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the whole assembly of the Sanhedrin rose and brought Jesus before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He forbids us from paying taxes to Caesar, and claims that He Himself is Christ, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are You the king of the Jews?”
“You have said it,” Jesus answered.
4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no grounds for charging this man.”
5 But they were more insistent, saying, “He stirs up the people all through Judea with His teachings. He started off in Galilee and has continued on even to here.”
6 When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, for he had been wanting to see Him for a long time. He had heard many things about Jesus, and hoped to see Him perform some miracle. 9 So he questioned Him for a long time, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing Him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Jesus, and they dressed Him in an elegant robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other, for before this they had been enemies.
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You have brought this man to me as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. Yet I have examined Him in your presence, and found no basis for any of the charges you bring against Him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent Him back to us. Clearly, He has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish Him and then release Him.” 17 (For he was obligated to release someone for them at the festival.)
18 But they all shouted together, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas was a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
20 Pilate wanted to release Jesus, so he appealed to the crowd again. 21 But they all kept shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
22 A third time he said to them, “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in Him no grounds for death penalty. So I will have Him punished and then release Him.” 23 But they were insistent, demanding with loud shouting that He should be crucified, and their shouting prevailed. 24 So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. 25 He released to them the man they had been asking for, who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder. But he surrendered Jesus to their will.
26 As they led Him away, they seized a man named Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and they laid the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed Him, including women who mourned and lamented for Him. 28 But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two other men who were both criminals were also led away to be executed with Him. 33 When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on His right, the other on His left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide up His clothes.
35 The people stood watching, and the leaders even scoffed at Him. They said, “He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One!”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked Him. They offered Him sour wine 37 and said, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!”
38 There was also a written notice above Him that was written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, and it read,
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: “Aren’t You the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked Him. “Don’t you even fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 We are being punished justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
43 Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth today, you will be with Me in Paradise.”
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 for the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
46 Then Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!” When He had said this, He breathed His last. 47 When the centurion saw what had taken place, he glorified God, and said, “Certainly this was a righteous man!” 48 When all the crowds who had gathered there saw what had taken place, they went away beating their chests. 49 But all who knew Him, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51 who had not agreed with their decision and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God. 52 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had yet been laid. 54 It was the Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed along, and they saw the tomb and how His body was laid in it. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.