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The Gospel of Mark

Chapter 15: The Cross

Published since 04. Sep. 2025
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Mark 15
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And immediately in the morning the chief priests, having taken counsel with the elders and scribes and the whole sanhedrim, bound Jesus and carried [him] away, and delivered [him] up to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, Art *thou* the King of the Jews? And he answered and said to him, *Thou* sayest.
And the chief priests accused him urgently. And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? See of how many things they bear witness against thee. But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marvelled. But at [the] feast he released to them one prisoner, whomsoever they begged [of him]. Now there was the [person] named Barabbas bound with those who had made insurrection with [him], [and] that had committed murder in the insurrection. And the crowd crying out began to beg [that he would do] to them as he had always done. But Pilate answered them saying, Will ye that I release to you the King of the Jews? for he knew that the chief priests had delivered him up through envy. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd that he might rather release Barabbas to them. And Pilate answering said to them again, What will ye then that I do [to him] whom ye call King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. And Pilate said to them, What evil then has he done? But they cried out the more urgently, Crucify him. And Pilate, desirous of contenting the crowd, released to them Barabbas, and delivered up Jesus, when he had scourged him, that he might be crucified. And the soldiers led him away into the court which is [called the] praetorium, and they call together the whole band. And they clothe him with purple, and bind round on him a crown of thorns which they had plaited. And they began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they struck his head with a reed, and spat on him, and, bending the knee, did him homage. And when they had mocked him, they took the purple off him, and put his own clothes on him; and they lead him out that they may crucify him. And they compel to go [with them] a certain passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, coming from the field, the father of Alexander and Rufus, that he might carry his cross. And they bring him to the place [called] Golgotha, which, being interpreted, is Place of a skull. And they offered him wine [to drink] medicated with myrrh; but he did not take [it]. And having crucified him, they part his clothes amongst [themselves], casting lots on them, what each one should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And the superscription of what he was accused of was written up: The King of the Jews. And with him they crucify two robbers, one on his right hand, and one on his left. [And the scripture was fulfilled which says, And he was reckoned with the lawless.] And they that passed by reviled him, shaking their heads, and saying, Aha, thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days, save thyself, and descend from the cross. In like manner the chief priests also, with the scribes, mocking with one another, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let the Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and may believe. And they that were crucified with him reproached him. And when [the] sixth hour was come, there came darkness over the whole land until [the] ninth hour; and at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, [saying], Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of those who stood by, when they heard [it], said, Behold, he calls for Elias. And one, running and filling a sponge with vinegar, fixed it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone, let us see if Elias comes to take him down. And Jesus, having uttered a loud cry, expired. And the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom. And the centurion who stood by over against him, when he saw that he had expired having thus cried out, said, Truly this man was Son of God. And there were women also looking on from afar off, among whom were both Mary of Magdala, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him and ministered to him; and many others who came up with him to Jerusalem. And when it was already evening, since it was [the] preparation, that is, [the day] before a sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable councillor, who also himself was awaiting the kingdom of God, coming, emboldened himself and went in to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and having called to [him] the centurion, he inquired of him if he had long died. And when he knew from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. And having bought fine linen, [and] having taken him down, he swathed him in the fine linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was cut out of rock, and rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre. And Mary of Magdala and Mary the [mother] of Joses saw where he was put.

In the scenes surrounding the cross, the enormity of fallen man's evil is revealed. All classes are represented—Jews and Gentiles, priests and common people, rulers and their soldiers, passersby and criminals. Despite their political and social differences, they are united in their hatred and rejection of Christ (1-32).

When the wickedness of humanity is shrouded in darkness that covers the land, we hear the cry of the Savior, who tells us God has forsaken him. As the Holy Victim, He was made sin so that we might become the righteousness of God through Him (33-38).

Finally, after this forsaking, we receive a threefold witness to the Lord Jesus from the centurion, devoted women, and Joseph of Arimathea (39-47).

(Vv. 1-15). The Lord has already been unjustly condemned by the Jewish council. However, the world must be proven guilty; therefore, as the perfect Servant of Jehovah, the Lord submits to appear before the judgment seat of Roman authority, exposing the utter breakdown of government in the hands of the Gentiles.

