Mark 15:16-20 — Robes & Reeds: How Jesus Was Mocked

Mark 15:16-20

And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 

And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 

And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 

And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. 

And they led him out to crucify him.

Comments:

Christ Mocked by Soldiers, Roualt (1932)

In this short but painful section, we see many prophecies fulfilled. Jesus' own words were fulfilled. Remember how Jesus had predicted this back in Mark 10:33-34,

“See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief 
priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

When I read how they mocked Jesus, I can’t help but think about Psalm 1:1-2...

Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

We are not to be among the mockers…and yet at times, I wonder if our hypocrisy and stiff-necked responses to his claims don’t put us there!

They dressed him in purple, as a king and mocked him—for if he was indeed a king it was only a king of the Jews, which in the eyes of the Roman soldiers was not worthy of any true honor. [On a side note, the color purple, was present in the original Tent of Meeting (Exodus 26) where God gave very specific instructions. for its construction.  The veil was made of blue, red, and purple yarns—blue above (the color of divinity), red below (the color of man), and purple in the middle (the color of the Messiah, our great high priest who was both God and man Hebrews 2:14).] The robe was on his shredded back (from the scourging) just long enough for it to stick and start to scab…then they tore it off like a huge Band-Aid.

The scoffers of David’s time, the mockers of the passion of Christ, and the situation will be the same in the last days, as Peter would write,

 “This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Peter 3:1-4)

Will we see his amazing love poured out for us or will we settle for scoffing?

Mark 15:6-15 — The Voice (to Which We Listen)

 Mark 15:6-15

Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas.

⁸ And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them.

⁹ And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” ¹⁰ For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.

¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead.

¹² And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” ¹³ And they cried out again, “Crucify him.”

¹⁴ And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?”

             But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.”

¹⁵ So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Comments: 

The Governor—Pilate—listened to the people more than he listened to the voice of justice or the voice of his wife’s warning to have nothing to do with the innocent man Jesus (Matthew 27:19). Even though he sought to release Jesus, he was more afraid of the priests’ threat that to pardon Jesus would endanger his standing with Caesar. Pilate not only feared any potential loss of his position, but he too feared death and was enslaved by it.

The crowd—at least those allowed near Pilate—listened to the voice of the priests for whatever reward or in response to whatever intimidation they offered.

The chief priests listened to their own appetite for power and their fear of losing it. 

Can you hear the devil’s voice whispering, persuading, shouting, intimidating? Or are we swayed by appearances to choices less than just, less than loving, less than faithful to the vocation/calling God has placed on our lives? 

All three groups or individuals here was under the influence of demonic wisdom as described in James 3:14-16,

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

  

In contrast, the wisdom from above is described in James 3:13, 17-18,

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom… But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

There are voices all around us. To which voice will we listen? The fearful voices of selfish ambition or the gentle, pure, sincere, voice of the wisdom of God?

In a nod to The Voice (the popular singing talent show famous for their blind auditions where the judges/coaches can't see the contestant until they have heard enough to decide if they want them on their team), what voice is it that will make us "turn our chair" this week? 

Lord Jesus, give us an ear to hear your voice above all the others!

Mark 15:1-5 — Are You the King of the Jews?

Mark 15:1-5

And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate.

And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

And he answered him, “You have said so.”

And the chief priests accused him of many things.

And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.”

But Jesus made no further answer so that Pilate was amazed.

Comments:

Jesus was taken to Pilate and said nothing except to answer as to his identity that Pilate had called him the King of the Jews. As I have written previously, Jesus didn't defend himself against the false charges or the incomplete naming. So much is said today about the oppressor’s habit of naming the oppressed, but here Pilate names Jesus “King of the Jews” and Jesus didn’t object. Was Jesus the king of the Jews? Yes, but that was not everything that he was—he was so much more! Yet he felt no need to correct Pilate’s condescension.

