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Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified(A)

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.(B) The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!”(C) And they slapped him in the face.(D)

Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out(E) to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”(F) When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe,(G) Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him.(H) As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”(I)

The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die,(J) because he claimed to be the Son of God.”(K)

When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace.(L) “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.(M) 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.(N) Therefore the one who handed me over to you(O) is guilty of a greater sin.”

12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king(P) opposes Caesar.”

13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat(Q) at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic(R) is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation(S) of the Passover; it was about noon.(T)

“Here is your king,”(U) Pilate said to the Jews.

15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.(V)

The Crucifixion of Jesus(W)

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross,(X) he went out to the place of the Skull(Y) (which in Aramaic(Z) is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others(AA)—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,(AB) the king of the jews.(AC) 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city,(AD) 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.”(AE)

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(AF) that said,

“They divided my clothes among them
    and cast lots for my garment.”[a](AG)

So this is what the soldiers did.

25 Near the cross(AH) of Jesus stood his mother,(AI) his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.(AJ) 26 When Jesus saw his mother(AK) there, and the disciple whom he loved(AL) 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(AM)

28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished,(AN) and so that Scripture would be fulfilled,(AO) Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar(AP) 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.”(AQ) With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

31 Now it was the day of Preparation,(AR) and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses(AS) 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.(AT) 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(AU) Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.(AV) 35 The man who saw it(AW) has given testimony, and his testimony is true.(AX) 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:(AY) “Not one of his bones will be broken,”[c](AZ) 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”[d](BA)

The Burial of Jesus(BB)

38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders.(BC) With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus,(BD) the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.[e] 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen.(BE) This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.(BF) 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation(BG) and since the tomb was nearby,(BH) they laid Jesus there.

Footnotes

  1. John 19:24 Psalm 22:18
  2. John 19:26 The Greek for Woman does not denote any disrespect.
  3. John 19:36 Exodus 12:46; Num. 9:12; Psalm 34:20
  4. John 19:37 Zech. 12:10
  5. John 19:39 Or about 34 kilograms

The Crown of Thorns

19 So Pilate then took Jesus and [a](A)had Him flogged. (B)And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and placed it on His head, and put a purple [b]cloak on Him; and they repeatedly came up to Him and said, “(C)Hail, King of the Jews!” and (D)slapped Him in the face again and again. And then Pilate (E)came out again and *said to them, “See, I am bringing Him out to you so that you will know that (F)I find no grounds at all for charges in [c]His case.” Jesus then came out, (G)wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate *said to them, “Behold, the Man!” So when the chief priests and the (H)officers saw Him, they shouted, saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate *said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him; for (I)I find no grounds for charges in [d]His case!” The Jews answered him, “(J)We have a law, and by that law He ought to die, because He (K)made Himself out to be the Son of God!”

Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he (L)entered the [e]Praetorium again and *said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But (M)Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate *said to Him, “Are you not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” 11 Jesus answered him, (N)You would have no authority [f]over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above; for this reason (O)the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.” 12 As a result of this, Pilate [g]made efforts to release Him; but the Jews shouted, saying, “(P)If you release this Man, you are not a friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king [h]opposes Caesar!”

13 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and (Q)sat down on the judgment seat at a place called [i]The Pavement—but (R)in [j]Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was (S)the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the [k](T)sixth hour. And he *said to the Jews, “Look, (U)your King!” 15 So they shouted, “(V)Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate *said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king except Caesar.”

The Crucifixion

16 So he then (W)handed Him over to them to be crucified.

17 (X)They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, [l](Y)carrying His own cross, to the place called (Z)the Place of a Skull, which (AA)in [m]Hebrew is called, Golgotha. 18 There they crucified Him, and with Him (AB)two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. 19 Now Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written: “(AC)JESUS THE NAZARENE, (AD)THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 20 Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written (AE)in [n]Hebrew, Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘(AF)The King of the Jews’; rather, write that He said, ‘I am (AG)King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “(AH)What I have written, I have written.”

23 Then (AI)the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made (AJ)four parts: a part to each soldier, and the [o]tunic also; but the tunic was seamless, woven [p]in one piece. 24 So they said to one another, “(AK)Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be.” (AL)This happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “They (AM)divided My garments among themselves, and they cast [q]lots for My clothing.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.

25 (AN)Now beside the cross of Jesus stood (AO)His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and (AP)Mary Magdalene. 26 So when Jesus saw His mother, and (AQ)the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, (AR)Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then He *said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her into (AS)his own household.

28 After this, Jesus, (AT)knowing that all things had already been accomplished, (AU)in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled, *said, (AV)I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so (AW)they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, (AX)It is finished!” And He bowed His head and (AY)gave up His spirit.

