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Mark 15:6-15 | Session 61 | Mark Rightly Divided

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Watch On Biblify

by Randy White Ministries Thursday, Jan 16, 2025

Mark 15:6-15 | Session 61 | Mark Rightly Divided



Mark 15:1-15 | Jesus Before Pilate



Mark 15:6-15 | Jesus or Barabbas



Verse 6 -



Mark mentions a tradition (John 18:39) of "that feast" (the Passover, see Mark 14:12) where Pilate would release a prisoner. While this tradition isn't documented outside the Gospels, Roman governors wielded nearly absolute authority in judging criminals, especially in capital cases—though rare appeals to Rome were possible. This practice aligns with known Roman governance patterns, showing that Pilate's participation in such a local custom would have been within his authority.

The timing of this event provides additional evidence that the Passover had not yet taken place, further confirming that the Last Supper was not the Passover meal. It would be unthinkable for Jesus and His disciples to observe Passover separately from the rest of the nation.

Verse 7 -



Our knowledge of Barabbas comes exclusively from the Gospel accounts, which reveal him as an insurrectionist and murderer. Liberal theologians often dismiss the entire Barabbas episode as spurious, basing the dismissal on their speculative assumptions about Pilate's behavior, their arguments amount to nothing more than baseless conjecture and amateur psychoanalysis. Given Scripture's demonstrated historical reliability on the whole, we must accept its individual accounts as accurate unless presented with compelling contrary evidence - of which, in this case, there is none.

Verse 8 -



The crowd knew about this prisoner-release custom and demanded Pilate follow it. This marks the first appearance of regular citizens rather than just Jewish leaders, and the first time common people oppose Jesus in Mark's Gospel. The Jewish leaders had already plotted to "take him by craft, and put him to death" (Mark 14:1). Given what verse 11 reveals, it's clear this wasn't a random crowd - these people were specifically gathered and manipulated by the chief priests to turn against Jesus.

Verses 9-10 -



Pilate was no fool. He deliberately used the title "King of the Jews" (v. 9) to antagonize the chief priests, knowing they had only arrested Jesus out of jealousy (v. 10). Like everyone else in this story, Pilate was playing politics, trying to manipulate the situation to his advantage.

Verse 11 -



Verse 11 reveals the chief priests' manipulation. They orchestrated this entire situation to get rid of Jesus.

Their plan was simple but effective:

  • Make Jesus look bad by comparing him to Barabbas

  • Use Barabbas as bait - they knew the anti-Roman crowd likely saw him as a hero

  • Turn public opinion against Jesus by making Barabbas look like the better choice

  • Cover their tracks by making it look like the people's decision.

Verse 12 -



Pilate tried to manipulate the crowd by forcing them to choose between Jesus and a known criminal. His question about "him whom ye call the King of the Jews" was meant to make them realize that choosing Barabbas meant condemning Jesus to crucifixion - the standard punishment for insurrection. Luke 23:20 clearly states that Pilate was perfectly willing to release Jesus.

This strategy might have succeeded with the general public. However, Pilate failed to realize he was dealing with a crowd carefully selected and manipulated by the chief priests.

Pilate's change in wording - from calling Jesus "King of the Jews" to saying "whom you call King of the Jews" - shows he misunderstood who he was dealing with. He thought he was talking to regular citizens, but these were actually handpicked troublemakers. The general populace indeed believed Jesus to be their king (compare Mark 11:8-10 and Mark 12:37).

Verse 13 -



The crowd shouted "Crucify him," exactly as the chief priests wanted.

The chief priests were clever - they knew they couldn't just kill Jesus directly without consequences. By manipulating the crowd, they got what they wanted while keeping their hands clean. They achieved both goals: eliminate Jesus and avoid taking the blame.

Verse 14 -



Pilate asked a simple question: "What evil has he done?" But the crowd, manipulated by the priests, kept insisting on crucifixion. Pilate didn't want this outcome, but the chief priests had orchestrated the whole thing, using the people as their puppets.

Verse 15 -



We are told that Pilate was "willing to content the people." Matthew 27:24 provides additional insight, telling us that "Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but rather a tumult was made," and thus he relented and released Barabbas.

Pilate then sent Jesus to be "scourged." While the exact details remain uncertain, Josephus describes the scourging of public criminals as brutal—both a public display of punishment and a means of forcing criminals into silent submission before their death. This perhaps fulfilled Isaiah 53:5 ("he was wounded for our transgressions") and 53:7 ("as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth").

On a general note, here's the harsh truth: Mobs are dangerous and stupid. They act on emotion, not logic. "Rule by mob" has never worked and never will. While good governments should make rational decisions based on right and wrong, they often cave to political pressure - just like Pilate did. Even our American system, which tries to balance local representation with more detached decision-making in the Senate and Supreme Court, frequently fails when faced with mob mentality.

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