John 18:28–19:16

Jesus before Pilate

^28aThen they led Jesus from ^bCaiaphas into ^cthe ¹Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that ^dthey would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.

^29aTherefore Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”

³⁰They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.”

³¹So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews said to him, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death,”

³²to fulfill ^athe word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.

³³Therefore Pilate ^aentered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “^bAre You the King of the Jews?”

³⁴Jesus answered, “Are you saying this ¹on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?”

³⁵Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?”

³⁶Jesus answered, “^aMy kingdom ¹is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not ²of this realm.”

³⁷Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “^aYou say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, ^bto testify to the truth. ^cEveryone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

³⁸Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”

And when he had said this, he ^awent out again to the Jews and said to them, “^bI find no guilt in Him.

³⁹“^aBut you have a custom that I release someone ¹for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?”

⁴⁰So they cried out again, saying, “^aNot this Man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a robber.

Chapter 19

The Crown of Thorns

¹Pilate then took Jesus and ^1ascourged Him.

^2aAnd the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him;

³and they began to come up to Him and say, “^aHail, King of the Jews!” and to ^bgive Him slaps in the face.

⁴Pilate ^acame out again and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that ^bI find no guilt in Him.”

⁵Jesus then came out, ^awearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the Man!”

⁶So when the chief priests and the ^aofficers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for ^bI find no guilt in Him.”

⁷The Jews answered him, “^aWe have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He ^bmade Himself out to be the Son of God.”

⁸Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid;

⁹and he ^aentered into the ¹Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But ^bJesus gave him no answer.

¹⁰So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?”

¹¹Jesus answered, “^aYou would have no authority ¹over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason ^bhe who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

¹²As a result of this Pilate ¹made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “^aIf you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king ²opposes Caesar.”

¹³Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and ^asat down on the judgment seat at a place called ¹The Pavement, but ^bin ²Hebrew, Gabbatha.

¹⁴Now it was ^athe day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the ^1bsixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold, ^cyour King!”

¹⁵So they cried out, “^aAway 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.”

The Crucifixion

¹⁶So he then ^ahanded Him over to them to be crucified.