Luke 23:1-25

1Then the entire assembly stood up and took him to Pilate.

2They began to accuse Jesus by saying, “We found that he stirs up trouble among our people: He keeps them from paying taxes to the emperor, and he says that he is Christ, a king.”

3Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, I am,” Jesus answered.

4Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I can’t find this man guilty of any crime.”

5The priests and the crowd became more forceful. They said, “He stirs up the people throughout Judea with his teachings. He started in Galilee and has come here.”

6When Pilate heard that, he asked if the man was from Galilee.

7When Pilate found out that he was, he sent Jesus to Herod. Herod ruled Galilee and was in Jerusalem at that time.

8Herod was very pleased to see Jesus. For a long time he had wanted to see him. He had heard about Jesus and hoped to see him perform some kind of miracle.

9Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus wouldn’t answer him.

10Meanwhile, the chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings stood there and shouted their accusations against Jesus.

11Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus with contempt and made fun of him. They put a colorful robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.

12So Herod and Pilate became friends that day. They had been enemies before this.

13Then Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people.

14He told them, “You brought me this man as someone who turns the people against the government. I’ve questioned him in front of you and haven’t found this man guilty of the crimes of which you accuse him.

15Neither could Herod. So he sent this man back to us. This man hasn’t done anything to deserve the death penalty.

16So I’m going to have him whipped and set free.”

18The whole crowd then shouted, “Take him away! Free Barabbas for us.”

19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for his involvement in a riot that had taken place in the city and for murder.)

20But because Pilate wanted to free Jesus, he spoke to the people again.

21They began yelling, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

22A third time Pilate spoke to them. He asked, “Why? What has he done wrong? I haven’t found this man deserving of the death penalty. So I’m going to have him whipped and set free.”

23But the crowd pressured Pilate. They shouted that Jesus had to be crucified, and they finally won.

24Pilate decided to give in to their demand.

25He freed Barabbas, who had been put in prison for rioting and murdering, because that’s what they wanted. But he let them do what they wanted to Jesus.