(John 18:29-30) Pilate therefore went out to them, and said: What accusation bring you against this man? They answered and said to him: If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up to thee. (Luke 23:2) We have found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he is Christ the king. (John 18:31-38) Pilate therefore said to them: Take him you, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said to him: It is not lawful for us to put any man to death. That the word of Jesus might be fulfilled which he said (Matt. 20:19), signifying what death he should die. Pilate therefore went into the praetorium again, and called Jesus, and said to him: (Matt. 27:11; Mark 15:2;
Luke 23:3) Art thou the king of the Jews? And Jesus answered: Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or have others told it thee of me? Pilate answered: Am I a Jew? Thy own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee up to me. What hast thou done? Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now my kingdom is not from hence. Pilate therefore said to him: Art thou a king then? Jesus answered: Thou sayest that I am a king. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world, that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith to him: What is truth?
And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and saith to the chief priests and to the multitudes: I find no cause in this man. (Luke 23:5-18) But they were the more earnest, saying: He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place. But Pilate hearing Galilee, asked if the man were a Galilean. And when he understood that he was of Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him away to Herod, who was also himself at Jerusalem in those days. And Herod, seeing Jesus, was very glad; for he was desirous of a long time to see him, because he had heard many things of him, and he hoped to see some sign wrought by him. And he questioned him in many words. But he answered him nothing.
And the chief priests and the scribes stood by, earnestly accusing him. And Herod with his army set him at nought, and mocked him, putting on him a white garment, and sent him back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate were made friends that same day; for before they were enemies one to another. And Pilate, calling together the chief priests and the magistrates and the people, went out to them and said to them: You have presented unto me this man as one that perverteth the people. And behold, I bring him forth before you, that you may know that I find no cause in him of those things wherein you accuse him. No, nor Herod neither: for I sent you to him; and behold, nothing worthy of death is done to him. I will chastise him therefore, and release him. But the whole multitude cried out, saying:
Away with this man, crucify him, crucify him. (John 19:6-15) Pilate saith to them: Take him you, and crucify him; for I find no cause in him. The Jews answered him: We have a law, and according to the law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore had heard this saying, he feared the more. And he entered into the praetorium again, and he said to Jesus: Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate therefore saith to him: Speakest thou not to me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and I have power to release thee? Jesus answered: Thou shouldst not have any power against me, unless it were given thee from above. Therefore he that hath delivered me to thee hath the greater sin.
And from henceforth Pilate sought to release him. But the Jews cried out, saying: If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar's friend; for whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. Now when Pilate had heard these words, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat, in the place that is called Lithostrotos, and in Hebrew Gabbatha. And it was the parasceve of the pasch, about the sixth hour; and he saith to the Jews: Behold your king. But they cried out: Away with him, away with him; crucify him. Pilate saith to them: Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered: We have no king but Caesar. (Matt. 27:12-18; Mark 15:3-10) And the chief priests accused him in many things. But Jesus answered nothing. Then Pilate saith to him:
Hearest thou not how great testimonies they allege against thee? And he answered him to never a word, so that the governor wondered exceedingly. Now upon the solemn day the governor was accustomed to release to the people one prisoner, whomsoever they would. And he had then a notorious prisoner, that was called Barabbas. They therefore being gathered together, Pilate said: (John 18:39) You have a custom that I should release one unto you at the pasch. Whom therefore will you that I release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus, that is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.