What did Pilate do with Jesus?
What did the soldiers put on Him? What did they say and do to Him?
Why did Pilate bring Jesus out again?
How did Pilate announce Jesus?
What was the response of the priests and officers?
What did Pilate put on them? Why?
What must happen “according to their law?” Why?
Where did Pilate go in response to this? What did he ask Jesus?
How did Jesus respond? What did Pilate say?
Where did Jesus say Pilate got his power?
Who did Jesus say was guilty of the greater sin?
What did Pilate try to do? What was the response of the Jews?
Where did Pilate take Jesus next? When was it?
This time, how did Pilate announce Jesus? What was their response now?
Who was the only king, according to the chief priests?

Thought Questions

How do you think Pilate felt now? Did he have any conviction about who Jesus really was? How would you have decided in this position?
Did Pilate have enough evidence to be able to make the right decision? (See also Matt. 27:19)
Has there ever been a time when you had quite a bit of evidence a certain direction, but decided to go against it out of pride and do the opposite?
Did the Jews have any basis on which to make their accusation? See Leviticus 24:16. What part of Jesus’ life and ministry were they not taking into consideration? What part of their own Messianic prophecies were they not taking into consideration?
What side would you have taken if you had been there? What evidence would you have used to make this decision–the Levitical laws, or the testimony of the prophecies and Jesus’ own life?
If Pilate had made the right decision and released Jesus, what do you think would have happened to Jesus? What would have happened to Pilate? How much power does one decision have in our eternal destiny? Could Pilate have been saved if he had repented later?
Who was “the one who delivered” Jesus to Pilate? Why did he have the greater sin? Does God take into consideration how much knowledge we have when He judges us?
How is the Jews’ mention of Caesar as their king, especially in verse 15, ironic compared to how they historically had felt about being controlled by the Romans? What did the Jews believe at that time that their Messiah was going to do? What had almost everyone, including His own disciples, wanted Jesus to do?
What are your thoughts on loyalty to earthly kings (politics) vs. loyalty to God?
What led to Pilate’s ultimate decision to give Jesus up to be crucified? What can we learn from this to apply to our decisions?

My prayer is:
that I would be able to clearly regard the evidence presented when making a decision for Christ, discounting my own pride;
that Christ’s honor would take precedence over pride in my position or any earthly thing;
and that I would be able to honor Him in the face of opposition, even strong political opposition against the majority, if need be.

What was Pilate’s court called?
Why did they (the Jews) refuse to go into the place?
What did Pilate go out to ask them?
What was their response?
What did Pilate then tell them to do? What did they really want from him, that they weren’t allowed to do?
What saying of Jesus was fulfilled now?
What question did Pilate ask Jesus when he called Him in to the Praetorium?
What was Jesus’ response? What was Pilate’s response to Him?
Where did Jesus say His kingdom was not from? Did He say where it was from?
What reason did Jesus use to prove that His kingdom was not of this world?
Did Jesus testify that He is indeed a king?
For what reason did Jesus come into the world?
Who hears Jesus’ voice?
What question did Pilate ask?
Did Pilate find Jesus guilty?
What custom did the Jews have at Passover?
What did Pilate call Jesus?
Who did they want Pilate to release?
Who was Barabbas?

Thought Questions

Why was it that the crowd of Jews, who were leading an innocent Man to death, were unwilling to go into a Gentile building in case they might become too defiled to eat the Passover? What does the Passover represent? Are there any ways you might be guilty of the same spirit in your life?
Why did the Jews answer Pilate the way they did? Did they actually have any proof of wrongdoing?
How did Jesus’ answer to Pilate’s question (“are you the King of the Jews?”) show wisdom? Can you think of instances where we might use this answer to others who ask critical questions of us or our beliefs?
Think about Jesus’ second answer in this passage (verse 36). Where is Jesus’ kingdom? Why was this so difficult for the people around Him to grasp? What do the followers of most earthly potential kings do? What did Jesus’ disciples and other followers do when He was arrested? Does Peter’s ear episode count as much of a fight?
How would you define or label Jesus’ kingdom, after reading verse 37? Can we have a role in God’s government as well? Read Revelation 1:6.
In practical terms, how does a person hear Jesus’ voice–is there a prerequisite to being able to understand Him? How can we learn what the truth is?
Why do you think Pilate asked, “What is truth?” Do you think he really wanted to know? Do you see a glimmer of hope in Pilate’s life in verse 38? If someone asked you this question, would you be prepared to answer?
Why did the Jews want Barabbas to be released instead of Jesus?

My prayer is:
that I would hear and recognize Jesus’ voice, and understand what His kingdom is;
that I would defend Christ’s Kingdom with loyalty to the truth, and not with violence;
and that I would be able to give an answer when anyone asks the question, “What is truth?”