Part 29

018:039 But you have a custom that I should release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So shall I release to you the King of the Jews?"

018:040 With a roar of voices they again cried out, saying, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.

019:001 Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.

019:002 And the soldiers, twisting twigs of thorn into a wreath, put it on His head, and threw round Him a crimson cloak.

019:003 Then they began to march up to Him, saying in a mocking voice, "Hail King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with the palms of their hands.

019:004 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "See, I am bringing him out to you to let you clearly understand that I find no crime in him."

019:005 So Jesus came out, wearing the wreath of thorns and the crimson cloak. And Pilate said to them, "See, there is the man."

019:006 As soon then as the High Priests and the officers saw Him, they shouted "To the cross! To the cross!" "Take him yourselves and crucify him," said Pilate; "for I, at any rate, find no crime in him."

019:007 "We," replied the Jews, "have a Law, and in accordance with that Law he ought to die, for having claimed to be the Son of God."

019:008 More alarmed than ever, Pilate no sooner heard these words than he re-entered the Praetorium and began to question Jesus.

019:009 "What is your origin?" he asked. But Jesus gave him no answer.

019:010 "Do you refuse to speak even to me?" asked Pilate; "do you not know that I have it in my power either to release you or to crucify you?"

019:011 "You would have had no power whatever over me," replied Jesus, "had it not been granted you from above. On that account he who has delivered me up to you is more guilty than you are."

019:012 Upon receiving this answer, Pilate was for releasing Him. But the Jews kept shouting, "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar's. Every one who sets himself up as king declares himself a rebel against Caesar."

019:013 On hearing this, Pilate brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judge's seat in a place called the Pavement-- or in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

019:014 It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about six o'clock in the morning. Then he said to the Jews, "There is your king!"

019:015 This caused a storm of outcries, "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!" "Am I to crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king, except Caesar," answered the High Priests.

019:016 Then Pilate gave Him up to them to be crucified. Accordingly they took Jesus;

019:017 and He went out carrying His own cross, to the place called Skull-place--or, in Hebrew, Golgotha--

019:018 where they nailed Him to a cross, and two others at the same time, one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

019:019 And Pilate wrote a notice and had it fastened to the top of the cross. It ran thus: JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

019:020 Many of the Jews read this notice, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the notice was in three languages--Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

019:021 This led the Jewish High Priests to remonstrate with Pilate. "You should not write `The King of the Jews,'" they said, "but that he claimed to be King of the Jews."

019:022 "What I have written I have written," was Pilate's answer.

019:023 So the soldiers, as soon as they had crucified Jesus, took His garments, including His tunic, and divided them into four parts-- one part for each soldier. The tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece.

019:024 So they said to one another, "Do not let us tear it. Let us draw lots for it." This happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says, "They shared my garments among them, and drew lots for my clothing." That was just what the soldiers did.

019:025 Now standing close to the cross of Jesus were His mother and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.

019:026 So Jesus, seeing His mother, and seeing the disciple whom He loved standing near, said to His mother, "Behold, your son!"