he
knew full well what lay behind their claims against Jesus. . . .
Sidebar: In line with the reasoning presented in 15:2,
this verse provides further evidence that he had prior knowledge of their
biased motivations: He knew that this
had nothing to do with Roman interests but strictly their own.
Sidebar: “The
Roman scourging was horribly severe.
Drops of lead and small sharp-pointed bones were often plaited into the
scourges, and the sufferers not unfrequently died
under the infliction. . . . That the
soldiers could not have performed their duty with forbearance on this occasion, is plain from the wanton malice, with which they
added mockery to the scourging [verses 16-20].”
(
Physical Mockery of Jesus By The
Soldiers (
19 Again and again they
struck him on the head with a staff and
spit on him. Then they knelt down and paid homage to him. 20 When they had finished mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes
back on him. Then they led him away to
crucify him. --New English
Translation (for comparison)
When fully staffed, this was a “cohort” (500 soldiers),
one tenth of a Roman legion. At the time
of Passover and other festivals it would be imperative to assure that the full body of available forces were present. Anything from minor disturbances to full
scale riots could break out in the crush of the large crowds who came. And it was far easier to have the force to break
up such readily at hand rather than have to explain to
Sidebar: They did this not once, but repeatedly, as
some translations bring out: “Again and
again” (NET, NIV); “they kept beating” (NASB).
Jesus Crucified And Mocked By the
Onlookers (
23 They offered him wine
mixed with myrrh, but he did not take
it. 24 Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, throwing dice for them, to decide
what each would take. 25 It was
29 Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who can destroy the
temple and rebuild it in three
days, 30 save yourself and come down from the cross!” 31 In the same way even
the chief priests—together with the
experts in the law—were mocking him among themselves: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! 32 Let the Christ, the king of
15:21 Then they
compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father
of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to
bear His cross. Although physically fit
from His work as a carpenter, Jesus had been vigorously scourged (verse 15) and
abused by the garrison. The cross--the
cross’ crossbar most likely--could weigh 80 pounds or better to assure that it
was so strong that it could be repeatedly reused without replacement. The distance to Calvary has been estimated to
be under a half-mile, but that figure is subject to revision upward since we
have no way of knowing the routing by the streets that then existed. Every step of the way would have been anguish
on a tired and exhausted body. Hence it
is no wonder that He had been rendered incapable of carrying it more than part
of the way.
Sidebar--reasonable
conjecture on the link of these men to both Mark and the apostle Paul: “The
fact recorded here, and not elsewhere, is one of the most striking instances of
the independent character of Mark’s Gospel.
It is clear that it had a special interest for himself
and the readers for whom he wrote; what that interest was we can only
conjecture. The two names were so common
that we cannot arrive at more than a probable identification, but the mention
of a ‘Rufus chosen in the Lord’ as prominent among the Christians of Rome
(Romans 16:13), taken together with the evidence which connects Mark’s Gospel
with that Church, tends to the conclusion
that he was one of the two brothers thus mentioned.
“But if so, then we are led on to
some other facts of no slight interest.
Paul speaks of the mother of Rufus as being also his mother—i.e.,
endeared to him by many proofs of maternal kindness [Romans 16:13 also]—and so
we are led to the belief that the wife of Simon of Cyrene
must, at some time or other, at Antioch or Corinth, and afterwards at Rome,
have come within the inner circle of Paul’s friends. This, in its turn, connects itself with the
prominence given to ‘men of
Sidebar
on the location: “It was (a) apparently
a well-known spot; (b) outside the gate (compare
Hebrews
Then
there were those dying on the cross along with Him and they also were equally
insulting to the Lord--though one later changed his mind (Luke
Jesus' Public Death In Front Of Foes And
Friends (
34 Around
39 Now when the
centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how
he died, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” 40 There were also women, watching from a distance.
Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary
the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in
15:36 Then someone ran
and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and
offered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see
if Elijah will come to take Him down.” A small act of mercy for a dying man, to
help relieve the dryness of His throat. This is
accompanied by the same person trying to get them to stop the insults by
throwing their own words back at them:
wait and see if Elijah will intervene!
Whatever he may personally think of Jesus, the quickness with which he
tried to help--note the “someone ran” language--argues that the act was
at least partially compassionate. The
mockers embraced his suggestion (Matthew 27:49).
The
curtain separating the holy place from the holy of holies has now been ripped
apart so all can have access. The
symbolic lesson of this was immense. As
Hebrews 10 expresses it: “19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the
Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by
a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is,
His flesh, 21 and having a
High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies
washed with pure water.”
