After his arrest, Jesus is sent to Caiaphas, then to Pilate, then to Herod, and Herod sends him back to Pilate. So here he is, before Pilate once more, and this time his fate is sealed: he'll be sentenced to crucifixion, the most horrible, degrading and humiliating death used at the time. Big penalties resolved in severe flogging or in crucifixion. Pilate decided to flog Jesus but the crowd (incited by the Sanedrin, the Jewish government) wasn't contented with that and demanded crucifixion, so he got both punishments, flogging AND crucifixion, something most unusual and technically outside Roman law.

A scene from the musical movie "Jesus Christ Superstar" (1973).

Pilate has a British accent, the rest have American accent.

In the original scene it is after the flogging when Pilate shows Jesus to the crowd and says "Behold the man" (= look at the man). The actual words Pilate said, in Latin, were "Ecce homo" (= here is the man). In western art, "Ecce Homo" is a very popular representation of the suffering humiliated Christ (click here to see)

And so the king is once again my guest.
And why is this? Was Herod unimpressed?

We turn to Rome to sentence Nazareth.
We have no law to put a man to death.
We need him crucified.
It's all you have to do.
We need him crucified.
It's all you have to do.

Talk to me Jesus Christ.
You have been brought here
Manacled, beaten by your own people.
Do you have the first idea why you deserve it?
Listen King of the Jews,
Where is your kingdom?
Look at me. Am I a Jew?

I have no kingdom in this world I'm through.
There may be a kingdom for me somewhere. If you only knew.

Then you are a king?

It's you that say I am. I look for truth and find that I get damned.

But what is truth? Is truth a changing law?
We both have truths. Are mine the same as yours?

Crucify him! Crucify him!

What do you mean? You'd crucify your king?

We have no king but Caesar!

He's done no wrong. No, not the slightest thing.

We have no king but Caesar! Crucify him!

What is this new respect for Caesar?
'Till now this has been noticeably lacking.
Who is this Jesus? Why is he different?
You Jews produce Messiahs by the sackfull.

We need him crucified, It's all you have to do.
We need him crucified, It's all you have to do.

Talk to me, Jesus Christ.
Look at your Jesus Christ.
I'll agree he's mad.
Ought to be locked up,
But that is not a reason to destroy him.
He's a sad little man.
Not a King or God.
Not a thief,
I need a crime!

Crucify him! Crucify him!

Behold the man,
Behold your shattered King.

We have no King but Caesar.

You hypocrites,
You hate us more than him.

We have no King but Caesar,
Crucify him!

I see no reason. I find no evil.
This man is harmless, so why does he upset you?
He's just misguided, thinks he's important,
But to keep you vultures happy I shall flog him.

Crucify him! Crucify him!...


(Thirty-nine lashes, Pilate counts)


Where are you from Jesus?
What do you want Jesus?
Tell me.
You've got to be careful,
You could be dead soon.
Could well be.
Why do you not speak
When I hold your life in my hands?
How can you stay quiet?
I don't believe you understand.

You have nothing in your hands.
Any power you have comes to you from far beyond.
Everything is fixed and you can't change it.

You're a fool Jesus Christ.
How can I help you?

Pilate, Crucify him. Crucify him.
Remember Caesar.
You have a duty
To keep the peace, so crucify him!
Remember Caesar.
You'll be demoted.
You'll be deported. Crucify him!

Remember Caesar.
You have a duty
To keep the peace, so crucify him!
Remember Caesar.
You'll be demoted.
You'll be deported. Crucify him!

Remember Caesar.
You have a duty
To keep the peace, so crucify him!
Remember Caesar.
You'll be demoted.
You'll be deported. Crucify him!

Don't let me stop your great self-destruction.
Die if you want to, you misguided martyr.
I wash my hands of your demolition.
Die if you want to you innocent puppet!