Jesus is Taken to Pilate

(Mark 15:1; Luke 23:1-2; John 18:28-32)

1When morning came, all the high priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put him to death. 2They bound him with chains, led him away, and handed him over to Pontiusa Pilate, the governor.

The Death of Judas

(Acts 1:18-19)

3Then Judas, who had betrayed him, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesusb was condemned. He brought the 30 pieces of silver back to the high priests and elders, 4saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocentc blood.”

But they replied, “What do we care? Attend to that yourself.” 5Then he flung the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, went outside, ran away, and hanged himself.

6The high priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put this into the Temple treasury, because it is blood money.” 7So they decided to use the money to buy the Potter’s Field as a burial ground for foreigners. 8That is why that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9Then what had been declared through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled when he said,

“Theyd took the 30 pieces of silver,

the value of the man on whom a price had been set by the Israelis,

10and theye gave them for the potter’s field,

as the Lord commanded me.”f

Pilate Questions Jesus

(Mark 15:2-5; Luke 23:3-5; John 18:33-38)

11Meanwhile, Jesus was made to stand in front of the governor. The governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus said, “You say so.”

12While Jesusg was being accused by the high priests and elders, he made no reply. 13Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear how many charges they’re bringing against you?” 14But Jesush did not reply at all, so that the governor was very surprised.

Jesus is Sentenced to Death

(Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:13-25; John 18:39-19:16)

15At every festivali the governor had a custom of releasing to the crowd any prisoner whom they wanted. 16At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Barabbas.j 17So when the peoplek had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which man do you want me to release for you—Barabbas,l or Jesus who is called ‘the Messiah’?”m 18He did thisn because he knew that they had handed him over out of jealousy.

19While he was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him a messageo that said, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, because today I have suffered terribly due to a dream I had about him.”

20But the high priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to demand that Jesus be put to death. 21So the governor asked them, “Which of the two men do you want me to release for you?”

“Barabbas!” they replied.

22Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?”p

They all said, “Let him be crucified!”

23He asked, “What has he done wrong?”

But they kept shouting louder and louder, “Let him be crucified!”

24Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was about to break out instead. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’sq blood. Attend to that yourselves.”

25All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and our children!” 26Then he released Barabbas for them, but he had Jesus whipped and handed over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus

(Mark 15:16-20; John 19:2-3)

27Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the imperial headquartersr and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28They strippeds him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29Twisting some thorns into a victor’s crown, they placed it on his head and putt a stick in his right hand. They knelt down in front of him and began making fun of him, saying, “Long live the king of the Jews!” 30Then they spit on him and took the stick and hit him repeatedly on his head. 31When they had finished making fun of him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to crucify him.

Jesus is Crucified

(Mark 15:21-32; Luke 23:26-43; John 19:17-27)

32As they were leaving, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced to carry Jesus’u cross. 33When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means “Skull Place”), 34they offered him a drink of wine mixed with gall. But when he tasted it, he refused to drink it. 35After they had crucified him, they determined who would get his clothes by throwing dice for them.v 36Then they sat down there and continued guarding him. 37Above his head they placed the charge against him. It read, “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”

38At that time two banditsw were crucified with him, one on his right and the other on his left. 39Those who passed by kept insultingx him, shaking their heads, 40and saying, “You who were going to destroy the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days—save yourself! If you’re the Son of God, come down from the cross!”

41In the same way the high priests, along with the scribes and elders, were also making fun of him. They kept saying, 42“He saved others but can’t save himself! He is the king of Israel. Let himy come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let Godz rescue him, if he wants to do so now. After all, he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

44In a similar way, the banditsaa who were being crucified with him kept insulting him.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

(Mark 15:33-41; Luke 23:44-49; John 19:28-30)

45From noonbb on, darkness came over the whole landcc until three in the afternoon.dd 46About three o’clock,ee Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eli, eli,ff lema sabachthani?”,gg which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”hh

47When some of the people standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah.”ii 48So one of the men ran off at once, took a sponge, and soaked it in some sour wine. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesusjj a drink.

49But the others kept saying, “Wait! Let’s see if Elijah will come and save him.”kk

50Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice again and died.ll 51Suddenly, the curtainmm in the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, rocks were split open, 52tombs were opened, and manynn saints who had diedoo were brought back to life. 53After his resurrection, they came out of their tombs, went into the Holy City,pp and appeared to many people.

54When the centurionqq and those guarding Jesus with him saw the earthquake and the other things that were taking place, they were terrified and said, “This man certainly was the Son of God!”

55Now many women were also there, watching from a distance. They had accompanied Jesus from Galilee and had ministered torr him. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene,ss Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Jesus is Buried

(Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42)

57Later that evening, a rich man arrived from Arimathea. His name was Joseph, and he had become a disciple of Jesus. 58He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered it to be done. 59So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60Then he placed it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out of the rock. After rolling a large stone across the door of the tomb, he left, 61but Mary Magdalenett and the other Mary remained there, sitting in front of the tomb.

The Tomb is Secured

62The following day (that is, after the Day of Preparation), the high priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘I will be raised after three days.’ 64Therefore, order the tomb to be secured until the third day, or his disciples may go and steal him and then tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ Then the last deception would be worse than the first one.”

65Pilate told them, “You haveuu a military guard. Go and make the tombvv as secure as you know how.” 66So they went and secured the tomb by putting a seal on the stone in the presence of the guards.