COMMENTARY ON MARK
LESSON NUMBER 164
Mark 15:12 “And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto Him whom ye call the King of the Jews? 13 And they cried out again, Crucify him. 14 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath He done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify Him. 15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged Him, to be crucified.”
(Mark 15:12-15; Matt 27:21-26; Luke 23:21-25; John 19:7-15)
PILATE ATTEMPTS TO REASON WITH THE JEWS
INTRODUCTION
The trial of Jesus before Pilate, including the response of the Jews, underlines the strength of the expression, “determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23). Was it God who delivered up Jesus or the people? Romans 8:32 affirms that it was God who delivered Him up. Was it the will of the people or the will of God that was being carried out in Pilate’s hall? Acts 4:26 asserts that both the people and Pilate were fulfilling the counsel of God, which was “determined before to be done.” Had God not willed this, there is no possible way that it could have been done, for Jesus had lived in such a manner as technically exempted Him from both death and suffering. And yet, it is still true that the people were held responsible for delivering Jesus to Pilate to be crucified (Acts 2:23,35). They are charged with being both the betrayers and murderers of Jesus (Acts 7:52). How, then, can God be said to have driven the death of Christ, and yet the Jews were responsible for it? It is quite simple, although men do not tend to think often about it. The people, because of their fundamental wickedness, were used by God to implement the determined atoning death of Christ. In this, even the angelic hosts witnessed the absolute need for a redemption by means of death that was accomplished by One who was not worthy to die. They saw the pervasive iniquity within men, who rejected truth enfleshed, love incarnate, and God manifested. There could not possibly have been a clearer revelation of God and the truth of God, than His Son – and yet the people declared He was “worthy of death,” or deserved to die. Jesus alone could bear the weight of sin in order that it might be duly punished in Him, and a basis for remission be established. The fact that the people were carrying out the will of God did not absolve them of guilt, for they did it willingly, with hatred in the hearts. Sin can never be excused or overlooked by God – not even when it is bore by Jesus in His body on the tree (1 Pet 2:24).
THE STUBBORNNESS OF A SINFUL HEART
“ Mark 15:12 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto Him whom ye call the King of the Jews? 13 And they cried out again, Crucify him. 14 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath He done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify Him.”
WHAT IS YOUR WILL? It is as though God is manipulating the mouth of Pilate, determining what comes forth from it – even though both Pilate’s will and intellect are in the matter. He is being moved to violate the protocols of justice, and now his conscience as well. Yet, even though he knows it is wrong, he again asks the people what they what him to do with Jesus – except, he refers to Jesus as “Him whom Ye call King of the Jews.” Only a flawed conscience could not be awakened by those words – one that was “weak” (1 Cor 8:12), or “seared” (1 Tim 4:2). Here is a door of opportunity through which soundness of mind can enter.
Again, apparenrtly without any pangs of conscience, the people cry out, “Crucify Him!” They care nothing for the words and work of Jesus. They have absolutely no concern for the injustice of which they are glaringly guilty. They have made no attempt to examine the words of Jesus, or His confession that He was, in fact, the Son of the Blessed One.
This is the effect of sin upon both the heart and the mind. When men indulge in sin, their heart begins to grow hard and calloused. Their minds also become spiritual deranged, so that they are not capable of thinking in concert with the truth.
WHY? WHY? Here Pilate calls for some justification for condemning Jesus. He does not ask what He said, but what He has “done” that requires that He die. His request is certainly a reasonable one, calling upon the people to reassess what they are doing. However, their hearts are now hardened, and they are not even capable of sound reasoning.
THEY CRIED OUT EVEN MORE. Mark says the people “cried out more exceedingly, Crucify Him!” Other versions read, “they shouted all the more,” NASB and “they shouted out louder.” NIV A good and provocative question caused them to become even more adamant than they were before. It reminds me of a judgmental statement God made against Israel. He said He would keep heaping words of truth upon them until they finally went backward and fell: “But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken” (Isa 28:13). While the truth in Pilate’s words was only measured, yet there was enough truth there to awaken a sensitive heart.
PILATE DECLARES HIS INNOCENCE. Matthew records that at this point, Pilate chose to affirm his innocence in the matter. In a vain attempt, he sought to disassociate what was happening in his court with his own person. “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just Person: see ye to it” (Matt 27:24). It was the tumult that concerned him, not any form of justice. Just as in Ephesus, he knew the Roman government would call men into account for an “uproar” among the people (Acts 19:40). Therefore he formally declares himself to be innocent of the blood of Jesus. That is, he imagined that this would free him from any connection with His death. He could not possibly have been more wrong. Heaven considered him to be gathering against the Lord and His Christ, together with Herod, the chief priests, and the people (Acts 4:27).
