Jesus before Pilate
28 Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters. It was early morning. They did not enter the headquarters themselves; otherwise they would be defiled and unable to eat the Passover.
29
Then Pilate came out to them and said, "What charge do you bring against this man?"
30
They answered him, "If this man weren't a criminal, we wouldn't have handed Him over to you."
31
So Pilate told them, "Take Him yourselves and judge Him according to your law." "It's not legal for us to put anyone to death," the Jews declared.
32
They said this so that Jesus' words might be fulfilled signifying what sort of death He was going to die.
33
Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"
34
Jesus answered, "Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about Me?"
35
"I'm not a Jew, am I?" Pilate replied. "Your own nation and the chief priests handed You over to me. What have You done?"
36
"My kingdom is not of this world," said Jesus. "If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I wouldn't be handed over to the Jews. As it is, My kingdom does not have its origin here."
37
"You are a king then?" Pilate asked. "You say that I'm a king," Jesus replied. "I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice."
38
"What is truth?" said Pilate. After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, "I find no grounds for charging Him.
Jesus or Barabbas
39 You have a custom that I release one [prisoner] to you at the Passover. So, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"
40
They shouted back, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.