The Soldiers Mock Jesus^(A)

²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium^(B) and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. ²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,^{(C) 29} and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.^{(D) 30} They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.^(E)

¹⁸ “We are going up to Jerusalem,^(A) and the Son of Man^(B) will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law.^(C) They will condemn him to death ¹⁹ and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged^(D) and crucified.^(E) On the third day^(F) he will be raised to life!”^(G)

The Soldiers Mock Jesus^(A)

¹⁶ The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace^(B) (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷ They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”^{(C) 19} Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.

³ So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

⁴ Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”^(A)

⁵ But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee^(B) and has come all the way here.”

⁶ On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean.^{(C) 7} When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod,^(D) who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

⁸ When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him.^(E) From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. ⁹ He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.^{(F) 10} The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹ Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe,^(G) they sent him back to Pilate. ¹² That day Herod and Pilate became friends^(H)—before this they had been enemies.

¹³ Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.^{(I) 15} Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶ Therefore, I will punish him^(J) and then release him.” ^[17] [a]

¹⁸ But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”^{(K) 19} (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰ Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. ²¹ But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²² For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”^(L)

²³ But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate decided to grant their demand. ²⁵ He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(M)

²⁶ As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene,^(N) who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.^{(O) 27} A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed^(P) for him. ²⁸ Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.^{(Q) 29} For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’^{(R) 30} Then

³¹ For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”^(T)

³² Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.^{(U) 33} When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴ Jesus said, “Father,^(V) forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”^[c](W) And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.^(X)

³⁵ The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him.^(Y) They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”^(Z)

³⁶ The soldiers also came up and mocked him.^(AA) They offered him wine vinegar^{(AB) 37} and said, “If you are the king of the Jews,^(AC) save yourself.”

Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified^(A)

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.^{(B) 2} The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe ³ and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!”^(C) And they slapped him in the face.^(D)

⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.^(A)

³ For what I received^(A) I passed on to you^(B) as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins^(C) according to the Scriptures,^{(D) 4} that he was buried,^(E) that he was raised^(F) on the third day^(G) according to the Scriptures,^{(H) 5} and that he appeared to Cephas,^[b](I) and then to the Twelve.^(J)