John 18:25–40

Peter’s Second and Third Denials

18:25–27pp—Mt 26:71–75; Mk 14:69–72; Lk 22:58–62

²⁵Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself.^j So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”

He denied it, saying, “I am not.”^k

²⁶One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off,^l challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?”^{m 27}Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.ⁿ

Jesus Before Pilate

18:29–40pp—Mt 27:11–18,20–23; Mk 15:2–15; Lk 23:2,3,18–25

²⁸Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor.^o By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace,^p because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.^{q 29}So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

³⁰“If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

³¹Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. ³²This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.^r

³³Pilate then went back inside the palace,^s summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”^t

³⁴“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

³⁵“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

³⁶Jesus said, “My kingdom^u is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders.^v But now my kingdom is from another place.”^w

³⁷“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.^x Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”^y

³⁸“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.^{z 39}But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

⁴⁰They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.^a