My Kingdom Is Not of This World

33 (A)So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, (B)“Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, (C)“My kingdom (D)is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, (E)my servants would have been fighting, that (F)I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, (G)“You say that I am a king. (H)For this purpose I was born and for this purpose (I)I have come into the world—(J)to bear witness to the truth. (K)Everyone who is (L)of the truth (M)listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, (N)he went back outside to the Jews and told them, (O)“I find no guilt in him.

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Pilate questions Jesus

33 Pilate went back into the palace. He summoned Jesus and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others spoken to you about me?”

35 Pilate responded, “I’m not a Jew, am I? Your nation and its chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”

36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom doesn’t originate from this world. If it did, my guards would fight so that I wouldn’t have been arrested by the Jewish leaders. My kingdom isn’t from here.”

37 “So you are a king?” Pilate said.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. I was born and came into the world for this reason: to testify to the truth. Whoever accepts the truth listens to my voice.”

38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked.

Release of Barabbas

After Pilate said this, he returned to the Jewish leaders and said, “I find no grounds for any charge against him.

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