The Soldiers Mock Jesus

(Isaiah 50:4–11; Matthew 27:27–31; Mark 15:16–20; Luke 22:63–65)

1Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged. 2The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns, set it on His head, and dressed Him in a purple robe. 3And they went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapping Him in the face.

4Once again Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.” 5When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

6As soon as the chief priests and officers saw Him, they shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

“You take Him and crucify Him,” Pilate replied, “for I find no basis for a charge against Him.”

7“We have a law,” answered the Jews, “and according to that law He must die, because He declared Himself to be the Son of God.”

8When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid, 9and he went back into the Praetorium. “Where are You from?” he asked.

But Jesus gave no answer.

10So Pilate said to Him, “Do You refuse to speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You and authority to crucify You?”

11Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”

12From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”

13When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat on the judgment seat at a place called the Stone Pavement, which in Hebrew is Gabbatha. 14It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your King!”

15At this, they shouted, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!”

“Shall I crucify your King?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” replied the chief priests.