Mark 15 · The Lantern

And immediately 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 Him it behoved to be made a sacrifice on behalf of all Gentiles, who "was led as a sheep for a victim, and, like a lamb voiceless before his shearer, so opened not His mouth" (for He, when Pilate interrogated Him, spake nothing ); for "in humility His judgment was taken away: His nativity, moreover, who shall declare?

And immediately, forming a plan, in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole council, binding Jesus, led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate. He was led not only to Pilate but also to Herod, so that both might mock the Lord. And observe the priests' diligence in evil.

The Jews delivered the Lord to the Romans; therefore they themselves were delivered by the Lord into the hands of the Romans. And the words of Scripture were fulfilled: "Woe to the lawless one, for he shall be repaid according to the works of his hands" (Isa. 3:11); and again: "Repay them according to their deeds" (Ps.

And Pilate asked him, Are you the King of the Jews? And he answering said to him, You say it.

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

And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answer you nothing? look how many things they witness against you.

What great patience this is that he who is adored in heaven is not yet avenged on earth! Let us think of his patience, beloved brothers and sisters, in our persecutions and sufferings. Let us show forth the full obedience that is inspired by our expectation of his coming. Let us not hasten with the impious and shameless haste of a servant to defend ourselves before the Lord.

(de Con. Evan. iii. 8) Luke has also laid open the false charges which they brought against Him; for he thus relates it: And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. (Luke 23:2) There follows: And Pilate asked him, saying, Answerest thou nothing?

But when asked a second time, Christ answered nothing and thereby brought Pilate to amazement. For Pilate marveled that He, being learned in the law and eloquent and having the ability to overthrow with a single answer the slanders brought against Him, said nothing, but on the contrary, humbly endured the accusations.

But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marveled.

He is the One who, although he was silent in his passion, will not be silent finally in the day of reckoning. He is our God, even if unrecognized. He is already known among the faithful and all who believe. When he comes manifesting himself in his second coming, he will not be silent. For although he was formerly hidden in humility, he will come manifested in power.

It is found, in comparing the narratives of all the evangelists, that this silence on the part of our Lord Jesus Christ took place more than once, both before the chief priests and before Herod, to whom, as Luke intimates, Pilate had sent Him for a hearing, and before Pilate himself; so that it was not in vain that the prophecy regarding Him had preceded, "As the lamb before it…

(ubi sup.) There follows: But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. He was unwilling to give an answer, lest He should clear Himself of the charge, and be acquitted by the judge, and so the gain resulting from the Cross should be done away.

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

(ubi sup.) Pilate furnished many opportunities of releasing Jesus, in the first place contrasting a robber with the Just One. Wherefore it is said, Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.

(non occ.) Which indeed he was accustomed to do, to obtain favour with the people, and above all, on the feast day, when the people of the whole province of the Jews flocked to Jerusalem.

Here are two goats; one is the scape goat, that is, one loosed and sent out into the wilderness of hell with the sin of the people; the other is slain, as a lamb, for the sins of those who are forgiven. The Lord's portion is always slain; the devil's part, (for he is the master of those men, which is the meaning of Barabbas,) when freed, is cast headlong into hell.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inasmuch as he was quite aware of the fact that the Lord was suspended on the cross by the soldiers, and not by the Jews, as John most plainly affirms, his hidden object [in bringing in the said clause] was to convey the idea that those parties who cried out that He should be crucified were the Lord's real crucifiers, rather than the men who simply discharged their service to t…

But Pilate again, answering, said to them: What then do you want me to do with the king of the Jews? But they again shouted: Crucify him. However, Pilate was saying to them: What evil has he done? Pilate gave many opportunities to free the Savior: first, comparing him to the thief, then saying: What then do you want me to do with the king of the Jews?

Notice then the bloodthirstiness of the Jews and the moderation of Pilate (although he too is worthy of condemnation, because he did not firmly stand up for the righteous man). For they cried out, "Crucify Him," while he, though feebly, nevertheless attempted to free Jesus from condemnation.

And they cried out again, Crucify him.

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

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

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

But the soldiers led Him into the courtyard of the praetorium, and called together the entire cohort, and they clothed Him in purple, and after weaving a crown of thorns, they placed it on Him, and began to salute Him: Hail, King of the Jews.

The vainglory of soldiers, ever rejoicing in disorder and in insult, here displayed what properly belonged to them. Wherefore it is said, And the soldiers led him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they call together the whole band, that is, the whole company of the soldiers, and they clothed him with purple as a king.

