Mark lesson 33
Read Mark 15:1-21 – https://www.bible.com/bible/59/mrk.15.esv
Mark 15:1-21
Although the Jewish leaders had tried Jesus and convicted Him of
blasphemy, they led Him to the Roman governor Pilate for yet another
trial. The Jews did not have authority to carry out sentences of capital
punishment; capital crimes had to be tried by Roman officials. Thus,
very early the next morning they brought Jesus to Pilate, hoping that he
would concur with their decision. They accused Jesus of many things,
but He remained silent. Pilate was amazed that He didn't try to defend
Himself. The governor perceived that this was not really a question of
criminal action, but that the Jews were jealous of Jesus. Therefore, he
made several attempts to release Him. He was eager to appease the Jews,
however, and was unable to persuade them that Jesus should be released.
Though he did not believe Jesus was guilty, he ended up sentencing Him
to death because he feared the start of a riot. Roman soldiers scourged
Jesus, mocked Him, and led Him out to be crucified.
Note -‐-‐ Physical suffering of Jesus: Jesus suffered intensely in his last few hours. After being up all night, subjected to the stress of six different trials (if we compare the accounts in Matthew, Luke and John also), He was scourged. This was a brutal whipping, with a whip containing bits of bone, metal and glass. This procedure produced excruciating pain, much loss of blood and sometimes even death. The victim's back became a bloody mass. After scourging Him, they took thorns, wove them into a crown, put it on Jesus' head, and began to beat on it, causing intense pain. They put a scarlet robe on Him (see Matt. 27:28; Mark's account calls it purple), only to later rip it off, undoubtedly tearing open the blood‐- dried wounds on His back in the process. Then came the crucifixion. In an execution of this type, they would literally nail the "criminal's" hands and feet onto a piece of wood and then set it upright into a hole. To breathe, the victim had to continually raise himself so that his lung cavity could expand. Pain and fatigue would begin to diminish the effectiveness of this effort and the lungs would begin to fill with fluid. As exhaustion took hold, the victim would be slowly asphyxiated because of a lack of oxygen and finally die.
1. What did Pilate conclude was the real reason the Jews wanted Jesus
to be crucified (v10)? (a) They believed in Him, (b) they envied him,
(e) they wanted Him to be king, (d) they were sincerely disappointed in
Him. Answer: _____
2. Why did Pilate sentence Jesus' execution despite believing He was
innocent (v15)? Answer: He wanted to please the Jews and avoid a _____
3. The man who was released in Jesus' place was guilty of what (v7)?
Answer: He had participated in an insurrection in which he had committed
_____.
4. After Jesus had been scourged, what did the soldiers put on His head? Answer: A _____ made of _____.