Mark 15:6-20

The Voice

⁶ Now it was his custom at that feast that Pilate should release one prisoner from custody, whomever the people most desired. ⁷ There was one rebel from those imprisoned for insurrection against the Roman occupation. He had committed murder during an uprising. His name was Barabbas. ⁸ A crowd had gathered in front of Pilate’s judgment seat to request that Pilate follow his usual custom.

⁹ Pilate turned to them.

¹⁰ He knew that the chief priests had delivered Jesus because they were threatened by Him, not because Jesus was a criminal.

¹¹ But priests moved among the crowd and persuaded them to call for Barabbas instead.

¹⁴ But now he called to them.

¹⁵ When Pilate saw that he could not persuade the crowd to change its mind, he released Barabbas to them and had Jesus publicly whipped, which was the normal prelude to crucifixion. Then he had Jesus led away to be crucified. ¹⁶ The soldiers took Him into the headquarters of the governor; and the rest of the soldiers in the detachment gathered there, hundreds of them. ¹⁷ They put a purple robe on Him and made a crown of thorns that they forced onto His head, ¹⁸ and they began to cry out in mock salute.

¹⁹ For a long while they beat Him on the head with a reed, spat upon Him, and knelt down as if to honor Him. ²⁰ When they had finished mocking Him, they stripped off His purple robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they took Him away to be executed.