Mark 15:1-19

Jesus before Pilate

¹Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate. ²Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him, “It is as you say.” ³The chief priests began to accuse Him harshly. ⁴Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, “Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!” ⁵But Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed.

⁶Now at the feast he used to release for them any one prisoner whom they requested. ⁷The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection. ⁸The crowd went up and began asking him to do as he had been accustomed to do for them. ⁹Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” ¹⁰For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy. ¹¹But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to ask him to release Barabbas for them instead. ¹²Answering again, Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” ¹³They shouted back, “Crucify Him!” ¹⁴But Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!” ¹⁵Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked

¹⁶The soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort. ¹⁷They dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; ¹⁸and they began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ¹⁹They kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him.