- 1And straightway in the 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.
- 2And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it.
- 3And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.
- 4And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.
- 5But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.
- 6Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.
- 7And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.
- 8And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.
- 9But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
- 10For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.
- 11But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
- 12And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
- 13And they cried out again, Crucify him.
- 14Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.
- 15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
- 16And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Prætorium; and they call together the whole band.
- 17And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
- 18And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!
- 19And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
- 20And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
- 21And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
- 22And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.
- 23And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.
- 24And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.
- 25And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
- 26And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
- 27And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
- 28And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
- 29And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
- 30Save thyself, and come down from the cross.
- 31Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
- 32Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
- 33And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
- 34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
- 35And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
- 36And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.
- 37And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
- 38And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
- 39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
- 40There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;
- 41(Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
- 42 And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
- 43Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
- 44And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.
- 45And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
- 46And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.
- 47And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.
KING JAMES VERSION
MARK 15
Read the chapter, follow a linked verse, and continue into related Watchman 33 teaching.
CHAPTER VISUAL
Mark 15 — Jesus is condemned, mocked, crucified, confessed as the Son of God, and laid in a rock-hewn tomb before the sabbath.
About this illustration
The crucifixion is shown from the centurion’s reverent viewpoint with suffering kept non-graphic and the women visible afar. The written charge is not rendered, the Father is not portrayed, and the later burial is reserved for the chapter text.
Scripture basis: Mark 15:1–47King James Version · Standardized 1769 text with Strong’s numbering · Public domain outside the United Kingdom
EXPLORE THE MESSAGE
Related Watchman 33 Resources
Archaeological Evidence
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEInscription
Approximately AD 26–36
The Pilate Stone
A damaged Latin building dedication from Caesarea preserves Pontius Pilate's name and contemporary title, Prefect of Judaea, anchoring the Gospel governor in the administrative center and titulature of Roman Judaea.
Luke 3:1 · Matthew 27:1–26 · Mark 15:1–15
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEArtifact
First century AD
Crucified Man Yehohanan Ossuary
A first-century Jerusalem heel bone pierced by an iron nail and deposited with remains in an inscribed ossuary provides rare direct evidence for Roman crucifixion followed by Jewish tomb burial.
Matthew 27:32–60 · Mark 15:21–46 · Luke 23:26–53
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEArchitecture
First century BC–first century AD; abandoned by AD 70
Magdala Synagogue and Stone
A pre-AD 70 synagogue at Magdala contained a richly carved limestone furnishing whose menorah and Temple imagery reveal how a Galilean community imagined Jerusalem's sanctuary while it still stood.
Matthew 4:23 · Mark 1:39 · Mark 15:40
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEInscription
First century BC or AD
Nazareth Inscription: An Imperial Grave-Decree
A Greek marble decree threatens severe punishment for disturbing tombs, but its only link to Nazareth is a collector's note; marble isotopes instead point to Kos and sharply weaken attempts to connect it with Jesus' empty tomb.
Matthew 27:57–66 · Matthew 28:11–15 · Mark 15:42–47
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEInscription
First century AD
Alexander Son of Simon Ossuary
A first-century Jerusalem tomb produced a bilingual ossuary naming Alexander and Simon with a debated Cyrenian designation, an intriguing parallel to Mark 15:21 that documents a Diaspora family but cannot establish identity with Simon of Cyrene's son.
Mark 15:21 · Luke 23:26 · Acts 6:9
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
3rd century AD, deposited before Dura-Europos fell in AD 256
Dura Parchment 24: A Third-Century Gospel Harmony Fragment
A parchment leaf found at Dura-Europos combines wording from all four canonical Passion narratives and was buried before the city's destruction in AD 256, though its identification as Tatian's Diatessaron is debated.
Matthew 27:55–61 · Mark 15:40–47 · Luke 23:49–56
View all 11 archaeology resources
- The Berenice Synagogue Donor Inscriptions
- Uncial 059 and 0215: Fragments of Mark’s Passion Narrative
- Uncial 0184: A Greek–Coptic Fragment of Mark 15
- Codex Corbeiensis II (VL 8): Fifth-Century Old Latin Gospels
- Fragmentum Bernense (VL 19): Fifth-Century Old Latin Mark Leaves
Prophecy Events
PROPHECY EVENTFulfilled
30
Psalms 22:1 · Psalms 22:6–8 · Psalms 22:14–18The Pierced Sufferer of Psalm 22
Psalm 22 depicts an afflicted, mocked sufferer whose garments are divided. Watchman 33 sees the passion narratives reflecting the psalm; Roman execution and nailing are historically documented, while the famous hands-and-feet wording is textually disputed.
JudgmentJesus ChristPsalm 22crucifixiontextual criticism
PROPHECY EVENTFulfilled
30
Isaiah 52:13–15 · Isaiah 53:1–12The Suffering Servant Is Cut Off
Isaiah portrays a rejected servant who suffers, bears sin, and is cut off. Watchman 33 identifies the servant with Jesus; a pre-Christian Isaiah manuscript and independent evidence for execution under Pilate anchor the setting, while the redemptive meaning remains theological.
JudgmentJesus ChristSuffering ServantIsaiah 53crucifixion
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