His shame took away our shame; His bonds made us free; by the thorny crown of His head, we have obtained the crown of the kingdom; by His wounds we are healed. But in a mystic sense, Jesus was stripped of His clothes, that is, of the Jews, and is clothed in a purple robe, that is, in the Gentile church, which is gathered together out of the rocks.

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

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

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

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.

He who has given the food of heaven was fed with gall; he who has offered us the cup of salvation was given vinegar to drink. He the innocent, he the just, nay rather, innocence itself and justice itself is counted among criminals, and truth is concealed by false testimonies. He who is to judge is judged and the Word of God, silent, is led to the cross.

And they led him out to crucify him. And they compelled a certain passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. Simon seems to have been of great repute then, as his sons also are named as already known to all.

Here Abel is brought out into the field by his brother, to be slain by him. Here Isaac comes forth with the wood, and Abraham with the ram caught in the thicket. Here also Joseph with the sheaf of which he dreamed, and the long robe steeped in blood. Here is Moses with the rod, and the serpent hanging on the wood. Here is the cluster of grapes, carried on a staff.

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.

Christ, moreover, he affirms to have been sent, not by this maker of the world, but by the above-named Abraxas; and to have come in a phantasm, and been destitute of the substance of flesh: that it was not He who suffered among the Jews, but that Simon was crucified in His stead: whence, again, there must be no believing on him who was crucified, lest one confess to having beli…

Firstly, it was carried by the Lord, and then it was imposed on Simon, whom they happened to meet as they were going out. And this is in a fitting order of mystery. For he undoubtedly suffered for us, leaving us an example that we might follow in his footsteps.

And they compel Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. Now since some men are known by the merits of their fathers, and some by those of their sons, this Simon, who was compelled to carry the cross, is made known by the merits of his sons, who were disciples.

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

(ubi sup.) There follows: And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is being interpreted, the place of Calvary. There are places without the city and the gate, in which the heads of condemned persons are cut off, and which receive the name of Calvary, that is, of the beheaded.

There is a tradition that has come down to us from the holy fathers that Adam was buried on Golgotha. Here the Lord is also crucified, He who heals the fall and death of Adam, so that in the same place the destruction of death would follow where death had its beginning.

But the Jews relate, that in this spot of the mountain the ram was sacrificed for Isaac, and there Christ is made bald1, that is, separated from His flesh, that is, from the carnal Jews.

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

But though He endured these things, having come for the salvation of all, yet the people returned Him an evil recompense. Jesus saith, I thirst,—He who had brought forth the waters for them out of the craggy rock; and He asked fruit of the Vine which He had planted. But what does the Vine?

(ubi sup.) Bitter the vine which bore the bitter wine, set before the Lord Jesus, that the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith, They gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink. (Ps. 69:22)

And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh. Or else, wine mingled with myrrh, that is, vinegar; by it the juice of the deadly apple is wiped away. He also refused to take sin for which He suffered, wherefore it is said of Him, I then paid the things that I never took.

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

Wonder not if this was said of and fulfilled by the Passion of our Saviour, for even now He is a reproach among all men who have not yet received faith in Him! For what is more shameful or worse than any reproach than to be crucified?

They also cast lots for His garments in mockery of Him, that is, dividing among themselves what were, as it were, royal garments, when in fact they were poor ones.

And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. (Ps. 68:5. Vulg.) In this place salvation is figured by the wood; the first wood was that of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; the second wood is one of unmixed good for us, and is the wood of life.

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

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

He was not hailed as the king of glory by the angels until he had been censured on the cross as "King of the Jews." … You owe your life to him as a debt for these favors. So try as best you can to be accountable to him in the same way that he became accountable for you.

(ubi sup.) But this superscription on the cross shows, that they could not even in killing Him take away the kingdom over them from Him who was about to render unto them according to their works. There follows: And with him they crucify two thieves, the one on his right hand, the other on his left.

He wrote it in three languages, in Hebrew, Melech Jeudim; in Greek, βασιλεὺς ἐξομολογητῶν in Latin, Rex confessorum. These three languages were consecrated to be the chief, in the superscription on the cross, that every tongue might record the treachery of the Jews.

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

Of the robbers crucified with him, it was said: "He was reckoned among the wicked." Up to this time both were wicked, but one of them was wicked no longer. For one was wicked to the end, yielding not to salvation, and, though his hands were fastened, he struck blasphemously with his tongue.

(ubi sup.) Mystically, however, the thieves crucified with Christ signify those, who by their faith and confession of Christ undergo either the struggle of martyrdom, or some rules of a stricter discipline.

Truth was numbered with the wicked; He left one on His left hand, the other He takes on the right, as He will do at the last day. With a similar crime they are allotted different paths; one precedes Peter into Paradise, the other Judas into hell. A short confession won for him a long life, and a blasphemy which soon ended is punished with endless pain.

