Mark 15:8-15

The crowds gathered in front of Pilate’s judgment bench and asked him to release a prisoner to them, as was his custom. So he asked them, “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” (Pilate was fully aware that the religious leaders had handed Jesus over to him because of spite and envy.) But the ruling priests stirred up the crowd to incite them to ask for Barabbas instead. So Pilate asked them, “What do you want me to do with this one you call the king of the Jews?” They all shouted back, “Crucify him!” “Why?” Pilate asked. “What evil thing has he done wrong to deserve that?” But they kept shouting out with a deafening roar, “Crucify him at once!” Because he wanted to please the people, Pilate released Barabbas to them. After he had Jesus severely beaten with a whip made of leather straps and embedded with metal, he sentenced him to be crucified.