15. Every year at Passover time the governor would free one prisoner—whichever one the people wanted him to free.
16. At that time there was a man in prison who was known to be very bad. His name was Barabbas.
17. When a crowd gathered, Pilate said to them, “I will free one man for you. Which one do you want me to free: Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
18. Pilate knew that they had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous of him.