[Not in the earliest manuscripts. TR Byz · not Tisch SR. King James: “And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.”]

And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, you that destroy the temple, and build it in three days,

Save yourself, and come down from the cross.

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

Such he appeared on the cross, such when crowned with thorns did he exhibit himself, disfigured, and without comeliness, as if he had lost his power, as if not the Son of God. Such did he seem to the blind.

Similarly, the chief priests, mocking, said to one another with the scribes: He saved others, etc. Even unwillingly, the scribes and priests confess that He saved others. Therefore, your own judgment condemns you. For He who saved others could indeed, if He willed, save Himself.

Likewise also the Chief Priests mocking said among themselves with the Scribes, He saved others, himself he cannot save. They said this, to do away with His miracles, as though those which He had done were but the semblance of them, for by working miracles He saved many.

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.

In the case of the robbers, one Evangelist says that the two blasphemed, another that one of them reproved him who was reviling the Lord. Yet in this again there is no contradiction. Both things took place, and at the beginning both the men behaved badly.

And those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him. How were those who were crucified with Him insulting Him, when indeed one of them insulted Him, according to the testimony of Luke, the other rebuked him and believed in God?

The foal of Judah has been tied to the vine, and his clothes dyed in the blood of the grape, and the kids tear the vine, blaspheming Christ, and wagging their heads. Wherefore it is said: "And they that passed by railed on Him, wagging their heads and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple."

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

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 have you forsaken me?

As human he doubts. He experiences amazement. It is not his divinity that doubts, but his human soul. He had no difficulty being amazed because he had taken humanity fully to himself. In taking upon himself a human soul, he also took upon himself the affections of a soul. As God he was not distressed, but as a human he was capable of being distressed.

(ubi sup.) For when Adam sinned, it is also written that he heard the voice of the Lord, walking in paradise, in the cool after mid-day; (Gen. 3:8.) and in that hour when the first Adam by sinning brought death into the world, in that same hour the second Adam by dying destroyed death.

At the ninth hour, the tenth piece of money which had been lost is found, by the overturning of the house.

And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Look, he calls Elijah.

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 Elijah will come to take him down.

And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and breathed his last.

Did the thieves, who were nailed beside Him, expire when they would? They were held by the bonds of flesh, for they were not the creators of the flesh; fixed by nails, they were a long time tormented, because they had not lordship over their weakness.

He who both rules over death and commands it dies with power, as its Lord. But what this voice was is declared by Luke: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. For Christ would have us understand by this, that from that time the souls of the saints go up into the hands of God. (v. note u, p.

Though the flesh was weak, yet the heavenly voice, which said, Open me the gates of righteousness, (Ps. 117:19) waxed strong. Wherefore there follows: And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. We who are of the earth die with a very low voice, or with no voice at all; but He who descended from heaven breathed His last with a loud voice.

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

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

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

And there were many women there, watching from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him; among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee (27, 55. 56).

(ubi sup.) He means by James the Less, the son of Alphæus, who was also called the brother of our Lord, because he was the son of Mary, our Lord's mother's sister, whom John mentions, saying, Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

As the female sex through the Virgin Mary is not shut out from salvation, so it is not thrust away from the knowledge of the mystery of the cross, and of the resurrection, through the widow Mary Magdalene, and the others, who were mothers.

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

And now when evening came, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath,

Being, therefore, observers of "seasons" for these things, and of "days, and months, and years," we Galaticize. Plainly we do, if we are observers of Jewish ceremonies, of legal solemnities: for those the apostle unteaches, suppressing the continuance of the Old Testament which has been buried in Christ, and establishing that of the New.

And when evening had already come, because it was the day of preparation, which is before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a noble councillor, came. He is called a councillor because he is from the order of the council and administers the office of the council. He is also usually called a curial by handling civic duties.

(non occ.) After the passion and death of Christ, the Evangelist relates His burial, saying, And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathæa.

Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable counselor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly to Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

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

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

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

This above all shows the foolishness of those who say that the Word was changed into bones and flesh. For if this had been so, there would have been no need of a tomb. For the body would have gone by itself to preach to the spirits in Hades. But as it was, he himself went to preach, while the body that Joseph wrapped in a linen cloth laid away at Golgotha.

Having received the body, Joseph bought a linen shroud and, taking the body down, wrapped it in it, honorably committing what is honorable to burial. For he was himself a disciple of Christ and knew how to honor the Master. He was "prominent," that is, a man of honor, pious, and blameless.

By the burial of Christ we rise again, by His going down into hell we mount up into heaven; here is found the honey in the mouth of the dead lion.

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

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