Mark 15:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They stripped Him of His royal robe, dressed Him in His own attire, and led Him to be crucified (Matthew 27:31). The Romans, tasked with enforcing death sentences, took custody of Jesus, who was condemned to death. Prior to bringing Him to the execution site, they removed His royal robe and dressed Him in His own garments. The royal robe had adorned Jesus for quite some time: during His mocking at the Praetorium, throughout Pilate's trial, and during the final judgment, it had absorbed enough of His blood to dry in places against the wounds of the Suffering One. Imagine the anguish of the Suffering One as they stripped it from Him, only to reapply His garments, thereby distressing His wounds anew! The Evangelists do not mention whether His crown of thorns remained upon the Savior's head. However, tradition depicts the Lord crowned with thorns and upon the cross. To remove the crown of thorns would have alleviated His suffering, yet the Roman soldiers were not known for their compassion and likely sought to present Jesus as a false king. Removing the cloak was motivated by financial concerns. Consider the experience of the Savior: just before they took off His cloak and garments, they removed the crown from His head, only to place the thorns back upon Him! An ancient writer suggests: ‘The Evangelists intended for us to ponder the significance of the crown, once set and never taken away. - I believe the crown of thorns remained on Jesus' head so that no additional thorns (i.e., the penalty for sin) might linger upon us, after being borne by the honorable head of Jesus.’

When the sight of His torment brought tears from certain women of Jerusalem, He spoke to them, saying, “Weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.” He then predicted the severe trials that would truly come upon Jerusalem during its siege, adding, “If they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” (If the innocent endure such suffering, what awaits the guilty).

He reveals that the suffering to come for its people will be so severe that the joys of childbearing will be regarded as burdensome, and many will wish for a swift yet painful death to escape the approaching horrors. He indicates that if a holy and blameless individual endures such immense suffering, what must be the nature of God's judgment in due time upon those steeped in sin?

Thus, it is likely that the cross upon which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified bore no distinction from other crosses of the time. Typically, crosses were constructed from timber or boards; the upright post or board was buried in the ground, with a crossbar fixed to its upper portion. Sometimes the crossbar was affixed at the apex, while other times it was placed slightly lower. In the midsection of the pole was secured a seat intended to support the body of the crucified. It remains uncertain whether a footrest was incorporated, to which the feet were affixed—ancient writings do not clarify this aspect. Above the head of the condemned, a white placard was fastened, bearing his name and the charges against him inscribed in dark letters.

Concerning the act of crucifixion, it was performed as follows: the cross was firmly embedded into the earth to ensure stability. The individual to be crucified was elevated onto the cross; their hands were affixed to the crossbar and secured with rope, while their torso and legs were aligned along the pole below the crossbar, with their feet likewise bound. Subsequently, their hands and feet were nailed to the cross. At times, the cross would be laid on the ground, with the condemned person affixed to it before being hoisted upright and set into the ground. The elevation of a cross was not excessive; the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and John attest that one of the soldiers offered Jesus a sponge soaked in vinegar mounted on a hyssop stalk, indicating that the soldier could not physically reach Jesus's head; given that hyssop plants were notably short—around a foot long—it is estimated that Jesus's feet were approximately one and a half feet above the ground during the crucifixion. Those who underwent crucifixion did not perish swiftly; at times, they lingered for several days in agony. This was the excruciating death that the people inflicted upon their Savior!

As for the journey to Golgotha, two thieves condemned to death were in custody, awaiting crucifixion. They were brought forth to the Praetorium and escorted alongside Jesus to Golgotha. By custom, those condemned to death bore their own crosses to the execution site, resulting in Jesus and the thieves carrying their respective crosses. Likely, a Roman centurion led the procession, followed by the condemned individuals under the guard of several soldiers, followed by the triumphant Sanhedrin and an immense throng of spectators gathered at the Praetorium. A small group of Jesus's friends and followers, including His Mother, Mary Magdalene, Mary the wife of Clopas (John 19:25), Salome (Mark 15:40), and the Apostle John, joined the caravan. Weakened by the previous night’s turmoil, physical abuse, and scourging, Jesus struggled beneath the burden of His cross. Judging by its dimensions, the cross may have weighed around a hundred pounds; although its weight was lessened somewhat as its lower end dragged on the ground, it remained an overwhelming weight for the weary Christ, causing Him to stumble. Had there been an opportunity to delay the execution until Jesus regained His strength, the chief priests and their allies would have delighted in their victim's weakness; however, His frailty filled them with unease. They feared that without reaching Calvary, He might perish, thus evading the disgraceful death awaiting Him. Fueled by the desire for their thirst for blood to be quenched through the torturous demise of their Accuser on the cross, the chief priests urged the Roman centurion to relieve Jesus of His cross. For the centurion and his soldiers, the specifics of when and how the condemned met their end were of little consequence.

