Mark 15

Barabbas or Jesus? Mark 15:6–15

⁶Verse 6. Now at the feast he used to release to them one prisoner, whom they asked of him. ⁷Verse 7. There was one called Barabbas, bound with his fellow insurgents, men who in the insurrection had committed murder. ⁸Verse 8. The multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do as he always did for them. ⁹Verse 9. Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” ¹⁰Verse 10. For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up. ¹¹Verse 11. But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should release Barabbas to them instead.

¹²Verse 12. Pilate again asked them, “What then should I do to him whom you call the King of the Jews?” ¹³Verse 13. They cried out again, “Crucify him!” ¹⁴Verse 14. Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, “Crucify him!” ¹⁵Verse 15. Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and handed over Jesus, when he had flogged him, to be crucified.

Mocking of Jesus Mark 15:16–20

¹⁶Verse 16. The soldiers led him away within the court, which is the Praetorium; and they called together the whole cohort. ¹⁷Verse 17. They clothed him with purple, and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him. ¹⁸Verse 18. They began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ¹⁹Verse 19. They struck his head with a reed, and spat on him, and bowing their knees, did homage to him. ²⁰Verse 20. When they had mocked him, they took the purple off him, and put his own garments on him. They led him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion Begins Mark 15:21–32

²¹Verse 21. They compelled one passing by, coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them, that he might bear his cross. ²²Verse 22. They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, “The place of a skull.” ²³Verse 23. They offered him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but he didn’t take it. ²⁴Verse 24. Crucifying him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots on them, what each should take. ²⁵Verse 25. It was the third hour, and they crucified him. ²⁶Verse 26. The superscription of his accusation was written over him, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

²⁷Verse 27. With him they crucified two robbers; one on his right hand, and one on his left. ²⁸Verse 28. The Scripture was fulfilled, which says, “He was counted with transgressors.” ²⁹Verse 29. Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days, ³⁰Verse 30. save yourself, and come down from the cross!” ³¹Verse 31. Likewise, also the chief priests mocking among themselves with the scribes said, “He saved others. He can’t save himself. ³²Verse 32. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe him.” Those who were crucified with him also insulted him.

Jesus’ Death Mark 15:33–39

³³Verse 33. When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴Verse 34. At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ³⁵Verse 35. Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” ³⁶Verse 36. One ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down.” ³⁷Verse 37. Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit.

³⁸Verse 38. The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. ³⁹Verse 39. When the centurion, who stood by opposite him, saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Burial of Jesus Mark 15:40–47

⁴⁰Verse 40. There were also women watching from afar, among whom were both Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; ⁴¹Verse 41. who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and served him; and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. ⁴²Verse 42. When evening had now come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, ⁴³Verse 43. Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent council member who also himself was looking for God’s Kingdom, came. He boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. ⁴⁴Verse 44. Pilate marveled if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead long.

⁴⁵Verse 45. When he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶Verse 46. He bought a linen cloth, and taking him down, wound him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of a rock. He rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. ⁴⁷Verse 47. Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses, saw where he was laid.