50 Now
there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51 who
had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of
Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 Going
to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took it down,
wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which
no one had yet been laid. 54 It was Preparation Day, and the
Sabbath was about to begin.
55 The
women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and
how his body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and
prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to
the commandment.
44 It
was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the
afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of
the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice,
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[e] When he had
said this, he breathed his last.
47 The
centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a
righteous man.” 48 When all the people who had gathered to
witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But
all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee,
stood at a distance, watching these things.
26 As
the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in
from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A
large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for
him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem,
do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For
the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the
wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then
“‘they
will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
and to the hills, “Cover us!”’[b]
31 For
if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is
dry?”
32 Two
other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When
they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with
the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.
Then
the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they
began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He
opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”
3 So
Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You
have said so,” Jesus replied.
4 Then
Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a
charge against this man.”
5 But
they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He
started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
6 On
hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he
learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who
was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 When
Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been
wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him
perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many
questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests
and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then
Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant
robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and
Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
13 Pilate
called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and
said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to
rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for
your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him
back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore,
I will punish him and then release him.” [17] [a]
18 But
the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas
had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
20 Wanting
to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they
kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22 For
the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I
have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him
punished and then release him.”
23 But
with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their
shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He
released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder,
the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
