John 19:17–30

¹⁷He had to carry his own cross. He went out to a place called The Skull. In the Aramaic language it was called Golgotha. ¹⁸There they nailed Jesus to the cross. Two other men were crucified with him. One was on each side of him. Jesus was in the middle.

¹⁹Pilate had a notice prepared. It was fastened to the cross. It read, Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews. ²⁰Many of the Jews read the sign. The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. The sign was written in the Aramaic, Latin and Greek languages.

²¹The chief priests of the Jews argued with Pilate. They said, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews.’ Write that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”

²²Pilate answered, “I have written what I have written.”

²³When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes. They divided them into four parts. Each soldier got one part. Jesus’ long, inner robe was left. It did not have any seams. It was made out of one piece of cloth from top to bottom.

²⁴“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s cast lots to see who will get it.”

This happened so that Scripture would come true. It says,

“They divided up my clothes among them.

They cast lots for what I was wearing.”

So that is what the soldiers did.

²⁵Jesus’ mother stood near his cross. So did his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

²⁶Jesus saw his mother there. He also saw the disciple he loved standing nearby. Jesus said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son.” ²⁷He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, the disciple took her into his home.

Jesus Dies

²⁸Later Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” He knew that everything was now finished. He knew that what Scripture said must come true. ²⁹A jar of wine vinegar was there. So they soaked a sponge in it. They put the sponge on a stem of the hyssop plant. Then they lifted it up to Jesus’ lips.

³⁰After Jesus drank he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and died.