The Journey

Mark Chapter 15

  The Road of Death

  Jesus Delivered to Pilate (1 - 5)

  1 And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.

  2 And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto them, Thou said it.

  3 And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.

  4 And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answer thou nothing? Behold how many things they witness against thee.

  5 But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marveled.

  After what seemed the longest night of my life and after I finally regain a little courage and composure I snuck back into to the city to try and find out what had happened. I covered my head and followed a loud and mocking crowd to the palace of Pilate. Although I could not see Jesus I knew that He was in front of the crowd because I could hear them mocking and swearing at Him. They crowd came to a halt and I worked my way to the front and saw Pilate standing up on his porch. At first I could not see Jesus and then I spotted Him and I realized that He had been slapped many times across His face. At the time I did not realize that this was just the beginning of the most horrible tortured of a person that I would ever witness. Pilate with his Roman authority ask Jesus in a cynical tone. "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus spoke back to him in a clear voice," you have said so." This sent the chief priest into an uproar and they began to accuse Him of many things. They were all shouting so loud and all at one time I wondered how Pilate could make any sense of anything they were saying. Pilate was finally able to get them to quiet down and he asked Jesus. "Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you." You could actually see the countenance on Pilate face change from one of cynicism to one of concern when Jesus did not answer him.

  Pilate Delivers Jesus to be Crucified (6 - 15)

  6 Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.

  7 And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.

  8 And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.

  9 But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

  10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.

  11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.

  12 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, what will you 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.

  It was the time of the feast of the Passover and during the feast it was a custom to release one of the prisoners to celebrate the release of the Jews from the bondage of Egypt. The crowd began to beseech Pilate to do this. When he consented my hopes soared as I was sure they would release Jesus. My hopes came dashing to the ground when the crowd began to demand the release of the prisoner Barabbas who had committed murder. Even Pilate who had little mercy for anything or anyone seemed astounded for he said;" do you want me to release the King of the Jews?" I think he knew that the charges they brought against Jesus were trumped up. When he asked this the chief priests dispersed through the crowd and incited them to even louder demands that they release Barabbas. Pilate walked away and conferred with some others who were on the platform with him. When he came back he addressed the crowd with a puzzled look on his face and said, then what do you want me to do with the man they call the King of the Jews. When they shouted crucify him Pilate stumbled backwards into one of his guards. After regaining his composure he asked in an amazed voice," why what evil has He done?" With this the crowd became even more unruly shouting" crucify Him, crucify Him." I along with some others could not believe what I was hearing, what I was seeing, what was taking place. I stood there as if frozen in time. What happened next was even more unbelievable. Pilate went back and conferred with some others and then came back to the front of the porch and with a look of dazed confusion on his face let them have their wish. He released Barabbas and told them to lead Jesus away to be scourged. Though I tried to follow the crowd it was so thick that I lost what little sight I had of Jesus. I know that they took him somewhere inside the palace and there scourged Him. I did not catch another glimpse of Him until after this happened but later a servant of Pilate's and a fellow believer (Anna) told me the little that she saw happen. It embarrasses me to tell you of this because of the shame and humiliation I felt because of my own cowardly actions through this whole ordeal.

  Jesus Is Mocked (16 - 20)

  16 And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.

  17 And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,

  18 And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!

  19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.

  20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.

  The servant Anna said she was scrubbing the floor when a whole battalion of Roman soldiers came into the governor's quarters laughing and cursing. She said she then saw Jesus being half dragged through the doorway. When they got into the same room that she was in they took a purple cloak that was hanging there and put it on Him and began to pretend they were kneeling down to Him. She remembered one of them saying," O mighty one show us how mighty you are by drying up this shower of spit." She could not believe her eyes when he began to spit in Jesus face. Then many of them joined in to see if they could stand back away from Him and hit Him in certain places in the face with their spit. She said she stood there horrified. What happened next made her run out of the room when one of the soldiers came in from outside with wreath of thorns. She said some of the thorns were at least two to three inches long. They took this wreath and said here is your crown and mashed it down on His head. Anna said the wreath was too small to fit but they just keep pushing it down and the thorns made large gashes in Jesus forehead. Blood began to run down His face and into His eyes, across His lips and chin and began to drip onto the floor. As she began to run from the room they ripped the purple cloak off Him and threw it. It landed on her and she fell to the floor. She said the cloak was very heavy and when she fell it got tangled around her head. Anna said that in those short seconds of darkness she somehow knew that eternity without Jesus would be like this. She could hear the jeers, laughter, and mocking of the guards but she knew when that darkness came to them their jeers would turn to screams, their laughter to tears and their mocking to pleading. We both just held each other and wept for what seemed like hours. Then we both just hugged each other one more time and she went back into the palace and I waited outside to see what would happen next.

  The Crucifixion (21 - 32)

  21 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.

  22 And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, the place of a skull.

  23 And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.

  24 And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.

  25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.

