GOSPEL MEDITATION # 233
Mark 15:1-15
Jesus before Pilate
- Find a quiet place without distractions.
- Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace.
- Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer.
- Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
- Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
- Friday morning early, the Sanhedrin is ready to proceed with the killing of Jesus. Bound once more, Jesus is taken to Pilate.
- Mark cuts right to the critical question. Pilate asks: “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus quickly and assertively answers “yes.”
- Why the chief priestly faction continued to accuse Jesus is not plain. But Pilate must have seen something so he asks Jesus if He has anything to say. Jesus, to Pilate’s surprise, remains silent.
- It so happened that a tradition had developed, which Pilate may have initiated, that a prisoner would be released at the Feast of Passover—perhaps a good will gesture to appease the Jewish population.
- Barabbas, meaning ‘son of the father,’ a notorious revolutionary who had failed in a murderous attempt to revolt against Rome, was a possible candidate to be freed.
- Pilate saw a chance to escape having to hand Jesus over to be crucified, so in desperation because he did not want to see Jesus dead (see Matthew 27:19) wanted to grant the release of Jesus. The crowd would not have it and all the more demanded that Jesus be put to death.
- The Mob mentality had taken hold and there might have been some of Barabbas’ followers amongst those shouting to have Jesus crucified, not mentioned in the text, and Pilate the politician gave in. We must wonder what we might have done.
- The stage is now completely set—Jesus would die.