Mark 15:15
And wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.
Wanting to satisfy the crowd
This phrase highlights Pilate's motivation driven by political expediency rather than justice. The Greek word for "satisfy" is "ἱκανόω" (hikanaō), which implies making sufficient or adequate. Pilate's decision reflects a common human tendency to prioritize immediate peace over righteousness. Historically, Roman governors were tasked with maintaining order, and Pilate's actions reveal his fear of unrest. This moment serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of compromising truth for the sake of appeasement.

Pilate
Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea from AD 26-36. His role in the trial of Jesus is pivotal, as he represents the secular authority that ultimately condemns Jesus. Archaeological evidence, such as the Pilate Stone discovered in Caesarea, confirms his historical existence. Pilate's interactions with Jesus, as recorded in the Gospels, show a man caught between his understanding of Jesus' innocence and the political pressures of his position.

released Barabbas to them
Barabbas, whose name means "son of the father" in Aramaic, was a prisoner involved in insurrection and murder (Mark 15:7). The choice between Jesus and Barabbas symbolizes the rejection of the true Son of the Father for a false one. This release is a profound illustration of substitutionary atonement, where the guilty is set free while the innocent is condemned, prefiguring the spiritual exchange at the heart of the Gospel.

But he had Jesus flogged
Flogging, or scourging, was a brutal Roman punishment intended to weaken a prisoner before crucifixion. The Greek word "φραγελλόω" (phragelloo) describes this severe beating. Historically, this act was so violent that it sometimes resulted in death. This suffering fulfills Isaiah 53:5, which prophesies that the Messiah would be "wounded for our transgressions." It underscores the physical and spiritual suffering Jesus endured for humanity's redemption.

and handed Him over to be crucified
The phrase "handed Him over" uses the Greek "παραδίδωμι" (paradidomi), meaning to deliver or betray. This term is significant in the Passion narrative, as it reflects both human betrayal and divine sovereignty. Crucifixion was a Roman method of execution reserved for the worst criminals, emphasizing the depth of Jesus' humiliation and suffering. Scripturally, this act fulfills Jesus' own predictions of His death (Mark 10:33-34) and highlights the sacrificial nature of His mission.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Pilate
The Roman governor of Judea who presided over the trial of Jesus. He is depicted as a figure torn between justice and political expediency.

2. Barabbas
A prisoner chosen by the crowd to be released instead of Jesus. His release highlights the crowd's preference for a known criminal over the innocent Christ.

3. Jesus
The central figure of the Christian faith, who is unjustly condemned to crucifixion. His suffering and sacrifice are pivotal to the Christian understanding of redemption.

4. The Crowd
The group of people present at Jesus' trial who demand the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Jesus. Their actions reflect the volatile nature of public opinion.

5. Crucifixion
A Roman method of execution reserved for the most serious offenders. It symbolizes the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of humanity.
Teaching Points
The Danger of People-Pleasing
Pilate's decision to satisfy the crowd rather than uphold justice serves as a warning against compromising principles for the sake of popularity or political gain.

The Injustice of the World
The choice of Barabbas over Jesus illustrates the world's tendency to reject righteousness in favor of sin, reminding believers of the need for discernment and steadfastness in faith.

The Fulfillment of Prophecy
Jesus' flogging and crucifixion fulfill Old Testament prophecies, affirming the divine plan of salvation and encouraging believers to trust in God's sovereignty.

The Cost of Redemption
Jesus' suffering and crucifixion highlight the immense cost of human redemption, calling believers to live lives of gratitude and obedience in response to His sacrifice.

The Power of Public Opinion
The crowd's influence over Pilate's decision demonstrates the power of collective opinion, urging Christians to be mindful of the voices they heed and to stand firm in truth.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Pilate's decision to satisfy the crowd rather than seek justice reflect challenges we face in standing up for what is right today?

2. In what ways does the choice between Jesus and Barabbas mirror the choices we make between righteousness and sin in our daily lives?

3. How can understanding the fulfillment of prophecy in Jesus' suffering and crucifixion strengthen our faith and trust in God's plan?

4. What are some practical ways we can live in gratitude for the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross?