Jesus carries his cross--mosaic in Jerusalem

Governments tend to be threatened by the authority of Jesus which is historically present in the lives of his followers. Ultimate authority does not rest with Caesar and for most rulers and realms this inflames their inferiorities and persecution spill over onto the church. However, like Christ, those who have come to realize that Jesus’ death and resurrection have removed the penalty of sin and opened up access to eternal life. Hence, what fear is there in death? If we don’t fear death it shows the superiority of the kingdom that we serve. Remember, Jesus came to set us all free from the fear of death, as it says in Hebrews 2:14-18,

^“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

He set us free from the fear of death! And because state control is ultimately related to the fear of death—we are no longer oppressed by the fear of death, because we have received eternal life in Jesus Christ. We don’t ever stoop to trying to establish the kingdom by force by attacking the servants of the oppressors like Peter did, but we explicitly trust in the heart of God and the Spirit of God to bring about the plan of God. If we overcome, in Christ, Jesus promises to give us a new name. 

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’" (Rev. 2:17).

So even when people consider us less than we really are we can like Jesus accept the part that is true, and trust God for the rest. 

Jesus knew his life was in the Father's hands. He knew his life was being given as a ransom for even those who attacked him. He knew who he was as the Father had named him, “Jesus” (Matthew 1:21; lit. Yahweh is Salvation) and declared, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11)

But here in this moment of trial…

• I wonder as to the expressions upon his face, the sense of eternity in his eyes.
• I wonder how the priest and leaders felt when he looked them in the face.
• I wonder if his countenance, though bruised and disfigured, glowed with the radiance of a pure spirit. Certainly, Pilate wondered and marveled at Christ.

 

Mark 14:66-72 — The First Rooster Crowed

 Mark 14:66-72

The Denial of St. Peter by Caravaggio

And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 

But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. 

And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 

But again he denied it.

And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 

But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” 

Photo by chuttersnap-xNCRkHVEqMY
 on unsplash

And immediately the rooster crowed a second time.

And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 

And he broke down and wept.

Comments:

In these verses, we have the story of Peter's infamous three-fold denial of the Lord. Having tried to stand with the sword and having been rebuked by Jesus, Peter had fled with the others. Then, most likely tormented by his own cowardice and failure, he tried to follow the Lord again "at a distance" (v. 54). Peter was following in his own strength, still trying to keep his promise but he could not pull it off. I picture him coming into the courtyard incognito complete with "trench toga" and dark glasses and trying to warm himself by the fire along with the people of the household. But his plan was foiled. He was recognized by a servant girl as having been with Jesus, but he quickly lied about knowing the Lord, and to maintain his cover he withdrew to the porch and a rooster crowed.

If I were to give a title to this passage it would be the rather King James-ish sounding "And the First Cock Crew." Why would I choose this title? As I mentioned in a previous post, there is something very powerful about the message of the first cock crowing. Jesus had told Peter that he would deny Him three times before “the cock crew twice.” Peter had denied the Lord once when the rooster crowed for the first time. Would that not serve to remind Peter of his vow and of the Lord's prophecy? Would one rooster be enough to turn him back from his path of denial? It seems that Peter gave no thought to that first wake-up call. I wonder how often our gracious Lord gives us the first rooster to wake us up and turn us back to him and his ways. I also wonder how often we pay no heed, or if we do notice we merely determine to try harder in our own strength and willpower rather than turning to the Lord in dependent prayer. Peter trusted in his own resources and failed the Lord. He lied (v. 68), he denied (v. 70), he even vilified (v. 71), then he "woke up" and went out and cried (v. 72).

Imagine Jesus, sitting in the court of the high priest being lied about and slandered by false witnesses, yet listening to one of your closest friends lie about even knowing you. Certainly, Jesus could hear Peter's vehement replies in the courtyard below, perhaps he heard little of the mock trial going on around him as his mind focused on the drama being played out in the shadows and firelight below. What does this tell us about Jesus? As I wrote previously, he was taking the rap for Peter even as Peter cursed and swore to others that he didn't know Him. Jesus also took the rap for us even when we did the same thing Peter did. 

Then the second cock crew and Jesus turned and looked at Peter (Luke 22:61) and Peter was never the same. There was no denying his actions. But thankfully it didn’t end there.