15:39 So when the
centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed
His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!” The
centurion in charge would never have claimed to be a “theological expert” in
any religion, but he would have seen Jesus’ behavior in the Praetorium
and during the crucifixion and was convinced that He had been an honorable
man--a “Son of God” who imitated the Divine ideal. That this was the connotation intended by his
words can be seen in Luke’s account (
15:40 There were also
women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of
James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, At least at first,
some (or all) of these individuals had stood far closer (John 19:25-27). Being an “unfriendly crowd” it was natural to
move further away from the insulters after the death--and before the removal of
the body--in order to be solely among the fully sympathetic observers (verse
41) who were gathered a distance away.
Burial Of Jesus In A Rich Man's Tomb (15:42-47): 42 Now when evening had already
come, since it was the day of preparation (that
is, the day before the Sabbath), 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, who was himself looking
forward to the kingdom of God, went
boldly to Pilate and asked f or the
body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for some time. 45 When Pilate was
informed by the centurion, he gave the
body to Joseph.
46 After Joseph bought a
linen cloth and took down the body, he
wrapped it in the linen and placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone across the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and
Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was placed. --New English
Translation (for comparison)
15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a
prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God,
coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. John
The Sanhedrin was a rather large
body--according to the Talmud--of seventy-one members. The dominant element were
definitely not going to be happy when they learned of his
intervention. They might not be able to
do anything directly against him but there were enough members of what we might
call the “never Jesus faction,” that they could unquestionably minimize his
influence and make his presence uncomfortable.
The fact that the body was still on
the cross argues that though the Roman soldiers recognized that their prisoners
needed to be dead by the time the Sabbath began, that there was no necessity
for the bodies to have been removed by then.
That was apparently at least temporarily being left up to friends or
kin--assuming they had any in
Chapter Sixteen
Female Disciples Come To Do Further Anointing Of The Dead
Body Of Jesus and Discover That He
Has Been Raised From The Dead (16:1-8):
1 When the Sabbath was
over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of
James, and Salome bought aromatic spices so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the
first day of the week, at sunrise,
they went to the tomb.
3 They had been asking
each other, “Who will roll away the stone
for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which
was very large, had been rolled
back.
5 Then as they went into
the tomb, they saw a young man dressed
in a white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them,
“Do not be alarmed. You are looking
for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been raised! He is not here. Look, there is the place where they laid him. 7 But go,
tell his disciples, even Peter, that he is going ahead of you into
8 Then they went out and
ran from the tomb, for terror and bewilderment
had seized them. And they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. --New English
Translation (for comparison)
16:1 Now when
the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and
Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Now work could again be carried out--both
physical labor and works of mercy such as this one: It was the first day of the new week (verse
2). Since they already had the “spices”
with them, this implies that they had been able to obtain them shortly before
the Sabbath had begun. Several other
women were with them who are not mentioned here (Luke 24:10).
16:2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of
the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. Because
Jesus’ burial preparations had to be carried out so quickly, they knew that it
had not been done as well or as completely as was desirable. The good will had been there, but not the
time. Hence they started on finishing it
off as early as was practical.
John
words it, “while it was still dark” (John 20:1). Putting both together: They left where they were staying while it
was dark but just beginning to show light on the distant horizon. For theological reasons (it was still the
Sabbath) as well as safety and practical ones as well--this was not their home
town and they needed to see where everything was--they could not leave
earlier. This explains Matthew’s wording
of “as the first day of the week began to dawn” (Matthew
28:1). In other words it was barely
getting to be light.
16:3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone
from the door of the tomb for us?” Their worry was not finding the tomb for they were
already--from personal observation--well aware of where it was located (
Sidebar--The
physical layout of typical Jewish first century tombs in Palestine: “There was
generally an approach to the tomb open to the sky; then a low entrance on the
side of the rock, leading into a square chamber, on one side of which was a
recess for the body, about three feet deep, with a low arch over it. The stone here referred to by the women would
be the stone which covered the actual entrance into the vault. It would probably be not less than six feet
in breadth and three in height. This
great stone had been rolled by Joseph to the mouth of the tomb; and then he had
departed.” (Pulpit Commentary)
Burial blocking stones found among the 900 odd Second Temple era tombs in the Jerusalem area come in two forms: overwhelmingly they were cork shaped with a very few (only four) that were disk shaped as in the traditional image of the stone the women faced. If cork shaped, “roll” would encompass rolling (= pushing) it over on its side multiple times to get it out of the way; literally rolling it out of the way if circular shaped.
