Week 12: Chapter 11 — The Cry

1.Before Pilate, Jesus is silent — he does not defend himself, does not bargain, does not leverage the crowd's sympathy. Keller argues that Jesus's silence is itself a form of speech: it is the silence of a sacrifice that has chosen this path. What does Jesus's voluntary silence say about the nature of his death — was it something done to him, or something he did?

2.The crowd chooses Barabbas — a convicted murderer and insurrectionist — to be released, while Jesus is condemned. Keller sees in this exchange a parable of substitution: the guilty goes free and the innocent is condemned in his place. How does the Barabbas episode function as a picture of what the cross accomplishes for every believer?

3.The soldiers mock Jesus with a crown of thorns and a purple robe, hailing him as "King of the Jews" in derision. Keller notes the crushing irony: they are speaking truer than they know. How does Mark use irony throughout the crucifixion narrative to make theological points? What does it say about God's way of working that the most important truths in this story are spoken by those who don't believe them?