Mark 15:1-32
Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.
2 “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
3 The chief priests accused him of many things. 4 So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”
5 But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.
6 Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. 7 A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. 8 The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.
9 “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate,10 knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.
12 “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.
13 “Crucify him!” they shouted.
14 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
Jesus was accused of many things he did not do. The Pharisees wanted his death – that’s for sure, but Pilate cannot see any evidence for the Pharisees to want Jesus crucified. Jesus was sinless – how can he be condemned to death?
Pilate made a decision not out of justice but because he wanted to satisfy the crowd. This was a mistake on his part, but nonetheless, by God’s sovereignty, this was the way Jesus was going to be crucified.
Crucifixion is not a joke. It is the most wretched of deaths. In fact, the word crucifixion was invented because there were no words to describe the torture and the pain that happens in a crucifixion. Many die due to asphyxiation – which would mean a slow death. But in Mark, he never gave details of the gore that happened to Jesus. Mark just made mentioned that Jesus was going to be crucified.
16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
Before the crucifixion, Jesus was mocked by the Roman soldiers. This might be their most famous criminal. That meant nationwide coverage that involved thousands of people watching them punish and torture this supposed to be King of the Jews. After he was mocked, Jesus was led like a lamb to be slaughtered on the cross.
This is about Psalm 22 where a prophecy was made on what will happen to Jesus.
7 All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;16 For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet[a]—
17 I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
21 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).
Even Jesus who was used to carry heavy stuff could no longer carry the cross that Simon from Cyrene was tasked to help him carry it all the way to Golgotha.
23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. 25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews. 27 They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. [28] 29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!” 31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
Imagine being the one crucified from doing nothing wrong. The main reason Jesus died on the cross was to pay the debt of our sin. Only He was qualified to do so, but the people did not understand. This is love. Maybe it is something that we did not ask for, but it is something that we need.