Jesus or Barabbas

¹⁵ At the festival^(A) the governor’s custom was to release to the crowd a prisoner they wanted. ¹⁶ At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.^{[a] 17} So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Who is it you want me to release for you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” ^{(B) 18} For he knew it was because of envy that they had handed him over.

¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judge’s bench, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I’ve suffered terribly in a dream because of him.”^(C)

²⁰ The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus. ²¹ The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”

“Barabbas!” they answered.

²² Pilate asked them, “What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Christ?”

They all answered, “Crucify him!” ^(D)

²³ Then he said, “Why? What has he done wrong?”

But they kept shouting all the more, “Crucify him!” ^(E)

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.^[b] See to it yourselves!” ^(F)

²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood be on us^(G) and on our children!” ²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them and, after having Jesus flogged, handed him over to be crucified.^(H)

Mocked by the Military

²⁷ Then^(I) the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s residence and gathered the whole company^[c] around him.^{(J) 28} They stripped him and dressed him in a scarlet robe.^{(K) 29} They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and placed a staff in his right hand. And they knelt down before him and mocked him: “Hail, king of the Jews!” ³⁰ Then they spat on him, took the staff, and kept hitting him on the head. ³¹ After they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.^(L)

Healing of a Lame Man

3 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer^(A) at three in the afternoon.^{[a] 2} A man who was lame from birth was being carried there. He was placed each day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so that he could beg from those entering the temple.^{(B) 3} When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for money. ⁴ Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” ^{(C) 7} Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. ⁸ So he jumped up and started to walk, and he entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.^{(D) 9} All the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.^(E)

Preaching in Solomon’s Colonnade

¹¹ While he^[b] was holding on to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astonished, ran toward them in what is called Solomon’s Colonnade.^{(F) 12} When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Fellow Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk by our own power or godliness? ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors,^(G) has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate,^(H) though he had decided to release him. ¹⁴ You denied the Holy and Righteous One^(I) and asked to have a murderer released to you.^{(J) 15} You killed the source^[c] of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this.^{(K) 16} By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in front of all of you.