March 22, 2020
Mark 15:1-15
As he had at the trial before the Sanhedrin, Jesus
remained virtually silent before Pilate, who was astounded at his unwillingness
to defend himself. Pilate knew the chief priests were accusing Jesus out of
envy—Jesus was becoming more popular than they were, and their fear and
insecurity drove their hatred—but why, he wondered, wasn’t Jesus defending
himself? He was charged with claiming to be king of the Jews, a capital
offense. Caesar was king of the Jews now, and claiming that title was a sign of
rebellion. When Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” (Mark
15:2a), Jesus gave a short and cryptic answer: “You say so” (Mark 15:2b). Jesus
might have been saying, “Yes, of course, I am.” He might have meant simply,
“You have spoken, and I am not going to disagree with you.” But he did not
elaborate. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus did not say another word to
Pilate. And so, Pilate must have wondered, “Why isn’t he speaking?”
Why do you think the Synoptic Gospels show Jesus
choosing not to speak in defense of himself?
In what ways are we still presented with the
opportunity to confront our culture by choosing the way of love (Jesus) or the
way of violence (Barabbas)?
If you had been at Jesus’ trial, which character
would you most likely identify with: Pilate? the crowd? Barabbas?
Considering our world today, what kind of messiah
would people choose? Whom would you choose? Why?
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