Mark 15:6-8 Now at the feast he used to release for them any one prisoner whom they requested. The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection. The crowd went up and began asking him to do as he had been accustomed to do for them.

What does Pilate customarily do at the feast?

“…he used to release for them any one prisoner whom they requested” (Mark 15:6).

• ἑορτὴν (heortēn) (“feast”)

o  “a day or series of days marked by a periodic celebration or observance, festival, celebration” (BDAG, 355).

o  At which feast does John 18:39 say that it was customary for a prisoner to be released?

“But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?” (John 18:39).

• ἀπέλυεν (apelyen) (“used to release”) 3S Imperfect Active Indicative of ἀπολύω,“As legal term, to grant acquittal, set free, release, pardon τινά a prisoner” (BDAG, 117).

o  “The imperfect likewise expresses incompleted action which in any given case may be either momentary, simultaneous, prolonged, descriptive, repeated, customary, interrupted, attempted, or begun, according to the context or meaning of the verb” (A. T. Robertson, A Short Grammar of the Greek New Testament, for Students Familiar with the Elements of Greek, p. 141).

 

With whom had Barabbas been imprisoned?

“The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection” (Mark 15:7).

• τῶν στασιαστῶν (tōn stasiastōn) (“the insurrectionists”)

“a factious person who causes public discord, rebel, revolutionary” (BDAG, 940).

• What does John call Barabbas in John 18:40?

“So they cried out again, saying, ‘Not this Man, but Barabbas.’ Now Barabbas was a robber” (John 18:40).

o  “Jn 18:40 describes him as a λῃστής, the term which Josephus uses for anti-Roman insurrectionists; while John did not necessarily use the term in that special sense, it does correspond to Mark’s information that Barabbas was imprisoned μετὰ τῶν στασιαστῶν. We have no other information about this specific στάσις during the governorship of Pilate, but such events occurred sporadically from A.D. 6 onwards until the Jewish War of A.D. 66–73, and Barabbas as a member (and presumably a leading member, since he was singled out for amnesty) of such a dissident group would naturally be a popular hero. Mark does not say in so many words either that Barabbas was a στασιαστἠς or that he himself committed murder, but the fact that he was imprisoned with such a group speaks for itself. The two other λῃσταἰ who were subsequently crucified along with Jesus (v. 27) probably belonged to the same group, left behind when Barabbas alone was released. Thus Jesus found himself in compromising company; the occurrence of a στάσις recently enough for its perpetrators to be still in prison awaiting execution means that this was a dangerous time for anyone to be charged in Jerusalem with claiming to be ὁ βασιλεύς τῶν Ἰοθδαἰων; no doubt the priests had reckoned with that” (R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark: a Commentary on the Greek Text, New Greek Testament Commentary, p. 631).

 

What does the crowd go up and begin asking Pilate to do?

“…as he had been accustomed to do for them” (Mark 15:8b).

•       ἐποίει (epoiei) (“had been accustomed to do”) 3S Imperfect Active Indicative of ποιέω, “to undertake or do something that brings about an event, state, or condition, do, cause, bring about, accomplish, prepare, etc” (BDAG, 839).
• “The imperfect likewise expresses incompleted action which in any given case may be either momentary, simultaneous, prolonged, descriptive, repeated, customary, interrupted, attempted, or begun, according to the context or meaning of the verb” (A. T. Robertson, A Short Grammar of the Greek New Testament, for Students Familiar with the Elements of Greek, p. 141).

•       “The ὄχλος appears suddenly in the narrative. Perhaps we are to understand that on this Passover morning it was known that Pilate was to exercise his amnesty, and a crowd of Jerusalem citizens (supporters of Barabbas?; so Cranfield) came together as at any other Passover to witness and if possible to influence his choice. But v. 11 suggests that this year other factors may have been at work: the chief priests who guided the crowd’s choice may also have been responsible for recruiting and briefing a crowd to support their case against Jesus, even if at this stage they could not have anticipated Pilate’s move in proposing their prisoner for the Passover amnesty” (R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark: a Commentary on the Greek Text, New Greek Testament Commentary, p. 631).