HIS BLOOD BE ON US. Matthew alone records this response of the people. It was something that they all said in concert. “Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children” (Matt 27:25). This expression may very well have been based upon a statement made in Joshua 2:19. There the spies told Rahab that anyone in her house would be safe when they took the land. However, “whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless.” That is, in saying this the people were telling Pilate they were freeing him from any guilt in this matter. They would take the responsibility for this action, willingly incurring that obligation for their children as well.
What a fearful statement this was! It moved the proclaimers of the Gospel to refer over and over again to this guilt (Acts 2:23; 36; 4:10; 5:30; 7:52; 10:39; 13:28-29; 1 Cor 2:8).
THE THIRD TIME. Luke accents that Pilate made three attempts to release Jesus, stating he could find nothing wrong in him, and offering to handle matters himself in an expeditious manner. “And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath He done? I have found no cause of death in Him: I will therefore chastise Him, and let Him go.” However, the people would not listen, and became even more insistent. They outshouted Pilate. “ And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that He might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed” (Luke 23:22-23). Behold the unreasonableness of sin! It moves people to be so intent on fulfilling their own will that they will act in total contradiction of good reason, refusing to consider things that are otherwise very apparent.
PILATE KNOWS WHY THEY HAVE BROUGHT JESUS TO HIM
“ 15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged Him, to be crucified.”
Pilate will now take a course of action that requires him to completely ignore the facts in the case. He will contradict all the laws of justice, and defer to a course of action that is more convenient, and attended with far less difficulty.
WILLING TO CONTENT THE PEOPLE. Pilate was “willing to content the people,” even if they were a raging mob that had been deprived of all wisdom and good sense. Other versions read, “wanting to gratify the crowd,” NKJV “desiring to do what was pleasing to pleasing to the people,” BBE “desirous of contenting the crowd,” DARBY and “he wanted to satisfy the crowd.” NET The action of Pilate was thought out. He had weighed the facts delivered to him, first judiciously, and then with regard to his own personal advantage. From the standpoint of law, there was no question about the action that ought to be taken: release Jesus, and punish Barabbas. Those actions could be fully justified in any court of law. But now, with only his own interests and career in mind, he defers to the will of the people. For all practical purposes, and from the lower view, he had become their servant.
This tendency to please men still remains among those who have to do with Jesus. It is as though when you confront the Lord Jesus Christ you are forced to make a decision between the people who reject Him, and the Lord Himself. Knowing the tendency of the natural man, Paul made clear that choosing the people severs one from Jesus. “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ” NASB (Gal 1:10). It ought to be clear that Jesus will allow no person to be identified with Him that will not serve Him, becoming involved in His interests, so to speak. He said, “If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honor” (John 12:26). The only true freedom that can be realized is that which is experienced in serving Christ. Primary service rendered to anyone else is really nothing more than a form of bondage.
RELEASED BAR ABBAS UNTO THEM. Therefore, Pilate “released Barabbas unto them,” as Matthew also states (Matt 27:26). Luke states the action with even more precision. “And he released unto them him that for sedition [insurrection] and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will” (Luke 23:25). Thus, Pilate let the people have their way with both Barabbas and Jesus. One went free, and one was condemned. It could be no other way. Both could not properly be condemned or released. One was clearly innocent, and one was obviously guilty.
Here the Jews broke the Law of Moses: “Thou shalt not wrest judgment” (Deut 16:19). “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice” NKJV (Ex 23:2). “You shall do not unrighteousness in judgment” (Lev 19:15). The Law – their law, to which they had appealed (John 19:7) – did not allow the Israelites to make improper legal judgment. The prophets declared, “Keep ye judgment, and do justice!” (Isa 56:1). In fact, the Lord condemned Israel because “none calleth for justice, nor any leadeth for the truth” (Isa 59:4). The erosion of justice was declared to be the evidence that truth had “fallen in the street” (Isa 59:14).
PILATE GAVE SENTENCE. Luke says that Pilate delivered a sentence, of judgment on this case. “And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required” (Luke 23:24). Other versions read, “pronounced the sentence,” NASB and “gave the verdict.” NRSV This wicked man rendered an official judgment without any regard for the person against whom it was delivered. He only had a desire please the people, who were nothing more than a howling mob under the control of Satan.
Do you wonder how much pressure men can put upon a soul? Here is a classic example. Our peers can cause us to act contrary to reason, even opposing the One who gave Himself to deliver us. Avoiding this kind of influence is worthy of the most extensive effort.
HE DELIVERED JESUS. Now Pilate has Jesus scourged, or whipped and lashed publicly. Scourging is defined as “a cruel and barbaric punishment.” The victim was stripped to the waist, stretched with cords on a fame, and beaten with either a whip or rods. McCLINTOK It was a most sever and disfiguring treatment. In correlating John’s Gospel with Matthew, Mark, and Luke, it appears that Pilate had Jesus scourged two times. John says Jesus was scourged prior to bringing Jesus into the court and the call to crucify Him (John 19:1).
