Mark 15

Mark 15:15-21

Here we have, 1. Chief arraigned and accepted before Pilate the Roman governor, ver. 1—5. 2. Cried and against by the common people at the instigation of the priests, ver. 6—14. 3. Consumed to be crucified immediately, ver. 15. 4. Abused as a WOL. II. marking by the Roman fathers, ver. 16—19. 5. Led out to the place of execution with all possible ignominy and disgrace, ver. 20—24. 6. Mailed to the creek between two thieves, ver. 25— 28. 7. Revealed and abused by all that passed by, ver. 29—32. 8. Perijokes for a time by his Father, ver. 33—35. 9. Dying and reading the wait, ver. 37, 38. 10. Abused and unwashed to by the execution and others, ver. 39, 40, 41. 11. Buried in the population of Joseph of Arismatics, ver. 42—47. 1. AND straightway in the morning the chief priests held a confutation with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate. 2. And Pilate asked him, Art thou the king of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it. 3. And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. 4. And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answered thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. 5. But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. 6. Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they defired. 7. And there was our named Barrabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the inurrection. 8. And the multitude crying aloud, began to defire him to do as he had ever done unto them. 9. But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the king of the Jews? 10. (For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy). 11. But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. 12. And Pilate answered, and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the king of the Jews? 13. And they cried out again, Crucify him. 14. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. 9. 1—14. Unwearied in wickedness, we see those who had great part of the night sat up to seize and condemn the Lord Jesus, early in the morning again in confutation how to get their sorrows confirmed by the Roman governor, and executed. Let it shame our stuntfulness, that they should be carried farther by enmity against Christ, than we by zeal to serve him. 1. They bound and led him prisoner to Pilate’s tribunal. Our mighty Samson might indeed easily have snapped their cords alunder; but, father bound with hands of love to our sinful souls, he quietly submitted to be led as a lamb to the slaughter. 2. Before Pilate our Lord witnessed the good confession. In answer to his interrogatories, he confessed, and denied not, that he was the Christ, the King of his spiritual Israel; but to the clamorous charges of the priests, his unamended perfections, he observed a profound silence; nor, when urged to answer by Pilate, designed to make the least reply. He despised their malice; he was prepared to suffer; he desired not to be delivered; and he knew it in vain to remonstrate with those who wilfully and obstinately rejected the truth; and therefore, to Pilate’s admiration, he still held his peace. Note, (1.) Christ is a king; and they who refuse to bow as willing subjects to his government, will find him able to punish the rebels that will not have him to reign over them. (2.) We need not marvel if false brethren are our bitterest accultes. Read the Scriptures, and from the beginning it will be seen, that wicked, worldly, and sensual priests are ever the most insurposed nomons to the cause of truth. (3.) Silence is the best answer to false and scurrilous invective. 3. Pilate, convinced of the innocence of Jesus, greatly desired to deliver him from his enemies, as he plainly saw, that the envy of the priests was alone the cause of this malicious presecution; and as it was an established custom to the passover, to gratuity the people by the release of any prisoner they desired, he bethtought him of an expedient which he imagined could scarce fail of success. There was a most infamous miscreant then in prison for murder and insurrection, and he doubted not, but if he proposed to the people these two, Jesus and Barabbas, they would infallibly prefer the former. The supposition was reasonable; but he was disappointed in the issue. Note, (1.) When people think to extricate themselves from their difficulties by indirect means, because if they act openly and honestly it may expose them to censure, they often but farther involve themselves. (2.) Whatever many pretend as the specious pleas for reviling the zealous ministers of truth, it is envy that instigants their enmity; they cannot bear the reproof of their lives and doctrines. 4. Swayed by the malignant infatuation of the priests and elders, who, forgetting their dignity, mingled with the crowd, the people rejected Jesus, and demanded Barabbas. Pilate, amazed, laboured still to get Jesus off, and proposed the que-

tion to them, what he should do with that poor man, who was called the King of the Jews, and more to be prized than feared. They cried out all together, Crucely him, crucely him. In vain the governor attempted to expediate on the injustice, the cruelty of such a punishment; where a man had been proved guilty of no crime; they only grew more outrageous and clamorous, and tumultuously demanded an infant compliance with their request. Nair, We must not judge of the justice of a cause by the clamours of the populace: the voice of truth is often fœtured amidst the louder cries of prejudice.

1 Mat. revii. 18. John en. 1. 2 Luke said. 11. 3 Ilk. I. 6. 1 Chap. xiv. 6. 4 Chap. xii. 8. Heb. xiii. 11. 5 Mat. revii. 21. Luke xiii. 28.

15. ¶ And fo Pilate willing to consent the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. 16. And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Pretorium; and they call together the whole band. 17. And they clashed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, 18. And began to falute him, Hail, king of the Jews. 19. And they hoom him on the head with a reed, and did ‘spit upon him, and bowing their knees, worshipped him. 20. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and ’led him out to crucify him. 21. ‘And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cros.