5. How can we guard against the influence of public opinion and remain steadfast in our commitment to biblical truth?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 27:24-26
This passage parallels Mark 15:15, providing additional context to Pilate's decision and the crowd's insistence on crucifying Jesus.

Luke 23:18-25
Offers another account of the choice between Jesus and Barabbas, emphasizing the injustice of the decision.

John 19:1-16
Provides a detailed account of Pilate's interactions with Jesus and the crowd, highlighting Pilate's internal conflict and the political pressures he faced.

Isaiah 53:5
Prophesies the suffering of the Messiah, which is fulfilled in the events of Mark 15:15, underscoring the redemptive purpose of Jesus' suffering.
Christ Willing to be CrucifiedHandbook to Scripture Doctrines.Mark 15:15
Contrast Between a Scourged Christ and a Pampered ChristianS. Baring Gould, M. A.Mark 15:15
Duty and InterestOxford Lent SermonsMark 15:15
PilateS. Baring Gould, M. A.Mark 15:15
Pilate and JesusC. H. Waller, M. A.Mark 15:15
Pilate's Weakness and the Chief Priests' GuiltR. Glover.Mark 15:15
The ScourgingS. Baring Gould, M. A.Mark 15:15
Triumph of Evil Only ApparentC. M. Southgate.Mark 15:15
Judicial ProcessesJ.J. Given Mark 15:1-15
The Second TrialE. Johnson Mark 15:1-20
Barabbas; Or, the Evil ChoiceR. Green Mark 15:6-15
Christ or BarabbasA.F. Muir Mark 15:6-15
People
Alexander, Barabbas, Elias, Elijah, James, Jesus, Joseph, Joses, Mary, Pilate, Rufus, Salome, Simon
Places
Arimathea, Cyrene, Galilee, Golgotha, Jerusalem, Place of the Skull
Topics
Barabbas, Barab'bas, Content, Contenting, Cross, Crowd, Crucified, Crucifixion, Death, Delivered, Desiring, Desirous, Flogged, Free, Handed, Mob, Multitude, Pilate, Please, Pleasing, Released, Satisfy, Scourged, Scourging, Whipped, Willing, Wishing
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Mark 15:15

     5127   back
     5281   crucifixion
     5313   flogging
     5485   punishment, legal aspects
     5882   impartiality
     7110   body of Christ
     7346   death penalty

Mark 15:2-15

     5203   acquittal
     5593   trial

Mark 15:5-20

     2585   Christ, trial

Mark 15:6-15

     5349   injustice, examples
     5936   riots

Mark 15:8-15

     5279   crowds

Mark 15:9-15

     5714   men
     5884   indecision

Mark 15:9-20

     5838   disrespect

Mark 15:11-15

     2525   Christ, cross of

Mark 15:11-20

     2545   Christ, opposition to

Mark 15:15-19

     2570   Christ, suffering

Mark 15:15-20

     5824   cruelty, examples
     5879   humiliation
     8797   persecution, attitudes

Library
Simon the Cyrenian
'And they compel one Simon, a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear His Cross.'--Mark xv. 21. How little these soldiers knew that they were making this man immortal! What a strange fate that is which has befallen chose persons in the Gospel narrative, who for an instant came into contact with Jesus Christ. Like ships passing athwart the white ghostlike splendour of moonlight on the sea, they gleam silvery pure for a moment as they cross its
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Christ and Pilate: the True King and his Counterfeit
'And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate. 2. And Pilate asked Him, Art Thou the King of the Jews? And He answering said unto him, Thou sayest it. 3. And the chief priests accused Him of many things: but He answered nothing. 4. And Pilate asked Him again, saying, Answerest Thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against Thee. 6. But Jesus yet
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Death which Gives Life
'And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear His cross. 22. And they bring Him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. 23. And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but He received it not. 24. And when they had crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. 25. And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. 26. And the superscription
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Dying Saviour Our Example.
(On Good Friday.) TEXT: MARK xv. 34-41. HEAVENLY Father! On all who are assembling to day to commemorate the death of the Holy One, in whom Thou wast well pleased, look graciously down! Let not one go away from the cross of Thy Well-beloved without exclaiming, with new, living faith, Truly this was the Son of God! Let not one wipe away his tears of emotion until the heartfelt desire has taken possession of him that his end may be like that of this righteous One! Let not the feeling of holy reverence
Friedrich Schleiermacher—Selected Sermons of Schleiermacher

