Luke 23:8–25

⁸Herod was very pleased when he saw Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been wanting to see him for a long time. He was hoping to see Jesus perform some miracle. ⁹So Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus made no answer. ¹⁰The chief priests and the teachers of the Law stepped forward and made strong accusations against Jesus. ¹¹Herod and his soldiers mocked Jesus and treated him with contempt; then they put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. ¹²On that very day Herod and Pilate became friends; before this they had been enemies.

Jesus Is Sentenced to Death

¹³Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, ¹⁴and said to them, “You brought this man to me and said that he was misleading the people. Now, I have examined him here in your presence, and I have not found him guilty of any of the crimes you accuse him of. ¹⁵Nor did Herod find him guilty, for he sent him back to us. There is nothing this man has done to deserve death. ¹⁶So I will have him whipped and let him go.”^c

¹⁸The whole crowd cried out, “Kill him! Set Barabbas free for us!” ¹⁹(Barabbas had been put in prison for a riot that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, so he appealed to the crowd again. ²¹But they shouted back, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²²Pilate said to them the third time, “But what crime has he committed? I cannot find anything he has done to deserve death! I will have him whipped and set him free.” ²³But they kept on shouting at the top of their voices that Jesus should be crucified, and finally their shouting succeeded. ²⁴So Pilate passed the sentence on Jesus that they were asking for. ²⁵He set free the man they wanted, the one who had been put in prison for riot and murder, and he handed Jesus over for them to do as they wished.