151 And immediately in the morning the chief priests, having taken counsel with the elders and scribes and the whole sanhedrim, bound Jesus and carried [him] away, and delivered [him] up to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered and said to him, Thou sayest. 3 And the chief priests accused him urgently. 4 And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? See of how many things they bear witness against thee. 5 But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marvelled.
6 But at [the] feast he released to them one prisoner, whomsoever they begged [of him]. 7 Now there was the [person] named Barabbas bound with those who had made insurrection with [him], [and] that had committed murder in the insurrection. 8 And the crowd crying out began to beg [that he would do] to them as he had always done. 9 But Pilate answered them saying, Will ye that I release to you the King of the Jews? 10 for he knew that the chief priests had delivered him up through envy. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd that he might rather release Barabbas to them. 12 And Pilate answering said to them again, What will ye then that I do [to him] whom ye call King of the Jews? 13 And they cried out again, Crucify him. 14 And Pilate said to them, What evil then has he done? But they cried out the more urgently, Crucify him.
15 And Pilate, desirous of contenting the crowd, released to them Barabbas, and delivered up Jesus, when he had scourged him, that he might be crucified. 16 And the soldiers led him away into the court which is [called the] praetorium, and they call together the whole band. 17 And they clothe him with purple, and bind round on him a crown of thorns which they had plaited. 18 And they began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! 19 And they struck his head with a reed, and spat on him, and, bending the knee, did him homage. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took the purple off him, and put his own clothes on him; and they lead him out that they may crucify him.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Mark 15:1-20
Commentary on Mark 15:1-14
(Read Mark 15:1-14)
They bound Christ. It is good for us often to remember the bonds of the Lord Jesus, as bound with him who was bound for us. By delivering up the King, they, in effect, delivered up the kingdom of God, which was, therefore, as by their own consent, taken from them, and given to another nation. Christ gave Pilate a direct answer, but would not answer the witnesses, because the things they alleged were known to be false, even Pilate himself was convinced they were so. Pilate thought that he might appeal from the priests to the people, and that they would deliver Jesus out of the priests' hands. But they were more and more urged by the priests, and cried, Crucify him! Crucify him! Let us judge of persons and things by their merits, and the standard of God's word, and not by common report. The thought that no one ever was so shamefully treated, as the only perfectly wise, holy, and excellent Person that ever appeared on earth, leads the serious mind to strong views of man's wickedness and enmity to God. Let us more and more abhor the evil dispositions which marked the conduct of these persecutors.
Commentary on Mark 15:15-21
(Read Mark 15:15-21)
Christ met death in its greatest terror. It was the death of the vilest malefactors. Thus the cross and the shame are put together. God having been dishonoured by the sin of man, Christ made satisfaction by submitting to the greatest disgrace human nature could be loaded with. It was a cursed death; thus it was branded by the Jewish law, Deuteronomy 21:23. The Roman soldiers mocked our Lord Jesus as a King; thus in the high priest's hall the servants had mocked him as a Prophet and Saviour. Shall a purple or scarlet robe be matter of pride to a Christian, which was matter of reproach and shame to Christ? He wore the crown of thorns which we deserved, that we might wear the crown of glory which he merited. We were by sin liable to everlasting shame and contempt; to deliver us, our Lord Jesus submitted to shame and contempt. He was led forth with the workers of iniquity, though he did no sin. The sufferings of the meek and holy Redeemer, are ever a source of instruction to the believer, of which, in his best hours, he cannot be weary. Did Jesus thus suffer, and shall I, a vile sinner, fret or repine? Shall I indulge anger, or utter reproaches and threats because of troubles and injuries?