The Gospel According to St. Mark

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 15 -

(Matthew 27:1–2)

Early in the morning, the chief priests, elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin (a) devised a plan. They bound Jesus, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate.

So Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied.

And the chief priests began to accuse Him of many things.

Then Pilate questioned Him again, “Have You no answer? Look how many charges they are bringing against You!”

But to Pilate’s amazement, Jesus made no further reply.

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas

(Matthew 27:15–23; Luke 23:13–25)

Now it was Pilate’s custom at the feast to release to the people (b) a prisoner of their choosing.

And a man named Barabbas was imprisoned with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection.

So the crowd went up and began asking Pilate to keep his custom.

“Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” Pilate asked.

For he knew it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over.

But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas to them instead.

Pilate Delivers Up Jesus

(Matthew 27:24–26)

So Pilate asked them again, “What then do you want me to do with the One you call the King of the Jews?”

And they shouted back, “Crucify Him!”

“Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”

And wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

(Isaiah 50:4–11; Matthew 27:27–31; Luke 22:63–65; John 19:1–15)

Then the soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called the whole company together.

They dressed Him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and set it on His head.

And they began to salute Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!”

They kept striking His head with a staff and spitting on Him. And they knelt down and bowed before Him.

After they had mocked Him, they removed the purple robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him.

The Crucifixion

(Psalm 22:1–31; Matthew 27:32–44; Luke 23:26–43; John 19:16–27)

Now Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and the soldiers forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.

They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha, which means The Place of the Skull.

There they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it.

And they crucified Him. They also divided His garments by casting lots to decide what each of them would take.(c)

It was the third hour

(d)

when they crucified Him.

And the charge inscribed against Him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Along with Jesus, they crucified two robbers,(e) one on His right and one on His left.(f)

And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,

come down from the cross and save Yourself!”

In the same way, the chief priests and scribes mocked Him among themselves, saying, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself!

Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” And even those who were crucified with Him berated Him.

The Death of Jesus

(Psalm 22:1–31; Matthew 27:45–56; Luke 23:44–49; John 19:28–30)

From the sixth hour until the ninth hour

(g)

darkness came over all the land.

At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”(h)

When some of those standing nearby heard this, they said, “Behold, He is calling Elijah.”

And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine.(i) He put it on a reed and held it up for Jesus to drink,(j) saying, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to take Him down.”

But Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed His last.

And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

When the centurion standing there in front of Jesus saw how He had breathed His last,(k) he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

And there were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses,(l) and Salome.

These women had followed Jesus and ministered to Him while He was in Galilee, and there were many other women who had come up to Jerusalem with Him.

The Burial of Jesus

(Isaiah 53:9–12; Matthew 27:57–61; Luke 23:50–56; John 19:38–42)

Now it was already evening. Since it was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath),

Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent Council member who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God, boldly went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.

Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead, so he summoned the centurion to ask if this was so.

When Pilate had confirmed it with the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

So Joseph bought a linen cloth, took down the body of Jesus, wrapped it in the cloth, and placed it in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph (m) saw where His body was placed.

Footnotes

(a)15:1 Or the whole Council

(b)15:6 Literally Now at the feast he would release to them

(d)15:25 That is, nine in the morning

(e)15:27 Or insurrectionists

(f)15:27 BYZ and TR include 28 So the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.” See Isaiah 53:12 and Luke 22:37.

(g)15:33 That is, from noon until three in the afternoon

(h)15:34 Psalms 22:1

(i)15:36 Or a sponge with wine vinegar

(j)15:36 See Psalms 69:21.

(k)15:39 BYZ and TR saw how, having cried out, He had breathed His last

(l)15:40 Joses is a variant of Joseph; see Matthew 27:56.

(m)15:47 Or Joses

(Matthew 27:1–2)

Immediately in the morning the chief priests, with the elders, scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, bound Jesus, carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate.

Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered, “So you say.”

The chief priests accused him of many things.

Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer? See how many things they testify against you!”

But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate marveled.

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas

(Matthew 27:15–23; Luke 23:13–25)

Now at the feast he used to release to them one prisoner, whomever they asked of him.

There was one called Barabbas, bound with his fellow insurgents, men who in the insurrection had committed murder.

The multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do as he always did for them.

Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up.

But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should release Barabbas to them instead.

Pilate Delivers Up Jesus

(Matthew 27:24–26)

Pilate again asked them, “What then should I do to him whom you call the King of the Jews?”

They cried out again, “Crucify him!”

Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, “Crucify him!”

Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and handed over Jesus, when he had flogged him, to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

(Isaiah 50:4–11; Matthew 27:27–31; Luke 22:63–65; John 19:1–15)

The soldiers led him away within the court, which is the Praetorium; and they called together the whole cohort.

They clothed him with purple; and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him.

They began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

They struck his head with a reed and spat on him, and bowing their knees, did homage to him.

When they had mocked him, they took the purple cloak off him, and put his own garments on him. They led him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

(Psalm 22:1–31; Matthew 27:32–44; Luke 23:26–43; John 19:16–27)

They compelled one passing by, coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them that he might bear his cross.

They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, “The place of a skull.”

They offered him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but he didn’t take it.

Crucifying him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots on them, what each should take.

It was the third hour

(a)

when they crucified him.

The superscription of his accusation was written over him: “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

With him they crucified two robbers, one on his right hand, and one on his left.

The Scripture was fulfilled which says, “He was counted with transgressors.”(b)

Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads and saying, “Ha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days,

save yourself, and come down from the cross!”

Likewise, also the chief priests mocking among themselves with the scribes said, “He saved others. He can’t save himself.

Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe him.”(c) Those who were crucified with him also insulted him.

The Death of Jesus

(Psalm 22:1–31; Matthew 27:45–56; Luke 23:44–49; John 19:28–30)

When the sixth hour

(d)

had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.(e)

At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (f)

Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.”

One ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down.”

Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit.

The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.

When the centurion, who stood by opposite him, saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

There were also women watching from afar, among whom were both Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

who, when he was in Galilee, followed him and served him; and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

The Burial of Jesus

(Isaiah 53:9–12; Matthew 27:57–61; Luke 23:50–56; John 19:38–42)

When evening had now come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath,

Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent council member who also himself was looking for God’s Kingdom, came. He boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body.

Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead long.

When he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

He bought a linen cloth, and taking him down, wound him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of a rock. He rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses, saw where he was laid.

Footnotes

(a)15:25 a.m.

(b)15:28 NU omits verse 28.

(d)15:33 or, noon

(e)15:33 p.m.

(f)15:34 ℘ Psalms 22:1