Bullet Point Bible

Jesus Condemned by Pilate

¹ Early in the morning, after forming a plan, the chief priests with the elders and the experts in the law and the whole Sanhedrin tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.² So Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He replied, You say so.³ Then the chief priests began to accuse him repeatedly.⁴ So Pilate asked him again, "Have you nothing to say? See how many charges they are bringing against you!"⁵ But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.⁶ During the feast it was customary to release one prisoner to the people, whomever they requested.⁷ A man named Barabbas was imprisoned with rebels who had committed murder during an insurrection.⁸ Then the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to release a prisoner for them, as was his custom.⁹ So Pilate asked them, "Do you want me to release the king of the Jews for you?"¹⁰ (For he knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.)¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas instead.¹² So Pilate spoke to them again, "Then what do you want me to do with the one you call king of the Jews?"¹³ They shouted back, "Crucify him!"¹⁴ Pilate asked them, "Why? What has he done wrong?" But they shouted more insistently, "Crucify him!"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.

The Sanhedrin's early morning meeting highlights their urgency to secure a Roman death sentence before the Passover crowds fully dispersed or shifted allegiance (Mark 15:1).
Handing Jesus to Pilate transferred the case from Jewish religious jurisdiction to Roman political authority, necessary for capital punishment (Mark 15:1). The charge shifted implicitly from blasphemy to sedition ("King of the Jews").
Pilate's central question, "Are you the king of the Jews?" focuses on the potential political threat to Rome (Mark 15:2).
Jesus' reply, `"{{You say so}}"` (Mark 15:2), is a cautious affirmation, acknowledging the title without endorsing the political rebellion Pilate might associate with it.
Jesus' silence amidst numerous accusations amazed Pilate and fulfilled the prophecy of the suffering servant (Isaiah 53:7), contrasting sharply with the accusers' frenzy (Mark 15:3-5).
The custom of releasing a prisoner at Passover (Mark 15:6) may have been a Roman attempt to placate the Jewish population during a potentially volatile festival.
Barabbas, guilty of insurrection and murder, represents the violent revolutionary figure some expected the Messiah to be, providing a stark contrast to Jesus (Mark 15:7).
Pilate recognized the chief priests' envy as their motive (Mark 15:10), yet he still tried to use the crowd, underestimating the priests' influence.
The priests successfully manipulated the crowd, demonstrating the power of religious leaders and the fickleness of popular opinion (Mark 15:11).
Pilate's final decision prioritized political expediency ("satisfy the crowd") over justice, highlighting the moral compromise often inherent in power (Mark 15:15). Flogging (flagellation) was a brutal Roman punishment preceding crucifixion.

The Soldiers Mock the King

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.

The mocking took place in the Praetorium, the official residence of the Roman governor (Mark 15:16).
The involvement of the "whole cohort" (potentially 200-600 soldiers) indicates the scale and public nature of the humiliation within the barracks (Mark 15:16).
The elements of mockery – purple cloak (symbolizing royalty), crown of thorns (a painful parody of a laurel wreath), and mock homage ("Hail, King of the Jews!") – are deeply ironic, unintentionally pointing to Jesus' true identity while inflicting maximum scorn (Mark 15:17-18).
The physical abuse – hitting with a reed (perhaps mimicking a scepter), spitting – fulfills prophecies of the suffering Messiah (Isaiah 50:6) and demonstrates the soldiers' cruelty (Mark 15:19).
The act of kneeling in mock worship further degrades Jesus, treating his claim to kingship as a joke (Mark 15:19).
This scene starkly contrasts the world's understanding of power and kingship (based on force and ridicule of weakness) with the nature of Christ's kingdom (based on sacrifice and suffering love).
Removing the mock regalia and restoring Jesus' own clothes signals the end of the soldiers' "game" and the beginning of the formal execution process (Mark 15:20).

Jesus Crucified at Golgotha

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).²² They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which is translated, "Place of the Skull").²³ They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.²⁴ Then they crucified him and dividedhis clothes, throwing dice for them, to decide what each would take.²⁵ It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him.²⁶ The inscription of the charge against him read, "The king of the Jews."²⁷ And they crucified two outlaws with him, one on his right and one on his left.²⁹ Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,³⁰ save yourself and come down from the cross!"³¹ In the same way even the chief priests-together with the experts in the law -were mocking him among themselves: "He saved others, but he cannot save himself!³² Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, that we may see and believe!" Those who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.

