1Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.2‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ asked Pilate. ‘You have said so,’ Jesus replied.3The chief priests accused him of many things.4So again Pilate asked him, ‘Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.’5But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.6Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested.7A man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder in the uprising.8The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.9‘Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?’ asked Pilate,10knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to get Pilate to release Barabbas instead.12‘What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?’ Pilate asked them.13‘Crucify him!’ they shouted.14‘Why? What crime has he committed?’ asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’15Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
The soldiers mock Jesus
16The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.17They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.18And they began to call out to him, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’19Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spat on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.20And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
The crucifixion of Jesus
21A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.22They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means ‘the place of the skull’).23Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.24And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.25It was nine in the morning when they crucified him.26The written notice of the charge against him read: The king of the Jews.27-28They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left.[1] (Lu 22:37)29Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,30come down from the cross and save yourself!’31In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save himself!32Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.’ Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
The death of Jesus
33At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.34And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’). (Ps 22:1)35When some of those standing near heard this, they said, ‘Listen, he’s calling Elijah.’36Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ‘Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,’ he said.37With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.38The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.39And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,[2] he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’40Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,[3] and Salome.41In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
The burial of Jesus
42It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached,43Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.44Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died.45When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph.46So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.
6Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. (Mt 27:15; Lu 23:18; Joh 18:39; Joh 19:16)7And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. (Ac 3:14; Ac 5:36)8And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them.9And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?”10For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. (Joh 12:19)11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead.12And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” (Joh 19:15)13And they cried out again, “Crucify him.”14And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” (Lu 23:41; Joh 8:46)15So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged[1] Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. (Isa 50:6; Isa 53:5; Mr 10:34; Lu 23:16; Joh 19:1)
Jesus Is Mocked
16And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters),[2] and they called together the whole battalion.[3] (Mt 26:3; Mt 27:27; Joh 18:28; Joh 18:33; Joh 19:2; Joh 19:9; Ac 10:1; Ac 23:35; Php 1:13)17And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. (Lu 23:11; Re 18:12; Re 18:16)18And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Mr 15:2)19And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. (Mt 8:2; Mr 14:65)20And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. (Isa 53:7; Mr 10:34; Mr 15:17)
The Crucifixion
21And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. (Mt 27:32; Lu 23:26; Joh 19:17)22And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). (Mt 27:33; Lu 23:32; Lu 23:44; Joh 19:17; Joh 19:23; Joh 19:28)23And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. (Mt 2:11; Joh 19:39)24And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. (Ps 22:18)25And it was the third hour[4] when they crucified him. (Joh 19:14)26And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” (Mr 15:2)27And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.[5] (Mr 10:37; Joh 18:40)29And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, (Job 16:4; Ps 22:7; Ps 35:25; Ps 40:15; Ps 109:25; Jer 18:16; La 1:12; La 2:15; Mr 14:58)30save yourself, and come down from the cross!”31So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. (Mt 26:53; Lu 4:23; Joh 10:18)32Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. (Mt 1:17; Mr 15:26; Lu 23:39; Joh 1:49; Joh 12:13; Joh 20:29)
The Death of Jesus
33And when the sixth hour[6] had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.[7]34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps 22:1; Heb 5:7)35And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.”36And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” (Ru 2:14; Ps 69:21)37And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. (Mr 15:34; Joh 10:18)38And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. (Ex 26:31; 2Ch 3:14)39And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he[8] breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son[9] of God!” (Mt 27:43; Mt 27:54; Lu 23:47; Lu 23:49)40There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. (Ps 38:11; Mt 27:56; Mr 16:1; Lu 8:2; Joh 19:25)41When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. (Mr 15:40; Lu 2:4)
Jesus Is Buried
42And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, (Mt 27:57; Mt 27:62; Lu 23:50; Joh 19:38)43Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. (Lu 2:25; Lu 2:38; Ac 13:50; Ac 17:12)44Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died.[10] And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. (Mr 15:39)45And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. (Mr 15:44)46And Joseph[11] bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. (Isa 22:16; Isa 53:9; Mr 14:51; Mr 16:4; Joh 11:38)47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. (Mr 15:40)