Read the Gospels in 40 Days
The Crown of Thorns (A)
19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him beaten. 2 The soldiers put a crown of thorns on His head. They put a purple coat on Him. 3 Then they said, “Hello, King of the Jews!” and hit Him with their hands.
4 Pilate went out again and said to the people, “See, I bring Him out to you so you will know I do not find Him guilty.” 5 Jesus came out. He had on the crown of thorns and a purple coat. Pilate said to the people, “See! This is the Man!”
Pilate Tries to Let Jesus Go Free
6 The religious leaders and the soldiers saw Him. They spoke with loud voices, “Nail Him to a cross! Nail Him to a cross!” Pilate said, “Take Him yourselves and nail Him to a cross. As for me, I do not find Him guilty.” 7 The Jews said to Pilate, “We have a Law that says He should die because He has said He is the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate heard them say this, he was more afraid. 9 He went into the court room again. He said to Jesus, “Where do You come from?” Jesus did not say a word. 10 Pilate said, “Will You not speak to me? Do You not know that I have the right and the power to nail You to a cross? I have the right and the power to let You go free also.” 11 Jesus said, “You would not have any right or power over Me if it were not given you from above. For this reason the one who handed Me over to you has the worse sin.”
12 When Pilate heard this, he wanted to let Jesus go free. But the Jews kept saying, “If you let this Man go free, you are not a friend of Caesar! Whoever makes himself as a king is working against Caesar.” 13 When Pilate heard this, he had Jesus brought in front of him. Pilate sat down at the place where men stand in front of him if they are thought to be guilty. The place is called the Stone Floor.
14 It was the day to get ready for the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. It was about noon. Pilate said to the Jews, “See, your King!” 15 They spoke with a loud voice, “Take Him away! Nail Him to a cross!” Pilate said to them, “Do you want me to nail your King to a cross?” The head religious leaders said, “We have no king but Caesar!” 16 Then Pilate handed Him over to be nailed to a cross. They took Jesus and led Him away.
Jesus on the Cross (B)
17 Jesus carried His own cross to a hill called the Place of the Skull. 18 There they nailed Him to the cross. With Him were two others. There was one on each side of Jesus. 19 Then Pilate put a writing on the cross which said, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 This was read by many of the Jews. The place where Jesus was nailed to the cross was near the city. The writing was written in the Hebrew and the Latin and the Greek languages. 21 Then the head religious leaders of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’! Write, ‘He said, I am the King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate said, “What I have written is to stay just as it is!”
They Divided His Clothes (C)
23 The soldiers who nailed Jesus to the cross took His clothes and divided them in four parts, each soldier getting one part. But His coat which was not sewed was made in one piece. 24 They said to each other, “Let us not cut it up. Let us draw names to see whose it should be.” This happened as the Holy Writings said it would happen, “They divided My clothes among them and they drew names for My coat.” (D) 25 This is what the soldiers did.
The Women at the Cross (E)
The mother of Jesus and her sister Mary, the wife of Cleophas, were standing near the cross. Mary Magdalene was there also. 26 Jesus saw His mother and the follower whom He loved standing near. He said to His mother, “Woman, look at your son.” 27 Then Jesus said to the follower, “Look at your mother.” From that time the follower took her to his own house.
The Death of Jesus (F)
28 Jesus knew that everything was now finished. Everything happened as the Holy Writings said it would happen. He said, “I am thirsty.” (G) 29 There was a jar full of sour wine near. They filled a sponge and put it on a stick and put it to His mouth. 30 Jesus took the sour wine and said, “It is finished.” He put His head down and gave up His spirit and died.
His Bones Were Not Broken
31 This was the day before the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. The next day was the Day of Rest and the great day of the religious gathering. The Jews went to Pilate and asked to have the legs of the men broken. They wanted their bodies taken away so they would not be hanging on the crosses on the Day of Rest. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other one who had been nailed to crosses beside Jesus. 33 They came to Jesus. They saw He was already dead so they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pushed a spear into His side. Blood and water ran out.
35 The one who saw it is writing this and what he says is true. He knows he is telling the truth so you may believe. 36 These things happened as the Holy Writings said they would happen, “Not one of His bones will be broken.” (H) 37 And in another place the Holy Writings say, “They will look at Him Whose side they cut.” (I)
The Grave of Jesus (J)
38 Joseph was from the town of Arimathea. He was a follower of Jesus but was afraid of the Jews. So he worshiped without anyone knowing it. He asked Pilate if he could take away the body of Jesus. Pilate said he could. Then Joseph came and took it away. 39 Nicodemus came also. The first time he had come to Jesus had been at night. He brought with him a large box of spices. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus with the spices and put it in linen cloths. This was the way the Jews made a body ready for the grave.
41 There was a garden near the place where He had been nailed to the cross. In the garden there was a new grave in the side of the hill. No one had ever been laid there. 42 This place was near by. Because it was the day the Jews got ready for the special religious gathering, they laid Jesus in it.
Jesus Is Raised from the Grave (K)
20 It was the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene came to the grave early in the morning while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been pushed away from the grave. 2 She ran to Simon Peter and the other follower whom Jesus loved. She said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the grave. We do not know where they have put Him.”
3 Then Peter and the other follower went to the grave. 4 They ran but the other follower ran faster than Peter and came to the grave first. 5 He got down and looked in and saw the linen cloths but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came and went into the grave. He saw the linen cloths lying there. 7 The white cloth that had been around the head of Jesus was not lying with the other linen cloths. It was rolled up and lying apart by itself. 8 Then the other follower, who had come first, went in also. He saw and believed. 9 They still did not understand what the Holy Writings meant when they said that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the followers went back again to their homes.
11 Mary stood outside the grave crying. As she cried, she got down and looked inside the grave. 12 She saw two angels dressed in white clothes. They were sitting where the body of Jesus had lain. One angel was where His head had lain and one angel was where His feet had lain. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord. I do not know where they have put Him.”
14 After saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 He said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” She thought He was the man who cared for the garden. She said to Him, “Sir, if you have taken Jesus from here, tell me where you have put Him. I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned around and said to Him, “Teacher!” 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to Me. I have not yet gone up to My Father. But go to My brothers. Tell them that I will go up to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God!” 18 Mary Magdalene went and told the followers that she had seen the Lord. She told them the things He had said to her.
Jesus Was Seen by His Followers—Thomas Was Not There
19 It was evening of the first day of the week. The followers had gathered together with the doors locked because they were afraid of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “May you have peace.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. When the followers saw the Lord, they were filled with joy.
Jesus Sends His Followers to Preach (L)
21 Then Jesus said to them again, “May you have peace. As the Father has sent Me, I also am sending you.” 22 When Jesus had said this, He breathed on them. He said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you say that people are free of sins, they are free of them. If you say that people are not free of sins, they still have them.”
Thomas Does Not Believe Jesus Is Raised from the Dead (M)
24 Thomas was not with them when Jesus came. He was one of the twelve followers and was called the Twin. 25 The other followers told him, “We have seen the Lord!” He said to them, “I will not believe until I see the marks made by the nails in His hands. I will not believe until I put my finger into the marks of the nails. I will not believe until I put my hand into His side.”
Jesus Was Seen Again by His Followers—Thomas Was There
26 Eight days later the followers were again inside a house. Thomas was with them. The doors were locked. Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “May you have peace!” 27 He said to Thomas, “Put your finger into My hands. Put your hand into My side. Do not doubt, believe!” 28 Thomas said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you believe. Those are happy who have never seen Me and yet believe!” 30 Jesus did many other powerful works in front of His followers. They are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. When you put your trust in Him, you will have life that lasts forever through His name.
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