Luke 23:13-25

International Children’s Bible

Jesus Must Die

¹³ Pilate called all the people together with the leading priests and the Jewish leaders. ¹⁴ He said to them, “You brought this man to me. You said that he was making trouble among the people. But I have questioned him before you all, and I have not found him guilty of the things you say. ¹⁵ Also, Herod found nothing wrong with him; he sent him back to us. Look, he has done nothing for which he should die. ¹⁶ So, after I punish him, I will let him go free.” ¹⁷ [Every year at the Passover Feast, Pilate had to release one prisoner to the people.]^[a]

¹⁸ But all the people shouted, “Kill him! Let Barabbas go free!” ¹⁹ (Barabbas was a man who was in prison because he started a riot in the city. He was guilty of murder.)

²⁰ Pilate wanted to let Jesus go free. So he told this to the crowd. ²¹ But they shouted again, “Kill him! Kill him on a cross!”

²² A third time Pilate said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done? I can find no reason to kill him. So I will have him punished and set him free.”

²³ But they continued to shout. They demanded that Jesus be killed on the cross. Their yelling became so loud that ²⁴ Pilate decided to give them what they wanted. ²⁵ They wanted Barabbas to go free, the man who was in jail for starting a riot and for murder. Pilate let Barabbas go free and gave Jesus to them to be killed.