Jesus is Taken to Pilate

Title ideas:Jesus and Pilate.Jesus is taken to Governor Pilate for questioning.The Jewish leaders accuse Jesus.

Very early next morning, the Jewish religious chiefs and priests [leaders] met [gathered], to agree on [plan] how to kill Jesus.

First, they bound Jesus’ hands, then led him to stand before the Roman governor whose name was Pilate.

Pilate [came out of his big house,] sat on his official chair and asked them, “What do you men say that this man [Jesus] has done wrong?” They replied, “We have led this man to you, because he does many bad actions!”

Pilate said, “Then, Lead him away, and judge him by your own [Jewish] laws!” They replied, “We want to put him to death, but Roman law does not allow us [Jews] to do so!”

Pilate then went back into his big house and asked Jesus, “Do you say that you are a King?” Jesus replied, “Yes! But my kingly authority [power] does not come from this world [men].

Pilate said, “So, you do say that you are a King!” Jesus replied, “Yes, I am a King! I came into this world, to tell people [God’s] truth!” Pilate asked, “What is truth?”

The Jewish chiefs and priests accused Jesus, saying he had done many bad actions, but Jesus did not reply to them. This amazed Pilate.

Pilate did not believe that Jesus had committed a crime [done bad actions], so he wanted to let Jesus go free.

It was a custom that the governor should let go free one prisoner during the festival called Passover. So he asked them, “Shall I let this King go free?”

They replied, “No! Let go free another man [Barabbas], and put Jesus to death [by nailing him to a wooden cross]!”

Many people who were there agreed with them and began shouting, “Not Jesus! Let someone else [Barabbas] go free!”

Pilate asked, “What shall I do with this man Jesus whom some people call God’s chosen Messiah?”

The people shouted, “Put him to death on a wooden cross! [Nail him to a cross!]”

Pilate asked, “What crime [bad action] has he committed [done]?”

The people kept shouting, “Put him to death on a wooden cross! [Kill him!]”

Again Pilate asked, “But he has not committed a crime that deserves death! So, I shall beat him, and then let him go.”

So Pilate ordered some soldiers, “Beat [whip] this man!” And they did so. They also hurled [spoke] many insults against him.

After beating Jesus till he was bleeding, the soldiers mocked him. They put on him a purple [red-colored] robe. They also wove a crown [ring] of thorns and pressed it down on Jesus’ head [to make him look like a king].

Next, they put a staff [stick] in his hand and bowed down before him, laughing [mocking] and saying, “We greet you, O King!” Then they beat [hit] him again.

Pilate spoke again to the crowd, saying, “Listen to me! I have not found that this man has committed a crime!”

Then Pilate made Jesus stand before the crowd. So Jesus stood there wearing the purple [red-colored] robe and thorns as a crown. Pilate shouted, “See the man! [Look, this is the man.]”

The Jewish chiefs and leaders [priests] said again to Pilate, “Please, put him to death! Our law says that he must die, because he has said that he is God’s Son!”

Pilate became afraid. So he asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus did not reply [answer him].

Pilate said to Jesus, “I have authority [power] to let you go free, or to put you to death on a wooden cross!” Jesus replied, “It is God in Heaven who gave you authority over me.”

Pilate then shouted to the crowd, “Look! This man [Jesus] is your King!” The people shouted back, “No!” “Put him to death on a wooden cross![Nail him to a cross!” “Our only king is the Roman king!”

Pilate was afraid that the crowd would become violent [start a riot]. So he washed his hands before the crowd and said, “It is not I who [will] kill this man! Rather, it is you who [make me] kill him!”

All the people replied, “It is we and our children who [will] kill him! We are guilty! [We accept the responsibility / blame!]”

So Pilate let go free another man [Barabbas], and ordered his soldiers, “Lead Jesus away and put him to death by nailing him to a wooden cross!”

So the soldiers tore the purple robe off Jesus, and put his own clothes on him. They then led him away to put him to death by nailing him to a wooden cross.”