Mark 15

"The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the governor's headquarters (called the Praetorium) and called out the entire regiment. They dressed him..."

"[During Jesus' trial,] the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes, and Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer them? What about all..."

"And [the soldiers] brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means "Place of the Skull"). They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he..."

"Now it was the governor's custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner — anyone the people requested. One of the prisoners..."

What's so awful about that? We often take our own sin too lightly and need to be shocked into realization of how bad it is.

"Very early in the morning the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law — the entire high council — met to discuss their next..."

"[After the crowd called for the release of Barabbas,] Pilate asked them, "Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?" They..."

"[When Joseph of Arimathea asked for Jesus' body,] Pilate couldn't believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if..."

"[Jesus' crucifixion] happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea took a risk..."

"Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom."

""Would you like me to release to you this 'King of the Jews'?" Pilate asked [the crowd]. (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested..."

"It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified [Jesus]. A sign announced the charge against him. It read, "The King of the Jews.""

"The people passing by [Jesus on the cross] shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. "Ha! Look at you now!" they yelled at him. "You said you..."

"Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome. They had...."

"At noon [when Jesus was crucified], darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. Then at three o'clock Jesus called out with a loud voice,..."

"Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought [Jesus] was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine,..."

A hardened elite soldier in Rome's army comes face-to-face with the Son of God. Phil Ware looks at the Centurions in the New Testament and reminds us that they often believed in Jesus, and one in particular, can lead us to Jesus, the cross, and our salvation.

Jesus died in the place of Barabbas. More importantly, Jesus died for you and me. Byron Ware recalls a memory from fifty years ago that shaped his life, his love, his family, and his understanding of grace, Jesus dying in the place of Barabbas and us.

"Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left."

"So to pacify the crowd [that wanted Jesus to be crucified], Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then....."

"A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside [as Jesus was led away to be crucified], and the soldiers forced him....."

"[Jesus' crucifixion] happened on* the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. * The NLT translators added "Friday" to the text here...."

"Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus' body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been...."

"The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus [on the cross]. "He saved others," they scoffed, "but he can't save himself!""

"Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last."

"When [the soldiers] were finally tired of mocking [Jesus], they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away...."

"[After Pilate asked the crowd if he should release Jesus,] the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of..."

"[The religious leaders continued mocking Jesus, saying,] "Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe..."

"When the Roman officer who stood facing [Jesus] saw how he had died, he exclaimed, "This man truly was the Son of God!""

"A golden truth is couched in the fact that the Saviour put the myrrhed wine-cup from his lips. On the heights of heaven the Son of God stood of old,....."

"Then the soldiers nailed [Jesus] to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece."

"Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus' body was laid."

"[The crowd shouted that they wanted Jesus crucified.] "Why?" Pilate demanded. "What crime has he committed?" But the mob roared even louder,..."

Inspirational illustration of Mark 15:17 -- They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.

As Jesus journeyed into Jerusalem that last time, he had reached the point where he was going to gamble everything on the cross. Phil Ware continues his series of insights on living the CRUCIFORMED life Jesus calls all disciples to live on his way to the cross.

Jesus' trials focused on his true identity. James Nored and Phil Ware share in word and video the meaning of Jesus' trials before Pilate, Herod, and the Jewish Ruling Council.

What could change everything? Bill Sherrill writes about God's clearest message through Jesus on the Cross and through the Gospel of John.

Jesus' trials focused on his true identity. James Nored and Phil Ware share in word and video the meaning of Jesus' trials before Pilate, Herod, and the Jewish Ruling Council.

Jesus' trials focused on his true identity, although those who tried him didn't really want to know the truth. James Nored and Phil Ware share in word and video the meaning of Jesus' trials before Pilate, Herod, and the Jewish Ruling Council and how they helped define the way of Jesus through the cross to the empty tomb.

Wouldn't you have been upset? Sarah Stirman writes about a time her husband didn't quite follow through on getting their pre-school kids to Bible class and she gets angry, but the Lord challenges her to forgive!

We can approach God without fear! Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, those of us with faithful, sincere hearts, who have been washed in the blood of Jesus, may confidently enter the presence of God.

Jesus had many opportunities to walk away from the shame and pain of the cross, but he chose the Father's will and our need over his comfort. James Nored and Phil Ware remind us of the dark night that began the long, painful, and lonely journey of Jesus through his Passion to bring us to God.

Jesus had many opportunities to walk away from the shame and pain of the cross, but he chose the Father's will and our need over his comfort. James Nored and Phil Ware remind us of the dark night that began the long, painful, and lonely journey of Jesus through his Passion to bring us to God and helped define the way of Jesus through the cross to the empty tomb.

There is more to the crown of thorns Jesus carried than meets the eye at first glance. Max Lucado reminds us of the grace and love shown to us in the crown of thorns Jesus wore to the cross.

So why did those friends of Jesus fall asleep on him? Lois Tverberg shares from her blog on the Jewishness of Jesus and about why the disciples fell asleep on the night of Jesus' betrayal.

Will he be there when I most need him? Phil Ware continues his series on the 7 sayings of Jesus on the cross, this one focuses on Jesus' cry of feeling that he had been forsaken by God.

What do these words mean and whose words do we trust? Phil Ware weaves in the 7 sayings of Jesus on the cross with the sense of forgiveness and mission that should be ours in the cross and resurrection of Jesus.

Have you wondered how long Mary remembered the aroma of myrrh? Stacy Voss is trying to prepare our hearts for advent and the coming of Jesus by asking us to gather in pungent and hard to smell things.

This seemingly innocuous transitional passage in the gospel of Luke is one of those hidden gems we often overlook! Phil Ware continues his reflections on his daily reading in the gospels, this time focused on Luke 8:1-3 and how this forgotten gem opens our eyes to the importance that women played in Jesus' ministry.