Mark 15:16

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....

15-21 Christ met death in its greatest terror. It was the death of the vilest malefactors. Thus the cross and the shame are put together. God having been dishonoured by the sin of man, Christ made satisfaction by submitting to the greatest disgrace human nature could be loaded with. It was a cursed death; thus it was branded by the Jewish law, Deuteronomy 21:23. The Roman soldiers mocked our Lord Jesus as a King; thus in the high priest's hall the servants had mocked him as a Prophet and Saviour. Shall a purple or scarlet robe be matter of pride to a Christian, which was matter of reproach and shame to Christ? He wore the crown of thorns which we deserved, that we might wear the crown of glory which he merited. We were by sin liable to everlasting shame and contempt; to deliver us, our Lord Jesus submitted to shame and contempt. He was led forth with the workers of iniquity, though he d...

CALLED PRAETORIUM - The hall of the “praetor,” or Roman governor, where he sat to administer justice. WHOLE BAND - See the notes at Matthew 27:27....

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

AND THE SOLDIERS LED HIM AWAY INTO THE HALL,.... From the place called the pavement, where was the judge's bench, from which he passed sentence on Christ, to a large room, CALLED THE PRAETORIUM, or judgment hall; being the hall, or room, where the praetor, or Roman magistrate, kept his court of judicature; and is the same place the Jews would not go into, lest they should be defiled, and become unmeet to eat the Chagigah that day; and into which Pilate had Jesus more than once alone, John 18:28, but now he had a large company with him: AND THEY CALL TOGETHER THE WHOLE BAND; very likely the soldiers, into whose custody Jesus was put, and who led him away, were the four soldiers that attended his crucifixion, and parted his garments; but for greater diversion they got together the whole band to which they belonged;...

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

THE HALL Or, the court which is the judgment-hall....

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. ...

THE SOLDIERS MOCK JESUS.This narrative in its brief intensity is very poignant. Some scholars suggest that Jesus is treated like the central figure in a scene from a mime (was there a popular play, _The King with the Crown of Thorn_?). Others detect a resemblance to the mocking of the human sacrificial victim in the Persian Sacæ a or other Oriental festival. But the accusation against Jesus would prompt the mockery. He has claimed to be king. He shall wear a triumphal crown like Cæ sar's. It shall be made of thorns. Mark 15:16. The præ torium seems to be the residence of the governor and his bodyguard. It was probably the fortress Antonia on the north-west of the Temple precinct (see Swete)....

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