Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 15:44

"And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead." — Mark 15:44 (ASV)

Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus had already died . Only after he received confirmation of Jesus’ death from the centurion was he willing to turn Jesus’ body over to Joseph. For Pilate to release the body of a condemned criminal—especially one condemned of high treason—to someone other than a relative was highly unusual. It suggests that Pilate did not take seriously the charge of high treason against Jesus and had only pronounced sentence against him because of political expediency.