Care of the Body of Jesus

31 Now then, since it was (AZ)the day of preparation, to prevent (BA)the bodies from remaining on the cross on the Sabbath ([r]for that Sabbath was a (BB)high day), the Jews requested of Pilate that their legs be broken, and the bodies be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other who was (BC)crucified with Him; 33 but after they came to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 Yet one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately (BD)blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has (BE)testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place (BF)so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “(BG)Not a bone of Him shall be [s]broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “(BH)They will look at Him whom they pierced.”

38 Now (BI)after these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a (BJ)secret one for (BK)fear of the [t]Jews, requested of Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. 39 (BL)Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, (BM)bringing a [u]mixture of (BN)myrrh and aloes, about a [v](BO)hundred litras weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and (BP)bound it in (BQ)linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden was a (BR)new tomb (BS)in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of (BT)preparation, since the tomb was (BU)nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Footnotes

  1. John 19:1 Lit flogged Him
  2. John 19:2 I.e., a Roman soldier’s cloak
  3. John 19:4 Lit Him
  4. John 19:6 Lit Him
  5. John 19:9 I.e., governor’s official residence
  6. John 19:11 Lit against
  7. John 19:12 Lit was seeking to
  8. John 19:12 Or speaks against
  9. John 19:13 Gr Lithostrotos
  10. John 19:13 I.e., Jewish Aramaic
  11. John 19:14 I.e., about noon
  12. John 19:17 Or carrying the cross by Himself
  13. John 19:17 I.e., Jewish Aramaic
  14. John 19:20 I.e., Jewish Aramaic
  15. John 19:23 A long shirt worn next to the skin
  16. John 19:23 Lit from the upper part through the whole
  17. John 19:24 Lit a lot
  18. John 19:31 Lit for the day of that Sabbath was great
  19. John 19:36 Or crushed; or shattered
  20. John 19:38 I.e., the Jewish leaders
  21. John 19:39 Two early mss package of
  22. John 19:39 I.e., Roman libras (about 75 lb. or 34 kg)

The Crown of Thorns

19 So then Pilate took Jesus and had Him [a]scourged (flogged, whipped). And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe around Him;(A) and they kept coming up to Him, saying [mockingly], “Hail, King of the Jews [Good health! Peace! Long life to you, King of the Jews]!” And they slapped Him in the face.(B) Then Pilate came out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him [no crime, no cause for an accusation].” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, and Pilate said to them, “Look! The Man!” When the chief priests and officers saw Him, they shouted, “Crucify [Him]! Crucify [Him]!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him [no crime, no cause for an accusation].”(C) The Jews answered him, “We have a law [regarding blasphemy], and according to that law He should die, because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”(D)

So when Pilate heard this said, he was [even] more [b]alarmed and afraid. He went into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus did not answer him.(E) 10 So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me at all if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the sin and guilt of the [c]one who handed Me over to you is greater [than your own].” 12 As a result of this, Pilate kept making efforts to release Him, but the Jews kept screaming, “[d]If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar! Anyone who makes himself out [to be] a king opposes Caesar [and rebels against the emperor]!”

13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called [e]The Pavement, but in [f]Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation for the [g]Passover [week], and it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Look, your King!” 15 But they shouted, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”

The Crucifixion

16 Then he handed Him over to them to be crucified.

17 So they took Jesus, and He went out, [h]bearing His own cross, to the place called [i]the Place of the Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.(F) 18 There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.(G) 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription [on a placard] and put it on the cross. And it was written: “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”(H) 20 And many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; but, ‘He said, “I am King of the Jews.”’” 22 Pilate replied, “What I have written I have written [and it remains written].”

23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer clothes and made four parts, a part for each soldier, and also the tunic. But the [j]tunic was seamless, woven [in one piece] from the top throughout.(I) 24 So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it will be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture, “They divided My outer clothing among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.”(J) 25 So the soldiers did these things.

But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother’s sister [[k]Salome], [l]Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.(K) 26 So Jesus, seeing His mother, and the [m]disciple whom He loved (esteemed) standing near, said to His mother, “[Dear] woman, look, [here is] your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple (John), “Look! [here is] your mother [protect and provide for her]!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said in fulfillment of the Scripture, “I am thirsty.”(L) 29 A jar full of [n]sour wine was placed there; so they put a sponge soaked in the sour wine on [a branch of] hyssop and held it to His mouth.(M) 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and [voluntarily] [o]gave up His spirit.

