John 19:17-37

International Children’s Bible

¹⁷ Carrying his own cross, Jesus went out to a place called The Place of the Skull. (In the Jewish language^[a] this place is called Golgotha.) ¹⁸ There they nailed Jesus to the cross. They also put two other men on crosses, one on each side of Jesus with Jesus in the middle. ¹⁹ Pilate wrote a sign and put it on the cross. It read: “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” ²⁰ The sign was written in the Jewish language, in Latin, and in Greek. Many of the Jews read the sign, because this place where Jesus was killed was near the city. ²¹ The leading Jewish priests said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews.’ But write, ‘This man said, I am the King of the Jews.’”

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

²³ After the soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross, they took his clothes. They divided them into four parts. Each soldier got one part. They also took his long shirt. It was all one piece of cloth, woven from top to bottom. ²⁴ So the soldiers said to each other, “We should not tear this into parts. We should throw lots to see who will get it.” This happened to give full meaning to the Scripture:

So the soldiers did this.

²⁵ Jesus’ mother stood near his cross. His mother’s sister was also standing there, with Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ Jesus saw his mother. He also saw the follower he loved standing there. He said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son.” ²⁷ Then he said to the follower, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this follower took her to live in his home.

Jesus Dies

²⁸ After this, Jesus knew that everything had been done. To make the Scripture come true, he said, “I am thirsty.”^{[b] 29} There was a jar full of vinegar there, so the soldiers soaked a sponge in it. Then they put the sponge on a branch of a hyssop plant and lifted it to Jesus’ mouth. ³⁰ Jesus tasted the vinegar. Then he said, “It is finished.” He bowed his head and died.

³¹ This day was Preparation Day. The next day was a special Sabbath day. The Jews did not want the bodies to stay on the cross on the Sabbath day. So they asked Pilate to order that the legs of the men be broken^[c] and the bodies be taken away. ³² So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man on the cross beside Jesus. Then they broke the legs of the man on the other cross beside Jesus. ³³ But when the soldiers came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead. So they did not break his legs. ³⁴ But one of the soldiers stuck his spear into Jesus’ side. At once blood and water came out. ³⁵ (The one who saw this happen has told about it. The things he says are true. He knows that he tells the truth. He told about it so that you also can believe.) ³⁶ These things happened to make the Scripture come true: “Not one of his bones will be broken.”^{[d] 37} And another Scripture said, “They will look at the one they have stabbed.”^[e]