The Centurion at the Cross.
MATT. XXVII. 54. Comp. MARK XV. 39. "Now, when the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying: Truly this was the [a] Son of God." LUKE XXIII. 47. "Now, when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying: Certainly this was a righteous man." Note.--The centurion here spoken of is the one who, according to Roman custom, presided over the execution (hence called by Seneca centurio supplicio præpositus;
Philip Schaff—The Person of Christ

Joseph of Arimathea
BY REV. ALFRED ROWLAND, D.D.. LL.B. "Joseph of Arimathea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God."--MARK xv. 43. The crucifixion of our Lord produced strange and startling effects in moral experience, as well as in the physical world. The veil of the Temple was rent from top to bottom as if a hand from heaven had torn it, in order to teach men that the ancient ritual was done with. Darkness covered the earth, suggesting to thoughtful minds the guilt of the world and
George Milligan—Men of the Bible; Some Lesser-Known

"Himself He could not Save. " --Mark xv. 31
"Himself He could not save."--Mark xv. 31. "He saved others," scorners cried, Beholding Jesus crucified; "Is this the Son of God with power? Lo, in His own afflictive hour, Himself he cannot save." He was the Son of God with power, He "came unto that very hour;" I'll joy in His reproach and shame, "He savest others;" I'll exclaim, "Himself He could not save." His agony and bloody sweat, His cross and passion paid my debt; He saved others when he fell, Yet,--who the mystery can tell? Himself, He
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns

Whether Christ was Buried in a Becoming Manner?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ was buried in an unbecoming manner. For His burial should be in keeping with His death. But Christ underwent a most shameful death, according to Wis. 2:20: "Let us condemn Him to a most shameful death." It seems therefore unbecoming for honorable burial to be accorded to Christ, inasmuch as He was buried by men of position---namely, by Joseph of Arimathea, who was "a noble counselor," to use Mark's expression (Mk. 15:43), and by Nicodemus, who was "a ruler of
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

H. The Crucifixion. Ch. 23:26-38
26 And when they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid on him the cross, to bear it after Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him. 28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming, in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the
Charles R. Erdman—The Gospel of Luke, An Exposition

Pilate
"And straightway in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, and bound Jesus, and carried Him away, and delivered Him up to Pilate." ". . . And they lead Him out to crucify Him." MARK 15:1-20 (R.V.) WITH morning came the formal assembly, which St. Mark dismisses in a single verse. It was indeed a disgraceful mockery. Before the trial began its members had prejudged the case, passed sentence by anticipation, and abandoned Jesus, as one
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

Christ Crucified
"And they compel one passing by, Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them, that he might bear His cross. And they bring Him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. And they offered Him wine mingled with myrrh: but He received it not. And they crucify Him, and part His garments among them, casting lots upon them, what each should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the superscription of
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

The Death of Jesus
"And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, He calleth Elijah. And one ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave Him to drink, saying, Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to take Him down. And Jesus
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

Part 1 Christ's Humiliation, Exaltation, and Triumph. Phil. 2:8,9; Mark 15:20,24,29; Col. 2:15
Christ's humiliation, exaltation, and triumph. Phil. 2:8,9; Mark 15:20,24,29; Col. 2:15. The mighty frame of glorious grace, That brightest monument of praise That e'er the God of love designed, Employs and fills my lab'ring mind. Begin, my soul, the heav'nly song, A burden for an angel's tongue: When Gabriel sounds these awful things, He tunes and summons all his stungs. Proclaim inimitable love: Jesus, the Lord of worlds above, Puts off the beams of bright array, And veils the God in mortal
Isaac Watts—The Psalms and Hymns of Isaac Watts

The Fourth Word
"Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani."--ST. MATT. XXVII. 46; ST. MARK XV. 34. There are three peculiar and distinguishing features of this fourth word which our Saviour uttered from His Cross. 1. It is the only one of the Seven which finds a place in the earliest record of our Lord's life, contained in the matter common to St. Matthew and St. Mark. 2. It is the only one which has been preserved to us in the original Aramaic, in the very syllables which were formed by the lips of Christ. 3. It is the
J. H. Beibitz—Gloria Crucis

