After the Jewish Trial, a Roman Trial
1The entire Jewish Council got up and escorted Jesus to Pilate, Roman governor of the territory.2They charged him with two crimes: “Our council has found this man guilty of trying to get our people to break the law; he said they should stop paying taxes to Caesar. He’s also telling them he’s the Messiah, a Jewish king.” 3Pilate turned to Jesus and said, “So, are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus answered, “You said it.”
4Pilate turned back to the leading priests in the crowd and said, “I don’t see a shred of guilt in this man.”
5But they argued, “This man fires up the people with his teachings. And he spreads his teachings everywhere, all over Judea, and as far north as Galilee, and even here.”
6When Pilate heard this, he asked if the defendant was a Galilean. 7When he found out that Jesus was in fact from Galilee, which was in Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who happened to be in Jerusalem for the Passover festival.
After the Roman Trial, Another Jewish Trial
8Herod was delighted to finally meet Jesus. Herod had heard that Jesus was a miracle worker, so he was hoping to see him do a miracle. 9Herod started to pound Jesus with one question after another. Jesus didn’t say a word, 10even though the leading priests and Jewish scholars started accusing him of one thing after another.11Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus and treated him with no respect whatsoever. They dressed him in an elegant robe and sent him back to Pilate. 12Herod and Pilate became good buddies that day. Earlier, they hadn’t liked each other much at all.
Jesus Goes Back to the Romans for a Verdict
13Pilate called another meeting of Jesus’s accusers: the top priests, other religious leaders, and the crowd of people with them.14Pilate told them, “You brought this man to me and you accused him of trying to get the people to revolt. Here are the facts. I interrogated him. You saw me do that. But I find for the defendant. I don’t find him guilty of any of the charges you have brought against him.
15“Herod agreed. That’s why he sent him back to me. Look, this man hasn’t done anything that warrants me executing him. 16I’m going to have him beaten and released.” 17Every year at Passover the governor released one prisoner. [1]
18The people in one loud voice screamed, “Away with him! Free Barabbas!” 19Barabbas had gotten himself thrown into prison. He was charged with inciting a riot in the city and killing someone.
20Once again Pilate tried to tell the crowd that he wanted to release Jesus. But as he spoke, 21the people shouted him down by chanting, “Crucify! Crucify him.”
22Pilate spoke to the crowd a third time. He said, “What did this man do that was so wrong? As far as I’m concerned, he’s not guilty of anything that warrants execution. For this reason, I’m ordering him punished and released.”
23The crowd would have none of that. They continued screaming and demanding crucifixion.
24Pilate eventually decided to give them what they wanted. 25He freed the man the people asked for—the man who had been thrown in prison for murder and insurrection. Pilate handed Jesus over to the people, as they wanted.
The Man Who Carried the Cross of Jesus
26As they led Jesus to his execution, they arrested a bystander named Simon of Cyrene, [2] who had just come into town. They forced him to carry the cross of Jesus. 27By this time a huge crowd had started to follow the procession headed to the place of execution. In that crowd were women sobbing, wailing, and mourning.28Jesus turned to the women and said, “Jerusalem Daughters, don’t cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children. 29A terrible time is coming when people will say that the most fortunate women of all are those who can’t have children and who have never given birth or nursed a baby. 30People will scream at the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ They’ll scream at the hills, ‘Bury us alive!’ [3] 31If people act like this when the wood is green, what will happen when the wood goes dry?” [4]
32Forced into the procession were two criminals sentenced to die with Jesus.
Crucifixion: The Execution of God
33When they got to the place called Skull, [5] they crucified him with the criminals—one criminal on his right side and the other on his left.34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.” [6] The executioners gambled to see who would get his clothing. [7]
35People stood by the cross, watching. Some of the Jewish leaders ridiculed him. They said, “He saved other people. Let him go ahead and save himself if he really is the Chosen One—the Messiah sent by God.”
36Soldiers made fun of him too. They offered him some old wine that had turned to vinegar. [8] 37They told him, “If you’re the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38There was a sign above Jesus that read, “This Is the King of the Jews.”
39One of the criminals hanging beside him kept insulting him. The man said, “Are you the Messiah or are you not the Messiah? If you are, save yourself and us.”
40The other criminal scolded him, “Just like this man, you’re sentenced to die. You have no fear of God? 41We’re getting what we deserve. But this man did nothing wrong.”
42Then he turned to Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when you get to your kingdom.”
43Jesus told him, “What I’m telling you is the absolute truth. Today you will be with me in paradise.” [9]
Darkness at Noon
44It was about noon when everything went dark. Darkness covered the whole area for about three hours, until about three o’clock. 45Sunlight was eclipsed. The curtain in the Temple ripped right down the middle.46Jesus screamed out loud, “Father, my spirit is in your hands now.” [10] After he said that, he took his last breath. 47When the Roman centurion [11] saw all of this, he honored God when he said, “There’s no doubt now. This man was innocent.”
48Crowds had gathered to watch the spectacle. But what they saw left them beating their chests in despair and grief as they returned to their homes. 49Everyone who had come to know Jesus stood at a distance and watched. This group included the women who followed him down from Galilee.
God Is Dead and Buried
50Among the crowd was a man named Joseph, a good and godly man. He was a member of the top Jewish Council. [12] 51He didn’t agree with what the other Jewish leaders decided to do. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea. [13] He was waiting for God’s kingdom to come, and expecting it anytime. 52He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.53He took the body and wrapped it in linen. Then he laid it in a new tomb chiseled into stone. Jesus was the only one who had been buried there. 54All of this took place on the day Jews made preparations for the Sabbath. [14]
55The women who came with Jesus from Galilee followed behind those who carried his body away. The women saw the tomb and how his body was placed inside. 56They went back to where they were staying and got the spices and perfume they would need to prepare his body for burial. But that would have to wait because the Sabbath had come. They rested, as Jewish law said they should. [15]
