Mark 15:2–20; Matthew 27:11–31; Luke 23:1–25; John 18:28–19:16

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Mark 15:2–20

iAnd Pilate asked him, jAre you the King of the Jews? And he answered him, kYou have said so. And the chief priests accused him of many things. And Pilate again asked him, lHave you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you. But Jesus lmade no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

mNow at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. And among the rebels in prison, who had ncommitted murder oin the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. And he answered them, saying, Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews? 10 For he perceived that pit was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, Then what shall I do with qthe man you call the King of the Jews? 13 And they cried out again, Crucify him. 14 And Pilate said to them, Why? rWhat evil has he done? But they shouted all the more, Crucify him. 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having sscourged1 Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked

16 tAnd the soldiers led him away inside uthe palace (that is, vthe governor’s headquarters),2 and they called together the whole wbattalion.3 17 And they clothed him in xa purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, yHail, King of the Jews! 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and zspitting on him and akneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had bmocked him, they stripped him of xthe purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they cled him out to crucify him.


Matthew 27:11–31

Jesus Before Pilate

11 lNow Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, Are you mthe King of the Jews? Jesus said, nYou have said so. 12 oBut when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, pDo you not hear how many things they testify against you? 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas

15 qNow at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or rJesus who is called Christ? 18 For he knew that it was out sof envy that they had delivered him up. 19 Besides, while he was sitting on tthe judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, Have nothing to do with uthat righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today vin a dream. 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to wask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, Which of the two do you want me to release for you? And they said, Barabbas. 22 Pilate said to them, Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? xThey all said, Let him be crucified! 23 And he said, Why? yWhat evil has he done? But they shouted all the more, Let him be crucified!

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that za riot was beginning, he took water and awashed his hands before the crowd, saying, I am innocent of bthis man’s blood;1 csee to it yourselves. 25 And all the people answered, dHis blood be on us and eon our children! 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having fscourged2 Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked

27 gThen the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the hgovernor’s headquarters,3 and they gathered the whole ibattalion4 before him. 28 And they stripped him and put ja scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they kmocked him, saying, Hail, lKing of the Jews! 30 And mthey spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and nled him away to crucify him.


Luke 23:1–25

Jesus Before Pilate

cThen the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man dmisleading our nation and eforbidding us to give tribute to fCaesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, ga king. hAnd Pilate asked him, iAre you the King of the Jews? And he answered him, jYou have said so. Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, kI find no guilt in this man. But they were urgent, saying, He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, lfrom Galilee even to this place.

Jesus Before Herod

When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he belonged to mHerod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, nfor he had long desired to see him, obecause he had heard about him, and he was hoping pto see some sign done by him. So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers qtreated him with contempt and rmocked him. Then, sarraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And tHerod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

13 Pilate then called together the chief priests and uthe rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, You brought me this man vas one who was misleading the people. And wafter examining him before you, behold, I xdid not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither did Herod, for yhe sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16 zI will therefore punish and release him.1

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

18 aBut they all cried out together, bAway with this man, and release to us Barabbas 19 a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and cfor murder. 20 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, 21 but they kept shouting, Crucify, crucify him! 22 A third time he said to them, Why? dWhat evil has he done? eI have found in him no guilt deserving death. fI will therefore punish and release him. 23 But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison gfor insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, hbut he delivered Jesus over to their will.


John 18:28–19:16

Jesus Before Pilate

28 qThen they led Jesus rfrom the house of Caiaphas to sthe governor’s headquarters.1 It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, tso that they would not be defiled, ubut could eat the Passover. 29 vSo Pilate went outside to them and said, What accusation do you bring against this man? 30 They answered him, If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you. 31 Pilate said to them, wTake him yourselves and judge him by your own law. The Jews said to him, It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death. 32 xThis was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken yto show by what kind of death he was going to die.

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

33 zSo Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, aAre you the King of the Jews? 34 Jesus answered, Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me? 35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done? 36 Jesus answered, bMy kingdom cis not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, dmy servants would have been fighting, that eI might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world. 37 Then Pilate said to him, So you are a king? Jesus answered, fYou say that I am a king. gFor this purpose I was born and for this purpose hI have come into the worldito bear witness to the truth. jEveryone who is kof the truth llistens to my voice. 38 Pilate said to him, What is truth?

After he had said this, mhe went back outside to the Jews and told them, nI find no guilt in him. 39 oBut you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews? 40 They cried out again, pNot this man, but Barabbas! Now Barabbas was a robber.2

Jesus Delivered to Be Crucified

Then Pilate took Jesus and qflogged him. rAnd the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again and said to them, See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that sI find no guilt in him. So Jesus came out, wearing tthe crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, uBehold the man! When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, Crucify him, crucify him! Pilate said to them, vTake him yourselves and crucify him, for wI find no guilt in him. The Jews3 answered him, We have a law, and xaccording to that law he ought to die because yhe has made himself the Son of God. When Pilate heard this statement, zhe was even more afraid. aHe entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, bWhere are you from? But cJesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you? 11 Jesus answered him, dYou would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore ehe who delivered me over to you fhas the greater sin.

12 From then on gPilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. hEveryone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar. 13 So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on ithe judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic4 Gabbatha. 14 Now it was jthe day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour.5 He said to the Jews, kBehold your King! 15 They cried out, lAway with him, away with him, crucify him! Pilate said to them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. 16 mSo he ndelivered him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

So they took Jesus,