In my last post on the emerging Kingdom from Mark 15:1-15, I wrote about how the heart so often displays its condition. In this second post on the same passage I want to look at how the empire – through its representative Pilate – managed to bolt-on something to the Passover celebration that would lead men astray.

Verse 6 tells us that Pilate had added a new custom to the Passover festival by agreeing to set free a prisoner upon the people’s request. Apparently this was a custom that...