Matthew 27:11–54

Jesus Before Pilate

27:11–26pp—Mk 15:2–15; Lk 23:2,3,18–25; Jn 18:29–19:16

¹¹Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”^m

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

¹²When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.^{n 13}Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”^{o 14}But Jesus made no reply,^p not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

¹⁵Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner^q chosen by the crowd. ¹⁶At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus^b Barabbas. ¹⁷So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^{r 18}For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

¹⁹While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat,^s his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent^t man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream^u because of him.”

²⁰But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.^v

²¹“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

²²“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^w Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

²³“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar^x was starting, he took water and washed his hands^y in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”^z he said. “It is your responsibility!”^a

²⁵All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”^b

²⁶Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged,^c and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

27:27–31pp—Mk 15:16–20

²⁷Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium^d and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. ²⁸They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,^{e 29}and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.^{f 30}They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.^{g 31}After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.^h

The Crucifixion of Jesus

27:33–44pp—Mk 15:22–32; Lk 23:33–43; Jn 19:17–24

³²As they were going out,ⁱ they met a man from Cyrene,^j named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.^{k 33}They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).^{l 34}There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall;^m but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.^{n 36}And sitting down, they kept watch^o over him there. ³⁷Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

³⁸Two rebels were crucified with him,^p one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads^{q 40}and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,^r save yourself!^s Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”^{t 41}In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ⁴²“He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel!^u Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe^v in him. ⁴³He trusts in God. Let God rescue him^w now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” ⁴⁴In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

27:45–56pp—Mk 15:33–41; Lk 23:44–49; Jn 19:29–30

⁴⁵From noon until three in the afternoon darkness^x came over all the land. ⁴⁶About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,^c lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).^dy

⁴⁷When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

⁴⁸Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar,^z put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

⁵⁰And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.^a

⁵¹At that moment the curtain of the temple^b was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split^{c 52}and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and^e went into the holy city^d and appeared to many people.

⁵⁴When the centurion and those with him who were guarding^e Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”^f