Read the Gospels in 40 Days
19 Then Pilate ordered that Jesus be taken away and whipped. 2 The soldiers used some thorny branches to make a crown. They put this crown on Jesus’ head and put a purple robe around him. 3 Then they came to Jesus many times and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They hit Jesus in the face.
4 Again Pilate came out and said to them, “Look! I am bringing Jesus out to you. I want you to know that I find nothing I can charge against him.” 5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is the man!”
6 When the leading priests and the guards saw Jesus they shouted, “Kill him on a cross! Kill him on a cross!”
But Pilate answered, “Take him and nail him to a cross yourselves. I find nothing I can charge against him.”
7 The Jews answered, “We have a law that says he should die, because he said he is the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid. 9 He went back inside the palace and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus did not answer him. 10 Pilate said, “You refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know that I have power to set you free and power to have you killed on a cross?”
11 Jesus answered, “The only power you have over me is the power given to you by God. The man who gave me to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
12 After this, Pilate tried to let Jesus go free. But the Jews cried out, “Anyone who makes himself king is against Caesar. If you let this man go free, you are not Caesar’s friend.”
13 Pilate heard what the Jews were saying. So he brought Jesus out to the place called The Stone Pavement. (In the Jewish language[a] the name is Gabbatha.) Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat there. 14 It was about six o’clock in the morning on Preparation Day of Passover week. Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your king!”
15 They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Kill him on a cross!”
Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to kill your king on a cross?”
The leading priests answered, “The only king we have is Caesar!”
16 So Pilate gave Jesus to them to be killed on a cross.
Jesus Is Killed on a Cross
The soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, Jesus went out to a place called The Place of the Skull. (In the Jewish language[b] 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:
“They divided my clothes among them.
And they threw lots for my clothing.” Psalm 22:18
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.”[c] 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[d] 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.”[e] 37 And another Scripture said, “They will look at the one they have stabbed.”[f]
Jesus Is Buried
38 Later, a man named Joseph from Arimathea asked Pilate if he could take the body of Jesus. (Joseph was a secret follower of Jesus, because he was afraid of the Jews.) Pilate gave his permission. So Joseph came and took Jesus’ body away. 39 Nicodemus went with Joseph. Nicodemus was the man who earlier had come to Jesus at night. He brought about 75 pounds of spices. This was a mixture of myrrh and aloes. 40 These two men took Jesus’ body and wrapped it with the spices in pieces of linen cloth. (This is how the Jews bury people.) 41 In the place where Jesus was killed, there was a garden. In the garden was a new tomb where no one had ever been buried. 42 The men laid Jesus in that tomb because it was near, and the Jews were preparing to start their Sabbath day.
Jesus’ Tomb Is Empty
20 Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. It was still dark. Mary saw that the large stone had been moved away from the tomb. 2 So Mary ran to Simon Peter and the other follower (the one Jesus loved). Mary said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb. We don’t know where they have put him.”
3 So Peter and the other follower started for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other follower ran faster than Peter. So the other follower reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down and looked in. He saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then following him came Simon Peter. He went into the tomb and saw the strips of linen lying there. 7 He also saw the cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up and laid in a different place from the strips of linen. 8 Then the other follower, who had reached the tomb first, also went in. He saw and believed. 9 (These followers did not yet understand from the Scriptures that Jesus must rise from death.)
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
10 Then the followers went back home. 11 But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. While she was still crying, she bent down and looked inside the tomb. 12 She saw two angels dressed in white. They were sitting where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and one at the feet.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
She answered, “They have taken away my Lord. I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 When Mary said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she did not know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Whom are you looking for?”
Mary thought he was the gardener. So she said to him, “Did you take him away, sir? Tell me where you put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
Mary turned toward Jesus and said in the Jewish language,[g] “Rabboni.” (This means Teacher.)
17 Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me. I have not yet gone up to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them this: ‘I am going back to my Father and your Father. I am going back to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went and said to the followers, “I saw the Lord!” And she told them what Jesus had said to her.
Jesus Appears to His Followers
19 It was the first day of the week. That evening Jesus’ followers were together. The doors were locked, because they were afraid of the Jews. Then Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. His followers were very happy when they saw the Lord.
21 Then Jesus said again, “Peace be with you! As the Father sent me, I now send you.” 22 After he said this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven. If you don’t forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Jesus Appears to Thomas
24 Thomas (called Didymus) was not with the followers when Jesus came. Thomas was 1 of the 12. 25 The other followers told Thomas, “We saw the Lord.”
But Thomas said, “I will not believe it until I see the nail marks in his hands. And I will not believe until I put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side.”
26 A week later the followers were in the house again. Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came in and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand here in my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you see me. Those who believe without seeing me will be truly happy.”
Why John Wrote This Book
30 Jesus did many other miracles before his followers that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you can believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Then, by believing, you can have life through his name.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.