Frameworks:
Mark's Gospel chapter 15
(The
objective of these ‘Frameworks' is to provide an easy-to-read
layout of the text in order then to use these individual verses
for verse-by-verse study or meditation. To focus each
verse we have also added in italic a description of what is happening)
CHAPTER
15
v.1-15
Jesus Before Pilate
v.16-20
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
v.21-33
The Crucifixion of Jesus
v.33-41
The Death of Jesus
v.42-47
The Burial of Jesus
v.1-15
Jesus Before Pilate
v.
1 (early morning the authorities
take Jesus to Pilate) 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.
v.2
(Pilate asks him if he is king of the Jews)
“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked
Pilate. “You have said so,”
Jesus replied.
v.3
(the authorities keep accusing him) The
chief priests accused him of many things.
v.4
(Pilate continues to question) So
again Pilate asked him, “Aren't you going to answer? See how many
things they are accusing you of.”
v.5
(Jesus remains silent ) But
Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.
v.6
(there was a tradition of releasing a prisoner)
Now it was the custom at the festival
to release a prisoner whom the people requested.
v.7
(Barabbas was a murderous rebel being held)
A man called Barabbas was in prison
with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising.
v.8
(the crowd ask for a release) The
crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually
did.
v.9,10
(Pilate asks about releasing Jesus) “Do
you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked
Pilate, knowing it
was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus
over to him.
v.11
(the authorities stir the crowd to ask for
Barabbas) But the chief priests
stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.
v.12
(Pilate questions this) “What
shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?”
Pilate asked them.
v.13
(the crowd cry for him to crucify Jesus)
“Crucify him!” they shouted .
v.14
(Pilate backs off but they persist) “Why?
What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But
they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
v.15
(Pilate gives way and hands over Jesus to be
crucified) Wanting to satisfy
the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and
handed him over to be crucified.
v.16-20
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
v.16
(the soldiers take Jesus away) The
soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium)
and called together the whole company of soldiers.
v.17,18
(they mock him) They
put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns
and set it on him.
And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”
v.19
(they beat him and continue to mock him)
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.
v.20
(they take him off to be crucified) 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.
v.21-33
The Crucifixion of Jesus
v.21
(a passer-by is made to carry Jesus' cross)
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.
v.22
(Jesus is taken to Golgotha) They
brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place
of the skull”).
v.23
(they offer him a bitter drink) Then
they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take
it.
v.24
(they crucified him) And
they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to
see what each would get.
v.25
(it was early morning) It
was nine in the morning when they crucified him.
v.26
(a sign was put up - king of the Jews)
The written notice of the charge
against him read: the
king of the Jews .
v.27
(two rebels were also crucified) They
crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his
left.
v.29,30
(passers-by mocked him) 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, come
down from the cross and save yourself!”
v.
31,32 (the authorities mocked him) 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!
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.
v.33-41
The Death of Jesus
v.33
(at midday darkness falls) At
noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.
v.34
(Jesus cries out to his Father) And
at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God,
my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[ Psa
22:1 ]
v.35
(some listeners respond) When
some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he's
calling Elijah.”
v.36
(someone offers a drink) Someone
ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff,
and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let's
see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
v.37
(Jesus dies) With
a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
v.38
(the thick veil in the temple is split in two)
The curtain of the temple was torn
in two from top to bottom.
v.39
(the presiding centurion acclaims Jesus)
And when the centurion, who
stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said,
“Surely this man was the Son of God!”
v.40
(the women disciples watched ) Some
women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary
Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and
Salome.
v.41
(they were the ones who had travelled with
him) In Galilee these women
had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who
had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
v.42-47
The Burial of Jesus
v.42,43
(Joseph asks to bury Jesus) It
was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So
as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member
of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of
God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body.
v.44
(Pilate checks on the death) Pilate
was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the
centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died.
v.45
(he releases the body) When
he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the
body to Joseph.
v.46
(Joseph entombs him) So
Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it
in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he
rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
v.47
(the two Mary's watch) Mary
Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was
laid.