Mark 15:1-15

Very early in the morning, the leading priests, the Jewish elders, the teachers of the law, and all the Jewish council decided what to do with Jesus. They tied him, led him away, and turned him over to Pilate, the governor. Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Yes, I am.” The leading priests accused Jesus of many things. So Pilate asked Jesus another question. He said, “You can see that these people are accusing you of many things. Why don’t you answer?” But Jesus still said nothing. Pilate was very surprised at this. Every year at the Passover time the governor would free one person from prison. He would free any person the people wanted him to free. At that time, there was a man named Barabbas in prison. He was a rebel and had committed murder during a riot. The crowd came to Pilate and asked him to free a prisoner as he always did. Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to free the king of the Jews?” Pilate knew that the leading priests had given Jesus to him because they were jealous of Jesus. And the leading priests had persuaded the people to ask Pilate to free Barabbas, not Jesus. Pilate asked the crowd again, “So what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?” They shouted, “Kill him on a cross!” Pilate asked, “Why? What wrong has he done?” But they shouted louder and louder, “Kill him on a cross!” Pilate wanted to please the crowd. So he freed Barabbas for them. And Pilate told the soldiers to beat Jesus with whips. Then he gave Jesus to the soldiers to be killed on a cross.