Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible Recap.

Over the next few days, we're reading about the hinge point of history and the foundation of our faith.

Even though they may be familiar to you, try not to rush through these readings or gloss over

them. Sit with them if you can. Today's reading has a lot in common with tomorrow's reading,

so today we'll recap the first half, then tomorrow will tackle the last half. As the day breaks,

Jesus has been through three religious trials, and the rulers declare him guilty. The next step, if they want to enact the death penalty, is to present him to the Roman governor

Pontius Pilate, because only the Romans can hand down the death penalty.

So he's taken from his religious trials to a civil trial.

With Pilate, the people accused Jesus of claiming to be a king, since that would pose a threat

to the Roman authorities. In Luke's account, they even say Jesus had forbidden them to pay their taxes to Caesar,

but we know that's a lie based on his response to them in Luke 20.

Pilate questions him about being a king, and in John's account, Jesus explains that his kingdom is not of this world.

Otherwise, his followers would be fighting, and they aren't.

He says he's not there to fight, but to speak truth. Then Pilate responds with a question that

has always been a popular response to the gospel. What is truth? In Luke's account, Pilate sends

Jesus to King Herod before proceeding with things. It seems like Pilate is trying to find a loophole

for having to make a

judgment because Jesus is from another jurisdiction, even though his alleged crimes have been

committed in Jerusalem. So he sends him off to King Herod a higher authority. The king and his

soldiers try to wound and shame Jesus by putting a purple robe and a crown of thorns on his head,

mocking his royalty, and send him back

to Pontius Pilate. So now Pilot has to make some kind of judgment call. But before Jesus was

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