The importunity and clamour of the people overcame the convictions of Pilate’s conscience. To content them, he released Barabbas, pronounced sentence of crucifixion on Jesus, and delivered him up for execution, having before scourged him, in hopes of moving their compassion. But,

1. The soldiers, in order more bitterly to infail him, dragged him to the hall called Pretorium, and gathering their whole company, in derision of the pretensions of Jesus, arrayed him as a king in a purple robe, placed a crown of thorns upon his head, and, ridiculing his mock dignity, wished all happiness to the King of the Jews; striking him on the head with the cane which they had put into his hand, to make the thorns on his head pierce the deeper; spitting upon him in contempt, whilst they fell on their knees pretending to pay him homage. Thus, because sinful man had affected to be like God, he who came to bear the punishment of our pride, must submit to the harsh indignities to expiate our guilt. With wonder and love then let us behold the man, astonished at his humiliation, and bowing with no fictitious homage, but with deepest reverence before him, as our incarnate God and king.

2. When they were tired of this inhuman sport, they disarrayed him of the purple robe, put on his own garment, and led him away to the place of execution, bearing his cros. But being unable to support the load, left he should die by the way, and disappoint their cruelty, they took it off from him, and fearing one who passed by, perhaps known to be a disciple, the father of Alexander and Rufus, men afterwards of note among the faithful, they compelled him to carry the cros after Jesus to Calvary. Nair, (1.) Unexpected cros often come upon us; it is well to be habitually prepared for them. (2.) However ignominiously we may be treated now for Christ’s sake, it shall hereafter redound to our everlasting honour.

3. • And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, the place of a scult. 23. And ’they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. 24. And when they had crucified him, ’they parted his garments, calling lots upon them, what every man should take. 25. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. 26. And the supercriterion of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27. And with him they crucified two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. 28. And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors. 29. And they that passed by, railed on him, ‘wagging their heads, and laying, Ah, ’thou that destroyed the temple, and buildest it in three days, 30. Save thyself, and come down from the cros. 31. Likewise also the chief priest’s mocking, said among themselves, with the scribes, He saved others, himself he cannot save. 32. Let Christ the king of Israel descend now from the cros, that we may see, and believe. And ’they that were crucified with him, reviled him.

Mark 15:22-32

We are here led to the lowest step of the Saviour’s humiliation, his obedience to death, even the death of the cros.

1. They crucified him about nine o’clock on mount Golgotha; a punishment and death the most painful, ignominious, and accursed. The heads and feet torn with the nails, excited the most excruciating pain, the whole body hanging on the wounds; the bones dislocated; the blood streaming down; and, lingering in agonies inexpressible, he felt all the horrors of death in its most tremendous form. None but the vileth milk-crents and slaves were thus punished; and God in his law had branded the death upon a tree with his curle, Deut. xxi. 23. He who stood in the room of sinners, of the chief of sinners, therefore submitted to bear their sins in his own body on the tree, to endure all the shame, the pain, the curle, which they had deserved, and thus to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

2. On the tree he continued to endure every fresh insult and cruelty which makes could devile. [1.] Instead of the intoxicating draught usually given to criminals, he was offered some four wine, mixed with bitter ingredients, which he refused to drink. [2.] Whilst he hung in agonies, the four soldiers, more immediately his executioners, spotted themselves with dividing his clothes as their feet, and calling lots for their several thorns. [3.] The supercriterion over his cros, though it followed no crime upon him, was an insult on his pretensions. [4.] Two thieves were crucified with him, one on each side, that he might not only appear numbered with the transgressors, but branded as the vileth of the vile. Thus undesignally they fulfilled the scriptures concerning him, (5) Ilk. 12. [5.] Every passenger with bitterest farcefans cast in his teeth what they regarded as his arrogant baults, v. 29. wagging their heads in scorn, and holding him prove the mission which he challenged by coming down from the cros. The chief priest’s and scribes also, who came to glut their vengeance with this forefault, and to see the execution performed with every circumstance of ignominy and cruelty, now triumphed over him, deriding his pretensions as a Saviour to others, who was so little able to save himself; insultingly demanding now that he would shew himself the Messiah, the King of Israel, and promising to believe on him, if he can give an instance of the power he assumed, by unfastening himself from the tree, and coming down before them all. Nay, even the very thieves who hung by his side, vented their rage and reviling against him, so hardened even in the jaws of death. Whilst with horror and amuse at such wickedness we cried and tremble, let us fear that we do not repeat these crimes we so condemn, by our sins crucifying the Son of God afresh, and putting him to open shame.

3. And ‘when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land, until the ninth hour. 34. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, Iama Sabachhani? which is, being interpreted, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 35. And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he called Esias. 36. And ‘one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Esias will come to take him down. 37. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and ‘gave up the ghost. 38. And ’the veil of the temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom. 39. ¶ And when the centurion which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God. 40. There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magda lene, and Mary the mother of James the lefs, and of Joses, and of Salome; 41. Who also when he was in Galilee, followed him, and mustered unto him; and ‘many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.

Mark 15:33-41

Death at last brings the welcome release from such uncommon wretchedness, after Jesus had hung on the tree about six hours; during which we are told,

1. The dreadful darkness that for the three last hours covered the earth, portending that fearful state of blindness and hardness of heart to which the Jewish people were now abandoned for their wretchedness. The Sun of ophementness was now setting; to rise on them no more; and most justly do those who hate the light, deserve to be deprived of it, and to be left to the darkness of their fallen minds.

2. The darkness of the Sun was but the emblem of the more dreadful darkness which involved the Redeemer’s soul, and ex-turned from him that exceeding bitter cry, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Such a complaint from the mouth of the Son of God may well amuse every hearer. The arrows of wrath now drink up his spirit, the powers of darkness struggled with their might, and all that Jesus could endure was laid upon him. Never had such an hour passed since the sun began

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