1. Then the whole group stood up and led Jesus away to Pilate.
2. They began to accuse Jesus and said to Pilate, “We caught this man trying to change the thinking of our people. He says we should not pay taxes to Caesar. He calls himself the Messiah, a king.”
3. Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Yes, what you say is true.”
4. Pilate said to the leading priests and the people, “I find nothing wrong with this man.”
5. But they kept on saying, “His teaching is causing trouble all over Judea. He began in Galilee, and now he is here!”
6. Pilate heard this and asked if Jesus was from Galilee.
7. He learned that Jesus was under Herod’s authority. Herod was in Jerusalem at that time, so Pilate sent Jesus to him.
8. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very happy. He had heard all about him and had wanted to meet him for a long time. Herod wanted to see a miracle, so he was hoping that Jesus would do one.
9. He asked him many questions, but Jesus said nothing.
10. The leading priests and teachers of the law were standing there shouting things against Jesus.
11. Then Herod and his soldiers laughed at him. They made fun of him by dressing him in clothes like kings wear. Then Herod sent him back to Pilate.
12. In the past Pilate and Herod had always been enemies. But on that day they became friends.
13. Pilate called all the people together with the leading priests and the Jewish leaders.
14. He said to them, “You brought this man to me. You said he was trying to change the people. But I judged him before you all and have not found him guilty of the things you say he has done.
15. Herod didn’t find him guilty either. He sent him back to us. Look, he has done nothing bad enough for the death penalty.
16. So, after I punish him a little, I will let him go free.”
18. But they all shouted, “Kill him! Let Barabbas go free!”
19. (Barabbas was a man who was in jail for starting a riot in the city and for murder.)
20. Pilate wanted to let Jesus go free. So again Pilate told them that he would let him go.
21. But they shouted again, “Kill him! Kill him on a cross!”
22. A third time Pilate said to the people, “Why? What wrong has he done? He is not guilty. I can find no reason to kill him. So I will let him go free after I punish him a little.”
23. But the people continued to shout. They demanded that Jesus be killed on a cross. Their shouting got so loud that
24. Pilate decided to give them what they wanted.
25. They wanted Barabbas to go free—the one who was in jail for starting a riot and for murder. Pilate let Barabbas go free. And he handed Jesus over to be killed. This is what the people wanted.
26. The soldiers led Jesus away. At that same time there was a man from Cyrene named Simon coming into the city from the fields. The soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross and walk behind him.
27. A large crowd followed Jesus. Some of the women were sad and crying. They felt sorry for him.
28. But Jesus turned and said to the women, “Women of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children too.
29. The time is coming when people will say, ‘The women who cannot have babies are the ones God has blessed. It’s really a blessing that they have no children to care for.’
30. Then the people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ They will say to the hills, ‘Cover us!’
31. If this can happen to someone who is good, what will happen to those who are guilty?”
32. There were also two criminals led out with Jesus to be killed.
33. They were led to a place called “The Skull.” There the soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross. They also nailed the criminals to crosses beside Jesus—one on the right and the other on the left.