Mark for Lent 37
In today’s reading, Jesus is questioned again, this time by Pilate. Pilate later offers to free Jesus but the crowd shouted to nail him to a cross so instead, Barabbas is freed.
Pilate Questions Jesus (Matthew 27.1,2,11-14; Luke 23.1-5; John 18.28-38)
1Early the next morning the chief priests, the nation’s leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses met together with the whole Jewish council. They tied up Jesus and led him off to Pilate.
2He asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”“Those are your words,” Jesus answered.
3The chief priests brought many charges against Jesus. 4Then Pilate questioned him again, “Don’t you have anything to say? Don’t you hear what crimes they say you have done?” 5But Jesus did not answer, and Pilate was amazed.
The Death Sentence (Matthew 27.15-26; Luke 23.13-25; John 18.39–19.16)
6During Passover, Pilate always freed one prisoner chosen by the people. 7And at that time there was a prisoner named Barabbas. He and some others had been arrested for murder during a riot. 8The crowd now came and asked Pilate to set a prisoner free, just as he usually did.
9Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to free the king of the Jews?” 10Pilate knew that the chief priests had brought Jesus to him because they were jealous.11But the chief priests told the crowd to ask Pilate to free Barabbas.
12Then Pilate asked the crowd, “What do you want me to do with this man you say is [a] the king of the Jews?”
13They yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”
14Pilate asked, “But what crime has he done?”
“Nail him to a cross!” they yelled even louder.
15Pilate wanted to please the crowd. So he set Barabbas free. Then he ordered his soldiers to beat Jesus with a whip and nail him to a cross.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society
April 12th, 2006 at 9:31 am
but who are the crowd?
Who crys out the heretical statement we have no King other than Casear?