1. Early in the morning the chief priests met hurriedly with the elders, the teachers of the Law, and the whole Council, and made their plans. They put Jesus in chains, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.
2. Pilate questioned him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”Jesus answered, “So you say.”
3. The chief priests were accusing Jesus of many things,
4. so Pilate questioned him again, “Aren't you going to answer? Listen to all their accusations!”
5. Again Jesus refused to say a word, and Pilate was amazed.
6. At every Passover Festival Pilate was in the habit of setting free any one prisoner the people asked for.
7. At that time a man named Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder in the riot.