Their evidences were not sufficient - The Greek words literally rendered are, Were not equal: not equal to the charge of a capital crime: it is the same word in the 59th verse.
We heard him say - It is observable, that the words which they thus misrepresented, were spoken by Christ at least three years before, John 2:19. Their going back so far to find matter for the charge, was a glorious, though silent attestation of the unexceptionable manner wherein he had behaved, through the whole course of his public ministry.
Mt 26:63; Lu 22:67.
Mt 26:69; Lu 22:56; John 18:25.
And he covered his head - Which was a usual custom with mourners, and was fitly expressive both of grief and shame.
Mt 27:1,2; Lu 22:66; Lu 23:1; John 18:28.
Mt 27:12.
Insurrection - A crime which the Roman governors, and Pilate in particular, were more especially concerned and careful to punish.
Will ye that I release to you the king of the Jews - Which does this wretched man discover most? Want of justice, or courage, or common sense? The poor coward sacrifices justice to popular clamour, and enrages those whom he seeks to appease, by so unseasonably repeating that title, The king of the Jews, which he could not but know was so highly offensive to them.
Praetorium - The inner hall, where the praetor, a Roman magistrate, used to give judgment. But St. John calls the whole palace by this name. Mt 27:27; John 19:2.
Purple - As royal robes were usually purple and scarlet, St. Mark and John term this a purple robe, St. Matthew a scarlet one. The Tyrian purple is said not to have been very different from scarlet.
Mt 27:31; John 19:16.
The father of Alexander and Rufus - These were afterward two eminent Christians, and must have been well known when St. Mark wrote.
Mt 27:33; Lu 23:33; John 19:17.
St. Mark seems to intimate, that they first nailed him to the cross, then parted his garments, and afterward reared up the cross.
Isa 53:12.
Mt 27:39.
Mt 27:45; Lu 23:44.
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me - Thereby claiming God as his God; and yet lamenting his Father's withdrawing the tokens of his love, and treating him as an enemy, while he bare our sins.
Mt 27:50; Lu 23:46; John 19:30.
Who served him - Provided him with necessaries.
Because it was the day before the Sabbath - And the bodies might not hang on the Sabbath day: therefore they were in haste to have them taken down.
Honourable - A man of character and reputation: A counsellor - A member of the sanhedrim. Who waited for the kingdom of God - Who expected to see it set up on earth. Mt 27:57; Lu 23:50; John 19:38.
He rolled a stone - By his servants. It was too large for him to roll himself.
Mt 28:1; Lu 24:1; John 20:1.
At the rising of the sun - They set out while it was yet dark, and came within sight of the sepulchre, for the first time, just as it grew light enough to discern that the stone was rolled away, Matt 28:1; Luke 24:1; John 20:1. But by the time Mary had called Peter and John, and they had viewed the sepulchre, the sun was rising.
Who shall roll us away the stone - This seems to have been the only difficulty they apprehended. So they knew nothing of Pilate's having sealed the stone, and placed a guard of soldiers there.
And Peter - Though he so oft denied his Lord. What amazing goodness was this!
John 20:11.
Lu 24:9; John 20:18.
Lu 24:13.
Neither believed they them - They were moved a little by the testimony of these, added to that of St. Peter, Luke 24:34; but they did not yet fully believe it.
Lu 24:36; John 20:19.
Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature - Our Lord speaks without any limitation or restriction. If therefore every creature in every age hath not heard it, either those who should have preached, or those who should have heard it, or both, made void the counsel of God herein. Mt 28:19.
And is baptized - In token thereof. Every one that believed was baptized. But he that believeth not - Whether baptized or unbaptized, shall perish everlastingly.
And these signs shall follow them that believe - An eminent author sub - joins, "That believe with that very faith mentioned in the preceding verse." (Though it is certain that a man may work miracles, and not have saving faith, Matt 7:22,23.) "It was not one faith by which St. Paul was saved, another by which he wrought miracles. Even at this day in every believer faith has a latent miraculous power; (every effect of prayer being really miraculous;) although in many, both because of their own littleness of faith, and because the world is unworthy, that power is not exerted. Miracles, in the beginning, were helps to faith; now also they are the object of it. At Leonberg, in the memory of our fathers, a cripple that could hardly move with crutches, while the dean was preaching on this very text, was in a moment made whole." Shall follow - The word and faith must go before. In my name - By my authority committed to them. Raising the dead is not mentioned. So our Lord performed even more than he promised.
If they drink any deadly thing - But not by their own choice. God never calls us to try any such experiments.
The Lord - How seasonable is he called by this title! After he had spoken to them - For forty days. Lu 24:50.
They preached every where - At the time St. Mark wrote, the apostles had already gone into all the known world, Rom 10:18; and each of them was there known where he preached: the name of Christ only was known throughout the world.