Care of the Body of Jesus

31 Since it was the day of Preparation [for the Sabbath], in order to prevent the bodies from hanging on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high holy day) the Jews asked Pilate to have their legs [p]broken [to hasten death] and the bodies taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other who had been crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came [flowing] out. 35 And he (John, the eyewitness) who has seen it has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also [who read this] may believe. 36 For these things took place to fulfill the Scripture, “Not a bone of His shall be broken.”(N) 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look at Him whom they have pierced.”(O)

38 And after this, Joseph of Arimathea—a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews—asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away His body.(P) 39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him at night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, [weighing] about a hundred [Roman] [q]pounds. 40 So they took Jesus’ body and bound it in linen wrappings with the fragrant spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now there was a garden at the place where He was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb [cut out of solid rock] in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore, because of the Jewish day of Preparation, and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Footnotes

  1. John 19:1 Because Pilate viewed Jesus as innocent, he may have ordered the beating expecting that the Jews would consider it adequate punishment and consent to Jesus’ release. Scourging was a horrific, brutal form of punishment. The glass and metal of the whip tore the body apart, exposing the vital organs. Men frequently died of the scourging.
  2. John 19:8 As a Roman pagan, Pilate would have been superstitious and may have feared that Jesus actually had some sort of magical or divine power.
  3. John 19:11 This may refer to Judas Iscariot, but Caiaphas may be the more likely one since he was directly responsible for Jesus’ going before Pilate.
  4. John 19:12 This put political pressure on Pilate. The Jews indicated if Pilate released Jesus they would inform Rome and Pilate’s career would be in jeopardy.
  5. John 19:13 Gr The Lithostrotos, i.e. the Mosaic Pavement, the Stone Platform.
  6. John 19:13 I.e. Jewish Aramaic.
  7. John 19:14 See note 18:28.
  8. John 19:17 The vertical post remained permanently in the ground. Jesus carried the cross beam.
  9. John 19:17 Latin: Calvarius or Calvary; Aram: Golgotha; Greek: Kranion.
  10. John 19:23 Gr khiton, the long shirtlike undergarment worn next to the skin.
  11. John 19:25 The mother of the apostles John and James, the sons of Zebedee.
  12. John 19:25 The mother of James the Younger (also called James the Less). Believed to be a sister or sister-in-law of Jesus’ mother.
  13. John 19:26 John, the Apostle and author of this Gospel was Jesus’ cousin.
  14. John 19:29 This sour wine was not to dull the senses, but to provide minimal relief to the victim. The wine mixed with gall (myrrh) that Jesus earlier had refused to drink (Matt 27:34; Mark 15:23) had narcotic qualities to deaden the pain.
  15. John 19:30 This wording implies that Jesus voluntarily and sovereignly released His spirit from His body in submission to God’s plan.
  16. John 19:31 After the legs were broken with a heavy blow, the condemned prisoner could no longer push upwards to assist his own breathing and would soon suffocate due to the awkward position that was forced on him by crucifixion. At the same time, breaking the legs was more painful than a quicker end with the point of a spear.
  17. John 19:39 Lit litras, equal to 12 oz each.

19 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.

And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,

And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.

Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.

Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.

The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;

And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.

10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?

11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.

14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.

17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.

19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was Jesus Of Nazareth The King Of The Jews.

20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.

21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.

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

23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.

30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.

33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:

34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.

36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.

42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

19 Pilate gave orders for Jesus to be beaten with a whip. The soldiers made a crown out of thorn branches and put it on Jesus. Then they put a purple robe on him. They came up to him and said, “Hey, you king of the Jews!” They also hit him with their fists.

Once again Pilate went out. This time he said, “I will have Jesus brought out to you again. Then you can see for yourselves that I have not found him guilty.”

Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said, “Here is the man!”[a]

When the chief priests and the temple police saw him, they yelled, “Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!”

Pilate told them, “You take him and nail him to a cross! I don't find him guilty of anything.”

The crowd replied, “He claimed to be the Son of God! Our law says that he must be put to death.”

When Pilate heard this, he was terrified. He went back inside and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus did not answer.

10 “Why won't you answer my question?” Pilate asked. “Don't you know I have the power to let you go free or to nail you to a cross?”

11 (A) Jesus replied, “If God had not given you the power, you couldn't do anything at all to me. But the one who handed me over to you did something even worse.”

12 Then Pilate wanted to set Jesus free. But the crowd again yelled, “If you set this man free, you are no friend of the Emperor! Anyone who claims to be a king is an enemy of the Emperor.”

13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out. Then he sat down on the judge's bench at the place known as “The Stone Pavement.” In Aramaic this pavement is called “Gabbatha.” 14 It was about noon on the day before Passover, and Pilate said to the crowd, “Look at your king!”

