After multiple beatings, a debilitating flogging, sleep deprivation and hatred and lies spewed at Him, Jesus was barely able to stand, let alone carry His own cross on the long route to Golgotha. So the soldiers pulled a man from the crowd, Cyrus of Cyrene, and forced him to carry […]

After Pilate had given in to the crowds and ordered Barabbas released, Jesus was flogged (Mark 15:15) and then led to the praetorium where all the soldiers were called together (Mark 15:16). They toyed with Him by putting a purple robe around Him, fashioning a painful crown of thorns and […]

Pilate didn’t want to order Jesus’ crucifixion. Why? He didn’t want to give the Jews, whom he despised, the satisfaction (Mark 15:10). But he had other reasons: Pilate’s wife had a dream warning him to have nothing to do with that “innocent man” (Matt. 27:19) Pilate was afraid that Jesus […]

Two weeks ago we saw Jesus appearing before the High Priest (Mark 14:53-65), and the effort they made to convict Jesus by false testimony. Jesus is now bound and taken to Pontius Pilate, the Procurator representing Judea. The Jews would accept nothing less than Jesus death – not just a […]

About a month ago we read how Jesus had predicted the scattering of the disciples and, in particular, how Peter would deny Jesus three times. At the time, Peter could not conceive of any reason he would ever deny his Lord.