Before Pilate, the Lord is challenged regarding the truth. Pilate immediately asks, "Are You the King of the Jews?" To which the Lord replies, "You say so." As one commentator noted, "Whether before the high priest or before Pilate, it was the truth He confessed, and for that truth He was condemned by man" (W. K.). When faced with the accusations from the Jews, He answered nothing. In His perfect wisdom, He knows when to speak and when to remain silent. He speaks for the truth but remains silent in the face of personal malice directed at Him. It is beneficial for us to follow His perfect example, as He, when reviled, did not retaliate. There are times when silence can have a far greater impact on conscience than any words that can be spoken. However, such silence is foreign to our fallen nature, which is why Pilate was astonished at His lack of response.

Understanding that the accusations from the Jews held no real merit against Christ, Pilate seeks to appease the Jews while also avoiding the disgrace of condemning an innocent man. He invokes a custom from the Feast of Passover to release "one prisoner, whomsoever they desired." At that time, there was a notable prisoner named Barabbas, who was imprisoned for rebellion and murder. Encouraged by the crowd clamoring for this custom, Pilate suggests releasing Jesus, the King of the Jews, instead of Barabbas, the murderer.

Falling back on this custom was merely a compromise, which added to the wickedness of the judge. If Pilate knew that the blessed Lord was innocent, a righteous judgment would have required His release, regardless of any custom. Furthermore, Pilate's injustice in failing to immediately release an innocent man is heightened by his awareness that the wicked men who bound the Lord and brought Him before the judgment seat were motivated by envy.

Envy, whether in a sinner or a saint, is one of the greatest incentives for evil in the world. It was envy that led to the first murder when Cain killed his brother, and it was envy that resulted in the greatest murder when the Jews killed their Messiah. The preacher aptly notes, "Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?" (Proverbs 27:4).

With envy filling their hearts, these religious leaders stirred the people to choose Barabbas over Christ. Driven by envy, they rejected Christ—who is "altogether lovely"—in favor of a murderer and a rebel. It is vital for all believers to take to heart the lessons from this solemn scene and heed the words of the apostle James, who warns us against allowing "bitter envying and strife" in our hearts. If not addressed, such feelings will lead to confusion and every evil work, even within the Christian community (James 3:14-16).

Pilate may be a hardened man of the world, but he at least made a feeble attempt to speak out against the condemnation of the One whom everyone knew to be innocent. Therefore, when given the chance to release Barabbas, he asked, "What shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?" Without hesitation, they shouted, "Crucify Him!" We do not support the company of a rebel and a murderer, yet such is the enmity of the flesh toward God that, if left to our own choices, we would prefer the murderer over Christ.

Once again, Pilate asks, "What evil has He done?" The only response is the mindless cry of the mob: "Crucify Him!" Eager to appease the people, Pilate abandons any pretense of justice, releases Barabbas, and, after having scourged the One he knows to be innocent, hands Him over to be crucified.

In the way the soldiers treat the Lord, we witness the brutality of humanity that finds enjoyment in mistreating a defenseless individual. It was not a soldier's duty to abuse a prisoner, but the humble grace and perfection of this Holy Prisoner brought God close to them, which was unbearable for fallen mankind. The One who will someday be crowned with many crowns by a righteous God submits to wearing a crown of thorns fashioned by wicked men. He, who will rule the nations with a rod of iron, permits those poor, wretched men to strike Him with a reed. In mockery, they bow the knee before the One to whom they will ultimately have to kneel on the day of judgment.

The violent soldiers, indifferent to the liberty and rights of others, compel a man returning from his labors in the field to bear the cross. Simon the Cyrenian had the honor of carrying the actual cross for the One who suffered for all humanity. It seems that God was mindful of this small service for the Lord, as we learn that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus. This reference suggests a connection to the Rufus mentioned in Romans 16:13, implying that Alexander and Rufus were well-known converts by the time Mark wrote his Gospel.

In the following verses, no indignity or humiliation is spared for the Lord. After crucifying Him at a place known as Golgotha, the soldiers gamble for His clothes. In derision, they pour contempt upon the nation by placing the superscription of His accusation, "THE KING OF THE JEWS," above Him, while crucifying Him between two thieves. Unknowingly, they fulfill the scripture that states, "He was numbered with the transgressors."

