John 18:28–19:16
28Then, Jesus was taken from Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was early, and the Jews themselves did not enter into the Praetorium in order not to be made ritually impure and to be able to eat the Passover. 29For this reason, Pilate went out to them and asked, “What accusation do you bring against this man?”
30“If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”
31At this, Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.”
Then, the Jews told him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death!”32 (This was to fulfil the word which Jesus had spoken, by which he had indicated by what kind of death he would die).
33So Pilate went back into the Praetorium. Having called Jesus, he asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
34Jesus answered, “Do you say this by yourself, or did others tell you about me?”
35Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered you to me. What have you done?”
36Jesus replied, “My Kingdom is not of this world! If my Kingdom were of this world, my servants would have fought so that I would not be delivered to the Jews. But as it is, my Kingdom is not from here.”
37Pilate, therefore, said to him, “Are you a king then?”
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. I was born and I have come into the world for this reason: that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is ‘of the truth’ listens to my voice.”
38Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
After saying this, he went out again to the Jews, and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 39But you have a custom, that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Therefore, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
40Then they all shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a rebel.
1Then, Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2The soldiers twisted thorns into a crown, placed it on his head, and dressed him in a purple garment. 3They kept saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and they kept slapping him.
4Then, Pilate went out again. He said to the Jews, “Behold, I bring him out to you, so that you may know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”
5When Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment, Pilate said to them, “Behold, the man!”
6But when the chief priests and the officers saw Jesus, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
Pilate answered, “Take him yourselves, and crucify him, for I find no basis for a charge against him.”
7The Jews insisted, “We have a law, and according to our law, he should die because he made himself the Son of God.”
8However, when Pilate heard these words, he was even more afraid. 9Returning into the Praetorium, he asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10Then Pilate asked him, “Are you not speaking to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and the power to crucify you?”
11Jesus answered, “You would have no power at all against me unless it were given to you from above. Therefore, he who delivered me to you has a greater sin.”
12From then on, Pilate tried to release Jesus, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend! Everyone who makes himself a king speaks against Caesar!”
13When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called “The Pavement,” and in Hebrew, “Gabbatha.” 14Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, at about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!”
15But they shouted, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?”
The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”
16And so, Pilate delivered Jesus to them, to be crucified. Accordingly, the guards took Jesus and led him away.
You will hear this Gospel read at The Good Shepherd Orthodox Church during Holy Week, on Great and Holy Thursday. It is followed by the Gospel reading from Matthew 27:3-32.
Details
The Good Shepherd Orthodox Church, located in Clayton, Melbourne, is a living witness to the power of the Gospel and the fullness of the Christian Faith in modern, secular Australia.
About us. We are a vibrant Australian Christian community under the direction of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand & the Philippines, which is under the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East. The Church of Antioch is the continuation of the Christian community founded in Antioch by the Apostles Peter (who served as its first bishop) and Paul. The Patriarchate of Antioch is the oldest of the ancient Patriarchates constituting the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ.
All services are in the English language and the Service of Holy Thursday is held in the Main Chapel of the Religious Centre at Monash University, Clayton Campus, conveniently located in the centre of Melbourne’s residential population.
Parking in the University car parks is free after 7:00 pm, but please take note of all signs regarding Loading Zones, No Standing and Disabled Parking, these restrictions apply and are enforced.