John 18:28–38

First Roman Trial Before Pilate

Matt. 27:2, 11–14; Mark 15:1–5; Luke 23:1–5

^28bThen they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. ^cBut they themselves did not go into the ⁶Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. ^29dPilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”

³⁰They answered and said to him, “If He were not ⁷an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”

³¹Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”

Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” ^32ethat the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, ^fsignifying by what death He would die.

^33gThen Pilate entered the ⁸Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

³⁴Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”

³⁵Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”

^36hJesus answered, ⁱ“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

³⁷Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”

Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, ^jthat I should bear ^kwitness to the truth. Everyone who ^lis of the truth ^mhears My voice.”

³⁸Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, ⁿ“I find no fault in Him at all.”