The Shortest of the Seven Cries
As these seven sayings were so faithfully recorded, we do not wonder that they have frequently been the subject of devout meditation. Fathers and confessors, preachers and divines have delighted to dwell upon every syllable of these matchless cries. These solemn sentences have shone like the seven golden candlesticks or the seven stars of the Apocalypse, and have lighted multitudes of men to him who spake them. Thoughtful men have drawn a wealth of meaning from them, and in so doing have arranged
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 24: 1878

Third Stage of Jewish Trial. Jesus Formally Condemned by the Sanhedrin and Led to Pilate.
(Jerusalem. Friday After Dawn.) ^A Matt. XXVII. 1, 2; ^B Mark XV. 1; ^C Luke XXII. 66-23:1; ^D John XVIII. 28. ^a 1 Now when morning was come, ^c 66 And as soon as it was day, ^b straightway ^c the assembly of the elders of the people was gathered together, both chief priests and scribes; and they led him away into their council, ^a all the chief priests and { ^b with} the elders ^a of the people ^b and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, and ^a took counsel against Jesus to put
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

First Stage of the Roman Trial. Jesus Before Pilate for the First Time.
(Jerusalem. Early Friday Morning.) ^A Matt. XXVII. 11-14; ^B Mark XV. 2-5; ^C Luke XXIII. 2-5; ^D John XVIII. 28-38. ^d and they themselves entered not into the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but might eat the passover. [See p. 641.] 29 Pilate therefore went out unto them, and saith, What accusation bring ye against this man? 30 They answered and said unto him, If this man were not an evildoer, we should not have delivered him up unto thee. [The Jewish rulers first attempt to induce
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Third Stage of the Roman Trial. Pilate Reluctantly Sentences Him to Crucifixion.
(Friday. Toward Sunrise.) ^A Matt. XXVII. 15-30; ^B Mark XV. 6-19; ^C Luke XXIII. 13-25; ^D John XVIII. 39-XIX 16. ^a 15 Now at the feast [the passover and unleavened bread] the governor was wont { ^b used to} release unto them ^a the multitude one prisoner, whom they would. { ^b whom they asked of him.} [No one knows when or by whom this custom was introduced, but similar customs were not unknown elsewhere, both the Greeks and Romans being wont to bestow special honor upon certain occasions by releasing
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Crucifixion.
Subdivision A. On the Way to the Cross. (Within and Without Jerusalem. Friday Morning.) ^A Matt. XXVII. 31-34; ^B Mark XV. 20-23; ^C Luke XXIII. 26-33; ^D John XIX. 17. ^a 31 And when they had mocked him, they took off from him the ^b purple, ^a robe, and put on him his garments [This ended the mockery, which seems to have been begun in a state of levity, but which ended in gross indecency and violence. When we think of him who endured it all, we can not contemplate the scene without a shudder. Who
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Morning of Good Friday.
The pale grey light had passed into that of early morning, when the Sanhedrists once more assembled in the Palace of Caiaphas. [5969] A comparison with the terms in which they who had formed the gathering of the previous night are described will convey the impression, that the number of those present was now increased, and that they who now came belonged to the wisest and most influential of the Council. It is not unreasonable to suppose, that some who would not take part in deliberations which were
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Crucified, Dead, and Buried. '
It matters little as regards their guilt, whether, pressing the language of St. John, [6034] we are to understand that Pilate delivered Jesus to the Jews to be crucified, or, as we rather infer, to his own soldiers. This was the common practice, and it accords both with the Governor's former taunt to the Jews, [6035] and with the after-notice of the Synoptists. They, to whom He was delivered,' led Him away to be crucified:' and they who so led Him forth compelled' the Cyrenian Simon to bear the Cross.
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Death of Jesus.
Although the real motive for the death of Jesus was entirely religious, his enemies had succeeded, in the judgment-hall, in representing him as guilty of treason against the state; they could not have obtained from the sceptical Pilate a condemnation simply on the ground of heterodoxy. Consistently with this idea, the priests demanded, through the people, the crucifixion of Jesus. This punishment was not Jewish in its origin; if the condemnation of Jesus had been purely Mosaic, he would have been
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

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