It may be surprising that even the passersby do not refrain from participating in this terrible scene. Instead, they shake their heads, mock Him, misinterpret His words, and challenge Him to "Save Himself and come down from the cross."

The chief priests join with others in mocking the Lord, when they said, 'He saved others; Himself He cannot save." This was indeed true, little as they realised it was the truth. But what they add is wholly false, for they say, "Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Faith comes by hearing, not by sight. Moreover, had He come down from the cross, belief would have been in vain. We should yet be in our sins.

Finally, the Christ of God is rejected and scorned even by the lowest of criminals, as we see in the account that states, "They that were crucified with Him reviled Him." (Vv. 33-36). We have observed the Lord's rejection by all, from the highest to the lowest, and His abandonment by His disciples. Now we are allowed to hear of His far deeper sufferings when He feels forsaken by God. It is no longer merely the envy, malice, and cruelty of men that He must endure, but the penalty of sin imposed upon Him when delivered over to death by a holy God. Into this solemn scene, no one can intrude. Darkness covered the land, and Christ was alone with God, hidden from every eye, while He, who knew no sin, was made to bear the burden of sin.

As He bore sin, He endured the feeling of being forsaken by God. Yet, can we not say that He was never more precious to God than at that moment? In perfect obedience, He accepted the forsaking, glorifying the Father more profoundly than ever before. The necessity of such a sacrifice highlights the holy nature of God; the fact that such a sacrifice could be made reflects the immense love of God. No lesser sacrifice could uphold the glory of God or secure the salvation of mankind.

But what must it have been like for His holy nature to be made sin? He entered the world referred to as the "Holy Thing" and left as "made sin." The One who was the Father's delight from eternity was forsaken. The Twenty-Second Psalm reveals that the One who cries out, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" is the same who can respond, "Thou art holy, O Thou that dwellest amid the praises of Israel." If the heart of God desires to dwell among a praising people, His holiness must first be addressed. Nothing can fulfill the holy requirements of a holy God in relation to sin except the offering of Christ, who is without spot.

(Vv. 37, 38) When everything was accomplished, Jesus cried out with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. His loud cry demonstrated that His death was not a result of natural failure or exhaustion. As one has pointed out, "Jesus did ot die because He could not live, as all others do." The holiness of God needed to be addressed, and for salvation to be possible for sinners, Jesus had to die; however, no one took His life from Him. He willingly gave up His life.

Immediately, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This veil separated the holy place from the holy of holies, symbolizing God's presence, but also indicating that man was shut out from God. This was the nature of the time of the law—God was present, yet man could not draw near. The tearing of the veil proclaimed the end of Judaism and signified that God could now come forth in grace, offering the good news of forgiveness to humanity, allowing man to draw near to Him based on the precious blood of Christ.

(V. 39) With the great work of the cross finished, the first voice to witness to the glory of Christ's Person came from a Gentile—the harbinger of a new era in which many from the Gentiles would confess Jesus as the Son of God. This centurion had witnessed many deaths on the battlefield, but never one like that of Christ. He recognized that the One who could boldly yield up His spirit must be more than a mere man, declaring, "Truly this Man was the Son of God."

(Vv. 40, 41) Next, we are introduced to certain devoted women who followed and ministered to the Lord during His earthly life. In their love, they continued to be with Him in His death, watching as His body was laid in the grave. Although it is easy to critique their lack of understanding, we often fall short of matching their depth of devotion.

(Vv. 42-47) While the disciples fled, these devoted women shone in their moment of danger. Similarly, an honorable counselor stepped forward to request the body of Jesus for burial. Though he was a true believer who looked forward to the Kingdom of God, his social status might have previously hindered him from aligning himself with the humble Jesus and His followers. However, when faced with great evil, faith often reveals itself, and those whom one might consider spiritually insignificant stand firm for the Lord while others fail to act. Thus, the prophecy is fulfilled that states, although men appointed His grave with the wicked, He would be with the rich in His death (Isa. 53:9 N. Tr.). Even though men allowed Christ to be crucified, fulfilling God's counsel, care was taken that His body would be buried with reverence, without further insults from the wicked.

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