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BOOK 41 OF 66 · GOSPELS · KING JAMES BIBLE

Mark 15

Mark book home•Chapter 15 of 16•47 verses
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REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Mark 15 Overview

Jesus is brought before Pilate, and the crowd chooses Barabbas. Jesus is scourged, mocked as King of the Jews, crucified between two thieves, and reviled by passersby and religious leaders. Darkness covers the land; Jesus dies, the temple veil is torn, and a Roman centurion confesses Him as the Son of God. Joseph of Arimathaea receives the body and lays it in a tomb watched by women.

MarkBook
15Chapter
47Verses
GospelsDivision

Before you read Mark 15

Coming from

Mark 14 established the immediate context: Leaders plot Jesus’ death while a woman at Bethany anoints Him.

In this chapter

Mark 15 presents the suffering King whose identity is mocked by nearly everyone until signs at His death draw a Gentile centurion’s confession.

Leads into

Mark 16 continues the account: Women come to the tomb and find the stone rolled away.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Mark repeatedly emphasizes the royal title in mockery: Pilate’s question, soldiers’ costume, the superscription, and taunts. The irony is that the mocked kingship is true.

Jesus’ death is confirmed by Pilate through the centurion before the body is released, strengthening the historical reality of both death and burial.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

The innocent Jesus is exchanged for a guilty man

Barabbas’s release provides a vivid substitution pattern.

Human mockery cannot change Jesus’ true identity

The crown and title meant as ridicule still proclaim kingship.

Jesus truly enters death

Mark gives time markers, final cry, confirmation, and burial.

The torn veil signals major temple significance

His death opens a new redemptive moment.

A Gentile soldier sees what leaders reject

The centurion’s confession forms a striking climax.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Psalm 22

Mockery and suffering imagery frame the crucifixion.

Isaiah 53

The rejected, silent, suffering Servant illuminates Jesus’ death.

Hebrews 10:19–22

The New Testament later connects access to God with Jesus’ blood and veil imagery.

Matthew 27

Matthew provides parallel crucifixion details and additional signs.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not assign collective ethnic guilt for the crucifixion

Mark identifies multiple human actors under sin; the cross addresses humanity’s need.

Do not treat Pilate as innocent because he yields under pressure

He authorizes an execution he knows is driven by envy.

Do not minimize the burial details

They establish that the resurrection is from real death, not recovery from unconsciousness.

Read Mark 15 watching for…

The Barabbas exchange.

Repeated King-of-the-Jews language.

The time markers in the crucifixion.

Mockery from different groups.

The torn veil.

The centurion and Joseph after Jesus’ death.

TWBC REVIEW STANDARD

Plain language. Scripture first. Fact distinguished from inference. No filler. No fake certainty. Designed to help you read the Bible itself.

Chapter outline4 sections
1-15Jesus is brought before Pilate, Barabbas is released, and Jesus is delivered to be crucified16-32Soldiers mock Jesus, and he is crucified at Golgotha and mocked33-41Darkness covers the land, Jesus dies, the veil is torn, and the centurion responds42-47Joseph of Arimathaea lays Jesus in a tomb while the women watch
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.

2

And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it.

3

And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.

4

And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.

5

But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.

6

Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.

7

And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.

8

And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.

9

But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

10

For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.

11

But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.

12

And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?

13

And they cried out again, Crucify him.

14

Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.

15

And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.

16

And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.

17

And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,

18

And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!

19

And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.

20

And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.

21

And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.

22

And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.

23

And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.

24

And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.

25

And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.

26

And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

27

And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.

28

And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.

29

And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,

30

Save thyself, and come down from the cross.

31

Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.

32

Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

33

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

34

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

35

And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.

36

And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.

37

And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

38

And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

39

And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

40

There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

41

(Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.

42

And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,

43

Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counseller, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

44

And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.

45

And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.

46

And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.

47

And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.

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Mark 15:17

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