ST MARK
CHAPTER 15
Pilate decrees the death of Jesus—He is mocked and crucified between two thieves—He dies and is buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea.
1 AND straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes [ A scribes responsibility was to write down or copy word for word what was said. It was not their duty or responsibility to change, altar or modify in any way what was written. However; it was the scribes who were the ones who modified the text of the old testament books to remove or alter what the Messiah would do and be. They changed him to become a political figure such that the people would not recognize the Savior when he did come. They removed the ordinances and covenants to their ways, ways in which they could control the people through "the Law". for this reason Jesus holds some of his strongest rebukes for the scribes because these were the very ones who were manipulating the text to have it read the way that they wanted - they were perverting that ways of God. ] and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.
2 And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it.
4 And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.
7 And there was one named Barabbas, [ the name Barabbas means "son of the father." Barabbas, like Jesus, was a son of Heavenly Father. Though a sinner, he had divinity within him as well. ] which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.
10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy. [ There is a little symbolism here. The Savior is going to exchnage his life for the life of Barabbas. Barabbas will go free, and in that exchange he will sacrifice himself for each of us as well that we might have life eternal. Pretty powerful message. ]
12 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
14 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.
15 ¶ And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
16 And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.
17 And they clothed him with [ So this could be better translated as "And they [endowed] him with purple,". The word endowed appears only once in the New Testament as the word endued in Luk 24:49. However, the greek word used is "endyō" which is translated as; put on, or had not on (18x), clothed with (2x), clothed in (2x), have on (2x), clothe with (1x), be endued (1x), arrayed in (1x), be clothed (1x), and is used with the nuance of 'being enveloped by' which is very much like "being encircled by" in the context of robes of righteousness. If you retranslate the word "endyo" to "endowed" gain some interesting perspectives as to how we might better understand our own temple experience where we put on, are clothed with, and endowed, or encircled by the robes of righteousness. ] purple, [ Purple is known as a ‘royal' color because it was the hardest dye to extract. It came from sea snails, so only royalty could afford it.] and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his [ So this could be better translated as "nd [endowed] him in his own clothes, ". The word endowed appears only once in the New Testament as the word endued in Luk 24:49. However, the greek word used is "endyō" which is translated as; put on, or had not on (18x), clothed with (2x), clothed in (2x), have on (2x), clothe with (1x), be endued (1x), arrayed in (1x), be clothed (1x), and is used with the nuance of 'being enveloped by' which is very much like "being encircled by" in the context of robes of righteousness. If you retranslate the word "endyo" to "endowed" gain some interesting perspectives as to how we might better understand our own temple experience where we put on, are clothed with, and endowed, or encircled by the robes of righteousness. ] own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
21 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
24 And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.
29 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
31 Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.[ Since Jesus died at “the ninth hour” (Matthew 27:46), around 3:00 PM Jerusalem time. This occurred in the year AD 30 (rather than AD 33, as some LDS sources often maintain). Moreover, the calendar date of that Thursday was April 6 in the Julian calendar in Roman use at the time. Many have wondered how Jesus can have been killed on a Thursday, when the four gospels indicate that the day after he died was a Sabbath. Since the Jewish Sabbath is Saturday, does not this mean that Jesus must have died on a Friday? The answer to this simply No. While such logic was clearly assumed by traditional Christianity, which has commemorated Friday as the day of Jesus’ death for 1800 years, those who so reasoned failed to take into account that Jesus died on the eve of Passover, and that Passover is a Festival Sabbath. No matter what day of the week Passover falls upon, it is considered a Sabbath day. There were two types of Sabbaths in Jewish practice – the regular Saturday Sabbath, and the Festival Sabbath that could fall any day of the week. The Festival Sabbath even has a special name in Hebrew – it is called a Yom Tov, literally a “Good Day.” In my BYU Studies Quarterly article I demonstrate how the Gospel of John identified the Festival Sabbath which followed Jesus’ crucifixion. John 19:31states: “for that sabbath was an high day” – the Greek term megalē hē hēmera, literally meaning “a great day,” seems to have been John’s way of expressing the Hebrew term Yom Tov in the Greek text of his gospel account. In the BYU Studies Quarterly article it is also demonstrated that in the year AD 30 the Yom Tov “high day” of Passover fell on a Friday. Hence, the day of Jesus’ crucifixion has to have been a Thursday, the day before that Festival Sabbath. http://byustudies.byu.edu/content/dating-death-jesus-christ ]
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
36 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.
39 ¶ And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the son of God. [He is not the son of Joseph. He is not the
son of a man. This title the
son Of God means that his Father is literally God our Father in Heaven.
]
40 There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;
41 (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
42 ¶ And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
44 And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.