Mark 15:1-15 Christ before Pilate
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Joel and Mary Nadel, Covenant United Reformed Church
Joel and Mary Nadel, Covenant United Reformed Church
From: The Holy Bible and J.C. Ryle’s “Expository Comments on the Gospels - Mark”
From: The Holy Bible and J.C. Ryle’s “Expository Comments on the Gospels - Mark”
House Rules: Phones, Respect, Stay on the Text
House Rules: Phones, Respect, Stay on the Text
Pray
Review
Review
Begin with the start of Jesus’ earthly ministry
Message: “Repent and believe the Gospel” - the Gospel was Jesus life and death
Preached, taught, performed miracles for three years”
Now in Jerusalem to fulfill the Gospel promise - to die for our sins
Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate. Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him, “It is as you say.” The chief priests began to accuse Him harshly. Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, “Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!” But Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed. Now at the feast he used to release for them any one prisoner whom they requested. The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection. The crowd went up and began asking him to do as he had been accustomed to do for them. Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to ask him to release Barabbas for them instead. Answering again, Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify Him!” But Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!” Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.
Introduction
Introduction
This passage tells us about the killing of the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” This was John the Baptist’s description of Jesus
This is a part of the history of the Gospel that we should take very seriously
Christ was killed not for Himself, but for us
Dan. 9:26 ““Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city ...”
We need to remember that His death gave us life - unless His blood had been shed, we would all have to die miserably in our sins
First point - The Jewish rulers proved to their nation that the Messiah had come
First point - The Jewish rulers proved to their nation that the Messiah had come
This chapter starts with the fact that the chief priests arrested Jesus and “delivered Him to Pilate”, the Roman Governor
Why? Because they no longer had the authority to put anyone to death - they were under the government of the Romans
This was a fulfillment of prophecy. Gen 49:10 ““The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”
Nothing says that they remembered this prophecy - they were blind - they could or would not see what they were doing
We should not forget that wicked men often fulfill God’s predictions, to their own detriment, but don’t realize it
Even at the height of their own craziness, foolishness and unbelief, they often give evidence that the Bible is true
Those who make fun of the Christian faith would do well to understand that God predicted their conduct long ago.
2 Pet. 3:3 “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,”
Secondly, we should note the humility of our Lord Jesus Christ
Secondly, we should note the humility of our Lord Jesus Christ
Mark 15:4 “Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, “Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!””
When questioned, He did not answer - He knew the charges were false - He was without sin
He was content to put up with the false accusations of the sinners against Himself, not answering
Its interesting to note the difference between Adam and Christ - the second Adam. Adam made excuses - blamed His wife
Christ made no defense at all. Is. 53:7 “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.”
Lesson: We would do well to suffer patiently, and not complain, whatever God sends our way
Ps. 39:1 “I said, “I will guard my ways That I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle while the wicked are in my presence.””
We need to beware of getting upset and angry, no matter how unfair our trials may be
Nothing glorifies God as much as patient suffering
1 Pet. 2:20-21 “For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,”
Thirdly, we should learn from the wobbly conduct of Pilate
Thirdly, we should learn from the wobbly conduct of Pilate
Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent. Mark 15:10 “For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.”
For a time, he even tries to defend the Lord to satisfy his own conscience
Finally, he caves to the demands of the Jews, and wanting to satisfy the crowd, turns Jesus over to be scourged and crucified
A man high in government without any spiritual principles is a pathetic sight
He is like a big ship in heavy seas without a compass, GPS or rudder
His power surrounds him with traps and temptations
He has power for good or evil, which, if he doesnt know what he is doing, will bring him and the nation into great trouble - and make him unhappy
We need to pray for our leaders as they need grace to keep them out of Satan’s clutches
High places are slippery.
We should not envy these leaders - they have many and unusual temptations. It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God
Next point: The guilt of the Jewish leadership for Christ’s death
Next point: The guilt of the Jewish leadership for Christ’s death
Right up until the last minute, the chief priests could have changed their minds
Pilate gave them a choice between executing Jesus or Barabbas
Cooly and deliberately, they pursued their bloody plan - they chose to have the Prince of Life and Peace put to death
They did not have the power to put Christ to death, but they publicly accepted the responsibility
Mark 15:12-14 “Answering again, Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify Him!” But Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!””
I am an ethnic Jew, and it grieves me to say that in the end, while the Romans were the executioners, it was my fellow Jews who were responsible for His death.
The wickedness of the Jews and their leaders, in this part of the Lord’s history, is amazing
To reject Christ, and choose Barabbas - a murderer- is almost unbelievable
It seems that they had become blind, insane fools all at the same time
Lesson: We need to be careful that in the end, we ourselves don’t choose Barabbas over Christ - the choice of service to sin, or to God, is always in front of us
Friendship with the world, and friendship with Christ are always on our scope - are we making the right choice? Are we backing the right Friend?
These are serious questions - it is good if we can give them a good answer
Finally, the release of Barabbas is a wonderful image of God’s plan of salvation
Finally, the release of Barabbas is a wonderful image of God’s plan of salvation
The guilty are set free, and the innocent one is put to death.
Barabbas is spared, Christ is crucified
This is a wonderful analogy of the way that God pardons and justifies the ungodly
He does it because Christ has taken the punishment - the righteous for the unrighteous
We deserve the punishment, but a mighty substitute has suffered for us
We deserve death and hell, but the Son of God sacrificed Himself for us
We are all, by nature, like Barabbas - we are guilty, wicked, and deserve to be condemned
But “when we were without hope”, Christ the sinless died for the ungodly
So God, for Christ’s sake, can be both just, and justify those of us who believe in Jesus
Bringing it home
Bringing it home
We need to praise God that we can have such a glorious salvation
Our defense will aways be, not that we deserve to be acquitted, but that Christ died for us
We should never rest until we can say by faith, “Christ is mine - I deserve hell. - But Christ died for me, and believing in Him, I have the hope of heaven”
We should never rest until we can say by faith, “Christ is mine - I deserve hell. - But Christ died for me, and believing in Him, I have the hope of heaven”
Pray
Prayer Requests
Prayer Requests