  26 And the superscription of his accusation was written over, The King of the Jews.

  27 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his righ
t hand, and the other on his left.

  28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which said, and he was numbered with the transgressors.

  29 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroys the temple, and builds it in three days,

  30 Save, yourself and come down from the cross.

  31 Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.

  32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

  If I had not known that they had taken Jesus into the governor's palace I would not have recognized Him when they brought Him out. No starving lion could have ravaged Him more. No bear could have torn His skin to shreds as it had been torn. I do not think that even maggots or worms could have had this effect on a body if they had been eating at it for days. They then placed a cross on His back and shoulders and began to beat Him as they headed down a street called the Val Del La Rosa. When it became obvious that He was not going to be able to go much farther the soldiers grabbed a man out of the crowd, (who I later learned was named Simon) and though he violently protested they made him help Jesus carry the cross. We began to approach and start up a hill that led to a place called Golgotha. A hill where we had all once raced laughing to top see who could get there the fastest. Now it showed its true name which meant the Place of the Skull. As we approached the top I could see in my mind demons dancing round and round in the dust while swarms of flies buzzed round about them. When we got to the top they offered Jesus wine mixed with myrrh but He would not take it. They then nailed Him to the cross while at the same time taking His garments and casting lots so that they would see who would keep them. I remember that it was about the third hour of the day when they lifted that cross and placed it in the ground. It seemed that they could not humiliate Him enough for they placed and inscription above His head which read The King of the Jews. Then though it may sound unbelievable people began to dance around His cross and shout, you who would rebuild the temple in three days come down from the cross and save yourself. Above all of this the chief priest, those who were supposed to have compassion shouted you who were supposed to save others come down and save yourself. Let Christ the King of Israel come down and save Himself. Of the two who were being crucified with Him even one of them began to mock Him. I will say no more of this but only will now tell you about His final words before death.

  The Death of Jesus (33 - 41)

  33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

  34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? Which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

  35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calls Elias.

  36 And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.

  37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

  38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

  39 And when the centurion, whom stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, truly this man was the Son of God.

  40 There were also women looking on afar off: among who was Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

  41 (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him ;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.

  It seemed as if even the sun was dimming and losing its warmth and radiance as we stood there. I was suddenly very cold as I looked at Him there on that cross. As long as there is a breath left in us there is hope but when that last breath is gone all hope goes with it. Even though He had tried to tell us time after time what was going to happen. And even as I stood right there looking up at my Savior, my best friend. I could still not believe that this was happening. Then He uttered those last words," My God, My God why have you forsaken me," and all hope died. I do not know how long I stood there in my numbness was it 5 minutes or three hours to this day I have no idea. I vaguely remember seeing others there with the same expression that I probably had on my face. I know Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James were there. Many who had followed Him stood mixed in the crowd. It was as if we could not speak to each other or even look at each other even though our paths had crossed many times. Even in His death the bystanders could not be hateful enough after hearing Him uttered those words they ran and got a sponge filled with a terrible sour wine and gave it to Him to drink. Then with mocking voices said, wait let us see if Elijah would come and take Him down for some thought that when He called out He called out to Elijah. With a loud voice Jesus gave out a cry and breathed His last breath there on that cross. The crowd began to disperse some laughing, some crying and some like myself completely empty. I do remember someone saying that when He died the curtain in temple tore in two from top to bottom. Oh yes, I also remember as I walked by the cross with eyes looking down at the ground that I heard one of the soldiers say," truly this man was the Son of God."

  Jesus is Buried (42 - 47)

  42 And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath,

  43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honorable counselor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

  44 And Pilate marveled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.

  45 And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.

  46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulcher which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulcher.

  47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.

  What I can tell you of His burial I can only tell you as it was told to me by Anna the little servant girl of whom I mentioned. As you recall she was there in the palace when Jesus was scourged. I found myself sitting again along the banks of the Jordan with the great empty feeling that would not let me go. Anna came walking by and saw me sitting there and came over and sat down beside of me. After a long while she began to tell me what happened next. She said she was in the palace when Joseph of Arimathea a member of the council came and asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Anna said she was surprised that he came to Pilate because it took great courage for he risked his very reputation. She said she continued to scrub the floor but was listening at the same time. Pilate was very surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead and sent one of his soldiers to check. When the soldier came back he confirmed to Pilate that this was true. Pilate then granted Joseph of Arimathea his request. It just so happen that Anna had finished her work for the day so she followed Joseph to the cross. She said that Joseph and some others took the body of Jesus, wrapped it in a linen shroud and took it to a tomb where a large stone was rolled across the opening. I asked her who helped Joseph and she said she thought that one of the men was named Nicodemus. She also thought that Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus was there. After a long period of silence we hugged and Anna went on her way. I was never to see her again but heard that she had been killed by an angry mob a few years later as she told about her faith in Jesus.