John 18:22-4022And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? 23Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me? 24Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. 25And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not. 26One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him? 27Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew. 28Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. 29Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? 30They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. 31Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death: 32That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die. 33Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? 34Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? 35Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? 36Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. 37Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. 39But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? 40Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. (John 18:22‑40). Matt. 26:67, 6867Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 68Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee? (Matthew 26:67‑68). John 19:1-161Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. 2And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, 3And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. 4Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. 5Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! 6When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. 7The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. 8When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; 9And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. 10Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? 11Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. 12And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. 13When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! 15But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. 16Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. (John 19:1‑16)
ALL night long, Jesus stood in the great room. He heard all Peter said, and that must have made Him sad. The wicked people were like lions and tigers, but Jesus was like a lamb. They looked at Him as if they hated Him. Once when He spoke, a servant slapped His face, but Jesus bore this meekly.
The judge was not up yet, because it was night. So the wicked people were forced to wait till the morning. That night the servants came round Jesus and beat Him and pushed Him and laughed at Him. They even spat in His face.
When the morning came, the wicked people said, ‘Now we will bring Him to the judge.’
So they went out of their fine house and took Jesus with them.
The judge sat upon a high seat in the street. His name was Pontius Pilate. The judge did not know Jesus. The judge said, ‘What has He done?’
The wicked people said, ‘He calls himself a king.’
Then Pilate said to Jesus, ‘Art Thou a king?’
Jesus said, ‘Yes, I am.’ But Pilate was sure that Jesus had done nothing wrong, so he did not want to punish Him.
Then the wicked men made a great noise and said, ‘You must crucify Him!’
‘No,’ said Pilate, ‘I will beat Him, and that will be enough.’ So Pilate gave Jesus to some soldiers. They took Him into a house and beat Him with knotted ropes (this way of beating is called scourging) and the blood ran all down His back. Then the cruel soldiers laughed at Him because He said He was a king. They took off His own clothes, and put some fine clothes on Him, such as kings wear, purple and red.
Then they said, ‘We must put a crown on His head.’ So they took prickly thorns, sharp like pins, and twisted them together to make a crown. They put it on His head.
They said, ‘He must have a scepter’ (for kings hold in their hands a rod called a scepter). So they put a reed in His hand for a scepter. Then they took it from Him and beat Him on the head. And they knelt down to Him laughing; they said, ‘O king! O king!’
Pilate saw the soldiers tormenting Jesus, and he brought Him into the street, where the wicked people were. He showed Jesus to them and said, ‘Behold, look at your King!’
Pilate hoped they would be sorry for Him, because blood was on His forehead from the thorns, His back had been scourged, and He was dressed in fine clothes to mock Him. But the wicked people were cruel like tigers.
‘No,’ they said, ‘crucify Him, crucify Him!’ All the people cried out, ‘Crucify Him!’ though Jesus had always been so kind to them.
‘Will you crucify your king?’ asked Pilate.
‘He is not our king!’ the people said.
There was a very great noise in the street, from the people all speaking at once. Then Pilate thought he would please the wicked people, so he said, ‘Take Him and crucify Him.’ Then the people were glad. But first the soldiers took the fine clothes off Jesus and put His own clothes on Him again.
How wicked it was of Pilate to let Him be crucified! Pilate thought Jesus was good, yet he let Him be killed to please the people.
What! is there none to take His part
Who silent, trembling bleeding, stands?
Not one to cheer His broken heart,
Or snatch Him from those cruel hands?
A thousand voices lifted high
Now fill with horrid shouts the air:
‘Away with Him and crucify!’
Nor does one friend for Him appear.
Behold how men His love reward!
His tender flesh the scourge has torn,
His gentle hands are bound with cord,
His head is crowned with prickly thorn.
And when I hear one, smiling, tell
Of sinful things that men have done,
I will not smile, but sorrow feel,
Because sin bruised God’s only Son.
Questions
Did Jesus stand a long time before the wicked people?
How did one of the servants behave to Him?
When did the wicked men take Him to the judge?
What did the servants put over His face?
Where was the judge sitting?
What was the judge’s name?
Did the judge wish to hurt Jesus?
What did the wicked people say that Jesus had called Himself?
Was Jesus a king?
What is scourging?
Why did the soldiers laugh at Him?
What clothes did they put on Him?
What did they put on His head?
What did they put in His hand?
What is a scepter?
Why did Pilate tell the wicked people to look at Jesus?
Did the people make a great noise?
What did Pilate at last say should be done to Jesus?
Why did Pilate allow Jesus to be crucified?
How Jesus was treated before He died
A verse from the Bible for you to learn: