The King on a Cross^(A)

^26 (B)Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.

²⁷ And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. ²⁸ But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ^29 (C)For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’ ³⁰ Then they will begin ^(D)‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ ^31 (E)For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”

^32 (F)There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. ³³ And ^(G)when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. ^34 [a]Then Jesus said, “Father, ^(H)forgive them, for ^(I)they do not know what they do.”

And ^(J)they divided His garments and cast lots.

^34 (A)they gave Him ^[a]sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.

^23 (A)Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. ²⁴ They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:

Therefore the soldiers did these things.

^36 (A)Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. ³⁷ And they ^(B)put up over His head the accusation written against Him:

THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

³⁹ And ^(A)those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, ^(B)“You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! ^(C)If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

⁴¹ Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the ^[a]scribes and elders, said, ⁴² “He ^(D)saved others; Himself He cannot save. ^[b]If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe ^[c]Him. ^43 (E)He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

Behold Your Mother

^25 (A)Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of ^(B)Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and ^(C)the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ^(D)“Woman, behold your son!” ²⁷ Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her ^(E)to his own home.