John 19:2-16

The soldiers twisted thorns together to make a crown. They put it on Jesus’ head. Then they put a purple robe on him. They went up to him again and again. They kept saying, “We honor you, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face. Once more Pilate came out. He said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing Jesus out to you. I want to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Then Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. I myself find no basis for a charge against him.” The Jewish leaders replied, “We have a law. That law says he must die. He claimed to be the Son of God.” When Pilate heard that, he was even more afraid. He went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus. But Jesus did not answer him. “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you understand? I have the power to set you free or to nail you to a cross.” Jesus answered, “You were given power from heaven. If you weren’t, you would have no power over me. So the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free. But the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are not Caesar’s friend! Anyone who claims to be a king is against Caesar!” When Pilate heard that, he brought Jesus out. Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat. It was at a place called the Stone Walkway. In the Aramaic language it was called Gabbatha. It was about noon on Preparation Day in Passover Week. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Should I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. Finally, Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be nailed to a cross.