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Study 3 - Jewish Leaders, Pilate, Barabas, Simon

So, late on Thursday night Jesus was arrested.

Ask a member to read (perhaps prepare beforehand) selected verses:

Mark 14:43, 53, 55, 64b.

Mark 15:1-5.

Passover night and very early the next morning what’s going on?

Spend a few moments seeing this through Jewish eyes - - - -

Remember Thursday is Passover night and then the morning after the night before - -

Information for the leader:

The Council or Sanhedrin was composed of 70 men, elders. It was chaired by the High Priest. It was the kind of parliament of the Jews. It had a good deal of authority even under Roman domination. They had the power to say a person was guilty deserving death but this had to be referred to the Roman Governor for final approval.

They had their own police (who may have been the "crowd" who was organised to arrest Jesus even though it was Passover night.)

There were many other Jewish religious leaders, chief priest and teachers.

Golgotha (Aramaic for skull) or Calvary Latin for skull), the place of crucifixion was outside the city wall so there was quite a journey from the places of trial to Golgotha.

The name, Place of the Skull, probably came from the shape of a nearby rock.

The main point is that the Jews under the authority of Rome did not have the right to exercise the death penalty. If they had it would have been by stoning. Because the prisoner had to be taken to Pilate the Jewish leaders were "keeping in" with the Roman overlords.

Read 15:6. It seems doubtful that this really was a tradition. However it introduces Barabbas, a rebel. His name means Bar = "Son of" and Abba from "Father", the name Jesus used for God. So Barabbas = "Son of God", an interesting play with words in connection with Jesus whom Christians regarded as "Son of God". There will be a follow-up to this later.

Read verses 15 and after the mocking by the soldiers they led him out to crucify him.

Read verse 21 This introduces Simon of Cyrene. He has a name. Why? He plays a very small part on the way to Calvary. We are told he was the father of Alexander and Rufus – who were they? We don’t know. Cyrene is in North Africa and there may have been a Jewish colony there and Simon as a Jew was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. He may have been there simply on business and got caught up in the crowd and looked a good strong man who could carry a cross. But mentioning his sons implies that they were known in the later time when the Gospel was written as Christian leaders. Refer also to Acts 13:1 – read the verse and note the names.

Lucius from Cyrene, one of a key group of Christian leaders at Antioch. (Look at a map of Paul’s journeys and see where Cyrene was in relation to Antioch.)

Tracing connections like this is not of great importance but adds to the interest when we realise nothing will be in the Gospel record unless it is to make a point. As much later readers we may miss the point!

Reading the story of the actual crucifixion in this study is optional but note who was there: Obviously Roman soldiers doing their job but also doing what? (verses 23 -28.)

Who else? Read verses 29-32.

Finally read verse 39. Whew – what an acknowledgment by a Roman centurion!

A Gentile (foreigner) exclaims "God’s Son", "Son of God" – where have you heard a similar reference? Look back to verse 15:6.

And so Jesus died.

Reflect on the reactions of different people or groups through his crucifixion. They were there.

What is your reaction?