The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
33And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”).
34The soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it.
35After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.
36Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there.
37A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
38Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
39The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery.
40“Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
41The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus.
42“He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him!
43He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
44Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way.
45At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.
46At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
47Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah.
48One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink.
49But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”
50Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit.
51At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart,
52and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead.
53They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
54The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
55And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance.
56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
22And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”).
23They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it.
24Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece.
25It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.
26A sign announced the charge against him. It read, “The King of the Jews.”
27Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
28The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days.
29Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
30The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself!
31Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.
32At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.
33Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
34Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah.
35One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!”
36Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last.
37And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
38When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
39Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome.
40They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there.
41This all happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached,
33Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.
34The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
35The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine.
36They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
37A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”
38One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”
39But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die?
40We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”
41Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
42And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
43By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.
44The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle.
45Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.
46When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.”
47And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.
48But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.
49Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council,
17Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha).
18There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them.
19And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”
20The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.
21Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’”
22Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.”
23When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
24So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did.
25Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene.
26When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.”
27And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.
28Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.”
29A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips.
30When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
31It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was Passover week). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down.
32So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus.
33But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs.
34One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.
35(This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also may continue to believe.)
36These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of his bones will be broken,”
37and “They will look on the one they pierced.”