The Story of Jesus

Mark 14:53–15:15 WEB

^14:53They led Jesus away to the high priest. All the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes came together with him. ⁵⁴Peter had followed him from a distance, until he came into the court of the high priest. He was sitting with the officers, and warming himself in the light of the fire. ⁵⁵Now the chief priests and the whole council sought witnesses against Jesus to put him to death, and found none. ⁵⁶For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony didn’t agree with each other. ⁵⁷Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, ⁵⁸“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’” ⁵⁹Even so, their testimony didn’t agree. ⁶⁰The high priest stood up in the middle, and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it which these testify against you?” ⁶¹But he stayed quiet, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” ⁶²Jesus said, “I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky.” ⁶³The high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need have we of witnesses? ⁶⁴You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” They all condemned him to be worthy of death. ⁶⁵Some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to beat him with fists, and to tell him, “Prophesy!” The officers struck him with the palms of their hands. ⁶⁶As Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the maids of the high priest came, ⁶⁷and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus!” ⁶⁸But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” He went out on the porch, and the rooster crowed. ⁶⁹The maid saw him and began again to tell those who stood by, “This is one of them.” ⁷⁰But he again denied it. After a little while again those who stood by said to Peter, “You truly are one of them, for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.” ⁷¹But he began to curse and to swear, “I don’t know this man of whom you speak!” ⁷²The rooster crowed the second time. Peter remembered the words that Jesus said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” When he thought about that, he wept.

^15:1Immediately in the morning the chief priests, with the elders, scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, bound Jesus, carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate. ²Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered, “So you say.” ³The chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer? See how many things they testify against you!” ⁵But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate marveled. ⁶Now at the feast he used to release to them one prisoner, whomever they asked of him. ⁷There was one called Barabbas, bound with his fellow insurgents, men who in the insurrection had committed murder. ⁸The multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do as he always did for them. ⁹Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” ¹⁰For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up. ¹¹But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should release Barabbas to them instead. ¹²Pilate again asked them, “What then should I do to him whom you call the King of the Jews?” ¹³They cried out again, “Crucify him!” ¹⁴Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, “Crucify him!” ¹⁵Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and handed over Jesus, when he had flogged him, to be crucified.