Mark Chapter 15

It is difficult to read the crucifixion account again, but it is also very important that we are reminded of all that He endured because He loves us. This thought crossed my mind as I read this passage - hell must be a much more horrific place than we can even imagine for Jesus to be willing to sacrifice His life in the way that He did for us.

I always think it is so sad when you hear people talk about hell as if it is just a place. They shrug their shoulders and say, “oh well, I guess I’ll be going to hell.” I know that I definitely do not deserve to escape the gates of hell, but I am so grateful that Jesus loved me and loved you enough that He would take on the punishment and the weight of all of our sin.

II Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Let's Reflect

1. The next morning after the arrest of Jesus, the chief priests brought Jesus to be tried before Pilate. They took him to Pilate because they did not have a legal right to execute their own criminals. There were exceptions to this of course, such as when the chief priests stoned Stephen. How did Jesus respond to all the accusations they brought against Him?

2. Pilate had a strange custom that he performed when it was Jews’ Passover Feast time. What was it?

3. Mark tells us that it was the chief priests who incited the crowd to shout they wanted Barabbas released. What name did Pilate call Jesus by? This was the name the chief priests had cleverly used to bring accusation of a man trying to usurp the authority of the Roman crown.

4. Pilate asked a very important question regarding their shouts to “crucify him.” What question did he ask?

5. The details of verse 15 should not be missed. Besides giving the order for Jesus to be crucified, what other order did Pilate give that was horrible torture for Jesus?

6. Mark describes the mocking that Jesus endured. What was the point of this Roman battalion in their mocking of Jesus?

7. Jesus was crucified with a sign posted on His cross. Written on the sign was the accusation brought before the Romans – that He claimed to be the King of the Jews. What was the offenses of the two men also crucified that day?

8. As you read verses 31-32 does the thought occur to you that these were the men who knew the Old Testament prophecies better than anyone? Did they not see themselves as fulfilling prophecy? Was there ever a thought that they might be actually crucifying their Messiah?

9. Being in great distress while hanging on the cross, what did Jesus cry out to God the Father?

10. After Jesus died, a man Named Joseph asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. They wanted to take care of His body that evening since the next day was the Sabbath, and no work could be done on that day. The Bible says that this man had been looking for what? Do you suppose that he thought that was the end of the story when he rolled the stone in front of the entrance of the tomb?