Mark 15:1-15

Very early in the morning, the leading priests, the older Jewish leaders, the teachers of the law, and the whole high council decided what to do with Jesus. They tied him, led him away, and handed him over to Governor Pilate. Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Yes, that is right.” 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 did not answer, and this really surprised Pilate. Every year at the Passover time the governor would free one prisoner—whichever one the people wanted. There was a man in prison at that time named Barabbas. He and the rebels with him had been put in prison for committing murder during a riot. The people 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 handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous of him. But the leading priests persuaded the people to ask Pilate to free Barabbas, not Jesus. Pilate asked the people again, “So what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?” The people shouted, “Kill him on a cross!” Pilate asked, “Why? What wrong has he done?” But the people shouted louder and louder, “Kill him on a cross!” Pilate wanted to please the people, so he set Barabbas free for them. And he told the soldiers to beat Jesus with whips. Then he handed him over to the soldiers to be killed on a cross.