Luke 23:13-25
Pilate has Jesus scourged and sentences Him to death.
Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, and said to them, "You brought this man to me and said that he was misleading the people. Now, I have examined him here in your presence, and I have not found him guilty of any of the crimes you accuse him of. 

Nor did Herod find him guilty, for he sent him back to us. There is nothing this man has done to deserve death. So I will have him whipped and let him go." [ At every Passover Festival Pilate had to set free one prisoner for them.]
The whole crowd cried out, "Kill him! Set Barabbas free for us!" (Barabbas had been put in prison for a riot that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)
Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, so he appealed to the crowd again. But they shouted back, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
Pilate said to them the third time, "But what crime has he committed? I cannot find anything he has done to deserve death! I will have him whipped and set him free."
But they kept on shouting at the top of their voices that Jesus should be crucified,  (check out what happened if you were crucified - click here) and finally their shouting succeeded. So Pilate passed the sentence on Jesus that they were asking for. He set free the man they wanted, the one who had been put in prison for riot and murder, and he handed Jesus over for them to do as they wished.

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