Jesus Faces Pilate^(A)

¹¹ Now Jesus stood before the governor. ^(B)And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

Jesus said to him, ^(C)“It is as you say.” ¹² And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, ^(D)He answered nothing.

¹³ Then Pilate said to Him, ^(E)“Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” ¹⁴ But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

Taking the Place of Barabbas^(F)

^15 (G)Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. ¹⁶ And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called ^[a]Barabbas. ¹⁷ Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” ¹⁸ For he knew that they had handed Him over because of ^(H)envy.

¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”

^20 (I)But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. ²¹ The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”

They said, ^(J)“Barabbas!”

²² Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”

They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”

²³ Then the governor said, ^(K)“Why, what evil has He done?”

But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a ^[b]tumult was rising, he ^(L)took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this ^[c]just Person. You see to it.”

²⁵ And all the people answered and said, ^(M)“His blood be on us and on our children.”

Jesus Faces Pilate^(A)

15 Immediately, ^(B)in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and ^(C)delivered Him to Pilate. ^2 (D)Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”

³ And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He ^(E)answered nothing. ^4 (F)Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things ^[a]they testify against You!” ^5 (G)But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

Taking the Place of Barabbas^(H)

⁶ Now ^(I)at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. ⁷ And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. ⁸ Then the multitude, ^[b]crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. ⁹ But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” ¹⁰ For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.

¹¹ But ^(J)the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. ¹² Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the ^(K)King of the Jews?”

¹³ So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”

¹⁴ Then Pilate said to them, “Why, ^(L)what evil has He done?”

But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”

^15 (M)So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be ^(N)crucified.

Taking the Place of Barabbas^(A)

^13 (B)Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, ¹⁴ said to them, ^(C)“You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, ^(D)having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; ¹⁵ no, neither did Herod, for ^[a]I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. ^16 (E)I will therefore chastise Him and release Him” ^17 (F)(for^[b] it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).

¹⁸ And ^(G)they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”— ¹⁹ who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.

²⁰ Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. ²¹ But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

²² Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.”

²³ But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men ^[c]and of the chief priests prevailed. ²⁴ So ^(H)Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. ^25 (I)And he released ^[d]to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

The King on a Cross^(J)

^26 (K)Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.

In Pilate’s Court^(A)

^28 (B)Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. ^(C)But they themselves did not go into the ^[a]Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. ^29 (D)Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”

³⁰ They answered and said to him, “If He were not ^[b]an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”

³¹ Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”

Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” ^32 (E)that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, ^(F)signifying by what death He would die.

^33 (G)Then Pilate entered the ^[c]Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

³⁴ Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”

³⁵ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”

^36 (H)Jesus answered, ^(I)“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

³⁷ Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”

Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, ^(J)that I should bear ^(K)witness to the truth. Everyone who ^(L)is of the truth ^(M)hears My voice.”

³⁸ Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, ^(N)“I find no fault in Him at all.

Taking the Place of Barabbas^(O)

^39 (P)“But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

^40 (Q)Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” ^(R)Now Barabbas was a robber.

²¹ For ^(A)He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become ^(B)the righteousness of God in Him.

¹⁵ For ^(A)we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but ^(B)was in all points tempted as we are, ^(C)yet without sin.

²¹ For ^(A)to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for ^[a]us, ^(B)leaving ^[b]us an example, that you should follow His steps:

Sin and the Child of God

⁴ Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and ^(A)sin is lawlessness. ⁵ And you know ^(B)that He was manifested ^(C)to take away our sins, and ^(D)in Him there is no sin.