Luke 23:1-5 - Jesus Brought Before Pilate

¹ Then the entire group of them [i.e., of the Jewish elders, priests and law experts] got up [from their Council meeting] and took Jesus to [governor] Pilate. ² They began bringing accusations against Him, saying, "We discovered this man misleading the people of our nation and telling them not to pay taxes to Caesar, and claiming that he himself was the Messiah, a king!"

³ So, Pilate asked Him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" And Jesus answered him, "You have said so."

⁴ Then Pilate said to the leading priests and to the crowds [that had gathered], "I do not find anything wrong with this man."

⁵ But the group became more insistent, saying, "He is stirring up the people and teaching [these things] throughout all Judea. He began [doing this] in Galilee and [has continued it] even to this place [i.e., Jerusalem]."

²⁸ Then, early in the morning they led Jesus from Caiaphas to [governor Pilate's] headquarters. But the Jewish authorities would not enter it, because [if they had] they would have become ceremonially unclean, and could not eat the Passover meal. [Note: This was because they regarded a Gentile house as defiling].

²⁹ So, Pilate went outside to them and asked, "What charge do you bring against this man?"

³⁰ The Jewish authorities answered Pilate, "If this man were not guilty of wrongdoing, we would not have turned him over to you."

³¹ So, Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him according to your [own] law." [But] the Jews replied to him, "It is not permissible for us to put anyone to death." ³² [They said this] so that the words Jesus had spoken would be fulfilled, regarding the kind of death He would die. [Note: Jesus had predicted he would be "lifted up," indicating a Roman crucifixion. See 12:32-33].