1 And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. 6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Mark 15:1-15 In our final movement of Jesus’ trials by the Jews, the religious leaders had to pawn Jesus off on Pilate. Rome did not allow the Jews to execute people, so the Sanhedrin needed to bring a charge against Jesus to Pilate. So, early on Friday morning, they delivered Jesus to this Roman prefect. Now, Pilate would not have interfered with their religious debates. Nor would he have cared. So they knew they couldn't tell him they thought Jesus should die for claiming to be the Messiah Son of God. Instead, they told Pilate that Jesus was making political noise by claiming to be "the King of the Jews" (2). When Pilate asked Jesus about this charge, Jesus said, "You have said so" (2). Mark is getting straight to the point. John elaborates, telling us Jesus told Pilate that his kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). The religious leaders then brought more charges (3). But Jesus was silent (3-5, Isaiah 53:7). Pilate was amazed. It's clear Pilate thought Jesus should go free. The other gospels present him (and even his wife) as tortured about the whole thing (Matthew 27:19), so he tried to concoct a way for Jesus to escape using tradition. Each year, he was accustomed to pleasing the local population by releasing a political prisoner of their choosing. It was tough living under Rome's thumb; this was a peace offering meant to garner favor for Rome's presence. Pilate thought he could offer them Jesus. But the crowd, stirred up by the religious leaders, cried out for a man named Barabbas (7, 11). He was an insurrectionist who fought against Rome -- a murderer and a robber (John 18:40). Pilate, sensing Jesus' innocence, thought the crowd would side with him. But they wouldn't side with Pilate's selection, instead opting for the choice of the religious leaders. In one sense, they chose the religious leaders over Pilate when they chose Barabbas over Jesus. Barabbas represented the gospel -- the innocent died in place of the guilty. So Pilate asked them what he should do with Jesus. They cried out all the more: "Crucify him! (13, 14). And, in one of the saddest statements in history, Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, delivered Jesus to be crucified (15). But his crucifixion would only happen after he was scourged, a brutal flogging which many people didn't survive.

Jesus' Predictions

All this happened as Jesus had predicted. This is what the original readers might've fixated on. Jesus said a friend would betray him, and a friend betrayed him. Jesus said the disciples would desert him, and the disciples deserted him. Jesus said he'd be delivered into the hands of men, and he was delivered into the hands of men. Jesus said he'd be condemned by the chief priests, scribes, and elders, and he was. He said Peter would deny him three times, and he did. He said the Gentiles would put him to death, and they did. All Jesus said would happen happened. God's plans will succeed. This is the final thing I want to say about this text. The early church, suffocating under the hand of persecution and hardship, living in fear of their own Pontius Pilate, would have loved seeing God's plans unfold. He cannot be stopped. God's plans will succeed. Even though troubling times might come, God is in control. I think the early church read these accounts and expected suffering and hostility would come their way. How can we, adherents and followers of Christ, expect to avoid it? Our King suffered. So will we.

2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV) — 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, But through it all, Jesus remained quiet and confident. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth (Isaiah 53:7). He did not buckle. He did not panic. And though the religious leaders lost their minds and Pilate lost control, Jesus lost neither. As the religious leaders lost their composure, Jesus remained calm. As they lashed out at him, he refrained from revenge. As they condemned him, he died for them. Though Pilate lost control of the situation, Jesus was in control of it. Though Pilate sought a way out of it all, Jesus rushed toward it all. And though Pilate made his decision because he feared the crowd, Jesus feared no man and would die for the crowd. The religious leaders and Pilate struggled, panicked, and accused, all in an attempt to keep their power. Ultimately, they lost everything. The temple and the Sanhedrin's authority were destroyed. The Roman Empire is a memory. But Jesus laid down his authority without struggle, panic, or accusation. In the process, he became the all-powerful one who instituted a new humanity. All who believe in him who died and rose again will live forever with him because God's plans will succeed.