Mark 15 - Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Jesus Faces Pilate

15 As^(A) soon as it was morning, the chief priests had a meeting with the elders,^(B) scribes,^(C) and the whole Sanhedrin.^(D) After tying Jesus up, they led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate.^(E)

² So Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King^(F) of the Jews?”^(G)

He answered him, “You have said it.”^[a]

³ And the chief priests began to accuse Him of many things. ⁴ Then Pilate^(H) questioned Him again, “Are You not answering anything? Look how many things they are accusing You of!” ⁵ But Jesus still did not answer anything, so Pilate was amazed.

Jesus or Barabbas

⁶ At^(I) the festival^(J) it was Pilate’s^(K) custom to release for the people a prisoner they requested. ⁷ There was one named Barabbas, who was in prison with rebels who had committed murder^(L) during the rebellion.^{(M) 8} The crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do for them as was his custom. ⁹ So Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release the King^(N) of the Jews^(O) for you?” ¹⁰ For he knew it was because of envy^(P) that the chief priests had handed Him over. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd so that he would release Barabbas to them instead.

¹² Pilate asked them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the One you call the King of the Jews?”

¹³ Again they shouted, “Crucify Him!”

¹⁴ Then Pilate said to them, “Why? What has He done wrong?”

But they shouted, “Crucify Him!” all the more.

¹⁵ Then, willing to gratify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. And after having Jesus flogged,^[b] he handed Him over to be crucified.

Mocked by the Military

¹⁶ Then^(Q) the soldiers led Him away into the courtyard (that is, headquarters^(R)) and called the whole company together. ¹⁷ They dressed Him in a purple^(S) robe, twisted together a crown^(T) of thorns, and put it on Him. ¹⁸ And they began to salute Him, “Hail,^(U) King^(V) of the Jews!” ¹⁹ They kept hitting Him on the head with a reed and spitting on Him. Getting down on their knees,^(W) they were paying Him homage. ²⁰ When they had mocked^(X) Him, they stripped Him of the purple robe, put His clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

Crucified between Two Criminals

²¹ They^(Y) forced a man coming in from the country, who was passing by, to carry Jesus’ cross.^(Z) He was Simon, a Cyrenian,^(AA) the father of Alexander and Rufus.^{(AB) 22} And^(AC) they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means Skull Place^(AD)). ²³ They tried to give Him wine^(AE) mixed with myrrh,^(AF) but He did not take it. ²⁴ Then they crucified Him and divided His clothes, casting lots^(AG) for them to decide what each would get. ²⁵ Now it was nine in the morning^[c] when they crucified Him. ²⁶ The inscription of the charge written against Him was:

THE KING^(AH) OF THE JEWS.^(AI)

²⁷ They^(AJ) crucified two criminals^[d](AK) with Him, one on His right and one on His left. [²⁸ So the Scripture was fulfilled that says: And He was counted among outlaws.]^{[e](AL)[f] 29} Those^(AM) who passed by were yelling insults^(AN) at^[g] Him, shaking their heads,^(AO) and saying, “Ha! The One who would demolish the sanctuary and build it in three days,^{(AP) 30} save Yourself by coming down from the cross!”^{(AQ) 31} In the same way, the chief priests with the scribes^(AR) were mocking Him to one another and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself! ³² Let the Messiah,^(AS) the King^(AT) of Israel,^(AU) come down now from the cross,^(AV) so that we may see and believe.”^(AW) Even those who were crucified with Him were taunting Him.

The Death of Jesus

³³ When^(AX) it was noon,^[h] darkness came over the whole land^[i] until three in the afternoon.^{[j](AY) 34} And at three^[k] Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lemá^[l] sabachtháni?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”^(AZ)[m]

³⁵ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “Look, He’s calling for Elijah!” ³⁶ Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, fixed it on a reed, offered Him a drink,^(BA) and said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take Him down!”

³⁷ But Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed His last. ³⁸ Then the curtain^(BB) of the sanctuary^[n] was split in two from top to bottom. ³⁹ When the centurion, who was standing opposite Him, saw the way He^[o] breathed His last, he said, “This man really was God’s Son!”^[p](BC)

⁴⁰ There^(BD) were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene,^(BE) Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. ⁴¹ When He was in Galilee,^(BF) they would follow Him and help Him. Many other women had come up with Him to Jerusalem.^(BG)

The Burial of Jesus

⁴² When^(BH) it was already evening, because it was preparation day (that is, the day before the Sabbath), ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward^(BI) to the kingdom of God,^(BJ) came and boldly went in to Pilate^(BK) and asked for Jesus’ body.^{(BL) 44} Pilate was surprised that He was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him whether He had already died. ⁴⁵ When he found out from the centurion, he gave the corpse to Joseph. ⁴⁶ After he bought some fine linen, he took Him down and wrapped Him in the linen. Then he placed Him in a tomb^(BM) cut out of the rock, and rolled a stone^(BN) against the entrance to the tomb. ⁴⁷ Now^(BO) Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where He was placed.

