King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Friday, November 14, 2025
Chapters: Mark 15-16
Message: Mark: Jesus is Crucified
Hello My Friend,
As we continue in the reading of the Gospels, we learn that grief often has a way of clouding our minds of the promises of God. There is not one saved, born again Christian who is not confident that they will be with Jesus when their soul departs from their body. And we all rejoice when we know someone is saved because their soul too will be in heaven when they die, but that still does not ease a grieving heart sometimes. As I am reading this, I could not help but be reminded of what Jesus said to Martha when her brother died, [John 11:23-26 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?]
Those are some powerful and spine tingling words that Jesus spoke, and I can only imagine His voice when He said it too. I am sure that Jesus has one of those intense preacher voices that as soon as He speaks you can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in the room. Yet what was the first thing that Martha said to Jesus when He told them to roll away the stone on the tomb that Lazarus was in? She still questioned Him, [John 11:39-40 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?]
I am not going to lie, I am no different than Martha sometimes, I watch my mother and how she is drifting away and it is getting so bad that it grieves me to even see her. I believe that she is ninety minutes away so that we are spared that heartbreak, but the time is going to come that I am going to be making funeral arrangements. Nevertheless, she knows that she is going be with Jesus and her son once again and that does give me some peace of mind. That cannot be said for those who do not know Christ as their Saviour and for the life of me I cannot understand why someone would not grab the opportunity to receive Him once they learn about Him. Now Mark gives his account of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, beginning with Him standing before Pilate. Mark’s account is almost identical in how he witnessed what took place, and it was directed to the Romans.
[Mark 15:1-5 And 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. 2 And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it. 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. 4 And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. 5 But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.]
I never thought about it from the perspective, but Pilate hearing the Jews tell him this conversation that they had with Jesus, [Mark 14:61-64 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? 64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.]
This must have been what sparked the question and is no wonder why he knew that they only wanted Him dead because they envied Him. Mark, also notes this,
[Mark 15:6-10 Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. 8 And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? 10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.]
Sure pardon the killer but kill the innocent one. It is said that Barabbas was the leader of a ruthless mob, he and his accomplices were captured and put in prison, accused of committing murder and yet the crowd wanted to pardon him over Jesus. And to add insult to injury, Pilate calls Jesus the King of the Jews. Does all this sound familiar? Is this not the norm today? We are in a world that rewards rebellion and punishes righteousness Christian persecution is reaching record highs globally, since President Obama was in office, while glorifying criminal behavior is becoming normalized in many societies. In fact, here in America, a recent poll sited that twenty-four percent of the people sited that it is acceptable to use violence under certain political circumstances. And for some reason it is that twenty-four percent who have the biggest voices and influences on their followers. Watch what happens when the chef priests encouraged the people in the crowd to release Barabbas.
[Mark 15:11-15 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. 12 And 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? 13 And they cried out again, Crucify him. 14 Then 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.]
While Pilate knew that they were condemning an innocent man, he also feared that had he released Jesus anyway that there would be a mob coming after him. So, out of fear he ordered Jesus to be executed by crucifixion. Now, whenever someone was being crucified, they actually had to carry the very cross they would be hung on to what is called Golgotha but the Roman soldiers beat Jesus so badly that He could not even walk. They literally had to get someone to carry the cross for Him.
[Mark 15:21-26 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. 22 And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. 23 And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. 24 And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. 25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. 26 And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.]
Take note that the inscription placed above Jesus’ head was described as an accusation. Yet, instead of listing a crime, it read: “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” The sign was meant to declare the offense for which someone was being crucified. But in Jesus’ case, Pilate chose those words not to mock Him, but as a pointed rebuke to the Jewish leaders, highlighting the very reason they demanded His crucifixion. God, will not be mocked, all who cross Him, regardless of their purpose being to fulfill prophecy, will reap what they sow, [Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.]
At this point, it was about nine o’clock in the morning, and interestingly enough the time that the first sacrifice of the day in the temple would be offered. This was when they nailed Jesus to the cross and raised it straight up along with two other men, [Mark 15:27-28 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. 28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.]
They even gambled for a piece of clothing He was wearing! This goes back to this prophecy, [Isaiah 53:9-12 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.]
Notice how the passage gives so much detail into what Jesus would be going through for us, but notice also that the was from God Himself, He planned for all this. Watch how they all responded as they watched Jesus hanging on the cross, [Mark 15:29-32 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, 30 Save thyself, and come down from the cross. 31 Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. 32 Let 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.]
