Jesus Flogged and Mocked

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers also twisted together a crown(A) of thorns, put it on his head, and clothed him in a purple robe. And they kept coming up to him(B) and saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” and were slapping his face.

Pilate went outside again and said to them, “Look, I’m bringing him out to you to let you know I find no grounds(C) for charging him.” Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe.(D) Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” (E)

Pilate Sentences Jesus to Death

When the chief priests and the temple servants[a] saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

Pilate responded, “Take him and crucify him yourselves, since I find no grounds for charging him.”

“We have a law,” the Jews replied to him, “and according to that law he ought to die,(F) because he made himself the Son of God.”(G)

When Pilate heard this statement, he was more afraid than ever. He went back into the headquarters(H) and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus did not give him an answer.(I) 10 So Pilate said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you?”

11 “You would have no authority over me at all,” Jesus answered him, “if it hadn’t been given you from above. This is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”(J)

12 From that moment Pilate kept trying[b] to release him. But the Jews shouted, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Anyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar!”

13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside. He sat down on the judge’s seat in a place called the Stone Pavement (but in Aramaic,[c] Gabbatha). 14 It was the preparation day for the Passover, and it was about noon.[d] Then he told the Jews, “Here is your king!”

15 They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

Pilate said to them, “Should I crucify your king?”

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

16 Then he handed him over to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

Then they took Jesus away.[e] 17 Carrying(K) the cross by himself,(L) he went out to what is called Place of the Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him and two others with him, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate also had a sign made and put on the cross. It said: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city,(M) and it was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The king of the Jews,’(N) but that he said, ‘I am the king of the Jews.’”

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

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier. They also took the tunic, which was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24 So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to see who gets it.” This happened that the Scripture(O) might be fulfilled(P) that says: They divided my clothes among themselves, and they cast lots for my clothing.[f](Q) This is what the soldiers did.

Jesus’s Provision for His Mother

25 Standing(R) by the cross(S) of Jesus were his mother,(T) his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.(U) 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved(V) standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

The Finished Work of Jesus

28 After(W) this, when Jesus knew that everything was now finished(X) that the Scripture might be fulfilled, he said, “I’m thirsty.”(Y) 29 A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on a hyssop branch(Z) and held it up to his mouth.

30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.”(AA) Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.(AB)

Jesus’s Side Pierced

31 Since it was the preparation day,(AC) the Jews did not want the bodies(AD) to remain on the cross(AE) on the Sabbath(AF) (for that Sabbath was a special[g] day). They requested that Pilate have the men’s legs broken and that their bodies be taken away.(AG) 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other one who had been crucified with him. 33 When they came to Jesus, they did not break his legs since they saw that he was already dead.(AH) 34 But one of the soldiers pierced(AI) his side(AJ) with a spear, and at once blood and water(AK) came out. 35 He who saw this has testified(AL) so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth.(AM) 36 For these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled:(AN) Not one of his bones will be broken.[h](AO) 37 Also, another Scripture says: They will look at the one they pierced.[i](AP)

Jesus’s Burial

38 After(AQ) this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus—but secretly because of his fear of the Jews—asked Pilate that he might remove Jesus’s body.(AR) Pilate gave him permission; so he came and took his body away. 39 Nicodemus(AS) (who had previously come to him at night) also came, bringing a mixture of about seventy-five pounds[j] of myrrh and aloes. 40 They took Jesus’s body(AT) and wrapped it in linen cloths(AU) with the fragrant spices, according to the burial(AV) custom of the Jews. 41 There was a garden in the place where he was crucified. A new tomb was in the garden; no one had yet been placed in it. 42 They placed Jesus there because of the Jewish day of preparation and since the tomb was nearby.

Footnotes

  1. 19:6 Or temple police, or officers
  2. 19:12 Lit Pilate was trying
  3. 19:13 Or Hebrew, also in vv. 17,20
  4. 19:14 Lit about the sixth hour
  5. 19:16 Other mss add and led him out
  6. 19:24 Ps 22:18
  7. 19:31 Lit great
  8. 19:36 Ex 12:46; Nm 9:12; Ps 34:20
  9. 19:37 Zch 12:10
  10. 19:39 Lit a hundred litrai; a Roman litrai = 12 ounces

Jesus Sentenced to Death

19 Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face.

Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!”

When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

“Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.”

The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.”

When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. He took Jesus back into the headquarters[a] again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. 10 “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”

11 Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”

12 Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’[b] Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.”

13 When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). 14 It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people,[c] “Look, here is your king!”

15 “Away with him,” they yelled. “Away with him! Crucify him!”

“What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back.

16 Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

So they took Jesus away. 17 Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). 18 There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19 And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth,[d] the King of the Jews.” 20 The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.

21 Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’”

22 Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.”

23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice[e] for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.”[f] So that is what they did.

25 Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” 27 And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

28 Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.”[g] 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

31 It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was Passover week). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. 33 But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. 34 One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. 35 (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also may continue to believe.[h]) 36 These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of his bones will be broken,”[i] 37 and “They will look on the one they pierced.”[j]

The Burial of Jesus

38 Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. 39 With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds[k] of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. 40 Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. 41 The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. 42 And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover[l] and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Footnotes

  1. 19:9 Greek the Praetorium.
  2. 19:12 “Friend of Caesar” is a technical term that refers to an ally of the emperor.
  3. 19:14 Greek Jewish people; also in 19:20.
  4. 19:19 Or Jesus the Nazarene.
  5. 19:24a Greek cast lots.
  6. 19:24b Ps 22:18.
  7. 19:28 See Pss 22:15; 69:21.
  8. 19:35 Some manuscripts read that you also may believe.
  9. 19:36 Exod 12:46; Num 9:12; Ps 34:20.
  10. 19:37 Zech 12:10.
  11. 19:39 Greek 100 litras [32.7 kilograms].
  12. 19:42 Greek because of the Jewish day of preparation.