Mark 15:20, commentary and pictures

After the soldiers had mocked Him as a king with a purple robe, a crown of thorns, a reed for a scepter, derisive homage and blows that drove the thorns into His brow till blood streaked His face, they stripped the purple from Him, put His own clothes on Him again, and led Him out from the judgment hall to be crucified. This took place in Pilate's judgment hall early in the morning, where He stood bound as a prisoner before the governor while the priests, rulers and mob who had already condemned Him remained outside to avoid defilement for the Passover. He had already been scourged as the worst of criminals though innocent, while Barabbas the murderer was released in His place, and the cross prepared for Barabbas was laid on His bruised shoulders till, weakened by loss of blood and suffering, He fell beneath it and another was compelled to bear it to Calvary outside the gate. He bore all this abuse with meekness, patience and dignity, refusing to complain or to use His divine power to escape, and as humanity's substitute suffered outside the city and was lifted up as a malefactor to bear the curse of the law and redeem men from it. His mocking and leading away was the culmination of His humiliation and rejection, which tested His disciples to the utmost as their hope that He would take David's throne seemed to fail, yet they had been prepared not to ground their faith on the changing approval of the world.

Trial Setting and Sequence

Early in the morning the scene is the judgment hall of Pilate the Roman governor, where Christ stands bound as a prisoner with a guard of soldiers about Him while the hall fast fills with spectators. The judges of the Sanhedrin, priests, rulers, elders and the mob remain just outside the entrance, for to enter would defile them under ceremonial law and keep them from the feast of the Passover. They have already condemned Jesus and have come to have Pilate confirm and execute the sentence. Pilate himself has been called hastily from his bedchamber to examine Him with magisterial severity and with no friendly eyes. Yet he sees marks of goodness and nobility, a calm and dignified bearing with no guilt or fear or boldness or defiance, and the signature of heaven, which rouses his better nature as he remembers what his wife told him and the rumors he has heard of the Galilean prophet curing the sick and raising the dead.

He is mocked as a king with a purple robe, a crown of thorns, a reed for a scepter, derisive bows, insults, jeers and blows. He is held in the hands of wicked men while His own nation clamors for His blood. When He is struck on the head with the reed the thorns are pressed in, leaving His face and beard streaked with blood.

After the mockery His tormentors remove the purple robe they have put on Him, dress Him again in His own clothes, hand Him over to the people, and lead Him out from the judgment hall to be crucified amid shouts and jeers. He has been scourged as the worst of criminals, a punishment Pilate hoped would satisfy the crowd, though Jesus is innocent and the priests remain set against Him. The murderous Barabbas has been chosen in His place.

A cross prepared for Barabbas is laid on His bruised, bleeding shoulders. Pale, weak and fainting from the night's suffering, a second scourging, weariness, pain, blows and loss of blood, He cannot carry its weight and falls fainting beneath the heavy cross. He faints three times beneath it, until a believing follower is seized and made to carry it to the place of execution. He is led to Calvary outside Jerusalem's gate at the place where criminals are executed, to be raised on the central cross of three on a rocky hill with two thieves also led out to die with Him. He is followed by a vast multitude, for the news of His condemnation has spread throughout Jerusalem and people of all classes and all ranks flock toward the place of crucifixion. Because the priests and rulers have promised not to molest Christ's followers if He Himself is delivered to them, the disciples and believers from the city and the surrounding region join the throng that follows the Saviour, with crowds gathered on the slope and grieving followers kneeling and praying in the foreground.

Purpose and Disciples' Testing

After the soldiers had mocked Him as a king with a crown of thorns, a reed striking His head, jeers, and a scourging that Pilate hoped would satisfy the crowd though He was innocent and the priests remained set against Him, they stripped off the purple robe, put His own clothes back on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. He endured those insults with meekness and patience and dignity, and His suffering did not hide His noble character. The abuse was meant to provoke Him to complain or to use His divine power to escape, but He did not do so, and the plan of salvation did not fail.

As humanity's substitute He suffered beyond the city's boundary at the place where criminals were executed outside Jerusalem's gate, bearing the curse of the law to redeem people from it. He descended into the depths of humiliation, held in the hands of wicked men while His own nation clamored for His blood, crowned with thorns, clothed in purple, mocked by bowing and struck with the reed, scourged as the worst of criminals while the murderous Barabbas was chosen in His place, then led out to be lifted up on the cross to die as a malefactor. His being mocked and led away was the culmination of the humiliation and rejection He faced at His trial. The disciples had been prepared for this ordeal, so the crowd's insults and the rejection by people who had once followed Jesus did not take them by surprise or make them base their faith on the world's changing approval.

The disciples had centered their hopes of eternal life in Him and thought He was to take His place on David's throne, so witnessing His shame and suffering gave them cause to mourn and fast. That humiliation which they witnessed tested their faith and caused their hope and courage to fail.