1.   And straightway in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate.
      2   And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering saith unto him, Thou sayest.
      3   And the chief priests accused him of many things.
      4   And Pilate again asked him, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they accuse thee of.
      5   But Jesus no more answered anything; insomuch that Pilate marvelled.
      6   Now at the feast he used to release unto them one prisoner, whom they asked of him.
      7   And there was one called Barabbas, lying bound with them that had made insurrection, men who in the insurrection had committed murder.
      8   And the multitude went up and began to ask him to do as he was wont to do unto them.
      9   And Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
      10   For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up.
      11   But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
      12   And Pilate again answered and said unto them, What then shall I do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
      13   And they cried out again, Crucify him.
      14   And Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, Crucify him.
      15.   And Pilate, wishing to content the multitude, released unto them Barabbas, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.

Questions and Brief Comments.

Verse 1. In the morning after what? (After His arrest and the trial before Caiaphas the preceding night). What four classes are mentioned? What did they do?

Verse 2. What made Pilate ask Him this? (Luke 23:2). Was Jesus' answer affirmative? (Yes. John 18:37).

Verses 3-5. Did they have other accusations? Did the Lord Jesus reply to any of them? Why not? (Acts 8:32).

Verses 6-8. Did Pilate offer to release them a prisoner, or did the multitude request it? What notable prisoner was there at the time? What had he done? (He was really guilty of what they had falsely charged against the Lord Jesus, and much more besides).

Verse 9. What suggestion did Pilate make to them? Did he really have any right to release Jesus to them? (No--Jesus was not properly speaking a prisoner yet, for He had not been found guilty before Pilate of any wrong deed).

Verse 10. (Pilate hoped that the multitude, who were not in sympathy with the chief priests, would ask for the release of Jesus). What motive did Pilate see in the chief priests? What is envy?

Verse 11. What was the next move of the chief priests? Were they successful?

Verses 12, 13. What did Pilate (perhaps still hopeful) then ask them? What awful answer was given?

Verse 14. Jesus having done no evil, should Pilate have parleyed with the people about this matter? Was their demand for his execution very [187] strong? When a weak man meets strong opposition what will he do?

Verse 15. What did Pilate do? Why did he do it? See Acts 3:13-15. Note that they promised to assume the responsibility. Matt. 27:24, 25.

NOTES AND TEACHING-POINTS.

THE ARREST.

      Though the title of our lesson is "The Arrest and Trial," the printed text does not give the account of Jesus' arrest, nor of His trial before Annas and Caiaphas, but only His arraignment before Pilate. His arrest took place in Gethsemane; and is recounted in Mark 14:43-50:

      "And straightway, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he; take him, and lead him away safely. And when he was come, straightway he came to him, and saith, Rabbi; and kissed him. And they laid hands on him, and took him. But a certain one of them that stood by drew his sword, and smote the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a robber, with swords and staves to seize me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but this is done that the scriptures might be fulfilled. And they all left him, and fled."

THE TRIAL BEFORE THE HIGHPRIEST.

      This took place (contrary to their own laws) during the night. The Lord was taken before Annas first (John 18:12, 13), then before Caiaphas. The real trial (if it can be called a trial) took place there. It was their open purpose, not to examine Jesus, but to find some pretense on which they might condemn and sentence Him. "Now the chief priests and the whole council sought witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found it not." (Mark 14:55). Many false witnesses accused Him, but "their witnesses agreed not together," and would not serve for even a pretense. Through all this the Lord Jesus was silent, and answering nothing. Finally Caiaphas challenged and adjured Him to tell whether He was the Christ, the Son of God. To this Jesus replied: "I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:62). Then Caiaphas flew into a fit of wrath, rent his robe, and said "What further need have we of witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy; what think ye?" Of course they all thought He ought to die. Then began they to spit on Him and buffet Him, "and the officers received him with blows of their hands."

      It was sometime during all this performance that Peter down in the courtyard, thrice denied that he knew Him.

BEFORE PILATE.

      As early in the morning as possible they brought Jesus to the Pretorium, the judgment hall of Pilate, the Roman governor. But they would not enter in for fear lest they might be defiled and thus disqualified from eating the Passover! So Pilate came out to them. In all the four gospels we find accounts of this, which supplementing each other, make up the whole strange story (Matt. 27; Luke 23; esp. John 18, 19)--how Pilate immediately conceived a great respect for the quiet Prisoner; how he tried to shift and evade his responsibility of clearing or condemning Him; how he desired, yea, determined to release Him, how all his half-hearted efforts failed and how at last he suffered himself to be prevailed upon to sentence Jesus to the cross.

      The Questions alongside the Lesson Text are sufficient for Class Use.

Source: Second Lord's Day Lesson of June. Lesson 11. June 10, 1928. The Arrest and Trial (Mark 15:1-15). The