1It was very early in the morning. The chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law, and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they tied Jesus up and led him away. Then they handed him over to Pilate.2‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ asked Pilate. ‘You have said so,’ Jesus replied.3The chief priests brought many charges against him.4So Pilate asked him again, ‘Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they charge you with.’5But Jesus still did not reply. Pilate was amazed.6It was the usual practice at the Passover Feast to let one prisoner go free. The people could choose the one they wanted.7A man named Barabbas was in prison. He was there with some other people who had fought against the country’s rulers. They had committed murder while they were fighting against the rulers.8The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.9‘Do you want me to let the king of the Jews go free?’ asked Pilate.10He knew that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him because they wanted to get their own way.11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd. So the crowd asked Pilate to let Barabbas go free instead.12‘Then what should I do with the one you call the king of the Jews?’ Pilate asked them.13‘Crucify him!’ the crowd shouted.14‘Why? What wrong has he done?’ asked Pilate. But they shouted even louder, ‘Crucify him!’15Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd. So he let Barabbas go free. He ordered that Jesus be whipped. Then he handed him over to be nailed to a cross.
The soldiers make fun of Jesus
16The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace. It was called the Praetorium. They called together the whole company of soldiers.17The soldiers put a purple robe on Jesus. Then they twisted thorns together to make a crown. They placed it on his head.18They began to call out to him, ‘We honour you, king of the Jews!’19Again and again they hit him on the head with a stick. They spat on him. They fell on their knees and pretended to honour him.20After they had made fun of him, they took off the purple robe. They put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to nail him to a cross.
Jesus is nailed to a cross
21A man named Simon was passing by. He was from Cyrene. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. Simon was on his way in from the country. The soldiers forced him to carry the cross.22They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha. The word Golgotha means the Place of the Skull.23Then they gave him wine mixed with spices. But he did not take it.24They nailed him to the cross. Then they divided up his clothes. They cast lots to see what each of them would get.25It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.26They wrote out the charge against him. It read, The King of the Jews.27-28They crucified with him two rebels against Rome. One was on his right and one was on his left.29Those who passed by shouted at Jesus and made fun of him. They shook their heads and said, ‘So you are going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days?30Then come down from the cross! Save yourself!’31In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law made fun of 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! When we see that, we will believe.’ Those who were being crucified with Jesus also made fun of him.
Jesus dies
33At noon, darkness covered the whole land. It lasted three hours.34At three o’clock in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ This means ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ (Ps 22:1)35Some of those standing nearby heard Jesus cry out. They said, ‘Listen! He’s calling for Elijah.’36Someone ran and filled a sponge with wine vinegar. He put it on a stick. He offered it to Jesus to drink. ‘Leave him alone,’ he said. ‘Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.’37With a loud cry, Jesus took his last breath.38The temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom.39A Roman commander was standing there in front of Jesus. He saw how Jesus died. Then he said, ‘This man was surely the Son of God!’40Not very far away, some women were watching. Mary Magdalene was among them. Mary, the mother of the younger James and of Joseph, was also there. So was Salome.41In Galilee these women had followed Jesus. They had taken care of his needs. Many other women were also there. They had come up with him to Jerusalem.
Jesus is buried
42It was the day before the Sabbath. That day was called Preparation Day. As evening approached,43Joseph went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Joseph was from the town of Arimathea. He was a leading member of the Jewish Council. He was waiting for God’s kingdom.44Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead. So he called for the Roman commander. He asked him if Jesus had already died.45The commander said it was true. So Pilate gave the body to Joseph.46Then Joseph bought some linen cloth. He took down the body and wrapped it in the linen. He put it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body had been placed.
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)