Jesus Before Pilate and Herod
Matthew 27:1-31; Mark 15:1-20; Luke 23:1-25; John 18:28-40, 19:1-16
As Jesus stood before the governor, Pilate asked Him: “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered him: “Are you saying this on your own initiative or have others told you about Me? It is just as you say. I AM!” Pilate’s reply was: “Am I a Jew? Your own people and nation and their chief priests have delivered You to me. What have you done?”
Jesus answered: “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then My followers would have been fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, My kingdom is not from this world.” Pilate said to Him: “Then are You a King?” Jesus answered: “You say that I am a king. This is why I was born, and for this purpose I have come into the world, to bear witness to the Truth. Everyone who is of the Truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Jesus: “What is truth?”
When he had said this, Pilate went out again to the Jews and said to them: “I find in Him no fault at all.” But they were the more fierce and emphatic, saying: “He stirs up and excites the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee, where He began, even to this place.” Upon hearing this, Pilate asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he found out certainly that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem in those days.
And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad, for he had eagerly desired to see Him for a long time because of what he had heard concerning Him. He was hoping to witness some miracle done by Jesus. Then he asked Him many questions, but Jesus answered him nothing. Meanwhile, the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Jesus. Herod with his soldiers, treated Him with contempt and scoffed at and ridiculed Him; then, dressing Him up in bright and gorgeous apparel, he sent Him back to Pilate.
Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people. He said to them: “You brought this man before me as One Who was perverting and misleading and turning away and corrupting the people; and behold, after examining Him before you, I have not found any guilt in this man in regard to your accusations against Him. No, nor indeed did Herod, for he sent Him back to us; behold, He has done nothing deserving of death. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him.”
Pilate said what he said because at the Feast of Passover, the governor was in the habit of setting free one prisoner whom the people chose. At this time there was a notorious robber and murderer named Barabbas whom they held as prisoner. So when they had assembled for this purpose, Pilate said to them: “ Whom do you want me to set free for you, Barabbas, or Jesus Who is called Christ?” For Pilate knew that it was because of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. The chief priests and the elders prevailed on the people to ask for Barabbas and put Jesus to death. “Away with this man! Release to us Barabbas!”
Again, the governor said to them: “Which of the two do you wish me to release for you?” They said: “Bababbas!” Pilate said to them: “Then what shall I do with Jesus Who is called Christ, the King of the Jews?’ They all shouted and kept shouting back at him: “Let Him be crucified! Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
And Pilate said: “Why? What has He done that is evil? What wrong has He done? I have found no guilt in Him, nothing deserving of death. What I will do is chastise Him and release Him.” But they were insistent and urgent, demanding with loud shouts: “Let Him be crucified!” Pilate said unto them: “Take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him. The Jews answered him: “We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”