Mark 15:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion.

NIV: The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.

NASB: Now the soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they *called together the whole Roman cohort.

CSB: The soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor's residence) and called the whole company together.

NLT: The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the governor’s headquarters (called the Praetorium) and called out the entire regiment.

KJV: And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.

NKJV: Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.

Jesus has faced trials with the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:53–65), Pilate (Luke 23:1–5), and Herod Antipas (Luke 23:6–16). Now, He is with Pilate again. Despite Pilate's violent reputation, the Roman governor sees no reason Jesus should die and is doing what he can to show the Jewish leaders this. Pilate allows—or more likely, specifically orders—a battalion of Roman guards to humiliate and torture Jesus. Pilate hopes the display will convince the chief priests, elders, and scribes that Jesus is not a threat to their authority over the Jews (Luke 23:22).

The "governor's headquarters" is the Praetorium; this isn't the name of a specific place but of wherever the governor chooses to make his temporary headquarters. Governors over the region reside in Caesarea Maritima, on the coast of the Mediterranean, much closer to Nazareth than Jerusalem. It is tradition that when visiting Jerusalem, governors stay in Herod the Great's old palace. Scholars debate whether Jesus' trial before Pilate takes place here or in the Fortress Antonia, the guard station on the northwest corner of the temple mount. Evidence suggests they are at the palace of Herod the Great, where he tried to convince the magi to tell him where the baby Jesus lay so he could kill Him (Matthew 2:1–12).

A battalion is a unit of about six hundred soldiers. Unlike Herod Antipas, who is a tetrarch, and Herod the Great, who was a king, Pilate is an equestrian—something like an ancient Roman knight, a lower rank that is tasked with keeping order. As such, Pilate does not command a large army, but makes do with what he has. These soldiers are not ignorant of Pilate's ways. He uses them to squelch protests with clubs and knives. Before the decade is out, he will call on them to run down and kill a group of Samaritans who are deceived into thinking they are going to discover ancient artifacts long-ago buried by Moses. Pilate doesn't think Jesus is King of the Jews, but if He were, scourging, spitting, and placing a thorn of crowns on His head is the exact sort of treatment Pilate would expect his guards to dole out.

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.