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Jesus Before the Leaders

57 Those men who arrested Jesus led him to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest. The teachers of the law and the Jewish elders were gathered there. 58 Peter followed Jesus but did not go near him. He followed Jesus to the courtyard of the high priest’s house. He sat down with the guards to see what would happen to Jesus.

59 The leading priests and the Jewish council tried to find something false against Jesus so that they could kill him. 60 Many people came and told lies about him. But the council could find no real reason to kill Jesus. Then two people came and said, 61 “This man said, ‘I can destroy the Temple of God and build it again in three days.’”

62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Aren’t you going to answer? Don’t you have something to say about their charges against you?” 63 But Jesus said nothing.

Again the high priest said to Jesus, “You must swear to this. I command you by the power of the living God to tell us the truth. Tell us, are you the Christ, the Son of God?”

64 Jesus answered, “Yes, I am. But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God, the Powerful One. And you will see him coming in clouds in the sky.”

65 When the high priest heard this, he was very angry. He tore his clothes and said, “This man has said things that are against God! We don’t need any more witnesses. You all heard him say these things against God. 66 What do you think?”

The people answered, “He is guilty, and he must die.”

67 Then the people there spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. Others slapped Jesus. 68 They said, “Prove to us that you are a prophet, you Christ! Tell us who hit you!”

Peter Says He Doesn’t Know Jesus

69 At that time, Peter was sitting in the courtyard. A servant girl came to him and said, “You were with Jesus, that man from Galilee.”

70 But Peter said that he was never with Jesus. He said this to all the people there. Peter said, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

71 Then he left the courtyard. At the gate, another girl saw him. She said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

72 Again, Peter said that he was never with Jesus. Peter said, “I swear that I don’t know this man Jesus!”

73 A short time later, some people standing there went to Peter. They said, “We know you are one of those men who followed Jesus. We know this because of the way you talk.”

74 Then Peter began to curse. He said, “May a curse fall on me if I’m not telling the truth. I don’t know the man.” After Peter said this, a rooster crowed. 75 Then he remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter went outside and cried painfully.

Jesus Is Taken to Pilate

27 Early the next morning, all the leading priests and elders of the people decided to kill Jesus. They tied him, led him away, and turned him over to Pilate, the governor.

Judas Kills Himself

Judas saw that they had decided to kill Jesus. Judas was the one who gave Jesus to his enemies. When Judas saw what happened, he was very sorry for what he had done. So he took the 30 silver coins back to the priests and the leaders. Judas said, “I sinned. I gave you an innocent man to be killed.”

The leaders answered, “What is that to us? That’s your problem, not ours.”

So Judas threw the money into the Temple. Then he went off and hanged himself.

The leading priests picked up the silver coins in the Temple. They said, “Our law does not allow us to keep this money with the Temple money. This money has paid for a man’s death.” So they decided to use the coins to buy a field called Potter’s Field. This field would be a place to bury strangers who died while visiting Jerusalem. That is why that field is still called the Field of Blood. So the thing came true that Jeremiah the prophet had said: “They took 30 silver coins. That is how little the Israelites thought he was worth. 10 They used those 30 silver coins to buy Potter’s Field, as the Lord commanded me.”[a]

Pilate Questions Jesus

11 Jesus stood before Pilate the governor. Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus answered, “Yes, I am.”

12 When the leading priests and the elders accused Jesus, he said nothing.

13 So Pilate said to Jesus, “Don’t you hear these people accusing you of all these things?”

14 But Jesus said nothing in answer to Pilate. Pilate was very surprised at this.

Pilate Tries to Free Jesus

15 Every year at the time of Passover the governor would free one person from prison. This was always a person the people wanted to be set free. 16 At that time there was a man in prison who was known to be very bad. His name was Barabbas.[b] 17 All the people gathered at Pilate’s house. Pilate said, “Which man do you want me to free: Barabbas,[c] or Jesus who is called the Christ?” 18 Pilate knew that they gave Jesus to him because they were jealous.

