According to Plan...

In Mark 15, it was Friday morning, the day that Jesus was crucified.  More than likely, it was between 5-6 AM when Jesus was led away for His political trial.

 

Between 1-3 AM, He had already experienced His religious trial at the hands of the Jewish Religious Leaders, the Sanhedrin.  All of those who were present condemned Jesus to die because they found Him guilty of blasphemy.  He claimed to be the Son of God, and they didn’t believe He was. 

 

However, they did not have the legal authority to carry out capital punishment.  Therefore, they had to appeal to the Roman Government, but blasphemy wouldn’t have mattered to them so we will see in the just a minute that Jesus was charged with treason.  In other words, He was charged with trying to overthrow the Roman Government.

 

Jesus before Pilate is found in all four gospels.  This morning, I am going to attempt to bring all of these texts together for one comprehensive account.  Instead of turning pages back and forth between Mark 15, Matthew 27, Luke 23, and John 18-19, you can simply listen and take note of the order on the screens behind me.

 

 

1. In Jesus’ Political Trial, there was an Anxious Man, Mark 15:1-3.

1 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate. 2 Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”  He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”  3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.

 

Again, we are still relatively early on Friday morning.  That is when the Romans had their trials. 

 

The Jewish Religious Leaders led Jesus and delivered Him to Pilate.  Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea at the time, and the presiding judge in this trial. 

 

John 18 and Luke 23 contain dialogue between Pilate and the Sanhedrin.

 

John 18:29-30

29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”  30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”

 

Luke 23:2

2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”

 

John 18:31-32

31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”  Therefore, the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.

 

The reason I say Pilate was an anxious man is because he was in a precarious situation.  On one hand, he hated the Jews and wanted to do whatever to demonstrate his hatred.  Consequently, Pilate personally thought Jesus was innocent and not deserving of death and wanted to deny their request.

 

Mark 15:2-4

2 Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”  He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”  3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.

 

John 18:34-38

34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”  35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”  36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”  37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”  Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”  38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.  On the other hand, He ended up honoring the Jews and their wishes

 

Luke 23:4-12

4 So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man.”  5 But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.”  6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. 7 And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. 8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. 9 Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing. 10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. 11 Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.

 

On the other hand, he didn’t want a riot on his hands.  Therefore, in the end, this anxious man honored the request of the Jews in spite of his hatred for them.  We’ll see that specifically in Mark 15:15.

 

 

2. In Jesus’ Political Trial, there was an Angry Mob, Mark 15:6-15.

6 Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. 8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.  11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. 12 Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”  13 So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”  14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”  But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”  15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

 

This angry mob was made up of the Sanhedrin and their followers.  The reason they were angry is found in verse 10.  They were envious of Jesus.  They were envious of His authority, His ability, His teaching, and His following. 

 

Consequently, they were angry, and it was expressed throughout this text.  In verse 8, they were crying aloud.  In verse 11, they were stirred up.  In verse 13, they cried out again.  In verse 14, they cried out all the more. 

 

What was the result they wanted?  They wanted Jesus dead by crucifixion, and we know that because that is what they cried out. 

 

Pilate offered Barabbas to them instead.  They would have no part of it.  They were envious and angry and wanted Jesus to be dead. 

 

Mark 15:6-10

6 Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. 8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.

 

Matthew 27:19

19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”

 

Mark 15:11-14

11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. 12 Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”  13 So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”  14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”  But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”

 

Matthew 27:24-25

24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”  25 And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”

 

Mark 15:15

15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

 

 

3. After Jesus’ Political Trial, there was an Acrimonious Military, Mark 15:16-20.

16 Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. 17 And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, 18 and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. 20 And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

 

They punished Jesus with scourging.  This was the act of whipping Jesus on His back, and in the process, His flesh was torn to ribbons. 

 

After their punishment of Jesus, we see their pretense regarding Jesus.  In reality, these soldiers hated the Jews just as much as Pilate, and Jesus was a Jew. 

 

Therefore, what you see in verses 17-20 was not their authentic feelings but their pretense.  They clothed Him with purple which was the color of royalty.  They put a crown of thorns on His head because He was a king.  They saluted Him, but they also struck Him and spat on Him.  They worshipped Him, but they also mocked Him. 

 

At the end of verse 20, they led Him to crucify Him.

 

 

The Main Point

So what is the main point of this text?  I believe it is to remind us that all that took place was according to plan.  In other words, it was a fulfillment of prophesy. 

 

Isaiah 53:5-9

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment,

And who will declare His generation?

For He was cut off from the land of the living;

For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

9 And they made His grave with the wicked—

But with the rich at His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

 

Therefore, you can trust every word of this book as these two texts, Isaiah 53 and Mark 15, were written approximately 700 years apart. 

 

Specifically, you can trust this book when it says that God loves you unconditionally. 

 

Second, you can trust this book when it says that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and in your place and whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 

 

Third, you can trust this book and its plan for your life as it is better than your plan for your life as it relates to your marriage and your children and your finances.