Father,

You are the holy God who created all things in perfect wisdom. We were the rebels from birth who perverted the holy ways of our holy God and marred Your creation with our rebellion, sin and iniquity. But instead of abandoning sinners to the wage of sin, which is death, You redeemed us by Your sovereign grace and gave us the free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. You anointed and ordained Jesus to serve as both the Passover Lamb and the High Priest to accomplish the redemption of Your people from the futile way of life inherited by our forefathers. Glory to You for Your abounding grace, steadfast love, and enduring faithfulness. For all who have been sanctified by faith in Jesus no longer dwell in the realm of darkness in bondage to sin and death. For by Your grace, You have transferred us to the kingdom of Your Beloved, in Whom is the forgiveness of sins. All whom the Son sets free are free indeed. In steadfast love, You remembered the promises made to the forefathers of a new covenant with better promises. We have not been redeemed by silver or gold, nor by bribes or pleas for mercy by guilty bystanders. Our sin has not been atoned by the continuous sacrifices of sheep and goats, which could never remove the stain of sin and the iniquity of Your people. Instead, according to Your divine will and abounding grace, You redeemed Your people with the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for our sake who through Him are believers in You, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that our faith and hope are in You. Evidence of Your enduring faithfulness, You reconciled us to Yourself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that You were in Christ reconciling the world to Yourself, not counting our trespasses against us, and You have committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though You are making an appeal through us on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to You. For You made Him Who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Mark 15:5 But Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed.

How does Jesus respond when Pilate questions Him, saying, “Do you not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!” (Mark 15:4)?

“But Jesus made no further answer…” (Mark 15:5a).

•  οὐκέτι ούδὲν (ouketi ouden) (“no further”)

o  “Redundant negatives are another contribution to Mark’s distinctly heavy style, though several other NT authors share this habit, and it is common in earlier secular authors”   (James Hope Moulton and Nigel Turner, A Grammar of New Testament Greek: Style, V. 4, p. 26).

• What is prophesied concerning the righteous sufferer in Psalm 38:13-14?

“But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;

And I am like a mute man who does not open his mouth.

Yes, I am like a man who does not hear,

And in whose mouth are no arguments.”

• What is prophesied concerning the suffering servant in Isaiah 53:7?

“He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth;

 Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,

And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,

So He did not open His mouth.”

What was the result of Jesus’ silence?

“…so Pilate was amazed” (Mark 15:5b).

• θαυμάζειν (thaumazein) (“was amazed”)

Present Active Infinitive of θαυμάζω,

“to be extraordinarily impressed or disturbed by something, act; intr. wonder, marvel, be astonished (the context determines whether in a good or bad sense)” (BDAG, 444).

• “Mark indicated that ‘Pilate was amazed’ in order to show that the governor recognized that Jesus was a most unusual person. Probably Mark intended to convey the idea of religious awe. Certainly the theme of amazement is a consistent Markan theme (1:22, 27; 2:12; 5:20; 6:2, 51; 10:24, 26; 11:18; 12:17).” (James A. Brooks, The New American Commentary: Mark, V. 23, p. 251).

“…HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME” (Rev 4:8b). “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created” (Rev 4:11). “…Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Rev 5:12b). “…To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever” (Rev 5:13b). 

In Jesus Name, Amen.

 

Mark 15:4 Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, “Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!”

What does Pilate do after the chief priests accuse Jesus harshly?

“Then Pilate questioned Him again…” (Mark 15:4).

•   ἐπηρώτα (epērōta) (“questioned”)

3S Imperfect Active Indicative of ἐπερωτάω,

"to put a question to, ask; of a judge’s questioning (interrogation) in making an investigation" (BDAG, 362).

•  πάλιν (palin) (“again”)

"pertaining to repetition in the same (or similar) manner, again, once more, anew of something a person has already done" (BDAG, 752).

What does Pilate say when he questions Jesus again?

“…saying, ‘Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!’” (Mark 15:4).

• λέγων (legōn) (“saying”)

Masculine Nominative Singular Present Active Participle of λέγω,

"to express oneself orally or in written form, utter in words, say, tell, give expression to" (BDAG, 588).

• οὐκ ἀποκρίνῃ (ouk apokrinē) (“not answer”)

2S Present Middle/Passive Indicative of ἀποκρίνομαι,

"answer, reply" (BDAG, 113).