Eventually, under Augustus, it became an established method of punishment for various rebels and serious offenders against the state. For the Jewish people, this manner of execution was especially abhorrent as it was exclusively pagan in nature. Though there are references in the Old Testament to “hanging on a tree,” this was typically done over a deceased body or was an unusual occurrence permitted by certain kings due to the influence of neighboring pagan cultures. Generally, it would have been unthinkable for Jews to execute a fellow Jew in this way, as such an act would have severely offended the national sentiment. Hence, the frenzied demand for the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth by the chief priests, Jewish leaders, and the mob illustrates the extreme malice and animosity to which the ‘chosen people’ had succumbed, driven by the ruler of this world, who sought to demonstrate the total victory of darkness on earth.

As the sentence commenced, the soldiers fashioned a cross, which they placed upon the shoulders of the condemned, and the grim procession made its way outside the city to Golgotha, the place of the skull, so named for its distinctive shape. A crowd followed behind, swelled by the intense interest surrounding the Prisoner and the dramatic nature of His trial. As they walked, the weight of the cross—bearing the sins of the world—overwhelmed Christ’s body, already strained by immense spiritual and physical anguish, causing Him to collapse under its burden. To expedite the execution, the soldiers compelled a certain Simon of Cyrene, who happened by, to carry the cross, thus granting him the remarkable privilege of assisting in bearing the atoning burden. The atmosphere of the procession was profoundly distressing, provoking many women to weep bitterly at the sight. Jesus turned to them, calling them not to weep for Him, but for themselves and for the dire tribulations that awaited the Jewish nation and their promised land. Alongside Christ, two other criminals were led to execution; through their crucifixion, Pilate intended to instill fear in other wrongdoers and, to some degree, diminish the rampant violence that had become political upheaval.

Christian Adrichomius, from the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, mentions that Pilate's declaration framed Jesus as “Jesus of Nazareth, a subverter of the people, a despiser of Caesar, and a false Messiah, as substantiated by the testimony of the elders of His people, lead to the place of public execution and crucify Him amid mockery of royal dignity between two thieves.” The ancient records containing this statement are considered too recent to be conclusively authentic. A couple of other accounts also contain Pilate's intriguing statement. One, which is more concise, reveals that “the sentence given by Pontius Pilate, governor of lower Galilee, decrees that Jesus of Nazareth must die by crucifixion.” This judgment was delivered on the 25th of March in the 17th year of Tiberius’ reign in Jerusalem, with Annas and Caiaphas officiating. Pilate, from his judicial seat, declared Jesus must die on the cross between two criminals, in light of the substantial testimony revealing: 1) Jesus is a deceiver, 2) He is a rebel, 3) He opposes the law, 4) He falsely claims to be the Son of God, 5) He falsely proclaims Himself king of Israel, and 6) He entered the temple amidst a multitude carrying palm branches. Pilate ordered Centurion Quirilius Cornelius to take Jesus to execution, forbidding anyone, rich or poor, from interfering. The witnesses who attested to this death sentence included Daniel Robani, John Zerubbabel, Raphael Robani, and Capetus the scribe. Jesus was to be led out of Jerusalem by the Struenea gate.

In the 49th year of our century, Dr. Tesmar reported on this document, noting that the sentence was inscribed in Hebrew on a stone slab, which was sent to each tribe. This slab was excavated in 1820 in Aquileia, a city in Naples, during efforts to unearth Roman relics, later retrieved by art commissioners accompanying the French army. The slab remained secured in an ebony box in a Carthusian vestry near Naples. The Carthusians managed to retain it due to the generosity shown to the French army. A faithful French translation was later composed by members of the art commission, resulting in the slab being replicated with the sentence engraved upon it. At a subsequent sale, this slab was purchased by Lord Howard for 2,890 francs. The origin of this document remains obscure, but it does echo reports from Justin, who notes that following the death of Jesus, ambassadors were sent by the Jews declaring that a godless and lawless heresy had arisen from the delusion of Jesus. Eusebius also records that the Jews spread letters throughout the nations filled with denunciations against Jesus Christ. This Pilate sentence likely emerged from Jewish creation as well, yet the precise timeline of its inception remains uncertain. During construction work in Aquileia, another document was unearthed containing a longer version of Pilate's sentence against the Savior, marked as ‘Pilate's death sentence word for word’.

