Readings for Lent and Easter

Chapter 15

Jesus before Pilate.^{[a] 1} As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a council with the elders and the scribes and the whole Sanhedrin. They bound Jesus and led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

² Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You have said so.” ³ Then the chief priests brought many charges against him. ⁴ Again, Pilate questioned him, “Have you no answer to offer? Just consider how many charges they are leveling against you.” ⁵ But Jesus offered no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

Jesus Is Sentenced to Death. ⁶ Now on the occasion of the feast, he released a prisoner to them, anyone for whom they asked.^{[b] 7} At the time, a man named Barabbas was in prison along with some rebels who had committed murder during an uprising. ⁸ When the crowd came forward and began to ask him to do the customary favor for them, ⁹ Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?”^{[c] 10} For he realized that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed him over.

¹¹ However, the chief priests incited the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. ¹² Pilate then asked, “And what shall I do with the man you call the king of the Jews?” ¹³ They shouted back, “Crucify him!” ¹⁴ Pilate asked them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they only screamed all the louder, “Crucify him!”