Simon of Cyrene (modern Libya) was likely a Jewish pilgrim in Jerusalem for Passover. Forcing him to carry the crossbeam (patibulum) was a common Roman practice when the condemned was too weak (Mark 15:21). Mentioning his sons suggests they later became known figures in the Christian community (cf. Romans 16:13).
Golgotha, "Place of the Skull" (Aramaic), was the execution site outside the city walls (Mark 15:22). The name might refer to the hill's shape or its use for executions.
The offer of wine mixed with myrrh was a narcotic to dull the pain (Mark 15:23). Jesus' refusal indicates his intent to face death with full consciousness and bear the suffering completely.
Dividing the garments and casting lots for Jesus' tunic fulfilled the prophecy of Psalm 22:18 (Mark 15:24).
Mark specifies the time as the "third hour" (9 a.m.) using Roman timekeeping (Mark 15:25).
The *titulus*, or inscription stating the charge ("The King of the Jews"), was Pilate's official declaration, ironically proclaiming Jesus' true identity even in death (Mark 15:26).
Crucifying Jesus between two criminals fulfilled Isaiah 53:12 ("He was numbered with the transgressors") (Mark 15:27). Note: Verse 28, explicitly citing this fulfillment, is absent in the earliest and best manuscripts but reflects an early understanding.
The mockery from passersby focused on Jesus' earlier statement about the temple (misunderstood) and challenged him to prove his power by saving himself (Mark 15:29-30).
The religious leaders' mockery highlighted the central paradox: his saving others seemed incompatible with his inability to save himself from the cross. Their condition for belief ("come down... that we may see and believe") revealed their misunderstanding of messianic purpose (Mark 15:31-32).
Even the criminals crucified alongside him joined the mockery, emphasizing Jesus' utter rejection and isolation (Mark 15:32).

The Death of the Son of God

³³ Now when it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.³⁴ Around three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, " Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani? " which means, " My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? "³⁵ When some of the bystanders heard it they said, "Listen, he is calling for Elijah!"³⁶ Then someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Leave him alone! Let's see if Elijah will come to take him down!"³⁷ But Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last.³⁸ And the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom.³⁹ Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, "Truly this man was God's Son!"⁴⁰ There were also women, watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.⁴¹ When he was in Galilee, they had followed him and given him support. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were there too.

The supernatural darkness from noon to 3 p.m. (the sixth to the ninth hour) signifies a cosmic event, possibly representing God's judgment on sin falling upon Jesus, or the withdrawal of God's manifest presence as His Son suffers (Mark 15:33).
Jesus' cry, `"{{Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?}}"` (Mark 15:34), quotes Psalm 22:1 in Aramaic. It expresses the profound agony of spiritual separation from the Father as he bore the weight of human sin. It is a cry of dereliction, yet addressed to "My God," showing underlying faith.
The bystanders' misunderstanding ("calling for Elijah") reflects a popular Jewish belief that Elijah might come to rescue the righteous in distress (Mark 15:35).
The offering of sour wine (posca, a cheap drink for soldiers and laborers) on a sponge fulfilled Psalm 69:21 (Mark 15:36).
Jesus' final loud cry before death suggests not exhaustion but a deliberate, voluntary act of giving up his spirit (Mark 15:37; cf. John 10:18).
The tearing of the temple curtain, specifically the massive one separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, symbolizes the removal of the barrier between God and humanity through Christ's atoning sacrifice. Access to God is now open to all through faith in Jesus (Mark 15:38; Hebrews 10:19-22).
The Roman centurion's confession, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" (Mark 15:39), is the climax of Mark's Gospel. A Gentile soldier, witnessing Jesus' death, recognizes his divine identity – a faith statement the religious leaders failed to make.
The faithful women disciples (Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James and Joses, Salome) serve as key witnesses to the crucifixion, death, and later the burial and empty tomb (Mark 15:40). Their presence contrasts with the flight of most male disciples.
These women had provided practical support ("support him" or "ministered to him") during Jesus' Galilean ministry, demonstrating their long-term commitment (Mark 15:41).

Joseph of Arimathea Buries Jesus

⁴² Now when evening had already come, since it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath),⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.⁴⁴ Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for some time.⁴⁵ When Pilate was informed by the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.⁴⁶ After Joseph bought a linen cloth and took down the body, he wrapped it in the linen and placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone across the entrance of the tomb.⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was placed.

The timing – evening on the Preparation Day (Friday) – created urgency, as Jewish law required burial before the Sabbath began at sunset (Mark 15:42; Deuteronomy 21:22-23).
Joseph of Arimathea was a respected member of the Sanhedrin, the very council that condemned Jesus. His action was therefore courageous and potentially costly (Mark 15:43).
His description as "waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God" suggests he was a devout Jew, possibly a secret disciple of Jesus (cf. John 19:38) (Mark 15:43).
Approaching Pilate "boldly" highlights the risk involved in identifying with an executed enemy of the state (Mark 15:43).
Pilate's surprise at Jesus' rapid death underscores the brutality of the ordeal Jesus endured, or perhaps the voluntary nature of his death. Confirmation from the centurion was standard procedure (Mark 15:44-45).
Joseph provided a clean linen shroud and a new tomb cut from rock, signifying an honorable burial, likely at his own expense (Mark 15:46). This fulfilled Isaiah 53:9 ("assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death").
The rock-hewn tomb and large stone ensured a secure burial place, making the subsequent discovery of the empty tomb more compelling (Mark 15:46).
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses served as crucial eyewitnesses to the exact location of the burial, setting the stage for their return on Sunday morning (Mark 15:47). Their testimony counters any later claims that the disciples went to the wrong tomb.

The Bullet Point Bible

Mark 15