The situation surrounding Pilate's official notification to Tiberius about the trial and crucifixion on that fateful day mirrors this complexity. Tertullian explicitly states that Pilate reported everything about Christ to Tiberius Caesar. The circumstances surrounding Pilate suggest he had cause to worry about accusations against him from the Jews, who were angered by his indecision regarding Jesus, leading him to take caution. As there was no governor in Syria at that time, Pilate would have reported to Tiberius in his own name rather than through the legate. Regrettably, history possesses no authentic documentation pertaining to such reports, nor does it contain any reliable excerpts from contemporary works. The myriad variants of Pilate's so-called ‘letter’, found across various texts and independent accounts, fail to withstand the scrutiny of authenticity, as these Acts of Pilate have been deemed spurious by Eusebius.

For instance, one prevalent reading of the ‘letter’ posits that it narrates Pilate's proclamation to Claudius, discussing the severe punishment of the Jews out of envy and recounting Jesus' miracles, including healing the blind and raising the dead. Pilate documents how the rulers of the Jews, out of jealousy, condemned Him, delivering Him based on false accusations, yet he had wished to release Him. After His crucifixion, Pilate shares that Jesus rose again, with guards silenced by the soldiers' bribes to claim His body had been stolen. His communication to Claudius aims to counter false narratives and uphold the truth of Jesus' resurrection.

In tracing the intricate details of these trials, a comparison of the malicious night trial overseen by the Jewish spiritual and civil leaders to the proceeding before the Roman governor reveals a glaring disparity. The first trial was driven by deep-seated animosity towards the defendant, while in Pilate’s court, the governor was convinced of Jesus' innocence and advocated for his freedom. Nevertheless, despite these notable differences in circumstance, the ultimate conclusion remained unchanged. In this historical context where events transpired before both courts, it may seem remarkable but consistent that the same individuals—the chief priests, scribes, and elders—who had predetermined Jesus’ death portrayed themselves as judges. Instead of acting in accordance with justice, they assumed roles that enabled them to manipulate outcomes, retaining the authority of judges unjustly, turning Pilate into a mere tool for their designs. Hence, the proceedings under Pilate’s authority unfolded with the same injustice as the earlier trial, implicating Pilate himself in moral wrongdoing as he strayed from truth.

Considering the realm of hypothetical ethics, what if another individual with a well-formed conscience and understanding of justice had faced the same pressures Pilate did? It is likely they would have acted similarly, discouraged by an atmosphere where political interests overshadow moral duty—a common trait among Roman nobles of that era. Pilate, like any ordinary person subjected to similar pressures, succumbed to the will of the crowd, contradicting his own judgments and moral law, leading to the death of an innocent.

Reflecting on the consequences faced by such rulers, one must recall the wise counsel found within the Twelve Tables, which advised against succumbing to the populace’s ungrounded clamor when it seeks the acquittal of the guilty or the condemnation of the innocent. The Mishnah outlines four forms of capital punishment, each detailed within the ancient Jewish legal code. All outlined offenses carried significant consequences, underscoring that judgment was viewed as a collective undertaking within the community. Thus, the gravest of penalties, such as stoning, was instituted under the Mosaic Law for various offenses, which extended even to animals.

Unfortunately, the execution faced by Jesus—crucifixion—was not included within this ancient code, and was viewed in Roman society as the most brutal form of punishment, reserved primarily for slaves and notorious criminals. However, due to the intertwined nature of Jewish and Roman law during this time, the blasphemous charges leveled against Jesus morphed into political accusations, thus compelling Pilate to wield authority over the case, expediting the sentence as a political necessity rather than a judicial one.

Upon Pilate’s declaration, preparations immediately commenced for the execution, aligning with Roman customs, where the executioners, rather than judicial officers, carried out the orders. Soldiers stripped Jesus of the mocking purple robe and returned His own garments as the instruments of His suffering awaited Him. The crown of thorns could have been removed, yet the Gospels remain silent on this matter. Bearing His cross, Jesus journeyed to the place of crucifixion, as was customary in Roman society.

The cross itself inspires curiosity regarding its material and shape. Throughout history, the origins of the wood comprising the cross have prompted speculation, with tales even emerging that attribute its roots to legendary accounts spanning from the time of David or even earlier. Various stories circulated about sacred trees and their connection to the cross, with beliefs evolving over time to incorporate multifaceted narratives into folklore.

