Mark 15 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~AD 30
Location
Jerusalem, Judea (Roman province)
Audience
Gentile Christians, likely in Rome
Situation
Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate, his scourging, mocking by soldiers, release of Barabbas instead, crucifixion at Golgotha, and death during Passover.
Key Background
Judea was under Roman rule with Pontius Pilate as prefect (AD 26-36), who held ultimate authority over capital punishment; Jewish leaders, unable to execute Jesus themselves under Roman law, accused him of sedition. Crucifixion was a Roman execution method for rebels and slaves, designed for maximum public humiliation and deterrence. The events unfolded amid heightened tensions in Jerusalem during Passover, drawing massive crowds and amplifying political risks.
First thing in the morning, the held a meeting with the elders, the legal experts, and the whole They tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to
Pilate asked him, "Are you the of the Jesus answered, "Those are
The chief priests kept at him.
Pilate questioned him again: "Aren't you going to respond? Look at how many charges they're bringing against you."
But Jesus still didn't answer, and Pilate was
Now it was customary during the to release one prisoner — whoever the crowd requested.
There was a man named locked up with the other rebels who had committed murder during a recent
The crowd came up and began asking Pilate to do what he usually did for them.
Pilate asked them, "Do you want me to release the king of the Jewish people for you?"
He knew perfectly well that the chief priests had handed Jesus over because they were of him.
But the chief priests up the crowd to have Barabbas released instead.
Pilate asked them again, "Then what do you want me to do with the man you call the king of the Jewish people?"
They shouted back, "Nail him to an
"Why? What crime has he committed?" Pilate asked. But they just "Nail him to an execution stake!"
Pilate wanted to keep the crowd happy, so he released Barabbas for them. He had Jesus and handed him over to be to an
The soldiers led Jesus away into the courtyard of the governor's headquarters — the — and called the whole together.
They dressed him in a and twisted together a of and shoved it on his head.
They began saluting him: the of the Jewish people!"
They kept hitting him on the head with a spitting on him, and dropping to their knees in
When they had finished mocking they stripped off the purple robe, put his own clothes back on and led out to to an
A man named from — the father of Alexander and Rufus — was passing by on his way in from the countryside, and they to Jesus's
They brought Jesus to a place called which means "Skull Place."
They offered him with but he refused it.
They to the Then they divided up his clothes by for them, each one taking whatever he won.
It was in the when they to the
The against him read: THE OF THE
They executed two alongside him, one on his right and one on his left.
[This verse is not found in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts of Mark's Gospel. Later scribes added it to echo Isaiah 53:12 — 'He was counted among the lawless.' Most modern translations omit it or place it in a footnote.]
People walking by at him, their and saying, "Ha! You were going to tear down the and rebuild it in three days?
Come down from that
The chief priests and the mocked him the same way among themselves: "He others, but he can't rescue himself!"
"Let the — the of — come down from the right now so we can see it and believe!" Even the men being executed alongside him taunted him.
At covered the whole land, and it lasted until three in the afternoon.
At three in the afternoon, Jesus out in a — which means, "My God, my God, why have you me?"
Some of the people standing nearby heard it and said, "Listen — he's calling for
Someone ran and soaked a sponge in stuck it on a and held it up for him to drink, saying, "Wait — let's see if Elijah comes to take him down."
Then Jesus out a and
At that moment, the in the was in from to
The standing right in front of Jesus saw how he died, and said, "This man really was the of
There were also from a Among them were the mother of James the younger and Joses, and Salome.
These women had and of when he was in Galilee. And many other women who had come up with to Jerusalem were there too.
It was now evening on — the before the
of — a prominent member of the who was himself waiting for — gathered and went to Pilate to ask for Jesus's body.
Pilate was that Jesus was already dead. He called for the military officer and asked him whether Jesus had been dead long.
Once the officer confirmed it, Pilate the to Joseph.
Joseph bought took the body down, wrapped it in the and laid it in a that had been out of Then he a the
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were and where he was laid.