15 “Kill him! Kill him!” they yelled. “Nail him to a cross!”

“So you want me to nail your king to a cross?” Pilate asked.

The chief priests replied, “The Emperor is our king!” 16 Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be nailed to a cross.

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

(Matthew 27.32-44; Mark 15.21-32; Luke 23.26-43)

Jesus was taken away, 17 and he carried his cross to a place known as “The Skull.”[b] In Aramaic this place is called “Golgotha.” 18 There Jesus was nailed to the cross, and on each side of him a man was also nailed to a cross.

19 Pilate ordered the charge against Jesus to be written on a board and put above the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” 20 The words were written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

The place where Jesus was taken wasn't far from the city, and many of the people read the charge against him. 21 So the chief priests went to Pilate and said, “Why did you write that he is King of the Jews? You should have written, ‘He claimed to be King of the Jews.’ ”

22 But Pilate told them, “What is written will not be changed!”

23 After the soldiers had nailed Jesus to the cross, they divided up his clothes into four parts, one for each of them. But his outer garment was made from a single piece of cloth, and it did not have any seams. 24 (B) The soldiers said to each other, “Let's not rip it apart. We will gamble to see who gets it.” This happened so the Scriptures would come true, which say,

“They divided up my clothes
and gambled
    for my garments.”

The soldiers then did what they had decided.

25 Jesus' mother stood beside his cross with her sister and Mary the wife of Clopas. Mary Magdalene was standing there too.[c] 26 When Jesus saw his mother and his favorite disciple with her, he said to his mother, “This man is now your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “She is now your mother.” From then on, that disciple took her into his own home.

The Death of Jesus

(Matthew 27.45-56; Mark 15.33-41; Luke 23.44-49)

28 (C) Jesus knew that he had now finished his work. And in order to make the Scriptures come true, he said, “I am thirsty!” 29 A jar of cheap wine was there. Someone then soaked a sponge with the wine and held it up to Jesus' mouth on the stem of a hyssop plant. 30 After Jesus drank the wine, he said, “Everything is done!” He bowed his head and died.

A Spear Is Stuck in Jesus' Side

31 The next day would be both a Sabbath and the Passover. It was a special day for the Jewish people,[d] and they did not want the bodies to stay on the crosses during this day. So they asked Pilate to break the men's legs[e] and take their bodies down. 32 The soldiers first broke the legs of the other two men who were nailed there. 33 But when they came to Jesus, they saw he was already dead, and they did not break his legs.

34 One of the soldiers stuck his spear into Jesus' side, and blood and water came out. 35 We know this is true, because it was told by someone who saw it happen. Now you can have faith too. 36 (D) All this happened so that the Scriptures would come true, which say, “No bone of his body will be broken” 37 (E) and “They will see the one in whose side they stuck a spear.”

Jesus Is Buried

(Matthew 27.57-61; Mark 15.42-47; Luke 23.50-56)

38 Joseph from Arimathea was one of Jesus' disciples. He had kept it secret though, because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders. But now he asked Pilate to let him have Jesus' body. Pilate gave him permission, and Joseph took it down from the cross.

39 (F) Nicodemus also came with about 30 kilograms of spices made from myrrh and aloes. This was the same Nicodemus who had visited Jesus one night.[f] 40 The two men wrapped the body in a linen cloth, together with the spices, which was how the Jewish people buried their dead. 41 In the place where Jesus had been nailed to a cross, there was a garden with a tomb that had never been used. 42 The tomb was nearby, and since it was the time to prepare for the Sabbath, they were in a hurry to put Jesus' body there.

Footnotes

  1. 19.5 “Here is the man!”: Or “Look at the man!”
  2. 19.17 The Skull: The place was probably given this name because it was near a large rock in the shape of a human skull.
  3. 19.25 Jesus' mother stood beside his cross with her sister and Mary the wife of Clopas. Mary Magdalene was standing there too: The Greek text may also be understood to include only three women (“Jesus' mother stood beside the cross with her sister, Mary the mother of Clopas. Mary Magdalene was standing there too.”) or merely two women (“Jesus' mother was standing there with her sister Mary of Clopas, that is, Mary Magdalene.”). “Of Clopas” may mean “daughter of” or “mother of.”
  4. 19.31 a special day for the Jewish people: Passover could be any day of the week. But according to the Gospel of John, Passover was on a Sabbath in the year that Jesus was nailed to a cross.
  5. 19.31 break the men's legs: This was the way that the Romans sometimes speeded up the death of a person who had been nailed to a cross.
  6. 19.39 Nicodemus who had visited Jesus one night: See 3.1-21.