This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in John 18:28-40, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.
It was very early in the morning. Jesus was taken to see a leader named Pilate, who was in charge of the city. The people who took Jesus didn’t want to go inside Pilate’s so they could eat the Passover. So Pilate went outside to talk to them and asked them why they brought Jesus to him.
Pilate asked them, “What did this man do wrong?” They told Pilate, “If he wasn’t doing something wrong, we wouldn’t have brought him here.”
Pilate went back inside his building and asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”
Pilate said, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
Pilate asked Jesus again if he was a king. Jesus said, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
Pilate didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about and asked, “What is truth?”
Then, Pilate went back outside to talk to the people. He told them that he didn’t find any guilt in Jesus and that he wanted to let him go. But it was a tradition to release one prisoner during a special holiday called Passover. Pilate asked the people if they wanted him to release Jesus, the King of the Jews. But the people didn’t want Jesus to be released. They wanted a man named Barabbas to be released instead. Barabbas was a robber and a criminal.
Biblical Lessons
- Jesus was born to share the truth with people.
- Sometimes people don’t understand what we’re trying to say, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying to share the truth.
Related Stories
Must-Read Christian Books
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
Practical, biblical guidance on disciplines like prayer, Bible intake, worship, and fasting to grow in godliness.
View on Amazon
The Cross of Christ
A profound exploration of the meaning and power of the cross at the center of Christian faith and life.
View on Amazon
Faith Alone
Defends justification by faith alone as the heart of the biblical gospel and Reformation.
View on Amazon
Basic Christianity
A timeless introduction to who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him according to Scripture.
View on Amazon
Knowing Scripture
Teaches how to interpret the Bible rightly, emphasizing its clarity and our responsibility to study it.
View on Amazon
Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands
Biblical counseling and discipleship that helps believers speak God's truth into one another's lives.
View on Amazon
Respectable Sins
Exposes the "ordinary" sins Christians often tolerate and calls us to gospel-driven holiness.
View on Amazon
Future Grace
Argues that faith in God's future grace frees believers from the enslaving power of sin.
View on Amazon
Don't Waste Your Life
A passionate plea to live for Christ's glory rather than trivial pursuits.
View on Amazon
Spiritual Leadership
Biblical principles for godly leadership in the church, home, and workplace.
View on Amazon
Spurgeon on the Christian Life
A portrait of Charles Spurgeon's Christ-centered theology and joyful piety.
View on Amazon
Expository Listening
Teaches Christians how to listen to expository preaching in a way that bears fruit.
View on Amazon
Preaching and Preachers
Classic lectures on the nature and power of biblical preaching.
View on Amazon
The Christian Life
A clear, doctrinally rich overview of salvation and Christian living.
View on Amazon
Operation World
A prayer handbook with up-to-date information on nations and their gospel needs.
View on Amazon
Family Worship
A short, practical guide to leading your home in daily worship of God.
View on Amazon
Shepherding a Child's Heart
Biblical parenting that aims at a child's heart, not just outward behavior.
View on Amazon