•   οὐδέν (ouden)

"nothing" (BDAG, 735)

o  “Pleonastic negatives, which were frequent in classical Attic and well suited to the lively Greek temperament, are not as plentiful now. The negative was strengthened by sequences like…Mark 15:4-5 (οὐ ... οὐδέν often in Ptol. papyri)” (James Hope Moulton and Nigel Turner, A Grammar of New Testament Greek: Syntax, V 3, p. 286).

o  οὐκ…οὐδὲ in Matthew 27:14b, “And He did not (οὐκ) answer him with regard to even (οὐδὲ) a single charge…”

o  “An offspring of Ionic, Attic was the dialect of Athens, during the ‘golden age’ of classical Greek (4^th-5^th centuries BCE). In this golden age, Athens was both the political and literary center of Greece. ‘Classical Greek,’ though technically referring to all four dialects, is normally equated with Attic Greek, because of the proliferation of literary works that come from this dialect. Attic was thus a vehicle of refinement, precision, and beauty’ through which some of the world’s great literature was conveyed: ‘In it were composed the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, the comedies of Aristophanes, the histories of Thucydides and Xenophon, the orations of Demosthenes, and the philosophical treatises of Plato'” (Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics-Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament, p. 15).

• πόσα (posa) (“how many”) (Neuter Accusative Plural)

"in the plural πόσα, how many things?" (BDAG, 856)

o  “Exclamations are usually expressed in the older Greek by the pronouns οἷος, ὁποῖος, ὅσος, but occasionally the interrogative forms are so used. So πόσα in Mk. 15:4 and πηλίκος in Gal. 6:11. Cf. also τί θέλω εἰ ἤδη ἀνήφθη (Lu. 12:49). Cf. also ὡς ὡραῖοι in Rom 10:15” (A. T. Robertson, A Short Grammar of the Greek New Testament, for Students Familiar with the Elements of Greek, p. 179).

o  πόσα in Matthew 27:13, “Then Pilate said to Him, ‘Do You not hear how many (πόσα) things they testify against You?”

• κατηγοροῦσιν (katēgorousin) (“they bring against”)

3P Present Active Indicative of κατηγορέω,

"nearly always as legal technical term: bring charges in court; τί τινος accuse someone of a thing" (BDAG, 533).

"In view of Pilate's suspicion of the priests' motives (v10) it is quite possible that a protestation of innocence on Jesus' part would have swung Pilate more definitely onto his side, but not for the first time Jesus fails to take an opportunity to influence the outcome of the trial and so avoid the fate which he has accepted at Gethsemane as the Father's will" (R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark: a Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary, p. 629).

 "Some scholars suspected that Tactitus was in error and that Pilate was a governor of the rank of prefect, not procurator. An inscription found at Caesarea Maritima in 1961 confirmed this suspicion... The Pilate inscription thus confirms the governor's rank as prefect, and it may also provide an important indication of what major projects occupied the attention of the governor of Judea" (Dictionary of New Testament Background, p. 804).

Father,

Jesus stood in magnificent silence before His accusers, revealing His submission to Your will and to the cross, just as You had revealed in Your Word through the prophets. Glory to Yeshua for His restrained power at this critical juncture in Your work of salvation. And Your Word reveals the mystery that had been hidden for ages but is now revealed in Christ. The Bible records the magnificent revelation of Your divine nature and eternal power. In Jesus is the radiance of Your glory and the exact representation of Your nature. You are the God of the Bible, and Your glory is revealed in and through Your Son. Through faith alone in Jesus are sinners saved by Your grace. And through Christ, the veil of unbelief is removed. Jesus opens our minds to understand the Bible. All Scripture is inspired by You and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. The inerrancy of Your Word, testifying of actual historical events as well as absolute propositional truth, reveals Your glory and Your power to guard and preserve Your revelation through the ages. All that You have revealed through the prophets has and will come to pass, for You watch over Your Word to fulfill it. You alone know the beginning and the end. You reveal prophecy and You fulfill it. Glory to You for the marvelous gift of Your Word and the Spirit’s ministry to lead us into the fullness of Your truth, for Your Word is true. May You sanctify us in Your truth, for Your Word is true. May the Words of Jesus dwell in us richly. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Mark 15:3 The chief priests began to accuse Him harshly.

