Mark 15:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him.

NIV: They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.

NASB: And they *dressed Him in purple, and after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on Him;

CSB: They dressed him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and put it on him.

NLT: They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head.

KJV: And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,

NKJV: And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head,

It appears that the soldiers are dressing Jesus as a prince but with shoddy duplicates. We don't know what kind of thorn bush makes the crown, but it may mimic the leafy wreath given to a minor landowner. While John says the soldiers use a "purple robe" (John 19:2), and Mark says a "purple cloak," Matthew says a "scarlet robe" (Matthew 27:28). Part of this is the subjective nature of describing colors—the color "orange," for instance, was considered "reddish yellow" until the fruit became known. It may be that the soldiers use what they have lying around to substitute for the royal purple robe of a prince.

The Gospel writers concentrate on different aspects of Jesus' life and ministry. Luke explains that Pilate has Jesus beaten and tortured in hopes the pain and humiliation will appease the Sanhedrin and convince them to release Jesus (Luke 23:22). John explains that after the solders put the crown of thorns and the robe on Jesus, Pilate leads Him out to the crowd (John 19:4–5). Surely, Pilate hopes, the Jewish leaders will agree that a public display of powerless humiliation is enough.

But Pilate is no hero in this story. History describes him as ruthless, vicious, and violent against the guilty and the innocent. In this battle between Jesus and the Sanhedrin, he wins either way. If he kills Jesus, he will placate the people who threaten to riot. If Jesus defends Himself and Pilate finds Him innocent, Pilate can charge the members of the Sanhedrin with calumny—false charges—and give them the same punishment they demand for Jesus. Pilate can crucify the chief priests, elders, and scribes.

This instinct to use violence and power is the exact opposite of what Jesus taught the disciples godly authority looks like. After James and John ask Jesus to give them positions of influence in His kingdom, Jesus tells the disciples they must not exercise authority over their charges like the Gentiles do (Mark 10:42–44). The first must be as a servant, a slave to those he is responsible for. "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

Mark 15:16–20 is typical of biblical narratives, which often give a short synopsis and then flesh out the details. Mark 15:16–20 may describe the scourging Jesus receives in Mark 15:15, or it may be a second beating after the official death sentence is given. Although victims are traditionally scourged before a crucifixion, Pilate also hopes that torturing Jesus will appease the Sanhedrin (Luke 23:16, 22; John 19:1). But the Jewish leadership will settle for nothing less than Jesus crucified. Matthew 27:26–31 parallels Mark's account while John 19:1–16 gives more detail.

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.