Mark 15:6-15
Pilate
Hands Jesus Over to be Crucified
Easter
15:6
Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a
prisoner whom the people requested.
7
A man called Barabbas was in prison with the
insurrectionists who had committed murder in the
uprising.
8
The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them
what he usually did.
9
"Do you want me to release to you the king of the
Jews?" asked Pilate,
10
knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests
had handed Jesus over to him.
11
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have
Pilate release Barabbas instead.
12
"What shall I do, then, with the one you call the
king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.
13
"Crucify him!" they shouted.
14
"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the
louder, "Crucify him!"
15
Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released
Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed
him over to be crucified.
This
is the Word of the Lord ... It is meant to change
the way that we think, and the way that we live.
Commentary
by Bob Pardue
Pilate Hands Christ Over
to His Enemies
There are several different
ways to look at this passage.
Who's fault was it that
Jesus was sentenced to death?
a) Pilate, the one
who gave the order?
b) The Jewish leaders, who
stirred the crowd into a frenzy?
c) The crowd who yelled,
"Crucify him!!"?
d) The disciples, who went
into hiding?
e) Peter, who denied ever
knowing Jesus?
The answer is all of the
above. The crucifixion followed a chain of events
and there are many angles to this story.
However, a short lesson I
received from this is a lesson for teenagers (and
adults).
Pilate caved when the
pressure was on him because he was afraid that the
Jewish leaders would report him to Caesar, not to
mention a possible riot of the crowds.
This is a clear lesson as to
what sometimes happens when we give in to peer
pressure or do the wrong thing because we are
afraid of the consequences of doing what we know is
right. Let's think about
this the next time we're tempted by the
"crowd".
About
Barabbas
The priests stirred up the
crowd into releasing Barabbas instead of Jesus
knowing that Christ would be crucified. And, that
is exactly what happened.
The irony of this lesson is
that, even before His death, Jesus took the place
of a condemned man. By dying on the cross, Jesus
also took our place - knowing that we would be
condemned for our sins. This gesture of pure love
can't be ignored.
Love in Christ
- Bob
If you have never made the
commitment to receive the love and life-changing
experience of Jesus Christ, please take a moment to
go
here and take the
first
steps to salvation.
Verses and lessons about Pilate, Barabbas
and Jesus in the Easter story are from Life
Application Study Bible: New International
Version
Read and Study More From the
Easter Story
Mark
14:53-65 - Easter
-
Caiaphas
Questions
Jesus
Mark
14:66-72
- Easter
- Peter Denies Knowing
Jesus
Mark
15:1 -
Easter -
The Council of Religious Leaders Condemns
Jesus
Mark
15:2-5 -
Easter -
Jesus Stands Trial before Pilate
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