Jesus Before Pilate^(A)

²⁸ Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor.^(B) By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace,^(C) because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.^{(D) 29} So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

³⁰ “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

³¹ Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. ³² This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.^(E)

¹⁴ Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(A) so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^[a](B)

²⁸ So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up^[a] the Son of Man,^(A) then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.^(B)

³² And I, when I am lifted up^[a] from the earth,^(A) will draw all people to myself.”^{(B) 33} He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.^(C)

²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.^(A)

⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins^(A) and purify us from all unrighteousness.^(B)

³³ Pilate then went back inside the palace,^(A) summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”^(B)

³⁴ “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

³⁵ “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

³⁶ Jesus said, “My kingdom^(C) is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders.^(D) But now my kingdom is from another place.”^(E)

³⁷ “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.^(F) Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”^(G)

³⁸ “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.^(H)

³⁹ But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

⁴⁰ They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.^(A)

Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified^(B)

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.^{(C) 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!”^(D) And they slapped him in the face.^(E)

⁴ Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out^(F) to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”^{(G) 5} When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe,^(H) Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

⁶ As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him.^(I) As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”^(J)

⁷ The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die,^(K) because he claimed to be the Son of God.”^(L)