What is the meaning of Mark 15:20? After they had mocked Him “After they had mocked Him” (Mark 15:20) • The soldiers’ mockery fulfills the prophecy that the Messiah would be “despised and rejected” (Isaiah 53:3) and foreshadows Psalm 22:7, “all who see Me mock Me.” • Matthew 27:29-30 records the same taunts—kneeling in false homage, spitting, striking Him—underscoring that the contempt was deliberate, not accidental. • Luke 23:11 shows Herod’s soldiers also ridiculed Him, emphasizing a universal rejection by both Jew and Gentile. • While the soldiers thought they were humiliating a powerless prisoner, 1 Corinthians 2:8 reminds us they were actually mocking “the Lord of glory.” they removed the purple robe “They removed the purple robe” (Mark 15:20) • Purple symbolized royalty; the robe was a sarcastic prop (John 19:2-3). By tearing it off, the soldiers discard their charade, but the episode still proclaims Jesus’ true kingship (Revelation 19:16). • Stripping Him again reopens the scourging wounds (John 19:1), heightening His suffering in fulfillment of Isaiah 50:6, “I offered My back to those who struck Me.” • Even in mockery, Scripture testifies that every knee will bow (Philippians 2:10); the temporary robe cannot conceal His eternal majesty. and put His own clothes back on Him “and put His own clothes back on Him” (Mark 15:20) • Restoring His garments prepares Him for public execution; Roman law allowed criminals to die in their own clothes, a grim contrast to the nakedness He would soon endure (John 19:23-24). • This detail sets the stage for the soldiers casting lots at the cross, fulfilling Psalm 22:18, “They divide My garments among them.” • God’s sovereignty pierces through: what seems like routine procedure orchestrates precise prophetic fulfillment (Acts 2:23). Then they led Him out “Then they led Him out” (Mark 15:20) • Jesus is taken outside the city, paralleling the sin offering burned “outside the camp” (Hebrews 13:11-13). • John 19:17 says He carried His own cross, highlighting His willing submission (John 10:18). • The phrase mirrors Genesis 22:6, where Isaac carries wood for his own sacrifice, pointing to Jesus as the greater fulfillment. to crucify Him “to crucify Him” (Mark 15:20) • Crucifixion was Rome’s most brutal death penalty (Galatians 3:13), yet God chose it to display Christ “becoming a curse for us.” • Jesus predicted this precise death (Mark 10:33-34), demonstrating His foreknowledge and control. • Colossians 2:14-15 affirms that on the cross He “canceled the record of debt” and “disarmed the powers,” turning the instrument of shame into the means of victory. summary Mark 15:20 compresses layers of fulfilled prophecy and profound meaning into a single sentence. Mockery proves His rejection; the purple robe and its removal proclaim His kingship; His own clothes and the path outside the city prepare the stage for prophetic detail; and the march to crucifixion signals the climax of redemption. What humans meant for disgrace, God used to unveil the saving work of His Son, securing forgiveness, victory, and eternal glory for all who believe. |
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