After Jesus’ affirmative response to Pilate’s question as to whether Jesus is the King of the Jews, what do the chief priests begin to do?

“to accuse Him harshly” (Mark 15:3).

• κατηγόρουν (katēgoroun) (“to accuse") 3P Imperfect Active Indicative of κατηγορέω, “nearly always as legal technical term: bring charges in court…accuse someone of a thing” (BDAG, 533).

• πολλά (polla) (“harshly”) Adverbial Accusative of πολύς, “πολλά in the accusative used adverbially greatly, earnestly, strictly, loudly, often etc” (BDAG, 849).

(“The NT occurrences of πολλά adverbial are given by Hawkins HS²₃₅ thus: 1.  Mk 1:45 3:12 5:10. 23. 38. 43 6:20 9:26 15:3. He regards all other instances as accusatives. . . The free use of the adverbial accusative in Greek removes this from the category of Semitisms. See LS s.v. πολύς. The disproportionate use of πολλά in the second Gospel is a Marcan mannerism which may be due to Aramaic influence” [Moulton, James Hope, and Wilbert F. Howard, A Grammar of New Testament Greek: Accidence and Word-Formation, Vol. 2, p. 446].)

• What have the chief priests and whole Council been seeking?

“to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death” (Mark 14:55).

• Why did the Sanhedrin deliver Jesus over to Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect, to be tried for treason under Roman law after their own early dawn guilty verdict of blasphemy under Jewish law?

“Though the Sanhedrin could pronounce a death sentence it could not exercise capital punishment. So a condemned prisoner had to be turned over to the Roman authorities for a death sentence to be carried out (cf. John 18:31; TDNT, s.v. ‘synedrion,’ 1:865-6). The Roman governor could either ratify or rescind the Sanhedrin’s death sentence (cf. John 19:10). If rescinded, a new trial had to be conducted before a Roman court in which the Sanhedrin had to prove that the defendant had committed a capital crime under Roman law. Since the charge of blasphemy (cf. Mark 14:64) was not punishable by Roman law it was not mentioned in the following trial. In its place the Sanhedrin substituted a charge of treason, turning Jesus’ acknowledgement that He was the messiah into a traitorous political claim that He is ‘the King of the Jews’ (cf. 15:2, Luke 23:2). The Roman court surely could not ignore that charge” (John F. Walvoord, and Roy B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, V. 2, p. 185).

Father, You made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Guiltless Jesus endured the condemnation of guilty men so that we could be declared not guilty.  All  have sinned and fall short of Your glory, being justified by Your grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom You displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate Your righteousness, because in Your forbearance You passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration of Your righteousness at the present time, so that You would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Mark 15:2 Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him, “It is as you say.”

What is the first question that Pilate asks Jesus?

“Are You the King of the Jews?” (Mark 15:2)

• ὁ βασιλεὺς (ho basileus) (“the King”) Predicate Noun 
• “Predicate nouns as a rule are anarthrous. Nevertheless the article is inserted if the predicate noun is presented as something well known or as that which alone merits the designation (the only thing to be considered)” (Friedrich Blass, Albert Debrunner, and Robert W. Funk, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, p. 143).

• Which tribe of Israel is promised the scepter?  
• “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Gen 49:10).

• What messianic prophecy foretells the coming of a star from Jacob and the rising of a scepter from Israel? 
• “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth” (Num 24:17).

• What is promised to the house of David, of the tribe of Judah, in the Davidic Covenant? 
• “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16).

•  From whom does Jesus descend in the flesh? 
• “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matt 1:1).

•  When wise men from the east arrive in Jerusalem following the birth of Jesus, what do they ask when seeking His whereabouts? 
• “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship him’” (Matt 2:1-2).

•  How does Jesus identify Himself in Revelation 22:16? 
• “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star” (Rev 22:16).

 How does He answer when he asks, "Are You the King of the Jews?"

“It is as you say” (Mark 15:2).

Father,

You are the One Mighty King, and You have established Your Son as Your Anointed King over Your eternal kingdom. His reign will never end. He will reign in perfect wisdom and righteousness, and rule with a rod of iron. Blessed are all who take refuge in Your Son. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Mark 15:1 Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate.

