John 19:1-11

¹Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.

²Soldiers made a crown of thorns and placed it on his head, and put a purple robe on him.

³Time and again they went up to him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapped him.

⁴Pilate went outside once more and said to them, “I'm bringing him out here to you so you'll know I find him not guilty of any crime.”

⁵Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. “Look, here's the man,” said Pilate.

⁶When the chief priests and the guards saw Jesus, they shouted out, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” “You take him and crucify him,” Pilate answered. “I find him not guilty.”

⁷The Jewish leaders replied, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

⁸When Pilate heard this he was more afraid than ever,

⁹and he went back into the governor's palace. He asked Jesus, “Where do you come from?” But Jesus didn't respond.

¹⁰“Are you refusing to talk to me?” Pilate said to him. “Don't you realize that I have the power to have you released or to crucify you?”

¹¹“You would have no power over me unless it had been given to you from above,” Jesus answered. “Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of the greater sin.”