GOSPEL MEDITATION # 234
Pilate Delivers Jesus to be Crucified & Jesus is Mocked
Mark 15:6-20
- 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.
- At the feast of Passover Pilate had begun a tradition of releasing one prisoner selected by the people. There was a notorious “rebel” not robber as in most English translations, named Barabbas (Aramaic for “son of the father”).
- At this time Pilate hopes the crowd/mob will select Jesus to be released. Pilate asks if they want the “King of the Jews” set free. But it was not to be and we are not privy to the machinations beyond the scenes.
- Pilate goes so far as to ask what the crowd what they wanted to do with Jesus, perhaps trying to find a way out of the mess he was in.
- “Crucify him” is the single shout; Pilate wants to know what evil he has done. Just more, “Crucify him.”
- Pilate plays every inch the politician, and for unknown reasons orders Jesus to be scourged, which kills many.
- This event takes place in the open air, but now the soldiers take Jesus out of view, into the governor’s palace, to be mocked by the whole garrison of Roman soldiers, and this after He had been scourged.
- What evil lies within us that we, and we must say—“we”— could do such a thing. We do not understand neither the depths of our own depravity nor the influence of that “hideous strength”.
- A purple cloak or gown, the color of royalty as a king would wear, is placed on Jesus. The soldiers knelt down before Him, as they will do again one day and that on the judgment day. Little did they know. Will they will recall that day? I suspect so.
Now Jesus is taken away, bloody and bruised, but not humiliated or defeated.