^aWhen it was morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) conferred together against Jesus, plotting how to put Him to death since under Roman rule they had no power to execute anyone; 2 so they bound Him, and led Him away and ^ahanded Him over to ^bPilate the governor of Judea, who had the authority to condemn prisoners to death.

3 When ^aJudas, His betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was gripped with remorse and returned ^bthe thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, Ex 21:32 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They replied, “What is that to us? ^aSee to that yourself!” 5 And throwing the pieces of silver into ^athe temple sanctuary, he left; and ^bwent away and ¹hanged himself. 6 The chief priests, picking up the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put these in the treasury of the temple, because it is the price of blood.” 7 So after consultation they used the money to buy the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers. 8 ^aTherefore that piece of ground has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then the words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet were fulfilled: “^aAND THEY TOOK THE THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER, THE PRICE OF HIM ON WHOM A PRICE HAD BEEN SET by the sons of Israel; Jer 18:1, 2; 19:1-15; 32:6-9 10 ^aAND THEY GAVE THEM FOR THE POTTER’S FIELD, AS THE LORD DIRECTED ME.” Zech 11:13

11 ^aNow Jesus stood before Pilate the governor, and the governor asked Him, “Are you the ^bKing of the Jews?” In affirmation Jesus said to him, “^cIt is as you say.” Mark 15:2-5; Luke 23:2, 3; John 18:29-37 12 But when the charges were brought against Him by the chief priests and elders, ^aHe did not answer. Is 53:7 13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they are testifying against You?” 14 But ^aJesus did not reply to him, not even to a single accusation, so that the governor was greatly astonished.

15 ^aNow at the feast of the Passover the governor was in the habit of setting free any one prisoner whom the people chose. Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:18-25; John 18:39-19:16 16 And at that time they were holding a notorious prisoner guilty of insurrection and murder, called Barabbas. 17 So when they had assembled for this purpose, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to set free for you? Barabbas, or Jesus ^awho is called Christ?” 18 For Pilate knew that it was because of jealousy that the chief priests and elders had handed Jesus over to him.

19 ^aWhile he was seated on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that ^brighteous and innocent Man; for last night I suffered greatly ^cin a dream because of Him.” 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ^aask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. 21 The governor said to them, “Which of the two do you wish me to set free for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus ^awho is called Christ?” They all replied, “Let Him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why, what has He done that is evil?” But they continued shouting all the louder, “Let Him be crucified!” Mark 15:14; Luke 23:4, 14, 22; John 18:39; 19:4, 6

24 So when Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but rather that ^aa riot was breaking out, he took water and ^bwashed his hands to ceremonially cleanse himself of guilt in the presence of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of ^cthis righteous Man’s blood; ^dsee to that yourselves.” Deut 21:6-9; Ps 26:6 25 And all the people answered, “Let the responsibility for ^aHis blood be on us and on our children!” Josh 2:19 26 So he set Barabbas free for them; but after having Jesus ^aseverely whipped (scourged) , he handed Him over to be crucified.

27 ^aThen the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into ^1bthe Praetorium, and they gathered the whole Roman ^ccohort around Him. Mark 15:16-20; John 19:1-3 28 They stripped him and ^aput a scarlet ¹robe on Him as a king’s robe. 29 ^aAnd after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and put a reed in His right hand as a scepter. Kneeling before Him, they ridiculed Him, saying, “^bHail (rejoice) , King of the Jews!” 30 ^aThey spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him repeatedly on the head. 31 ^aAfter they finished ridiculing Him, they stripped Him of the scarlet robe and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

32 ^aNow as they were coming out, they found a man of ^1bCyrene named ²Simon, whom they forced into service ³to carry the cross of Jesus. Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26

33 ^aAnd when they came to a place called ^bGolgotha, which means ¹Place of a Skull, Mark 15:22-32; Luke 23:33-43; John 19:17-24 34 ^athey offered Him ^bwine mixed with gall (myrrh, a bitter-tasting narcotic) to drink; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it.

35 And when they had crucified Him, ^athey divided His clothes among them by casting ¹lots. Ps 22:18 36 Then sitting down there, they began to ^akeep watch over Him to guard against any rescue attempt. 37 And above His head they put the accusation against Him which read, “^1aTHIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

38 At the same time two robbers were crucified with Jesus, one on the right and one on the left. 39 Those who passed by were hurling abuse at Him and jeering at Him, ^awagging their heads in scorn and ridicule, Ps 22:7, 8; 109:25 40 and they said tauntingly, “^aYou who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself from death! ^bIf You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, mocked Him, saying, 42 “^aHe saved others from death; He cannot save Himself. ^bHe is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him and acknowledge Him. 43 ^aHE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” Ps 22:8 44 ^aThe robbers who had been crucified with Him also began to insult Him in the same way.

45 ^aNow from the sixth hour (noon) there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.) . Mark 15:33-41; Luke 23:44-49 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud agonized voice,¹ “^aELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” Ps 22:1 47 When some of the bystanders there heard it, they began saying, “This man is calling for ¹Elijah.” 48 ^aImmediately one of them ran, and took a sponge, soaked it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. Ps 69:21; Mark 15:36f; Luke 23:36; John 19:29, 30 49 But the rest said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him from death.” 50 And Jesus ^acried out again with a loud agonized voice, and gave up His spirit voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father’s plan. John 10:18 51 ^aAnd at once ^bthe veil of the Holy of Holies of the temple was ¹torn in two from top to bottom; ^cthe earth shook and the rocks were split apart. Ex 26:31-35 52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints (God’s people) who had ^afallen asleep in death were raised to life; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered ^athe holy city (Jerusalem) and appeared to many people. 54 ^aNow the centurion, and those who were with him ^bkeeping guard over Jesus, when they saw ^cthe earthquake and the things that were happening, they were terribly frightened and filled with awe, and said, “Truly this was ^dthe Son of God!”

55 There were also ^amany women there looking on from a distance, who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee, ^bministering to Him. 56 Among them was ^1aMary Magdalene, and ²Mary the mother of ³James and Joseph, and Salome ^bthe ⁴mother of Zebedee’s sons James and John.

57 ^aWhen it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus so that he might bury Him, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth (burial wrapping) , 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock; and he rolled ^aa large stone over the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 And ^aMary Magdalene was there, and the other ¹Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

62 The next day, that is, the day after ^athe day of preparation for the Sabbath, the chief priests and the Pharisees assembled before Pilate, 63 and said, “Sir, we have remembered that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘^aAfter three days I will rise from the dead.’ 64 Therefore, give orders to have the tomb made secure and safeguarded until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception the reporting of His resurrection will be worse than the first the reporting that He is the Messiah.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a ^aguard of soldiers; go with them, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and ¹made the tomb secure, and along with stationing a ^aguard of soldiers to be on watch they set a ^bseal on the ^cstone.