Jesus’ Trial before Pilate

Meditations of the Gospel of Mark

 October 13, 2020

Jesus’ Trial before Pilate

Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus replied, “You have said it.”

Mark 15:2

Read: Mark 15: 1-15

Mark’s description of Jesus’ trial and sentencing to death seems simple and straightforward. Even so, his record of the events is packed with meaning. For the Romans crucifixion was their ultimate show of force. They executed thousands in Israel this way. Mark didn’t need to say much, but there was something that Mark made a point to say, over and over. Six times in 15: 1-32, Mark says Jesus died as King of the Jews. It was Jesus, the King of the Jews, that confronted the Romans and their oppression which was built on the power of death.

Mark also wants us to see Jesus as the Messiah in a particular way. As Jesus stood silent before Pilate, the Suffering Servant-King Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 53:7 is brought forward:

He was oppressed and treated harshly,

yet he never said a word.

He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.

And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,

he did not open his mouth.

Mark also makes clear Jesus was innocent, again fulfilling Isaiah’s prophetic words in 53: 8-9:

Unjustly condemned,

he was led away.

No one cared that he died without descendants,

that his life was cut short in midstream.

But he was struck down

for the rebellion of my people.

He had done no wrong

and had never deceived anyone.

But he was buried like a criminal;

he was put in a rich man’s grave.

Mark remembers Barabbas’ role in this drama for one reason. Jesus was innocent and was put to death. Barabbas was guilty and set free.

My Takeaway: With tears in my eyes, I’ll now sit back and reflect on how God showed his great love for me by sending Christ, the innocent one, to die for me, the guilty one.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Copyright © 2020 by Alex M. Knight

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

• Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

• The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.