Early in the morning after Peter’s third denial and the second cockcrow during the Sanhedrin proceedings, who immediately holds a consultation to formally charge Jesus?

“the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council” (Mark 15:1).

• οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς (hoi archiereis) (“the chief priests”)

“a priest of high rank, chief priests. In Israel’s cultic life. The plural is used in the New Testament and Josephus…to denote members of the Sanhedrin who belonged to highpriestly families: ruling high priests, those who had been deposed, and adult male members of the most prominent priestly families” (BDAG, 139).

• τῶν πρεσβυτέρων (tōn presbyterōn) (“the elders”)

“an official (cp. Lat. Senator), elder, presbyter … for members of a group in the Sanhedrin” (BDAG, 862).

• γραμματέων (grammateōn)(“scribes”)

“an expert in the law of Moses; experts in the law, scholars versed in the law, scribes; mentioned together with high priests (see ἀρχιερεῖς), with whom the elders (often referred to in the same context) their representatives formed the Sanhedrin” (BDAG, 206).

• τὸ συνέδριον (to synedrion) (“Council”)                                           “the high council in Jerusalem, Sanhedrin, the dominant meaning in our literature…in Roman times this was the highest indigenous governing body in Judaea, composed of high priests (ἀρχιερεύς 1ba), elders, and scholars (scribes), and meeting under the presidency of the ruling high priest. This body was the ultimate authority not only in religious matters, but in legal and governmental affairs as well, in so far as it did not encroach on the authority of the Roman procurator. The latter, e.g., had to confirm any death sentences passed by the council” (BDAG, 967).

When is the consultation held?

“Early in the morning” (Mark 15:1).

• πρωί (prōi) “in the early part of the daylight period, early, early in the morning” (BDAG, 892).

• “The second cockcrow has brought us close to dawn (see on 14:29-31), and πρωί picks up from that point. The move to the praetorium, the trial, mockery, and journey to Golgotha must all be fitted in before the third hour (9 a.m.), 15:25, so πρωί here must mean at or even before daybreak” (R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark: a Commentary on the Greek Text, NIGTC, p. 626).

What is done to Jesus after the consultation?

“binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate” (Mark 15:1).

•  δήσαντες (dēsantes) (“binding”) Masculine Nominative Plural Aorist Active Participle of δέω, “to confine a person or thing by various kinds of restraints, bind, tie…of binding and imprisoning persons” (BDAG, 221).

•  ἀπήνεγκαν (apēnegkan) (“led away”) 3P Aorist Active Indicative of ἀποφέρω, “to conduct with constraint away from a point, lead off, lead away…of a prisoner) (BDAG, 124).

•  παρέδωκαν (paredōkan) (“delivered”) 3P Aorist Active Indicative of παραδίδωμι, “hand over, turn over, give up a person ([Lat. trado] as a technical term of police and courts ‘hand over into [the] custody [of]’” (BDAG, 72).

To whom is Jesus delivered?

Pilate (Mark 15:1).

• “Appointed by Tiberius as the fifth prefect of Judea, and who served in that capacity from A.D. 26-36. He appears prominently in the trial narratives of the Gospels as the Roman governor who authorized Jesus’ crucifixion. In addition he appears in a variety of extrabiblical sources as a dispassionate administrator who relentlessly pursued Roman authority in Judea” (Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, V 2, p. 1694).

Betrayal, Trial, and Crucifixion of Jesus; Map ©Logos Deluxe Map Set

 

Yahweh God Almighty,

Though the nations roar and the rulers take counsel together against You and Your Anointed, You reign sovereign and supreme from on high where You dwell in majesty and glory. Your purposes cannot be thwarted. All that You plan, You do. You are the Potter and we are the clay, the work of Your hands. We are not Your equal, nor may we sway You with a bribe. You are the righteous Judge and Your judgments are true. We are utterly dependent upon Your grace freely given through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Son of Man, Savior of the world and Lord over all, in Whom is the forgiveness of sins and for Whom all was created, that He may have preeminence over all. Glory to You through Jesus, the Beloved, to Whom You have entrusted the execution of Your judgment and Who will vindicate Your Holy Name. Jesus has been given authority over all. May Christ's ambassadors be filled and fully yield to the Holy Spirit, led according to Your will. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.