New Testament in a Year

Jesus Before Annas

¹⁹ So the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. ²⁰ Jesus replied to him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I always taught in the synagogue and in the temple courts^[a] where all the Jews assemble, and I have said nothing in secret. ²¹ Why are you asking me? Ask those who heard what I have said to them! Behold, these people know what I said.” ²² Now when^[b] he had said these things, one of the officers who was standing by gave a slap in the face to Jesus, saying, “Do you reply to the high priest in this way?” ²³ Jesus replied to him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify about what is wrong! But if I have spoken^[c] correctly, why do you strike me?” ²⁴ Then Annas sent him, tied up, to Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter Denies Jesus the Second and Third Times

²⁵ Now Simon Peter was standing there and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of his disciples, are you?”^[d] He denied it^[e] and said, “I am not!” ²⁶ One of the slaves of the high priest, who was related to the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” ²⁷ So Peter denied it^[f] again, and immediately a rooster crowed.

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

²⁸ Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s residence. Now it was early, and they did not enter into the governor’s residence so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate came outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” ³⁰ They answered and said to him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have handed him over to you!” ³¹ So Pilate said to them, “You take him and judge him according to your law!” The Jews said to him, “It is not permitted for us to kill anyone,” ³² in order that the word of Jesus would be fulfilled that he had spoken, indicating by what sort of death he was going to die.

Pilate Questions Jesus

³³ Then Pilate entered again into the governor’s residence and summoned Jesus and said to him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” ³⁴ Jesus replied, “Do you say this from yourself, or have others said this^[g] to you about me?” ³⁵ Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I?^[h] Your people and the chief priests handed you over to me! What have you done?” ³⁶ Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.” ³⁷ Then Pilate said to him, “So then you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I have come into the world: in order that I can testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” ³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

And when he^[i] had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no basis for an accusation against him. ³⁹ But it is your custom that I release for you one prisoner^[j] at the Passover. So do you want me^[k] to release for you the king of the Jews?” ⁴⁰ Then they shouted again, saying, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.)^[l]