Mark 15:1-27

"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..."

""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.""

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....."

"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..."

"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."

"[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.

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.

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.

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.