New Testament in a Year

Jesus is Taken to Pilate^(A)

23 Then the whole crowd got up and took him to Pilate. ² They began to accuse him, “We found this man corrupting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that he is the Messiah,^[a] a king.”

³ Then Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

He answered, “You say so.”

⁴ Then Pilate told the high priests and crowds, “I do not find anything chargeable in this man.”

⁵ But they kept insisting, “He is stirring up the people with what he teaches all over Judea, from where he started in Galilee to this place.”

Jesus is Sent to Herod

⁶ When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. ⁷ When he learned with certainty that Jesus^[b] came from Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at that time. ⁸ Now Herod was very glad to see Jesus, because he had been wanting to see him for a long time on account of what he had heard about him. He was also hoping to see some sign done by him. ⁹ So he continued to question him for a long time, but Jesus^[c] gave him no answer at all. ¹⁰ Meanwhile, the high priests and the scribes stood nearby and continued to accuse him vehemently. ¹¹ Even^[d] Herod and his soldiers treated him with contempt and made fun of him. He put a magnificent robe on Jesus^[e] and sent him back to Pilate. ¹² So Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day. Before this they had been enemies.

Jesus is Sentenced to Death^(B)

¹³ Then Pilate called the high priests, the other^[f] leaders, and the people together ¹⁴ and told them, “You brought this man to me as one who turns the people against the government. And here in your presence I have examined him and have found him ‘Not Guilty’ of the charges you make against him. ¹⁵ Neither does Herod, because he sent him back to us! Indeed, this man^[g] has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶ So I will punish him and let him go.”

¹⁷ Now he was obligated to release someone for them at the festival.^{[h] 18} But they all shouted out together, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas for us!” ¹⁹ (This man had been put in prison for murder and for a revolt that had taken place in the city.) ²⁰ But Pilate wanted to let Jesus go, so he appealed to them again, ²¹ but they continued to shout, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²² Then he spoke to them a third time: “What has he done wrong? I have found nothing in him worthy of death. So I will punish him and let him go.” ²³ But they kept pressing him with loud shouts, demanding that Jesus^[i] be crucified, and their shouts began to prevail.

²⁴ Then Pilate pronounced his sentence that their demand should be carried out. ²⁵ So he released the man who had been put in prison for revolt and murder—the man whose release^[j] they continued to demand—but he let them have their way with Jesus.^[k]