Mark 15:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

NIV: Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

NASB: Intent on satisfying the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

CSB: Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them; and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

NLT: So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

KJV: And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.

NKJV: So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

Scourging is an occasional precursor to crucifixion. The prisoner is tied to a post and flogged with a flagellum: a whip of separate, loose leather cords with pieces of bone or metal woven into the strands. The fragments can be rounded, so they beat the flesh, or hooked to tear it apart. The practice is so brutal that it's possible for the victim to die of blood loss. The whipping Jesus endures here was likely an especially brutal one, however. Pilate would have had reasons to order Jesus to be given an unusually harsh treatment.

Pilate is well-aware that he is trapped in this ironic but explosive moment. The Jewish leaders have been trying to destroy Jesus for years. Their attempts to arrest Him or kill Him outside the attention of Rome have failed (John 7:32; 8:59; 10:31–33). They finally get their chance on the day of the Passover, when the population of Jerusalem is swollen with Jews from Galilee, Perea, and all of Judea. The Sanhedrin has convicted Jesus of blasphemy against God (Mark 14:61–64), but they can't be responsible for His death with so many witnesses about (Mark 14:1–2). So they claim He is planning an insurrection against Rome (Luke 23:2) and tell the governor, Pilate, that it is his responsibility to execute their rival.

Pilate is not a kind, understanding man. He is ruthless in his governance of what he sees as a backwards, stubborn people of Judea. He has crucified many who dared rebel against him. But despite Jesus' following and the cries welcoming the return of the kingdom of David (Mark 11:9–10), he sees no political threat in an itinerant teacher. Herod Antipas, the tetrarch over Jesus' home district, agrees with Pilate's judgment (Luke 23:14–15), and even Pilate's wife has warned him to have nothing to do with Jesus (Matthew 27:19). As a polytheistic Roman, Pilate is also concerned about the possibility that Jesus might have connection to some god, after all (John 19:8).

The irony is that it is not Jesus' followers who threaten peace in the over-crowded Jerusalem, it's the Sanhedrin's followers. Jesus isn't helping, as He refuses to defend Himself (Mark 15:4–5; John 19:8–11). Pilate's only hope is that if he mangles Jesus enough, perhaps the priests, elders, and scribes will be satisfied (Luke 23:22).

His last-ditch efforts to save Jesus fail, and he chooses to sacrifice an innocent man for the sake of his own security, and a momentary peace.

Mark 15:6–15 describes history's greatest miscarriage of justice. The Sanhedrin has convicted Jesus with blasphemy, a crime in the Mosaic law (Mark 14:61–64). Such a charge won't convince the Roman authorities to execute Jesus, so they present Him to Pilate as an imminent insurrectionist (Luke 23:2, 5). Pilate interrogates Jesus and finds Him harmless (John 18:33–38). Pilate then sends Jesus to Herod Antipas, who also finds the Sanhedrin's charges baseless (Luke 23:6–15). Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate who must decide: risk rebellion by the Jewish leadership or kill an innocent man? Pilate's decision is also found in Matthew 27:15–26, Luke 23:13–25, and John 18:38—19:16.

After sham trials, Jesus is taken to the local Roman governor, Pilate. This is the only person in Jerusalem with the legal authority to have Jesus executed. Pilate is not fooled, and he attempts to arrange for Jesus' release. But the ruler's ploys fail, in part because Jesus will not defend Himself, and partly because the mob is intent on His death. Pilate offers a prisoner exchange in Barabbas, and even has Jesus brutally beaten in order to pacify the crowd. Eventually, he caves in and Jesus is crucified. Thanks to His prior abuse, Jesus survives only a few hours on the cross before dying. Jesus is then buried in a tomb belonging to a secret follower among the Jerusalem council.

After being unfairly judged, Jesus will now be unfairly sentenced and cruelly murdered. It's reasonable to say this chapter provides context for everything else contained in the Bible. From Adam and Eve until the last baby born in the millennial kingdom, every person other than Christ is stained with sin. Conscience, law, Jesus' direct leadership, even the indwelling of the Holy Spirit cannot keep us from sinning. Sinless Jesus had to die on the cross, sacrificing Himself in our place, so our sins could be forgiven and we could be reconciled to God. Beneath the violence, darkness, dishonor, and death is the love of God for all mankind (John 3:16). Jesus' crucifixion is also found in Matthew 27, Luke 23, and John 19. The next chapter describes the miracle of His resurrection.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.