As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” Then the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again, “Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. Then he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

— Mark 15:1-16 (New Revised Standard Version)

The night before, on what we call “Maundy Thursday,” Jesus had been arrested in the peaceful Garden of Gethsemane, and taken to a cellar prison in the home of the high priest Caiaphas. In a nighttime court, he had been tried and found guilty.

Under Roman rule, the Jewish court which found Jesus guilty was not permitted to execute him. And so, early on Friday morning, Jesus was taken from there to the court of Pontius Pilate, the Governor of Judea.

The events of this first “station of the cross” would have taken place at the Antonia Fortress. It was there, in that seat of political power, that Pontius Pilate would have spoken with Jesus, and from there would have released him to be crucified. The Fortress no longer exists, but you can see a replica of it at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Although Pilate sees no reason to condemn Jesus, he gives in to the crowd yelling outside. He hands him over to the guards to be beaten and crucified.

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Let us pray.

Gracious God,

We pray in the name of Jesus, who willingly gave his life for us.

We pray in the name of Jesus, your Son, King of all kings, who allowed a cruel crown of thorns to be placed upon his head by those he came to save.

We pray in the name of Jesus, through whom the world was made, who allowed his own creation to judge and condemn him.

We pray in the name of Jesus, the Son of the Most High God, who allowed his body to be given over to those who would seek to destroy it.

As we remember how Pontius Pilate sat in judgment of Jesus, we pray:

We pray for the governmental leaders in our world, our country, our state, and our local communities. We pray that they would have wisdom and compassion. We pray that their decisions would be guided both by mercy and by justice. We pray that they would both seek and follow your guidance.

We pray for judges and lawyers, for all those whose calling it is to weigh evidence, hear testimony, and pass judgment on those before them. We pray that they may have wisdom beyond their training, that their spirits would be opened to true understanding of complex situations. We pray that their decisions would be directed by you.

We pray for those who have been justly condemned, for those who are living out their sentences in jails and prisons. We pray that they would repent of their sins and find their way to the truth.

We pray for those who were victims of crime, that they might be comforted and find redemption in your love.

We pray for those who have been wrongly convicted, that you would raise up people to see beyond the stigma of their sentence to seek justice on their behalf. Grant those reviewing those cases insight and wisdom, and the ability to correct a wrong.

We finish this station by praying in silence, that you would open our spirits to you this day.