It is still early in the morning when Jesus is taken to the palace of Pontius Pilate. But the Jews taking him there refuse to enter. They think that such contact with Gentiles will defile them. That would disqualify them from eating the meal on Nisan 15, the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is viewed as part of the Passover period.

Pilate comes out and asks them: “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They respond: “If this man were not a wrongdoer, we would not have handed him over to you.” Pilate may feel that they are trying to pressure him, so he says: “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.” The Jews reveal their murderous intent, replying: “It is not lawful for us to kill anyone.”​—John 18:29-31.

Actually, if they kill Jesus during the Passover festival, it will likely cause a public uproar. Yet if they can get the Romans to execute Jesus on a political charge, which the Romans are authorized to do, it will tend to absolve these Jews of responsibility before the people.

The religious leaders do not tell Pilate that they had condemned Jesus for blasphemy. Now they trump up different charges: “We found this man [1] subverting our nation, [2] forbidding the paying of taxes to Caesar, and [3] saying he himself is Christ a king.”​—Luke 23:2.

As a representative of Rome, Pilate has reason for concern about the charge that Jesus is claiming to be a king. So Pilate reenters the palace, calls Jesus to him, and asks: “Are you the King of the Jews?” In other words, ‘Have you broken the law of the empire by declaring yourself to be a king in opposition to Caesar?’ Perhaps to find out how much Pilate already has heard about him, Jesus says: “Are you asking this of your own originality, or did others tell you about me?”​—John 18:33, 34.

Professing ignorance of the facts about Jesus but desiring to learn them, Pilate replies: “I am not a Jew, am I?” He adds: “Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What did you do?”​—John 18:35.

Jesus does not attempt to dodge the central issue​—kingship. He answers in a way that no doubt greatly surprises Governor Pilate.

Jesus does not try to conceal from Pilate that he really is a king. Still, his Kingdom is no threat to Rome. “My Kingdom is no part of this world,” Jesus says. “If my Kingdom were part of this world, my attendants would have fought that I should not be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my Kingdom is not from this source.” (John 18:36) Yes, Jesus has a Kingdom, but it is not of this world.

Pilate does not leave the issue at that. He asks: “Well, then, are you a king?” Jesus lets Pilate know that he has drawn the right conclusion, answering: “You yourself are saying that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of the truth listens to my voice.”​—John 18:37.

Jesus had earlier told Thomas: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Now even Pilate hears that the purpose of Jesus’ being sent to earth is to bear witness to “the truth,” specifically the truth about his Kingdom. Jesus is determined to be faithful to that truth even if it costs him his life. Pilate asks: “What is truth?” but he does not wait for further explanation. He feels that he has heard enough to judge this man.​—John 14:6; 18:38.

Pilate returns to the crowd waiting outside the palace. Jesus apparently is at his side when he tells the chief priests and those with them: “I find no crime in this man.” Angered by that decision, the crowd insists: “He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee even to here.”​—Luke 23:4, 5.

The Jews’ unreasoning fanaticism must amaze Pilate. As the chief priests and older men continue shouting, Pilate asks Jesus: “Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?” (Matthew 27:13) Jesus makes no attempt to answer. His calm in the face of the wild accusations surprises Pilate.

The Jews indicated that Jesus had ‘started from Galilee.’ Pursuing that clue, Pilate learns that Jesus is, in fact, a Galilean. This gives Pilate an idea of how he might escape responsibility for judging Jesus. Herod Antipas (the son of Herod the Great) is the ruler of Galilee, and he is in Jerusalem this Passover season. So Pilate sends Jesus to Herod.

When Jesus returns, Pilate calls together the chief priests, the Jewish rulers, and the people and says: “I examined him in front of you but found in this man no grounds for the charges you are bringing against him. In fact, neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us, and look! he has done nothing deserving of death. I will therefore punish him and release him.”​—Luke 23:14-16.

Pilate is eager to free Jesus, for he realizes that it is out of envy that the priests have handed him over. As Pilate tries to release Jesus, he receives further motivation to do so. While he is on his judgment seat, his wife sends him the message: “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I suffered a lot today in a dream [evidently of divine origin] because of him.”​—Matthew 27:19.

How can Pilate release this innocent man, as he should?

Pilate told the crowd seeking Jesus’ death: “I . . . found in this man no grounds for the charges you are bringing against him. In fact, neither did Herod.” (Luke 23:14, 15) Now, trying to spare Jesus, Pilate uses another approach, saying to the people: “You have a custom that I should release a man to you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”​—John 18:39.

Pilate is aware of a prisoner named Barabbas, who is known as a robber, a seditionist, and a murderer. So Pilate asks: “Which one do you want me to release to you, Barabbas or Jesus the so-called Christ?” Having been stirred up by the chief priests, the people ask that Barabbas be released, not Jesus. Pilate asks again: “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” The crowd shouts: “Barabbas”!​—Matthew 27:17, 21.