And it was bad enough that the Romans beat and mocked Him before He was hung on the cross, the Jews started mocking Him while He was hanging there. This was going on for six hours when all of a sudden Jesus cries out and shortly after died.
[Mark 15:34-39 And 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? 35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. 36 And 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. 37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. 38 And 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.]
Have you ever cried out to God like this? You were in such pain and agony that the only option left was to ask Him why He left you? Physical suffering is not the only pain and agony that we face, some our pain comes from our heart. Jesus, was not only feeling that physical pain, He felt a lot of pain over their disbelief. If there was any convincing them that He is the Christ, this should have been it, but they refused to believe and I believe that hurt Him more than Him hanging there just like He did all the other times, [Mark 8:12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.]
Remember what Jesus said to the disciples? [Mark 14:25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.] Had He drank that elixir mixed with vinegar, it not only would have took away His reasoning, it would have defiled His body and then all of that effort to save us from hell would have been for nothing. This is why we need to be careful of what we put in our bodies once we are saved as they now have the Holy Spirit inside and if we put anything in it other than what was intended than we would defile the very temple that He indwells, [1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.]
When Jesus died on the cross the evening and Sabbath drew near, they did not want to leave the body on the cross much longer. Joseph, a disciple of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus to bury Him, [Mark 15:42-46 And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, 43 Joseph 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. 44 And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. 45 And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. 46 And 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.]
Do you crave the body of Jesus? You know, religion may be all about works, but it is nothing about that desire or thirst that you have for God and wanting to please Him. I never understood that until Jesus was prominent in my life, I craved that presence with Him when I first dedicated my life to Him, and I still do. Whenever I miss a day of reading my Bible, fall asleep before praying, or do not pray before I start reading the Bible I crave Jesus just like I do food. Jesus, is not a religion, He truly is our daily bread, [1 Corinthians 11:26-29 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.]
Since the actual Sabbath was approaching, which is a Saturday, the Mary’s followed the men who carried Jesus’ body to the borrowed tomb so that they knew where to find Him come the next morning after the Sabbath, which was the first day of the week. That was the third day that Jesus laid in the grave, but that was also the day He arose.
[Mark 16:1-5 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. 3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. 5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.]
Think about how the women must have felt, what was going through their minds, all of them fully knowing and believing in the resurrection and yet paid no mind to it because of their grief. We get like that too, when we are grieving we often lose sight of the promises of God, not in complete disbelief but ust a lapse of focus as our hearts grieve. The angel assures the women that there is nothing to fear because He is ALIVE.
[Mark 16:6-8 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. 8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.]
Jesus could have just died for us and that would have been enough, but God wanted more than that, once and for all, He wanted to break the spiritual curse that the devil caused upon man when he brought sin into the world. Jesus resurrecting proves that even death can no longer separate God and man. Our redemption through Christ gives us victory over death and puts the Spirit of God back into man, which had been taken away with the curse, [1 Corinthians 15:21-22 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.]
I do not think that the women fully understood what was going on, but Mary understood it when Jesus revealed Himself to her. However, that did not convinced anyone else that He had risen, in fact, everyone that heard this incredible miracle did not believe that Jesus was alive, including the disciples until they seen Him.
[Mark 16:9-14 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. 10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. 12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. 14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.]
I believe that they were so ashamed of running when He was captured and grieved at what happened that they lost sight of what He had told them. Nevertheless, their temporary lapse of judgment did not change Jesus’ mind, He gave them a command.
[Mark 16:15-20 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 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. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.]
So many people misinterpret this part of the passage, stating that you must believe in Christ and be baptized in water in order to be saved. Jesus, is not talking about a water baptism here, rather a spiritual baptism, which Peter himself was also careful to point out. In other words, we must believe the entire Gospel of Christ, turn away from out thinking that we can save ourselves, this being baptized with the Spirit of God, [Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.]
Incidentally, water baptism is a public profession of our faith in Christ, which is why they often got baptized in water after they were saved, [Romans 6:3-5 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:]
Today’s Prayer:
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: https://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/ready-to-follow-jesus/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: https://zc.vg/EGTLQ
Read Previous Devotions: https://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
Read The Bible: http://kingjamesbible.imfollowingjesus.com/
Visit I’m Following Jesus: https://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/welcome/
Like I’m Following Jesus On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byhisstrength
Copyright © 2025 I’m Following Jesus, All rights reserved.