The Gospel of Mark for Readers Part 4

Then the high priest called out, What need we of any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy. What think ye? They all condemned Him to be guilty of death. And some began to spit on Him, and to cover His face, and to buffet Him, and to say to Him, Prophesy; and the servants struck Him with the palms of their hands.

As Peter was outside, one of the maids of the high priest saw him warming himself and said, Thou also was with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied and said, I do not know nor understand what you say. He went to the porch; and the c.o.c.k crowed. A maid saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, This is one of them. And he denied it again.

Then, a little after, those who stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them. Thou art a Galilaean by thy speech. Peter began to curse and swear and said, I do not know this man of whom ye speak.

The c.o.c.k crowed a second time. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said to him: Before the c.o.c.k crows twice, thou shalt deny me three times. When Peter remembered this he wept.

15 First thing the next 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. And Pilate asked Him, Art thou the King of the Jews? He answered, Thou say it. The chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. Pilate said to Him, Answer thou nothing? Do you behold how many things they witness against thee? But Jesus still answered nothing and Pilate marvelled.

Now at that feast he released to them one prisoner, whoever the people chose. And there was one named Barabbas, who lay bound with those involved in insurrection with him and who had committed murder in the insurrection. The mult.i.tude began to cry aloud their desire for Pilate to do as he had done before. Pilate said to the mult.i.tude, Will ye that I release to you the King of the Jews? But the chief priests told the people that Pilate would rather release Barabbas to them.

Pilate asked, What do you want me to do to Him whom ye call the King of the Jews? They cried out, Crucify Him. Then Pilate said to them, Why, what evil has He done? And they cried out the more, Crucify Him.

And so Pilate, to content the people, released Barabbas to them. After he had Jesus scourged, he delivered Him to be crucified. The soldiers led Him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they called together the whole troop. They clothed Him with purple, platted a crown of thorns, and put it around His head. They saluted Him, Hail, King of the Jews! They smote Him on the head with a reed, spit on Him, and bowing their knees, wors.h.i.+pped Him.

After they mocked Him, they took off the purple cloth and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to be crucified. They compelled a man named Simon, a Cyrenian and the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was pa.s.sing by on his way out of the country, to bear His cross.

They took Him to the place called Golgotha, the place of a skull. They gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink but He received it not. When they had crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots for what every man should take.

It was the third hour when they crucified Him. The superscription of His accusation was written and hung over Him: The King of the Jews.

Along with Him they crucified two thieves; one on His right hand, and the other on His left. The scripture was fulfilled: And He was numbered with the transgressors.

Those who pa.s.sed by railed at Him. They said, Ah, thou that destroys the temple and builds it up again in three days, save thyself and come down from the cross. The chief priests along with the scribes said among themselves, He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross that we may see and believe. Those who were crucified with Him reviled Him. And, when the sixth hour came, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

At the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? My G.o.d, my G.o.d, why has thou forsaken me? Some of those who stood by, when they heard this, said, Behold, He calls Elias. And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, gave it to Him to drink. They said, Let Him alone. Let us see whether Elias will come to take Him down. Then Jesus cried with a loud voice and took His last breath.

The veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to bottom. And, when the centurion who stood near Him saw this, he said, Truly this man was the Son of G.o.d.

There were also women looking on from afar; among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and Joses, and Salome (who also, when He was in Galilee, followed Him and ministered to Him), and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

When evening came, because it was the preparation day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, an honorable counsellor, who also waited for the kingdom of G.o.d, went to Pilate to request the body of Jesus. Pilate marvelled that He was already dead. He called the centurion to him to find out how long He had been dead. When he learned it from the centurion, he released the body. Joseph brought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. He laid Him in a sepulchre hewn out of rock, and rolled a stone across the entrance. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched where He was laid.

16 When the sabbath was past, very early in the morning the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, went to the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. With them they brought sweet spices that they might anoint Him. They said among themselves, Who shall roll the stone away from the door of the sepulchre for us? Then, when they looked, they saw that the large stone was rolled away.

Entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment. They were frightened. But he said, Be not afraid. Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen. He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before you into Galilee. There ye shall see Him, just as He told you. They went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed. They said nothing to any one because they were afraid.

Then Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils. She went and told those who had been with Him as they mourned and wept. When they had heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it.

Then He appeared, in another form, to two of them as they walked in the country. These two went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

Afterward He appeared to the eleven as they sat at supper. He upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He was risen.

Then He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that does not believe shall be d.a.m.ned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents. And, if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

So then after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of G.o.d. And they went forth and preached everywhere; the Lord working with them and confirming the word with these signs.

Amen.