¹⁴ When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles^(A) reclined at the table.^{(B) 15} And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.^{(C) 16} For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”^(D)

¹⁷ After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. ¹⁸ For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

¹⁹ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it,^(E) and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

²⁰ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant^(F) in my blood, which is poured out for you.^[a]

John Testifies About Jesus

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God,^(A) who takes away the sin of the world!^{(B) 30} This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’^{(C) 31} I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

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

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(B)

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. ¹⁷ Carrying his own cross,^(C) he went out to the place of the Skull^(D) (which in Aramaic^(E) is called Golgotha). ¹⁸ There they crucified him, and with him two others^(F)—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,^(G) the king of the jews.^{(H) 20} Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city,^(I) 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.”^(J)

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^(K) that said,

So this is what the soldiers did.

²⁵ Near the cross^(M) of Jesus stood his mother,^(N) his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.^{(O) 26} When Jesus saw his mother^(P) there, and the disciple whom he loved^(Q) 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^(R)

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

³¹ Now it was the day of Preparation,^(W) and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses^(X) 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.^{(Y) 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^(Z) Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.^{(AA) 35} The man who saw it^(AB) has given testimony, and his testimony is true.^(AC) 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:^(AD) “Not one of his bones will be broken,”^{[c](AE) 37} and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”^[d](AF)

²⁹ Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!^{(A) 30} The God of our ancestors^(B) raised Jesus from the dead^(C)—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.^{(D) 31} God exalted him to his own right hand^(E) as Prince and Savior^(F) that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.^(G)

¹⁰ For if, while we were God’s enemies,^(A) we were reconciled^(B) to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!^{(C) 11} Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.^(D)

¹⁸ Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people,^(A) so also one righteous act resulted in justification^(B) and life^(C) for all people. ¹⁹ For just as through the disobedience of the one man^(D) the many were made sinners,^(E) so also through the obedience^(F) of the one man the many will be made righteous.

¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities,^(A) he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them^(B) by the cross.^[a]

Freedom From Human Rules

¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you^(C) by what you eat or drink,^(D) or with regard to a religious festival,^(E) a New Moon celebration^(F) or a Sabbath day.^{(G) 17} These are a shadow of the things that were to come;^(H) the reality, however, is found in Christ.

¹⁷ For this reason he had to be made like them,^[a](A) fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful^(B) and faithful high priest^(C) in service to God,^(D) and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.^(E)

²⁰ by a new and living way^(A) opened for us through the curtain,^(B) that is, his body, ²¹ and since we have a great priest^(C) over the house of God,^{(D) 22} let us draw near to God^(E) with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings,^(F) having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience^(G) and having our bodies washed with pure water.^(H)