12.03.2025
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What we learn from Mark 15, Jesus last do on earth as man...
Early in the morning, the chief priests, elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin reached a decision to hand Jesus over to Pilate. Pilate questioned Him, asking, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus answered simply, “You say so.”
The chief priests began to accuse Him of many things, but Jesus remained silent. Pilate pressed Him further, asking, “Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.” But Jesus still said nothing, and Pilate was amazed. He recognized that the chief priests had handed Jesus over out of envy, but the pressure of the crowd weighed heavily on him.
It was customary for Pilate to release one prisoner during the Passover, anyone the people requested. At that time, a man named Barabbas was in prison, charged with murder during an insurrection. The crowd came to Pilate, asking him to release a prisoner as was the custom. Pilate saw this as an opportunity and asked, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead. Pilate, growing uneasy, asked them, “What should I do then with the one you call the King of the Jews?”
“Crucify Him!” they shouted.
Pilate hesitated. “Why? What crime has He committed?”
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”
Pilate, wanting to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas. He had Jesus flogged and handed Him over to be crucified.
The soldiers led Jesus away into the Praetorium and called together the whole company of soldiers. They dressed Him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and placed it on His head. Mocking Him, they began to salute Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They struck Him on the head with a staff, spit on Him, and, falling to their knees, pretended to worship Him. After they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the purple robe and led Him out to crucify Him.
On the way to the place of execution, they forced a man named Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the countryside, to carry Jesus' cross. They brought Him to Golgotha, which means “Place of the Skull.” They offered Him wine mixed with myrrh to ease His suffering, but He refused it. They nailed Him to the cross and divided His clothes, casting lots to see what each would get. It was nine in the morning when they crucified Him. The written notice of the charge against Him read, “The King of the Jews.”
Two criminals were crucified with Him, one on His right and one on His left. Those who passed by hurled insults at Him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!”
The chief priests and teachers of the law mocked Him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but He can’t save Himself! Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Even those crucified with Him heaped insults on Him.
At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Some of those standing nearby heard Him and said, “Listen, He’s calling Elijah.”
Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave Him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take Him down,” they said.
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood in front of Him saw how He died, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. These women had followed Him and cared for His needs in Galilee. Many other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem were also there.
It was Preparation Day, the day before the Sabbath. Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead. He summoned the centurion and asked if Jesus had indeed died. When the centurion confirmed it, Pilate gave the body to Joseph.
Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. He rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where He was laid.
This was the end of Jesus’ earthly life, but the tearing of the temple curtain signified that something greater had begun. The barrier between God and humanity had been removed. Jesus' suffering and death were not the end—they were the doorway to redemption. For those who believed, the cross was not a defeat, but a victory. Jesus’ silence under accusation reflected His willing submission to the Father’s plan, and His cry of abandonment revealed the cost of bearing humanity’s sin. Even in death, His identity as the Son of God was recognized by a Roman centurion. The guilty were freed because the innocent had taken their place.
For those who follow Christ, this chapter serves as a reminder of the cost of redemption and the depth of God’s love. Jesus’ suffering and death teach believers to trust God in suffering, knowing that even when it feels like God is absent, He is working. The tearing of the temple curtain is an invitation—believers now have direct access to God through Jesus. His sacrifice was complete, and salvation was secured. Through the humiliation, suffering, and triumph of the cross, believers are called to live humbly, boldly, and faithfully in the light of Christ’s finished work.
