Mark 15:11

And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate. For the exposition, see the notes at John 18:28; John 19:1....

1-14 They bound Christ. It is good for us often to remember the bonds of the Lord Jesus, as bound with him who was bound for us. By delivering up the King, they, in effect, delivered up the kingdom of God, which was, therefore, as by their own consent, taken from them, and given to another nation. Christ gave Pilate a direct answer, but would not answer the witnesses, because the things they alleged were known to be false, even Pilate himself was convinced they were so. Pilate thought that he might appeal from the priests to the people, and that they would deliver Jesus out of the priests' hands. But they were more and more urged by the priests, and cried, Crucify him! Crucify him! Let us judge of persons and things by their merits, and the standard of God's word, and not by common report. The thought that no one ever was so shamefully treated, as the only perfectly wise, holy, and exce...

EXPOSITION MARK 15:1 AND STRAIGHTWAY IN THE MORNING THE CHIEF PRIESTS WITH THE ELDERS AND SCRIBES, AND THE WHOLE COUNCIL, HELD A CONSULTATION, AND BOUND JESUS, AND CARRIED HIM AWAY, AND DELIVERED HIM UP TO PILATE. _Straightway in the morning _(εὐθέως πρωΐ́)_. _The proceedings recorded in the last chapter terminated probably between five and six; the cock-crowing helps to fix the time. Now came the more formal trial. The whole Sanhedrim united in consultation. All the proceedings hitherto had been irregular and illegal. Now, for form's sake, they tried him afresh. But there was another law which was also violated. It was now Friday. In capital cases, sentence of condemnation might not legally be pronounced on the day of the trial. Yet our Lord was tried, condemned, and crucified on the same day. They "hound him," that he mi

BUT THE CHIEF PRIESTS MOVED THE PEOPLE,.... Greatly solicited and persuaded them, both in person, and by their officers they employed, and dispersed among them, to make use of arguments with them to prevail upon them: THAT HE SHOULD RATHER RELEASE BARABBAS UNTO THEM; than Jesus of Nazareth; choosing rather to have a murderer granted unto them, than the holy and just one. The Persic version, as before, reads, "the chief of the priests"; but they were all concerned, and were the most active men in bringing about the death of Christ; though Caiaphas was behind none of them in envy, rage, and malice; Matthew 27:20....

Let us read again what we have often read before, that saddest of all stories which, nevertheless, is the fountain of the highest gladness,-the story of our Saviour's death, as recorded by Mark. Mark 15:1. _And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate._ «The whole council» could be there, so early in the morning, for such an evil purpose. Wicked men are very diligent in carrying out their sinful schemes; so, when Christ was to be murdered, his enemies were there, as Luke tells us, «as soon as it was day.» How much more diligent ought the followers of Christ to be to give him their devoted service! It is a good thing to begin the day with united prayer and holy converse with his people. Let these wicked men, who were so early in the mor

CHAPTER 15 _ 1. Before Pilate. (Mark 15:1 .Matthew 27:1; Luke 23:1; John 18:28 .)_ 2. Barabbas released and the Servant condemned. (Mark 15:6 .Matthew 27:15; Luke 23:16; John 18:39) 3. Crowned with thorns and mocked. ...

JESUS BEFORE PILATE. A second meeting of the Sanhedrin held in the daylight regularizes the condemnation arrived at overnight. They now take Jesus to Pilate (governor of Judæ a, A.D. 26- 36, see p. 653) who was _in_ Jerusalem during the Passover. The narrative is clearly incomplete. No formal accusation by the Sanhedrin is recorded. Pilate's conduct throughout is not characteristic of the man of ruthless cruelty, revealed in Philo, and in Luke 13:1. The description of his part is, therefore, doubted by some, who say it is determined by Mk.'s desire to make the Jews entirely responsible. The crowd calls out Crucify; Pilate hardly pronounces the sentence. Indeed Pilate recognised the innocence of Jesus and the harmlessness of His followers. But Pilate may have been impressed by Jesus, and his conduct might be determined by a wish to play with the Jewish rulers. This would be quite in keepi...

THE SILENCE OF JESUS (Mark 15:1-5)...

MOVED. vehemently stirred up (as by an earth quake). Greek. _anaseio,_ connected with _seismos_, an earth quake. PEOPLE. crowd. as in Mark 15:8....

_But the chief priests_ It was probably at this juncture that he received the message from his wife imploring him to have nothing to do with "_that just person_" (Matthew 27:19) standing before him. His feelings, therefore, of awe were intensified, and his resolve to effect the release increased. But the chief priests stirred up the people, and urged them to choose Barabbas, the patriot leader, the zealot for their country, the champion against oppression. The word translated "moved" only occurs here and in the parallel, Luke 23:5. It denotes (i) _to shake to and fro, to brandish;_(ii) _to make threatening gestures;_(iii) _to stir up_, or _instigate_. Their efforts were successful, and when Pilate formally put the question, the cry went up, "_Not this Man_," the Holy and Undefiled, Wh