Footnotes

1. Mark 15:2 Or That is true, an affirmative oath; Mt 26:64; 27:11
2. Mark 15:15 Roman flogging was done with a whip made of leather strips embedded with pieces of bone or metal that brutally tore the flesh.
3. Mark 15:25 Lit was the third hour
4. Mark 15:27 Or revolutionaries
5. Mark 15:28 Other mss omit bracketed text
6. Mark 15:28 Is 53:12
7. Mark 15:29 Lit passed by blasphemed
8. Mark 15:33 Lit the sixth hour
9. Mark 15:33 Or whole earth
10. Mark 15:33 Lit the ninth hour
11. Mark 15:34 Lit the ninth hour
12. Mark 15:34 Some mss read lama; other mss read lima
13. Mark 15:34 Ps 22:1
14. Mark 15:38 A heavy curtain separated the inner room of the temple from the outer.
15. Mark 15:39 Other mss read saw that He cried out like this and
16. Mark 15:39 Or the Son of God; Mk 1:1

Cross references

1. 15:1-5 : Mt 27:2, 11-14; Lk 23:25; Jn 18:28-38
2. 15:1 : 3Jn 1
3. 15:1 : Mt 2:4
4. 15:1 : Mk 13:9
5. 15:1 : 1Tm 6:13
6. 15:2 : Lk 19:38
7. 15:2 : Jn 19:21
8. 15:4 : 1Tm 6:13
9. 15:6-15 : Mt 27:15-26; Lk 23:13-25; Jn 18:39–19:6
10. 15:6 : Mk 14:1
11. 15:6 : 1Tm 6:13
12. 15:7 : Pr 1:16
13. 15:7 : Ac 23:7
14. 15:9 : Lk 19:38
15. 15:9 : Jn 19:21
16. 15:10 : Ps 37:1
17. 15:6-20 : Mt 27:27-31
18. 15:16 : Jn 18:28, 33; 19:9; Ac 23:35; Php 1:13
19. 15:17 : Mk 15:20; Lk 16:19; Rv 18:12
20. 15:17 : Jn 19:2, 5; Rv 12:1
21. 15:18 : Mt 26:49; Lk 1:28; Jn 19:3
22. 15:18 : Lk 19:38
23. 15:19 : Mk 5:6; Lk 22:41; Eph 3:14
24. 15:20 : Mk 10:34
25. 15:21 : Mt 27:32; Lk 23:26-31
26. 15:21 : Lk 9:23
27. 15:21 : Ac 6:9
28. 15:21 : Rm 16:13
29. 15:22-26 : Mt 27:33-37; Lk 22:32-34; Jn 19:17-24
30. 15:22 : Jn 19:17
31. 15:23 : Gn 9:21; Dt 7:13; Ps 4:7; Pr 3:10; Lk 5:37
32. 15:23 : Ps 69:21
33. 15:24 : Ps 22:18
34. 15:26 : Lk 19:38
35. 15:26 : Jn 11:36
36. 15:27-28 : Mt 27:38, 44; Lk 23:39-43
37. 15:27 : Mk 14:48
38. 15:28 : Is 53:12
39. 15:29-32 : Mt 27:39-43; Lk 23:35-38
40. 15:29 : Ex 22:28; Mk 3:29; Rv 13:6
41. 15:29 : Ps 22:7
42. 15:29 : Jn 2:19
43. 15:30 : Lk 23:26
44. 15:31 : Mt 2:4
45. 15:32 : Mt 1:17; Eph 5:2
46. 15:32 : Lk 19:38
47. 15:32 : Jn 1:49
48. 15:32 : Lk 23:26
49. 15:32 : Mk 8:11-12; 11:24; Jn 3:16; Ac 10:43; Rm 10:9; 1Pt 1:8-10
50. 15:33-39 : Mt 27:45-54; Lk 23:44-48; Jn 19:28-30
51. 15:33 : Am 8:9
52. 15:34 : Ps 22:1
53. 15:36 : Ps 69:21
54. 15:38 : Ex 26:31-33; 2Ch 3:14; Heb 6:19; 9:3; 10:20
55. 15:39 : Jn 5:19; Heb 1:2
56. 15:40-41 : Mt 27:55-56; Lk 23:49; Jn 19:25-27
57. 15:40 : Mt 28:1; Mk 16:1, 9; Lk 8:2; 24:10; Jn 20:1-18
58. 15:41 : Mt 17:22
59. 15:41 : Mt 23:37
60. 15:42-46 : Mt 27:57-60; Lk 23:50-54; Jn 19:38-42
61. 15:43 : Jd 21
62. 15:43 : Mk 1:15
63. 15:43 : 1Tm 6:13
64. 15:43 : Lk 12:4; Jn 2:21
65. 15:46 : Jn 5:28; 11:38; Ac 13:29
66. 15:46 : Jn 20:1
67. 15:47 : Mt 27:61-66; Lk 23:55-56