Dismayed, Pilate asks: “What, then, should I do with Jesus the so-called Christ?” The people roar: “To the stake with him!” (Matthew 27:22) To their shame, they are demanding the death of an innocent man. Pilate pleads: “Why? What bad thing did this man do? I found in him nothing deserving of death; I will therefore punish him and release him.”​—Luke 23:22.

Despite Pilate’s repeated efforts, the enraged crowd yells in unison: “To the stake with him!” (Matthew 27:23) The religious leaders have worked the crowd into such a frenzy that they want blood! And it is not the blood of some criminal, some murderer. It is the blood of an innocent man who five days before was welcomed into Jerusalem as King. If Jesus’ disciples are present, they remain silent and inconspicuous.

Pilate sees that his appeals are doing no good. An uproar is arising, so he takes some water and washes his hands before the eyes of the crowd. He tells them: “I am innocent of the blood of this man. You yourselves must see to it.” Even that does not put the people off. Rather, they say: “Let his blood come upon us and upon our children.”​—Matthew 27:24, 25.

The governor wishes to satisfy them more than he wishes to do what he knows is right. So in accord with their demand, Pilate releases Barabbas to the mob. He has Jesus stripped and then scourged.

After this torturous beating, the soldiers take Jesus into the governor’s palace. The body of troops gather and heap further abuse on him. They braid a crown of thorns and push it down on his head. The soldiers also put a reed in Jesus’ right hand and put a scarlet-colored robe on him, such as is worn by royalty. They say with scorn: “Greetings, you King of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:28, 29) More than that, they spit on Jesus and keep slapping his face. Taking the sturdy reed from him, they hit him on the head with it, driving deeper into his scalp the sharp thorns of his humiliating “crown.”

Jesus’ remarkable dignity and strength through all of this so impresses Pilate that he makes another attempt to absolve himself, saying: “See! I bring him outside to you in order for you to know that I find no fault in him.” Could Pilate think that bringing Jesus out now, bruised and bleeding, would move the crowds to relent? As Jesus stands before the heartless mob, Pilate proclaims: “Look! The man!”​—John 19:4, 5.

Though battered and wounded, Jesus displays a quiet dignity and calm that even Pilate must acknowledge, for his words seem to mingle respect with pity.

Despite Jesus’ having been viciously abused and ridiculed, Pilate’s efforts to release him do not move the chief priests and their accomplices. They want nothing to prevent having Jesus put to death. They keep shouting: “To the stake with him! To the stake with him!” Pilate responds: “Take him yourselves and execute him, for I do not find any fault in him.”​—John 19:6.

The Jews do not convince Pilate that Jesus is worthy of death on a political charge, but what about a religious one? They fall back on the charge of blasphemy that was raised at Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin. “We have a law,” they say, “and according to the law he ought to die, because he made himself God’s son.” (John 19:7) This is a new charge for Pilate.

He goes back into his palace and tries to find a way to release this man who has borne up under severe treatment and about whom Pilate’s own wife had a dream. (Matthew 27:19) What of this new charge that the Jews are making​—that the prisoner is “God’s son”? Pilate knows that Jesus is from Galilee. (Luke 23:5-7) Yet he asks Jesus: “Where are you from?” (John 19:9) Could Pilate be wondering whether Jesus might have lived before and, in some sense, be of divine origin?

Pilate had heard directly from Jesus that he is a king but that his Kingdom is no part of this world. Not needing to elaborate on what he earlier said, Jesus remains silent. His refusal to reply stings Pilate’s pride, and he indignantly says to Jesus: “Are you refusing to speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and I have authority to execute you?”​—John 19:10.

Jesus says simply: “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been granted to you from above. This is why the man who handed me over to you has greater sin.” (John 19:11) Jesus likely does not have in mind one specific individual. Rather, he means that Caiaphas, his accomplices, and Judas Iscariot bear a heavier responsibility than Pilate does.

Impressed by Jesus’ comportment and words, and increasingly fearful that Jesus may be of divine origin, Pilate tries again to release him. However, the Jews bring up another fear that Pilate must have. They threaten: “If you release this man, you are not a friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”​—John 19:12.

The governor brings Jesus outside once more and, sitting on the judgment seat, tells the people: “See! Your king!” The Jews will not relent, though. “Take him away! Take him away! To the stake with him!” they shout. Pilate pleads: “Shall I execute your king?” The Jews have long chafed under Roman rule; still, the chief priests boldly assert: “We have no king but Caesar.”​—John 19:14, 15.

Cowardly caving in under the Jews’ relentless demands, Pilate hands Jesus over to be executed. The soldiers strip the scarlet-colored cloak off Jesus and put on his outer garments. As Jesus is led off, he must bear his own torture stake.