Previously Jesus had prayed that when Peter returned that he would have a great ministry for the Lord. Peter began to mourn right there and Jesus would pay the price for Peter's sin, the next afternoon by dying on the cross. 

Later, Peter’s full restoration took place on the shores of Galilee with Jesus’ thrice-repeated question, “Simon, do you love me?” (John 21:15-19). Then on the Day of Pentecost, Peter, empowered by the Holy Spirit, would speak boldly regarding Jesus Christ and 3,000 would be saved (Acts 2).

Have we seen Jesus look at us the same way—with deep love despite our painful failures? 

"Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). 

What is his love empowering us to do for him today?

Mark 14:53-65 — He Took The Fall

 Mark 14:53-65

And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.

Where they likely kept score in the "Kings Game" 
as they beat Christ. It was carved into the paving stones.

Comments:

Many years ago I published an article in a national magazine that was based on this passage, specifically v. 61-62, my article was entitled, “He Took the Fall.”  I include it here as a way to begin the Lenten season.

He Took the Fall

“He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.” (Isaiah 42:2-3, NKJ)

"But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, 'Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?' Jesus said, 'I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.' " (Mark 14:61-62 NKJ)

Though I have read it many times, the story of Jesus of Nazareth being arrested and dragged into a hostile court in the middle of the night still amazes me. He was mishandled, abused, and falsely accused, yet He made no answer, offered no protest, and mounted no defense. I wonder, could Jesus have been shielding someone by His silence? Was He taking the rap, the fall, the heat, out of love for someone else? I've watched enough lunch-time Perry Mason re-runs to know when the accused is trying to protect someone by not telling all they know. Jesus could have gotten Himself off the hook, but He didn't. I am forced to ask, “So why didn’t He?” I believe He kept quiet because He was deliberately taking the blame for someone He loved. But there was a problem with Jesus' plan—just one…His accusers couldn't find any grounds to convict Him, even with a multitude of lying witnesses.

The judge wanted to condemn Him. The jury wanted to convict Him. The witnesses wanted to frame Him. But they couldn't find a reason. Amazing! There was no dirt in His past, no skeleton in His closet, nothing. They tried to twist His teachings by misquoting and misapplying them, but even then they couldn't get their stories to agree. Imagine, the conviction that must have come upon their souls as they tried to frame the only truly innocent man. Jesus kept silent, not speaking in His own defense, and Scripture was fulfilled.

He didn't sit there, before His accusers, in an angry, hostile, sullen silence. He was not pouting, sulking, or hating. He was silent because He knew that this was the moment for which He had come into the world. How wonderful His example is—He didn't trust in His rights but in His Heavenly Father. As it is written, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain . . . Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” “Then a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.’ " (John 12:23-28 NKJ)

Finally, it seems that Jesus had to help the prosecution—they were getting nowhere. The Lord Jesus Christ, in His love for the one He was protecting, answered one question—a simple name-rank-and-serial-number type of question. While He neither defended Himself—He kept silent; nor spoke out in justified condemnation of His accusers and their arguments—He...answered nothing.  He did, however, speak to make His identity clear—I AM. And for that they killed Him.

It is no surprise that Jesus was protecting someone by His silence—but it was who He was protecting that was so unique. He was protecting the High Priest who envied, the Pharisees who scorned, the false witnesses who spitefully lied and twisted His life-work, and the guards who abused Him. For them, He remained silent. He did it for the thieves who deserved death. He did it for Barabbas the violent revolutionary. He did it for Peter who stood outside vehemently denying that he even knew "this man Jesus!" He did it for the soldiers who crowned Him with thorns and nailed His hands and feet to the cross. It was for Saul who would brutally persecute His followers. It was even for those who would manipulate His teachings and deceive many. It was out of infinite love for men and women throughout the ages who were at war with God—lost people doing lost things—that Jesus remained silent. It was for me. It was for you.

Jesus, the Lamb of God, was no martyr, forced to die for the cause. He planned to save us, long before we were created, and when the hour came took our place willingly as the supreme act of love. As Paul writes, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14 NKJ) His plan worked, and I will be forever grateful.

       Jesus Christ, the Second Adam, took the Fall!

© 2002 Greg K. Dueker