Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King^(A)(B)

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives,^(C) Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

⁴ This took place to fulfill^(D) what was spoken through the prophet:

⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. ⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks^(F) on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

¹⁰ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

¹¹ The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet^(J) from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King^(A)(B)

11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany^(C) at the Mount of Olives,^(D) Jesus sent two of his disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden.^(E) Untie it and bring it here. ³ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”

⁴ They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway.^(F) As they untied it, ⁵ some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” ⁶ They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. ⁷ When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. ⁸ Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. ⁹ Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

¹¹ Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.^(I)

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King^(A)(B)

²⁸ After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.^{(C) 29} As he approached Bethphage and Bethany^(D) at the hill called the Mount of Olives,^(E) he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ³⁰ “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

³² Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.^{(F) 33} As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

³⁴ They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

³⁵ They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. ³⁶ As he went along, people spread their cloaks^(G) on the road.

³⁷ When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives,^(H) the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”^(K)

⁴⁰ “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”^(L)

⁴¹ As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it^{(M) 42} and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.^{(N) 44} They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls.^(O) They will not leave one stone on another,^(P) because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming^(Q) to you.”

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King^(A)

¹² The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. ¹³ They took palm branches^(B) and went out to meet him, shouting,

¹⁴ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

¹⁶ At first his disciples did not understand all this.^(F) Only after Jesus was glorified^(G) did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

¹⁷ Now the crowd that was with him^(H) when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. ¹⁸ Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign,^(I) went out to meet him. ¹⁹ So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”^(J)

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(A)

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

³⁸ Two rebels were crucified with him,^(I) one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads^{(J) 40} and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,^(K) save yourself!^(L) Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”^{(M) 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!^(N) Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe^(O) in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God rescue him^(P) now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus^(Q)

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

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

⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar,^(T) put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

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

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

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

⁵⁵ Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.^{(AA) 56} Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,^[d] and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.^(AB)

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(A)

²⁶ As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene,^(B) who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.^{(C) 27} A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed^(D) for him. ²⁸ Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.^{(E) 29} For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’^{(F) 30} Then

³¹ For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”^(H)

³² Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.^{(I) 33} When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴ Jesus said, “Father,^(J) forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”^[b](K) And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.^(L)

³⁵ The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him.^(M) They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”^(N)

³⁶ The soldiers also came up and mocked him.^(O) They offered him wine vinegar^{(P) 37} and said, “If you are the king of the Jews,^(Q) save yourself.”

³⁸ There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.^(R)

³⁹ One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”^(S)

⁴⁰ But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹ We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”^(T)

⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.^[c]”^(U)

⁴³ Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”^(V)

¹⁷ Carrying his own cross,^(A) he went out to the place of the Skull^(B) (which in Aramaic^(C) is called Golgotha). ¹⁸ There they crucified him, and with him two others^(D)—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

¹⁹ Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth,^(E) the king of the jews.^{(F) 20} Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city,^(G) and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. ²¹ The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”^(H)

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

²³ When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

²⁴ “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled^(I) that said,

So this is what the soldiers did.

²⁵ Near the cross^(K) of Jesus stood his mother,^(L) his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.^{(M) 26} When Jesus saw his mother^(N) there, and the disciple whom he loved^(O) standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,^[b] here is your son,” ²⁷ and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus^(P)

²⁸ Later, knowing that everything had now been finished,^(Q) and so that Scripture would be fulfilled,^(R) Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of wine vinegar^(S) was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”^(T) With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

³¹ Now it was the day of Preparation,^(U) and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses^(V) during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. ³² The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other.^{(W) 33} But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴ Instead, one of the soldiers pierced^(X) Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.^{(Y) 35} The man who saw it^(Z) has given testimony, and his testimony is true.^(AA) He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. ³⁶ These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled:^(AB) “Not one of his bones will be broken,”^{[c](AC) 37} and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”^[d](AD)

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(A)

²¹ A certain man from Cyrene,^(B) Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus,^(C) was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.^{(D) 22} They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ²³ Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh,^(E) but he did not take it. ²⁴ And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots^(F) to see what each would get.

²⁵ It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶ The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.^(G)

²⁷ They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. ^{[28] [a] 29} Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads^(H) and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,^{(I) 30} come down from the cross and save yourself!” ³¹ In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him^(J) among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! ³² Let this Messiah,^(K) this king of Israel,^(L) come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus^(M)

³³ At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.^{(N) 34} And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).^[b](O)

³⁵ When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

³⁶ Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar,^(P) put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

³⁷ With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.^(Q)

³⁸ The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.^{(R) 39} And when the centurion,^(S) who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,^[c] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”^(T)

⁴⁰ Some women were watching from a distance.^(U) Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,^[d] and Salome.^{(V) 41} In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.^(W)