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THE DEATH & RESURRECTION OF

AS TOLD BY MARK

Week 4

Jesus, Pilate, & Barabbas

Review: Last week we studied about Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin and their finding Jesus worth of death. However, the problem with that was they had no authority to inflict capital punishment. That being the case they had to get Jesus to a Roman official who had that authority. That is here are lesson begins today.

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1. Early on Friday morning after Jesus’ arrest and trial before the high priest Caiaphas, where was he taken?

He was taken on a 30 minute walk to the Antonio Fortress. The seat of Roman power and authority and the home of the Roman governor.

2. Why was it necessary for the religious leaders to take Jesus to Pilate to be tried?

Although they had found Jesus guilty of blasphemy and had accused him of claiming to be the King of the making him an insurrectionist and worthy of death, they could not impose and carry out the death sentence. Only Rome could make the call for capital punishment. So they had to get Jesus to Pilate for the final decision.

3. Who all followed Jesus to the Antonia Fortress where Pilate resided?

The Sanhedrin and others who had been notified of his death, his mother Mary, his disciple John, and likely Peter.

Read Mark 15:2-5

4. When Jesus arrived in front of Pilate he is quite. What is Pilates reaction to this?

He was astounded by his silence. Pilate knew that the religious leaders were jealous of Jesus and that was the main reason Jesus had been brought before him. He could not understand why Jesus would not defend himself. Pilate asks Jesus questions and tries to open up conversation that could possibly lead to Jesus being released. I am sure Pilate was thinking, ”Why isn’t he speaking.”

5. Just as he had done at his trial before the Sanhedrin Jesus again remains virtually silence during his trial before Pilate. Why do you think Jesus remained so quite?

Jesus was resigned to his fate. He was determined to die. Jesus went to anticipating his execution, believing that it was part of God’s plan. He accepted his fate and then fell silent. He became the suffering servant as described in Isaiah 53. Read Isaiah 53:6-7. Jesus offered himself as a sacrificial lamb for the sins of the world. His death was redemptive. His death was a vehicle by which God saved the world. Read Isaiah 53:4-5.

Read Mark 15:6-8 2

6. Scripture tells us that is was a tradition for the Roman Governor to release one prisoner of the peoples choosing during the festival. What festival?

Passover

7. Why do you think the Romans do such a thing?

To try and appear to be sympathetic to the Jews by releasing one of them that was being held prisoner. It made for good PR and if they let someone go today who was to say they didn’t just turn around and arrest them again another day.

8. Who was Barabbas and why was he sentenced to death?

He is a murdered who had been arrested during an insurrection. He was a Jew and what would have been called a zealot. The zealots were radical Jews who believed in saving the nation of Israel with the sword. His name was Jesus Barabbas. Jesus means Savior. Maybe the people thought Barabbas was the savior and that he would be the one to get the Romans out. Because he had murdered Romans and robbed Romans to get money for his cause, he had been sentenced to death.

9. Why were Jesus and Barabbas brought before the crowd that had gathered?

One a year, during the festival of Passsover, it had become customary for the Roman governor to release a Jewish prisoner. It was to symbolize the release of the Jews from bondage in Egypt. It was also a political move on the part of Rome to appease rebellion.

Read Mark 15:9-15

10. One thing I have never been able to understand was how the priests were able to turn the crowd against Jesus so easily. It had only been 5 days before that they were all shouting Hosanna and waving palm branches for Jesus and now they want him dead. Why?

Could it have been nothing more than the crowd mentality? Of course we know that it was part of God’s plan but they didn’t. Adam touches on the fact that the people were looking for a victorious king; one that could over throw the Romans. Maybe when they looked at Jesus then looked at Barabbas they felt Barabbas was the better guy for the job.

11. Pilate even goes so far to ask the crowd “What evil has Jesus done?” What was the reply of the crowd?

Crucify him! I don’t think they ever heard the question and they certainly had no answer.

12. Why did Pilate finally give up on the crowd and hand Jesus over to be crucified?

To satisfy them.

13. Once the decision was made to release Barabbas and crucify Jesus what do you think Barabbas was thinking as he walked free.

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We don’t know for sure what he was thinking but in the movie “The Passion of Christ” when Barabbas is released and walking away he looks back at Jesus and for an instant he seemed to comprehend that innocent Jesus would be nailed to a cross in his place. Jesus would die for the atonement of Barabbas’ sins just as he did not us. He paid a price he did not owe, giving us a gift of grace we did not deserve. This is what we see in Barabbas walking away free from the prison and Jesus hanging on a cross.

14. Why would the crowd be so easily swayed to demand the release of Barabbas, the revolutionist, rather than Jesus, the peacemaker?

First, the crowd was not representative of all the Jews in Jesus’ day. Not all the Jews wanted Jesus crucified. Many saw him for what he really was and wanted no part of his death. But there were those there that day who felt quite different. The crowd was not thousands of people. It was several dozen people to a few hundred made up of some of the merchants and moneychangers from the Temple courts that Jesus had thrown out, there were thugs – possibly friend or followers of Barabbas, of course the religious leaders, folks there just for the show, and some of Jesus’ followers, who just a few days earlier were waving palm branches and shouting Hosanna, who were now afraid to speak up.

Jesus did not fit the mold they had in mind for their messiah. They wanted a warrior not someone who talked of love. They saw no way love was going to work against the Romans. But they were wrong. Jesus realized that victory over Rome would not come by the sword but by the power of love. After the cross the Romans began to believe in Christ and as the word spread through the empire, first to the common folks then to some of the upper class. The Roman Empire was ultimately conquered not by the sword but by the cross of Christ.

Put yourself in their place. Here are your choices – One is going to lead by force; throw out the Romans; reclaim your tax money, wealth, and prosperity; and restore the strength of the Jewish kingdom. The other’s leadership involves loving these same oppressors, serving them as they dwell among you, doubling the service they demand of you. Whom would you choose? When we see the choice that way it is not so difficult to understand the crowd’s choice.

15. Now let’s take a look at Pilate and see what we have in common with him. What kind of reputation did Pilate have?

He was not a nice man. When he could not get financing from Rome for building an aqueduct for Jerusalem he just plundered the Temple to fund it. He had people from Galilee killed that came to the Temple to offer sacrifices. He had a Samaritan prophet killed, which got him in trouble with Rome. He had no qualms about killing Jews.

16. Even though he had no love for Jews when it came to Jesus things seemed to be different. What was his attitude towards Jesus?

He was troubled by Jesus. He could not bring himself to order his execution. He seemed to know that putting Jesus to death was just wrong.

17. Where do you see yourself in this story? Are you one of the crowd? Are you Pilate? Are you Barabbas?

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Are you one of the crowd? – Wanting so much for someone to come, “the Messiah”, to get you your freedom again. Willing to listen to others with your head rather than your heart.

Are you Pilate? Not wanting to stir up trouble among the Jews. Certainly not wanting to get on the bad side of the Religious leaders. Trying to go with the flow and not make any ways. Just washing his hands of the situation.

Are you Barabbas? Getting freedom even if it was at the cost of someone else’s life – so what. You have a mission and now You are free to do things your way. Who cares about Jesus?

Prayer:

Father as we study and reflect on these events that happened over 2000 years ago, help us to not be like the crowd that shouted “Crucify Him” but rather give us the strength to speak up for Christ. Never in our lifetime did we think that there would be a time when we would be living in a world that wants to “cancel” you and your children. Guide us Father and hold us up during these difficult times. We don’t want to be like the “crowd” that turned their back on your Son. In His Holy name we pray.