During the Jewish trial Jesus had affirmed His messiahship and the Sanhedrin had condemned Him for blasphemy. During His Roman trial He affirmed His kingship and Pilate condemned Him for treason. The Roman trial, like the Jewish trial, had three stages: an interrogation before Pilate, an attempted interrogation before Herod, and an arraignment and sentencing before Pilate.374
15:2 Pilate had absolute authority over Jesus' fate under Roman law. Customarily trials such as this one took place in public.375First, the plaintiffs or accusers made their charges against the defendant. Then the prosecutor, in this case Pilate, examined the defendant who could speak in his own defense, and he heard the testimony of any witnesses. Next, the prosecutor consulted with his legal advisers and finally pronounced his verdict. The execution of the sentence followed immediately.376
Pilate's question shows that the Jews had charged Jesus with claiming to be a king. Claiming to be a king was tantamount to treason against Caesar and was a capital offense. Jesus admitted that He was the King of the Jews, but He implied that He was a different kind of king than Pilate thought (cf. Matt. 27:2). John wrote that Pilate discussed the nature of Jesus' kingship with Him further and concluded that Jesus was not guilty (John 18:34-38).
15:3-5 The chief priests, speaking for the Sanhedrin, brought many other charges against Jesus some of which Luke mentioned (cf. Luke 23:2). Jesus' failure to defend Himself against so many accusations amazed Pilate (cf. Isa. 53:7).
Ironically Pilate himself declared who Jesus was with his inscription over His cross: the king of the Jews (v. 28). Jesus did not need to tell Pilate who he was. Pilate was going to give Him His proper title anyway. This is another indication of Jesus' authority in the political realm.377
Mark used a double negative in the Greek text (ouketi ouden) to describe Jesus' absolute silence.378Mark recorded Jesus replying only briefly to Caiaphas (14:62) and to Pilate. This is consistent with Mark's emphasis on Jesus as the Servant of the Lord.
Only Luke recorded that Pilate now sent Jesus to Herod Antipas, who was also in Jerusalem for the feast, since Jesus was a Galilean and Herod ruled over Galilee (Luke 23:6-12). Herod then sent Jesus back to Pilate.
Jesus' second appearance before Pilate Mark's brief account of Jesus' arraignment and sentencing concentrates on Pilate's offer to release Jesus or Barabbas.
15:6 Evidently this custom served to improve relations between the Roman ruler and his subjects. Dictatorial governments such as Rome sometimes imprison popular rebel leaders. The Roman governor of Egypt practiced a similar custom.379
"Amnesties at festival times are known in many parts of the world and in various periods."380
15:7 This verse and the next provide more background information. Barabbas was one of these popular freedom fighters whom the Romans had imprisoned for participating in an uprising against Rome. Perhaps he was a Zealot since that party wanted to overthrow Roman sovereignty in Palestine violently. He had also committed robbery probably as part of his insurrection (John 18:40). Mark's use of the definite article before his name implies that his original readers had heard of Barabbas.
15:8 Evidently a large crowd of Jews had come to request the customary amnesty from Pilate. There is no indication in the text that they had come because they knew of Jesus' arrest or because they wanted to observe the outcome of His trial. They appear to have been there for reasons unrelated to Jesus.381
15:9-10 Pilate responded to this crowd's request by asking if they wanted him to release Jesus, whom he contemptuously called "the King of the Jews"(cf. v. 2). He recognized the chief priests' motives in arresting Jesus as being self-seeking rather than loyalty to Rome. He hoped to frustrate the chief priests by getting the people to request the release of someone Pilate viewed as innocent. He could thereby retain real criminals such as Barabbas. Matthew wrote that Pilate gave the people the choice of Jesus or Barabbas (Matt. 27:17). He evidently believed that Jesus had the greater popular following and would be the choice of the people.
15:11 Many of the people in the crowd were residents of Jerusalem and many were pilgrims from far away. The chief priests were able to persuade them to ask for Barabbas' release. The people may have accepted the advice of their leaders because Barabbas had already tried to lead a rebellion, but Jesus had only hinted at an overthrow. Moreover it would have been very unusual for the crowd to side with Pilate and oppose their leaders.
15:12-14 The people's choice left Pilate with a problem. What would he do with innocent Jesus? Pilate's wife had just warned him to have nothing to do with that innocent man (Matt. 27:19). He put the question to the crowd. The religious leaders probably started the chant calling for Jesus' crucifixion, but it quickly spread through the crowd. The mob ignored Pilate's request for reasonable reconsideration and continued chanting.
15:15 Pilate had had problems in his relations with the Jewish people that he governed (cf. Luke 13:1-2). He saw the present situation as an opportunity to gain popular support. This overrode his sense of justice and his wife's warning.
Evidently Pilate flogged Jesus in the presence of the crowd hoping that that punishment would satisfy them. John recorded that after the flogging Pilate tried again to persuade the people against crucifixion (John 19:1-7). Flogging was not a necessary preparation for crucifixion.382Probably two soldiers stripped Jesus and tied His hands above him to a post. Then they beat Him with a leather whip containing pieces of leather with pieces of bone and or metal embedded in them. Victims of Roman floggings seldom survived.383
"The heavy whip is brought down with full force again and again across Jesus' shoulders, back and legs. At first the heavy thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continue, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin, and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles. . . . Finally the skin of the back is hanging in long ribbons and the entire area is an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue."384
Mark's use of the phrase "delivered Him over"(NASB) or "handed Him over"(NIV) may be an allusion to Isaiah 53:6 and 12 where the same expression occurs in the Septuagint translation. This reminder of Jesus' position as the Suffering Servant is the emphasis in Mark's account of this aspect of His trial.
15:16 Praetorium is a Latin loan word that describes a Roman governor's official residence (cf. Matt. 27:27; John 18:28, 33; 19:9; Acts 23:35). The Roman soldiers escorted Jesus to the courtyard (Gr. aule, cf. vv. 54, 66) of the palace. This could have been either the Antonia Fortress or Herod's palace, but it was probably the Antonia Fortress. There a group of soldiers assembled around Jesus, probably those who were nearby and available. A cohort consisted of 600 men.
15:17-19 The reddish purple robe and the crown of thorns mocked Jesus' claim to be the Jews' king. The Greek word porphyranelsewhere describes colors from bright red to deep blue.385
"With this crown' the soldiers unwittingly pictured God's curse on sinful humanity being thrust on Jesus (cf. Gen. 3:17-18)."386
Mark did not mention the staff that they placed in Jesus' hand as a mock scepter (Matt. 27:29). "Hail, King of the Jews"is a parody of "Hail, Caesar."Their repeated beatings, spitting, kneeling as if in worship, and bowing as before a great person intensified Jesus' sufferings.
15:20 Normally the Romans forced criminals condemned to crucifixion to walk naked to their place of execution and flogged them along the way.387Evidently the soldiers concluded that Jesus would not live through such treatment in view of the abuse that He had already suffered. Therefore they put His own garments back on Him.
"Irony is a dominant feature of Mark's story. Verbal ironyoccurs when a speaker self-consciously says one thing but means the opposite."388
Mark's original readers faced subjection to similar mockery and abuse from pagan authorities. This pericope would have been an encouragement to them to remain faithful to Jesus. Jesus allowed other people to treat Him as a servant because this was a part of His obedience to God (cf. 1 Pet. 5:6-7).
