The Life of Jesus

They kept striking His head with a staff and spitting on Him. And they knelt down and bowed before Him.

After they had mocked Him, they removed the purple robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him.

Now Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and the soldiers forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.

They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha, which means The Place of the Skull.

There they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it.

And they crucified Him. They also divided His garments by casting lots to decide what each of them would take.

It was the third hour when they crucified Him.

And the charge inscribed against Him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Along with Jesus, they crucified two robbers, one on His right and one on His left.

And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.

And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,

come down from the cross and save Yourself!”

In the same way, the chief priests and scribes mocked Him among themselves, saying, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself!

Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” And even those who were crucified with Him berated Him.

From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.

At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

When some of those standing nearby heard this, they said, “Behold, He is calling Elijah.”

And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine. He put it on a reed and held it up for Jesus to drink, saying, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to take Him down.”

But Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed His last.

And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

When the centurion standing there in front of Jesus saw how He had breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

And there were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.

These women had followed Jesus and ministered to Him while He was in Galilee, and there were many other women who had come up to Jerusalem with Him.

Now it was already evening. Since it was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath),

Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent Council member who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God, boldly went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.