While our passages for consideration this week (Mark 14:53–65 and 15:1–41) cover the fairly well-defined areas of Jesus’ trials before the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate, and his sufferings and death, it is all too easy to forget that the Gospel of Mark was probably designed to be read aloud in a worship setting, all of it at one time. The fact that we are reading only part of the Gospel, silently, and in solitude probably explains why we are often distracted by some of the details rather than hearing the whole narrative together.1

Some of these distractions might include attempts to harmonize the material as presented by Mark with that of Matthew, Luke, and John. Such an approach, to some extent at least, fails to take account of the fact that Mark is story. As Malbon puts it: "It’s not a list of theological propositions: (1) Jesus is the Christ, (2) Jesus is the Son of God, and so on. And it’s not a list of personality traits: (1) Jesus is compassionate, (2) Jesus is able to attract followers, and so on. It’s not even a list of events.…" And, it’s because we experience our "own lives as stories" that "it is so easy for us to get caught up in the story Mark’s Gospel tells."2

Tried: Stage One (Mark 14:53–65)

Fairness and justice are important values in contemporary society. No matter what our view of the Iraq War, we all feel revulsion at the devilish delight taken by some of the guards in their torturing and dehumanizing of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. And presently many Australians are shocked at the twenty-year prison sentence handed down to the young Aussie tourist, Schapelle Corby, for smuggling marijuana into Bali, Indonesia. It appears that the majority of Australians are convinced of Corby’s innocence, and certainly they are perplexed by the differences in the legal proceeding of a foreign country.

In contrast to some of the other Gospel accounts, Mark focuses on Jesus’ night time trial before the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:53–65) and an early morning decision by that council (Mark 15:1). However, the trial is a mockery. There is nothing here of "innocent until proven guilty." "The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death" (14:55). False witnesses could not agree in their stories (vs. 56). Then some produce the story that Jesus has spoken against the temple.

Jesus himself remains silent. Finally, the high priest asks Jesus, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" (vs. 61). Jesus finally responds: "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven" (v. 62). At last the council has what it wants: a case of blasphemy (v. 64). But it has more, for Jesus appears to be implying that he is the apocalyptic "son of man" of Daniel 7:13. Ben Witherington remarks that "Jesus is boldly claiming a status even higher than the high priest has asked about."3

Tried: Stage Two (Mark 15:1–20)

Although Peter’s disowning of Jesus (Mark 14:66–72) is not in focus in this week’s lesson, there can be no doubt that this incident is part of Jesus’ suffering and trial. It is apparent that although Jesus knows ahead of time that Peter would deny him, that knowledge would not have made it any less disappointing.

So Jesus comes before Pontius Pilate, but it is obvious that Pilate will not accept the Jewish leaders’ charge of blasphemy. The stakes are higher. The accusation is obviously one of treason. In response to Pilate’s direct question—"Are you the king of the Jews?"—Jesus answers, "Yes, it is as you say" (15:2). Other than that, according to Mark, Jesus makes no further reply to Pilate’s questioning.

Pilate is amazed. Now for one of the great ironies of the story! (And Mark is certainly capable of irony.) Pilate offers to release to the crowd either Jesus or Barabbas ("son of the father") who was in prison for treason and murder. The crowd asks for Barabbas! And, "[w]anting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified" (v. 15).

Then follows Jesus’ humiliation and torture at the hands of the soldiers (vv. 16–20).

Crucified (Mark 15:21–41)

Mark’s account of Jesus’ crucifixion and death is starkly bare in one sense. Yet, in another way he also provides enough details so that his hearers might understand the sheer aloneness of Jesus. The only help forthcoming is from Simon the Cyrene, but that is forced (v. 21). Perhaps, though, Simon later comes to belief in Jesus, since Mark is familiar with Simon’s sons; the only Gospel writer to mention them. While Jesus is in agony on the cross, the soldiers are busy dividing his clothes. Mark records no conversation between Jesus and the two robbers; in fact "[t]hose crucified with him also heaped insults on him" (v. 32). And the people passing by and the chief priests and teachers of the law mocked him (vv 29–31).

Jesus feels himself alienated from his Father, but his words are misconstrued by the crowd, and with a loud cry he dies.

There are now three surprises for Mark’s audience. The curtain of the temple is torn from top to bottom; a centurion affirms, "Surely this man was the Son of God"; and the only ones who really care are women. Malbon says, "If you were imagining Jesus in Galilee with only men as disciples, you have to rewrite your whole story. You have to go back and reimagine that all over again because there were women there all the time.…[S]urprise of surprises, it is the women who are there at the end—the ones we least expected. They are the ones who serve. They are there as his followers at the very end."4

There are some obvious questions for Mark’s hearers. Where would we have been on that day? Where was God on that day, and what did this death mean for us?

For Discussion or Reflection

1. Read Isaiah 53 and reflect on the connections with Mark’s account of Jesus trial and death.


2. How strong is the concept of substitution in the Markan narrative?

Notes and References

1. Elizabeth Struthers Malbon, Hearing Mark: A Listener’s Guide (Harrisburg, Penn.: Trinity Press International, 2002), 5.
2. Ibid., 4.
3. Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2001), 385.
4. Malbon, Hearing Mark, 9–98.

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