Though these legends captivate, they offer no definitive insight concerning the specific nature of the wood used for the cross. Furthermore, scholarly discourse has yielded multiple theories regarding the tree species involved, though there remains a lack of coherent consensus. The actual construction of the cross adhered to general patterns of crucifixion characteristic of Roman practices, ensuring that the chosen material would not bear the status of sacred woods reserved for worship.

Thus, the cross emerged as an emblem of disgrace, meant to evoke scorn rather than honor. Roman citizens enjoying certain protections found themselves exempt from this form of capital punishment, reserved instead for those considered enemies of the state. As such, Jesus’ trial and subsequent execution fell severely at odds with Jewish law, leading to a reckless procedure that concluded with the Lord condemned improperly.

If the sentence had occurred during Jewish governance, accusations of blasphemy may have concluded in stoning, aligning with Jewish law, yet the prevailing sociopolitical environment imposed a Roman approach to justice, leading to the infamy of the crucifixion. Even within the earlier stipulations of the Jewish legal framework, the Sanhedrin's judgments required a cooling-off period before executing the death penalty; unlike the immediate Roman decrees, which escalated the timeline of sentencing and execution.

In the haste of Pilate’s decree, the preparation for crucifixion ensued almost instantaneously, leading soldiers to strip Jesus bare of His purple cloak and ready Him for His brutal fate. The soldiers took charge of constructing the cross, ensuring they adapted it appropriately for maximum humiliation of the condemned. The instrument of His suffering left an indelible mark within history, epitomizing not only His suffering but the profound paradox of victory through defeat.

With the onset of the Sabbath and the impending celebration of Passover and Unleavened Bread (John 19:31), those who rigidly adhered to the Mosaic Law found fresh motivation to accelerate the execution. Initially hesitant due to fear of public backlash (Matthew 26:4, 5), they now deemed urgency necessary given the prevailing sentiment among the crowds.

The sinless and pure Lamb, preordained by the eternal counsel of the triune God as an atoning offering for the transgressions of humanity (1 Peter 1:19, 20; 2:24), was surrendered to the soldiers, who were typically responsible for carrying out such decrees. They stripped the Divine sufferer of His robe of mockery and clothed Him again in His own garments, likely so that all those in Jerusalem, including casual onlookers, would recognize Him as the one they had frequently encountered in the temple and in the city's streets. The means of execution—His cross—was prepared. Two other criminals awaited Him on the street—those sentenced to die alongside Him. In accordance with Roman practices, the condemned individuals bore their own crosses to the execution site, as noted in Scripture (Numbers 15:35-36; 2 Samuel 21:13; Acts 7:58; Hebrews 13:12). The Jews, recalling Moses's teachings (Deuteronomy 21:23), held such disdain for the cross that they refused to touch it, as remarked upon by St. John Chrysostom.

In a manner reminiscent of Isaac, who carried the wood for his sacrificial offering (Genesis 22:6), our Redeemer bore the wood of the cross for His own sacrifice. Thus, the Divine bearer of the cross, as noted by St. John Chrysostom, "went forth bearing the cross as a symbol of victory over death." From the perspective of the wicked, as stated by Pope Leo the Great, this event appeared to be a great mockery; however, for the faithful, it was a profound mystery, as the glorious Victor over sin and the mighty Conqueror of the dark forces carried His trophy of triumph and displayed the standard of salvation with unyielding patience, designated for the veneration of all nations and kingdoms. The remarkable pilgrimage of the cross, led by the Advocate of the New Covenant (Hebrews 12:24), the Author and Finisher of faith, Jesus, who suffered reproach from sinners (v. 2:3), became evident.

At this appointed hour, the Lord's disciples and all those in Jerusalem yearning for redemption (Luke 2:38) should reflect upon His foreknowledge: "Blessed is he who is not offended by Me" (Matthew 11:6). He who was sinless and had no deceit in His mouth (1 Peter 2:22) had journeyed through towns and villages proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven, doing good and healing every ailment among the people (Matthew 4:23; Acts 10:38). This same Jesus, whom the crowds in Jerusalem had recently greeted with joyful cries of "hosanna" (Matthew 21:9-10), the Redeemer of lost humanity who humbled Himself to the utmost point of humiliation—death on a cross (Philippians 2:8)—traveled with two criminals through the streets of Jerusalem towards His place of execution, carrying the heavy burden of the cross. The path he took led westward toward the judgment gate, through which the condemned were customarily escorted out of the city.