16:4 But when they
looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. They
discovered that their problem had been solved for them, but that left the
questions of “by whom” and “why.” Note
the description of the stone as “very large”--verifying their concerns about an
inability to move it.
16:5 And entering the
tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right
side; and they were alarmed. Seeing someone of mature years they did not recognize would
have been disturbing enough at this early an hour, but this was “a young
man”--what in the world was he doing there? Matthew explicitly describes this youth as
“an angel” (28:2) but their reaction of “alarm” may well have been intended to
imply that there was something about him that simply “didn’t ring true” of a
mere human being. A
more indirect way of implying the same thing. And which would be fully expected in light of
Matthew’s description of him as one with a “countenance [that] was like lightning, and his
clothing as white as snow” (28:3). You
didn’t have to call him “an angel” to know that something very strange
was going on!
16:6 But he said to
them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus
of
16:7 But go, tell His
disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into
The
message was to be given to Peter in particular because after his humiliating
denial of the Lord, he likely felt profoundly unworthy to be even numbered
among “His disciples.” Therefore the need to reach out to that apostle in particular.
16:8 So they went out
quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were
afraid. They were astounded and it was reflected in the fact that
their bodies shook in surprise.
Naturally they were afraid to say anything to anyone on the way! They hadn’t “absorbed” the shock themselves
yet! Furthermore, to anyone outside
their group they would have seemed deranged in their excitement even if they
had stopped and said anything.
Reluctance Of The Disciples To Believe in The Reality of The
Resurrection of the Lord in Spite of
Growing Evidence (16:9-14): 9 Early on the first day of the week, after he
arose, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
from whom he had driven out seven demons.
10 She went out and told
those who were with him, while they were
mourning and weeping. 11 And when they heard that he was alive
and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
12 After this he appeared
in a different form to two of them while
they were on their way to the country. 13 They went back and told the rest, but they did not believe
them.
14 Then he appeared to
the eleven themselves, while they were eating, and he rebuked them for
their unbelief and hardness of heart,
because they did not believe those who had seen
him resurrected. --New English
Translation (for comparison)
16:9 Now when He rose early on the
first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom He had cast seven demons. There is a profound
difference between being the first to see the empty tomb--an experience she
shared in the preceding verses with other women--and being the first to
actually see the Lord Himself. Either
Mary arrived before the other women or she returned to the tomb a second time
later that morning. The latter seems
required since all the women--and Mary Magdalene is specifically included in
the list--reported the empty tomb (Luke 24:8-11) and no mention is made by her
of this appearance.
Sidebar: It is often claimed that the gospel of Mark
ends at verse 8. In light of the New
Testament emphasis on the reality of Jesus’ bodily resurrection, this seems
inherently absurd. Something had
to come after verse 8. Unless something
did, we have no eyewitness testimony contained of the resurrected Jesus at
all. In light of the vast importance
laid by the New Testament on that reality, it is simply not credible that none
of those appearances were mentioned by Mark.
Commissioning Of The Apostles To
Share The Gospel Throughout The
Entire World (
17 These signs will
accompany those who believe: In my name
they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands, and whatever poison they drink will not harm them; they will
place their hands on the sick and they
will be well.”
19 After the Lord Jesus
had spoken to them, he was taken up
into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 They went out and proclaimed everywhere, while
the Lord worked with them and confirmed
the word through the accompanying signs. --New English
Translation (for comparison)
The promise that they would speak
“new tongues” (i.e., languages they had not been taught or raised in--as
demonstrated by the fact that the “tongues” in Acts 2 were such) would provide
both additional validation of their faith to themselves and allow others to
hear words of encouragement that would deepen faith in them as well. The apostles could bestow this gift, as Paul
did in Acts 19:5-7.
16:18 they will
take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt
them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Protection from death would occur either if they
accidentally took up poisonous serpents (as the apostle Paul did in Acts
28:1-6) or if they unknowingly drank anything poisonous (of which no example is
given in the New Testament). The age of
the miraculous ended when inspiration did (as taught in 1 Corinthians
13:8-10). It is one of the oddities of
the modern world that those who have erroneously concluded that they would be
safe if they pick up snakes on purpose usually have little or no
willingness to do the same with the poisons that are mentioned in passing. And neither act is discussed in the New
Testament in terms of church services or doing either intentionally!
The gift of miraculous healing would
continue to occur just as it had during Jesus’ personal ministry and as it had
been also carried out when the Lord had sent the apostles to preach under the
Limited Commission to Israel only (Luke 9:1-6).
Peter exercised the gift of healing in