Mark 15:28 - Printer Friendly

Mark 15:28 does not appear in the most reliable translations but it is in the King James Version. Scholars suggest this was added as a footnote—a helpful commentary by some later scribe—that accidentally came to be copied into later manuscripts. It reads, "And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, 'He was numbered with the transgressors.'" This is a reference to Isaiah 53:12, the last verse that talks about the Suffering Servant.

Jesus often calls Himself the "son of man." The phrase is taken from Daniel 7:13–14 which describes the Ancient of Days giving "one like a son of man" an everlasting dominion over all peoples and nations. The disciples eagerly accept Jesus' identity as the son of man as well as their places in His future kingdom (Matthew 19:28; Mark 10:35–45).

But Jesus also describes Himself in terms that reflect Isaiah's Suffering Servant. Mark 1:11 quotes from Isaiah 42:1. Mark 10:45 and 14:24 reflect Isaiah 52:11—53:12. Mark 9:12 refers to Isaiah 53:3. There are many other quotes and references from the Gospels and the letters in the New Testament.

The presence or absence of Mark 15:28 has no impact of whether the Bible is infallible. Only the original manuscripts of the Bible can be considered inspired. The copies that have come down to us over the last 2,000 years are extremely accurate, with only rare and documented inconsistencies, like this one. None of the inconsistencies have any bearing on theological truths. Mark 15:28 merely points out that this event is a fulfilment of an earlier prophecy. It doesn't teach anything contrary to other Scripture, nor does it add anything new. When the King James Version was first translated, it used texts available at that time. Since then, earlier biblical texts have been found that do not include certain passages, such as Matthew 18:11 or Mark 16:9–20.

Mark 15:21–32 describes the crucifixion of Jesus. The Romans refined crucifixion to be the most painful and humiliating death imaginable. Victims were usually stripped naked, then tied or nailed to a cross. Executioners were adept at driving nails between bones and arteries, but directly through nerves, extending the victim's agony. Hanging in this position, the condemned could only breathe if they lifted their weight on impaled feet or wrists. Exhaustion would soon lead to suffocation—typically taking a victim two or three days to die. Bodies were usually left to rot in public unless a family member was given special permission to remove them. More painful for Jesus, however, is the total separation from His heavenly Father. Still, though He suffers alone, He suffers with hope (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus' crucifixion is also detailed in Matthew 27:32–44, Luke 23:26–43, and John 19:16–27.

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.