The scourging to which Pilate first subjected Jesus, as recorded in John, was one associated with interrogation. The scourging of reference in our text, was the prelude to crucifixion. It appears that Jesus was reduced to a bloody pulp before He was crucified. Isaiah declared that the Savior “gave” His back to the “smiters” (Isa 50:6). In order to fully confirm the dire state of the human race, He allowed those of the chosen race to treat Him as a felon.
SOME ADDITIONAL DETAILS FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
John provides some details of this occasion that are worthy of special note. You may recall that He wrote His Gospel in order that we might “believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that believing,” we “might have life through His name” (John 20:31).
PILATE WAS AFRAID. As soon as Pilate heard the people say, “He made Himself the Son of God,” “he was the more afraid; 9 and went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer” (John 19:7-9). He no doubt correlated that word with what his wife had told him concerning Jesus being a “just man” (Matt 27:19). He immediately went to Jesus, whom he had already had scourged, and asked Him “Where are you from?” NKJV He already knew He was from Galilee, and was even referred to as “Jesus of Nazareth.” Out of fear, however, he now senses there is more to Jesus than meets the eye. However, there is a slight complication, Jesus will not answer him. Pilate is not deserving of an answer to this question. He has already shown a propensity to the people, and none toward God. Therefore, Jesus will not dignify his question with an answer.
JESUS DEFINES WHO HAS THE POWER. Pilate is irritated by the silence of Jesus. After all, he is a dignitary to whom Jesus is supposedly subject, and yet He ignores his question. Pilate responds to the Savior’s disruptive silence, “Speakest Thou not unto me? knowest Thou not that I have power to crucify Thee, and have power to release Thee?” Like all worldly rulers, Pilate overstates his power, and entertains a view of his position that completely ignores the Sovereignty of Almighty God. He is looking upon the appearance of things, and according to that view he thinks that he is in charge. But Jesus will not let his remark pass, for he has not spoken correctly of either himself or Jesus.
NO POWER AT ALL! “ 11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above.” The totality of Pilate’s civil authority, particularly over Jesus, has been given to Him from heaven, for, as Paul states, “there is no power, but of God” (Rom 13:1) – and Paul was speaking of civil authority. Pilate received his power from God when the “power of darkness” was given its “hour” by the God of heaven (Lk 22:53). Until that time there is no record of a single opportunity being given to Pilate to even see Jesus, much less speak to him, or threaten Him with his imagined power. He power flowed from the assignment of the Almighty, and he was really nothing more than a vessel “unto dishonor” – a kind of spiritual garbage can. Notwithstanding that circumstance, he was, in a very real sense, in God’s “great house” (2 Tim 2:20), and was caught in the “net” of Divine purpose (Matt 13:47-50).
THE GREATER SIN. Jesus does assign to Pilate a lesser role, affirming that there were those who were guilty of an even greater sin: “therefore he that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin” (John 19:10-11). Most versions read “greater sin.” Some versions read “more sin,” BISHOPS & TYNDALL All sin, then, is not alike. Even though Pilate and Herod are classified as co-conspirators against Jesus (Acts 4:27), the sin of “the people of Israel” was far greater. This is because they sinned against more light, rejected more revelation, and repudiated more evidence. When people are exposed to more truth, if they do not receive it, their sin becomes worse. When they have been subjected to the light of the sun, they will not be judged as those who were subjected only to starlight and moonlight.
PILATE SEEKS TO RELEASE JESUS. “And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar” (John 19:12). From this time forward, employing all of his shrewdness, Pilate sought for a way to release Jesus. But he was caught in the net of Divine purpose, and could not find a way. However he ceased his efforts when the people said he was not Caesar’s friend if he did not carry out the death sentence against Jesus. It ought to be noted that Satan is also aware of the sin that so easily besets us. It should not surprise us when Satan makes appeals to those weaknesses in his temptations.
WE HAVE NO KING BUT CAESAR. With his career on the line, and the possibility of a report that he had in some way repudiated the authority of Caesar, Pilate began caving in to the pressure. He made one more effort to get rid of this case. “ 13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! 15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:13-15). Now, through the words of Pilate, the real issue of the people is expressed. It was the authority of Jesus to which they objected, refusing to let “this Man” reign over them, as Jesus declared they would do during His ministry (Lk 19:14). However, God will not permit men to ultimately refuse the reign of His Son. Jesus will pronounce judgment against all who have rejected His authority over them, as He affirmed in Luke 19:27. Those who reject His rule only postpone the inevitable.