This week’s readings are all from Mark 15-16. Click here to see a full listing of each day’s reading and the full chapter of Mark 15-16. Full readings of each day’s smaller segments of the readings will be posted on this site during the week.
Today's Reading
15 Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then, after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.
16 So the soldiers led him into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence) and called together the whole cohort. 17 They put a purple cloak on him and after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 They began to salute him: “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Then they knelt down and paid homage to him. 20 When they had finished mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
21 The soldiers forced a passerby to carry his cross, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country (he was the father of Alexander and Rufus).
Parallel Passages
- Gospel Parallels: Jesus Scourged and Mocked
- Gospel Parallels: Jesus or Barabbas
- Gospel Parallels: Pilate Hands Jesus Over to Be Crucified
- Gospel Parallels: The Way to Golgotha
Podcast
The Year in the Gospels podcast for this reading can be found here.
15 Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then, after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.
Barabbas in Aramaic is Bar Abba, 'Son of the Father.' This is an interesting contrast to Jesus, who a chapter before prays and calls God, 'Abba.' Jesus is the Son of the Father, the true Messiah, who, rather than coming to conquer and destroy comes to serve and pour himself out. Barabbas, on the other hand, has attempted to lead a violent rebellion to overthrow Rome.
In the Gospel of Matthew, a early manuscripts have Barabbas full name as Jesus Barabbas, making this contrasting connection of the two 'sons' even more stark (Matt 27:16-17).
Scourging
This is from the article "On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ", written by William D. Edwards, MD, Wesley J. Gabel, MDiv, and Floyd E. Hosmer, MS, AMI, and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in April 1986, 1455-1463:
Flogging was a legal preliminary to every Roman execution, and only women and Roman senators or soldiers (except in cases of desertion) were exempt. The usual instrument was a short whip (flagellum or flagellum) with several single or braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals (Fig 2). Occasionally, staves also were used. For scourging, the man was stripped of his clothing, and his hands were tied to an upright post (Fig 2). The back, buttocks, and legs were flogged either by two soldiers (lictors) or by one who alternated positions. The severity of the scourging depended on the disposition of the lictors and was intended to weaken the victim to a state just short of collapse or death. After the scourging, the soldiers often taunted their victim.
Medical Aspects of Scourging
As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim’s back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the under lying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shock. The extent of blood loss may well have determined how long the victim would survive on the cross.
Figure 2 referenced in the above article (click to enlarge):
The photo below is of a Gordon, who was a slave in the South. The scars are from beatings he received from his masters before his escape in 1863. The image is sometimes titled as 'Whipped Peter' and was part of a series of iconic images used to make the horrors of slavery known. It shows us what the result of scourging may have looked like and also that such horrific violence and torture does not only belong to 'ancient history' or other cultures, but has very much been present in our own.
You can read more descriptions of scourging and mocking from Josephus and Dio Chrysostom in the full post here.
@jimmy I have no words for how horrific this practice is. 😫 Regardless of who receives it.
@travisbruno3 We humans are capable of such goodness and yet such wickedness. it is a difficult tension, and it is hard to confront ourselves with the latter reality. On a certain level, I feel that we should remember that, in some ways, we did these things to Jesus. Not as a guilt load, but as a humble reminder of the extremes of our capacities.
I think I've said this before in group, but as a father this part of the gospel wrecks me emotionally every time. I understand that the greater good happened, but the reward we all get to experience is so undervalued. So many ways God provided, and He just wants us to come home, to be His kids again, and that line from Zechariah about his wounds "I got them in the house of my friends" echoes here.
I think the only positive thing I get from this section is considering why Simon of Cyrene is mentioned so specifically... We remember the context of Mark's writing as it was intended for his faith community, so this is a neat shout-out that further ties and legitimizes his words and his connection. Pretty neat!
Original Audiences
I am SO grateful for all of you who have reminded me to consider this perspective as we have read through Mark's Gospel. Mark was sharing this story with his audience, and that has bearing on how I take it in. The fact that I am not his original audience doesn't distance me from the value of this Gospel... it only helps me understand why Mark writes things and that is what I can draw even more value from!
How has this walk through Mark been new/different for you all???
Do we know anything about Pilate after this? His wife had a dream about Jesus and warned him not to get involved and in yesterday’s text is says that he knew that Jesus wasn’t guilty of anything but that the priests were just arresting him out of envy. To appease the crowd, he still releases Barabbas. I just wonder if there is anything known about him after… was he remorseful/ repentant, did it phase him at all?
Most of what we know about Pilate from first-century sources is from the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the writings of Josephus, and the writings of Philo of Alexandria. You can read what the latter two wrote about Pilate here.
Pilate served as Prefect for about 10 years, from AD 26-36/37, so he was removed within about 2-4 years after the trial of Jesus. His tenure was one of the longest for Roman prefects or procurators of Judea. He was known for his brutality and provocation of those he governed, both Jews and Samaritans. The end of his career in Judea was when he treated a group of Samaritans so violently, slaying many of them (whom their leaders claimed were unarmed), that the Samaritans appealed to the new legate of Syria, Lucius Vitellius. Vitellius has Pilate sent to Rome to face these charges, but the Emperor Tiberius died while Pilate was on his way to Rome. From there, there is no record of Pilate in first-century sources and no Roman record exists of what happened to him after this. His hearing, if it happened, would have been under the new emperor, Caligula.
Church tradition is mixed on what happens to Pilate. One early story is that Pilate, after suffering the disgrace of losing his position in Judea, was either forced or felt compelled to commit suicide. Eusebius, writing in the 4th century, notes this early tradition:
“It is worthy of note that Pilate himself, who was governor in the time of our Saviour, is reported to have fallen into such misfortunes under Caius [Caligula], whose times we are recording, that he was forced to become his own murderer and executioner; and thus divine vengeance, as it seems, was not long in overtaking him. This is stated by those Greek historians who have recorded the Olympiads, together with the respective events which have taken place in each period.”
Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, eds. Eusebius Pamphilus: Church History, Life of Constantine, & Oration in Praise of Constantine. vol. I of A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Second Series. Accordance electronic ed. (New York: Christian Literature Publishing, 1890), paragraph 896.
Additionally, Philo of Alexandria, writing to Caligula just after Pilate's period of rule in Judea, does seem to write about him as if he has already died. However, other early church leaders in the 2nd and 3rd centuries (such as Origen) indicate that nothing happened to Pilate.
This is so interesting and incredibly sad. I did not realize that pilot was known for being so cruel.