Luke 23:13–49

¹³Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people. ¹⁴He said to them, “You brought me this man. You said he was turning the people against the authorities. I have questioned him in front of you. I have found no basis for your charges against him. ¹⁵Herod hasn’t either. So he sent Jesus back to us. As you can see, Jesus has done nothing that is worthy of death. ^16/17So I will just have him whipped and let him go.”

¹⁸With one voice the crowd cried out, “Kill this man! Give Barabbas to us!” ¹⁹Barabbas had been thrown into prison. He had taken part in a struggle in the city against the authorities. He had also committed murder.

²⁰Pilate wanted to let Jesus go. So he made an appeal to the crowd again. ²¹But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²²Pilate spoke to them for the third time. “Why?” he asked. “What wrong has this man done? I have found no reason to have him put to death. So I will just have him whipped and let him go.”

²³But with loud shouts they kept calling for Jesus to be crucified. The people’s shouts won out.

²⁴So Pilate decided to give them what they wanted. ²⁵He set free the man they asked for. The man had been thrown in prison for murder and for fighting against the authorities. Pilate gave Jesus over to them so they could carry out their plans.

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

²⁶As they led Jesus away, they took hold of Simon. Simon was from Cyrene. He was on his way in from the country. They put a wooden cross on his shoulders. Then they made him carry it behind Jesus.

²⁷A large number of people followed Jesus. Some were women whose hearts were filled with sorrow. They cried loudly because of him.

²⁸Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹The time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the women who can’t have children! Blessed are those who never gave birth or nursed babies!’ ³⁰It is written,

“ ‘The people will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”

They’ll say to the hills, “Cover us!” ’

³¹People do these things when trees are green. So what will happen when trees are dry?”

³²Two other men were also led out with Jesus to be killed. Both of them had broken the law. ³³The soldiers brought them to the place called The Skull. There they nailed Jesus to the cross. He hung between the two criminals. One was on his right and one was on his left.

³⁴Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.” The soldiers divided up his clothes by casting lots.

³⁵The people stood there watching. The rulers even made fun of Jesus. They said, “He saved others. Let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”

³⁶The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him. They offered him wine vinegar. ³⁷They said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

³⁸A written sign had been placed above him. It read, This Is the King of the Jews.

³⁹One of the criminals hanging there made fun of Jesus. He said, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself! Save us!”

⁴⁰But the other criminal scolded him. “Don’t you have any respect for God?” he said. “Remember, you are under the same sentence of death. ⁴¹We are being punished fairly. We are getting just what our actions call for. But this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”

⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

⁴³Jesus answered him, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus Dies

⁴⁴It was now about noon. The whole land was covered with darkness until three o’clock. ⁴⁵The sun had stopped shining. The temple curtain was torn in two. ⁴⁶Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my very life.” After he said this, he took his last breath.

⁴⁷The Roman commander saw what had happened. He praised God and said, “Jesus was surely a man who did what was right.”

⁴⁸The people had gathered to watch that sight. When they saw what happened, they beat their chests and went away. ⁴⁹But all those who knew Jesus stood not very far away, watching those things. They included the women who had followed him from Galilee.