1It was early in the morning. All the chief priests and the elders of the people planned how to put Jesus to death.2So they tied him up and led him away. Then they handed him over to Pilate, who was the governor.3Judas, who had handed him over, saw that Jesus had been sentenced to die. He felt deep shame and sadness for what he had done. So he returned the 30 silver coins to the chief priests and the elders.4‘I have sinned,’ he said. ‘I handed over a man who is not guilty.’ ‘What do we care?’ they replied. ‘That’s your problem.’5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.6The chief priests picked up the coins. They said, ‘It’s against the law to put this money into the temple fund. It is blood money. It has paid for a man’s death.’7So they decided to use the money to buy a potter’s field. People from other countries would be buried there.8That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.9Then the words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet came true. He had said, ‘They took the 30 silver coins. That price was set for him by the people of Israel.10They used the coins to buy a potter’s field, just as the Lord commanded me.’ (Jer 19:1; Jer 32:6; Zec 11:12; Zec 11:13)
Jesus is brought to Pilate
11Jesus was standing in front of the governor. The governor asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘Yes. You have said so,’ Jesus replied.12But when the chief priests and the elders brought charges against him, he did not answer.13Then Pilate asked him, ‘Don’t you hear the charges they are bringing against you?’14But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge. The governor was really amazed.15It was the governor’s practice at the Passover Feast to let one prisoner go free. The people could choose the one they wanted.16At that time they had a well-known prisoner named Jesus Barabbas.17So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, ‘Which one do you want me to set free? Jesus Barabbas? Or Jesus who is called the Messiah?’18Pilate knew that the leaders wanted to get their own way. He knew this was why they had handed Jesus over to him.19While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him a message. It said, ‘Don’t have anything to do with that man. He is not guilty. I have suffered a great deal in a dream today because of him.’20But the chief priests and the elders talked the crowd into asking for Barabbas and having Jesus put to death.21‘Which of the two do you want me to set free?’ asked the governor. ‘Barabbas’, they answered.22‘Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ Pilate asked. They all answered, ‘Crucify him!’23‘Why? What wrong has he done?’ asked Pilate. But they shouted even louder, ‘Crucify him!’24Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere. Instead, the crowd was starting to get angry. So he took water and washed his hands in front of them. ‘I am not guilty of this man’s death,’ he said. ‘You are accountable for that!’25All the people answered, ‘Put the blame for his death on us and our children!’26Pilate let Barabbas go free. But he had Jesus whipped. Then he handed him over to be nailed to a cross.
The soldiers make fun of Jesus
27The governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the palace, which was called the Praetorium. All the rest of the soldiers gathered around him.28They took off his clothes and put a purple robe on him.29Then they twisted thorns together to make a crown. They placed it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they fell on their knees in front of him and made fun of him. ‘We honour you, king of the Jews!’ they said.30They spat on him. They hit him on the head with the stick again and again.31After they had made fun of him, they took off the robe. They put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to nail him to a cross.
Jesus is nailed to a cross
32On their way out of the city, they met a man from Cyrene. His name was Simon. They forced him to carry the cross.33They came to a place called Golgotha. The word Golgotha means the Place of the Skull.34There they mixed wine with bitter spices and gave it to Jesus to drink. After tasting it, he refused to drink it.35When they had nailed him to the cross, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.36They sat down and kept watch over him there.37Above his head they placed the written charge against him. It read, This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.38Two rebels against Rome were crucified with him. One was on his right and one was on his left.39Those who passed by shouted at Jesus and made fun of him. They shook their heads40and said, ‘So you are going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days? Then save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!’41In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders made fun of him.42‘He saved others,’ they said. ‘But he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross! Then we will believe in him.43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him. He’s the one who said, “I am the Son of God.” ’44In the same way the rebels who were being crucified with Jesus also made fun of him.
Jesus dies
45From noon until three o’clock, the whole land was covered with darkness.46About three o’clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice. He said, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ This means ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ (Ps 22:1)47Some of those standing there heard Jesus cry out. They said, ‘He’s calling for Elijah.’48Right away one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar and put it on a stick. He offered it to Jesus to drink.49The rest said, ‘Leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.’50After Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, he died.51At that moment the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook. The rocks split.52Tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.53They came out of the tombs. After Jesus was raised from the dead, they went into the holy city. There they appeared to many people.54The Roman commander and those guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened. They were terrified. They exclaimed, ‘He was surely the Son of God!’55Not very far away, many women were watching. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to take care of his needs.56Mary Magdalene was among them. Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, was also there. So was the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
Jesus is buried
57As evening approached, a rich man came from the town of Arimathea. His name was Joseph. He had become a follower of Jesus.58He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate ordered that it be given to him.59Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth.60He placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb. Then he went away.61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
The guards at the tomb
62The next day was the day after Preparation Day. The chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.63‘Sir’, they said, ‘we remember something that liar said while he was still alive. He claimed, “After three days I will rise again.”64So give the order to make the tomb secure until the third day. If you don’t, his disciples might come and steal the body. Then they will tell the people that Jesus has been raised from the dead. This last lie will be worse than the first.’65‘Take some guards with you,’ Pilate answered. ‘Go. Make the tomb as secure as you can.’66So they went and made the tomb secure. They put a royal seal on the stone and placed some guards on duty.
3Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus[1] was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, (Mt 21:29; Mt 26:14; Mt 26:15)4saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” (Mt 27:24)5And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. (2Sa 17:23; Ac 1:18)6But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” (Mr 12:41; Mr 12:43; Lu 21:1; Joh 8:20)7So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers.8Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. (Mt 28:15; Ac 1:19)9Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, (Zec 11:13; Mt 1:22)10and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”
Jesus Before Pilate
11Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” (Mt 2:2; Mt 27:29; Mt 27:37; Mt 27:42; Mr 15:2; Lu 22:70; Lu 23:2; Joh 18:29; Joh 18:39; Joh 19:3; 1Ti 6:13)12But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. (Mt 26:63)13Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” (Joh 19:10)14But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
The Crowd Chooses Barabbas
15Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. (Mr 15:6; Lu 23:18; Joh 18:39; Joh 19:16)16And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.17So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” (Mt 27:22)18For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. (Joh 12:19)19Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” (Mt 2:12; Mt 27:24; Lu 23:47; Joh 19:13)20Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. (Ac 3:14)21The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.”22Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” (Ac 13:28)23And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” (Lu 23:41; Joh 8:46)
Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified
24So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood;[2] see to it yourselves.” (De 21:6; Ps 26:6; Ps 73:13; Mt 26:5; Mt 27:4; Mt 27:19)25And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” (Ex 20:5; Jos 2:19; La 5:7; Mt 23:35; Ac 5:28)26Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged[3] Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. (Isa 50:6; Isa 53:5; Mt 20:19; Lu 23:16; Joh 19:1)
Jesus Is Mocked
27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters,[4] and they gathered the whole battalion[5] before him. (Mr 15:16; Joh 18:28; Joh 18:33; Joh 19:2; Joh 19:9; Ac 10:1; Ac 23:35; Php 1:13)28And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, (Lu 23:11; Re 18:12; Re 18:16)29and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Mt 20:19; Mt 27:11)30And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. (Mt 26:67)31And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. (Isa 53:7)
The Crucifixion
32As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. (Nu 15:35; Mt 21:39; Mr 15:21; Lu 23:26; Joh 19:17; Heb 13:12)33And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), (Mr 15:22; Lu 23:32; Lu 23:44; Joh 19:17; Joh 19:23; Joh 19:28)34they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. (Ps 69:21; Ac 8:23)35And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. (Ps 22:18)36Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. (Ps 22:17; Mt 27:54)37And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” (Mt 27:11; Mt 27:29)38Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. (Mt 20:21; Joh 18:40)39And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads (Job 16:4; Ps 22:7; Ps 109:25; Isa 37:22; Jer 18:16; La 1:12; La 2:15; Lu 22:65; Lu 23:39; Jas 2:7)40and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Mt 4:3; Mt 4:6; Mt 14:33; Mt 26:61; Mt 26:63; Mt 27:43)41So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying,42“He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. (Mt 26:53; Mt 27:37; Lu 4:23; Joh 1:49; Joh 10:18; Joh 12:13)43He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” (Ps 22:8)44And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. (Lu 23:39)
The Death of Jesus
45Now from the sixth hour[6] there was darkness over all the land[7] until the ninth hour.[8]46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps 22:1; Heb 5:7)47And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”48And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. (Ru 2:14; Ps 69:21)49But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”50And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. (Mt 27:46; Joh 10:18)51And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. (Ex 26:31; 2Ch 3:14; Mt 27:54)52The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, (Da 7:18; Da 7:22; Joh 11:11; Ac 7:60; Ac 13:36; 1Co 15:6; 1Co 15:18; 1Co 15:20; 1Th 4:13; 2Pe 3:4)53and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (Mt 4:5)54When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son[9] of God!” (Mt 27:36; Mt 27:43; Mr 15:39; Lu 23:47; Lu 23:49)55There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, (Ps 38:11; Lu 8:2; Joh 19:25)56among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. (Mt 20:20; Mt 27:55; Mr 15:40)
Jesus Is Buried
57When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. (Mr 15:42; Lu 23:50; Joh 19:38)58He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.59And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud60and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. (Isa 22:16; Isa 53:9; Mr 16:4; Joh 11:38)61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. (Mt 27:56; Mt 28:1)
The Guard at the Tomb
62The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate (Mr 15:42; Lu 23:54; Joh 19:14; Joh 19:31; Joh 19:42)63and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ (Mt 16:21; Mt 17:23; Mt 20:19; Mt 26:61; Mt 27:64; Mt 28:6; Mr 8:31; Mr 10:34; Lu 9:22; Lu 18:33; Lu 24:6; Joh 2:19; Joh 7:12)64Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” (Mt 28:13)65Pilate said to them, “You have a guard[10] of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” (Mt 28:11)66So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. (Da 6:17)