19 Pilate said these things while he was sitting on the judge’s seat. While he was sitting there, his wife sent a message to him. The message said, “Don’t do anything to that man. He is not guilty. Today I had a dream about him, and it troubled me very much.”

20 But the leading priests and elders told the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be freed and for Jesus to be killed.

21 Pilate said, “I have Barabbas and Jesus. Which do you want me to set free for you?”

The people answered, “Barabbas!”

22 Pilate asked, “What should I do with Jesus, the one called the Christ?”

They all answered, “Kill him on a cross!”

23 Pilate asked, “Why do you want me to kill him? What wrong has he done?”

But they shouted louder, “Kill him on a cross!”

24 Pilate saw that he could do nothing about this, and a riot was starting. So he took some water and washed his hands[d] in front of the crowd. Then he said, “I am not guilty of this man’s death. You are the ones who are causing it!”

25 All the people answered, “We will be responsible. We accept for ourselves and for our children any punishment for his death.”

26 Then Pilate freed Barabbas. Pilate told some of the soldiers to beat Jesus with whips. Then he gave Jesus to the soldiers to be killed on a cross.

27 Pilate’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s palace. All the soldiers gathered around Jesus. 28 They took off his clothes and put a red robe on him. 29 Then the soldiers used thorny branches to make a crown. They put this crown of thorns on Jesus’ head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then the soldiers bowed before Jesus and made fun of him. They said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 They spit on Jesus. Then they took his stick and hit him on the head many times. 31 After they finished making fun of Jesus, the soldiers took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led Jesus away to be killed on a cross.

Footnotes

  1. 27:10 “They . . . commanded me.” See Zechariah 11:12–13 and Jeremiah 32:6–9.
  2. 27:16, 17 Barabbas Some Greek copies read “Jesus Barabbas.”
  3. 27:16, 17 Barabbas Some Greek copies read “Jesus Barabbas.”
  4. 27:24 washed his hands He did this as a sign to show that he wanted no part in what the people did.

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin(A)

57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas(B) the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58 But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest.(C) He entered and sat down with the guards(D) to see the outcome.

59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin(E) were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses(F) came forward.

Finally two(G) came forward 61 and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”(H)

62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent.(I)

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath(J) by the living God:(K) Tell us if you are the Messiah,(L) the Son of God.”(M)

64 “You have said so,”(N) Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One(O) and coming on the clouds of heaven.”[a](P)

65 Then the high priest tore his clothes(Q) and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,”(R) they answered.

67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists.(S) Others slapped him 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”(T)

Peter Disowns Jesus(U)

69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

70 But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

72 He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”(V) And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Judas Hangs Himself

27 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed.(W) So they bound him, led him away and handed him over(X) to Pilate the governor.(Y)

When Judas, who had betrayed him,(Z) saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver(AA) to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”(AB)

So Judas threw the money into the temple(AC) and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.(AD)

The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood(AE) to this day. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:(AF) “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10 and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”[b](AG)

Jesus Before Pilate(AH)

11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”(AI)

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.(AJ) 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”(AK) 14 But Jesus made no reply,(AL) not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner(AM) chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus[c] Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”(AN) 18 For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat,(AO) his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent(AP) man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream(AQ) because of him.”

20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.(AR)

21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”(AS) Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar(AT) was starting, he took water and washed his hands(AU) in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”(AV) he said. “It is your responsibility!”(AW)

25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”(AX)

26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged,(AY) and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus(AZ)

27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium(BA) and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,(BB) 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.(BC) 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.(BD) 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.(BE)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 26:64 See Psalm 110:1; Daniel 7:13.
  2. Matthew 27:10 See Zech. 11:12,13; Jer. 19:1-13; 32:6-9.
  3. Matthew 27:16 Many manuscripts do not have Jesus; also in verse 17.