Bible Reading Plan

Chapter 15

Jesus Faces Pilate

¹ As^(a) soon as it was morning, the chief priests had a meeting with the elders,^(b) scribes,^(c) and the whole Sanhedrin.^(d) After tying Jesus up, they led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate.^(e)

² So Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King^(f) of the Jews?"^(g)

He answered him, "You have said it." ^[a]

³ And the chief priests began to accuse Him of many things. ⁴ Then Pilate^(h) questioned Him again, "Are You not answering anything? Look how many things they are accusing You of!" ⁵ But Jesus still did not answer anything, so Pilate was amazed.

Jesus or Barabbas

⁶ At⁽ⁱ⁾ the festival^(j) it was Pilate's^(k) custom to release for the people a prisoner they requested. ⁷ There was one named Barabbas, who was in prison with rebels who had committed murder^(l) during the rebellion.^{(m) 8} The crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do for them as was his custom. ⁹ So Pilate answered them, "Do you want me to release the King⁽ⁿ⁾ of the Jews^(o) for you?" ¹⁰ For he knew it was because of envy^(p) that the chief priests had handed Him over. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd so that he would release Barabbas to them instead.

¹² Pilate asked them again, "Then what do you want me to do with the One you call the King of the Jews?"

¹³ Again they shouted, "Crucify Him!"

¹⁴ Then Pilate said to them, "Why? What has He done wrong?"

But they shouted, "Crucify Him!" all the more.

¹⁵ Then, willing to gratify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. And after having Jesus flogged,^[b] he handed Him over to be crucified.

Mocked by the Military

¹⁶ Then^(q) the soldiers led Him away into the courtyard (that is, headquarters^(r)) and called the whole company together. ¹⁷ They dressed Him in a purple^(s) robe, twisted together a crown^(t) of thorns, and put it on Him. ¹⁸ And they began to salute Him, "Hail,^(u) King^(v) of the Jews!" ¹⁹ They kept hitting Him on the head with a reed and spitting on Him. Getting down on their knees,^(w) they were paying Him homage. ²⁰ When they had mocked^(x) Him, they stripped Him of the purple robe, put His clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

Crucified between Two Criminals

²¹ They^(y) forced a man coming in from the country, who was passing by, to carry Jesus' cross.^(z) He was Simon, a Cyrenian,^(aa) the father of Alexander and Rufus.^{(ab) 22} And^(ac) they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means Skull Place^(ad)). ²³ They tried to give Him wine^(ae) mixed with myrrh,^(af) but He did not take it. ²⁴ Then they crucified Him and divided His clothes, casting lots^(ag) for them to decide what each would get. ²⁵ Now it was nine in the morning^[c] when they crucified Him. ²⁶ The inscription of the charge written against Him was:

²⁷ They^(aj) crucified two criminals^[d](ak) with Him, one on His right and one on His left. [²⁸ So the Scripture was fulfilled that says: And He was counted among outlaws. ]^{[e](al)[f] 29} Those^(am) who passed by were yelling insults^(an) at^[g] Him, shaking their heads,^(ao) and saying, "Ha! The One who would demolish the sanctuary and build it in three days,^{(ap) 30} save Yourself by coming down from the cross!"^{(aq) 31} In the same way, the chief priests with the scribes^(ar) were mocking Him to one another and saying, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself! ³² Let the Messiah,^(as) the King^(at) of Israel,^(au) come down now from the cross,^(av) so that we may see and believe."^(aw) Even those who were crucified with Him were taunting Him.

The Death of Jesus

³³ When^(ax) it was noon,^[h] darkness came over the whole land^[i] until three in the afternoon.^{[j](ay) 34} And at three^[k] Jesus cried out with a loud voice, " Eloi, Eloi, lemá ^[l] sabachtháni? " which is translated, " My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? " ^(az)[m]

³⁵ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "Look, He's calling for Elijah!" ³⁶ Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, fixed it on a reed, offered Him a drink,^(ba) and said, "Let's see if Elijah comes to take Him down!"

³⁷ But Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed His last. ³⁸ Then the curtain^(bb) of the sanctuary^[n] was split in two from top to bottom. ³⁹ When the centurion, who was standing opposite Him, saw the way He^[o] breathed His last, he said, "This man really was God's Son!"^[p](bc)

⁴⁰ There^(bd) were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene,^(be) Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. ⁴¹ When He was in Galilee,^(bf) they would follow Him and help Him. Many other women had come up with Him to Jerusalem.^(bg)

The Burial of Jesus

⁴² When^(bh) it was already evening, because it was preparation day (that is, the day before the Sabbath), ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward^(bi) to the kingdom of God,^(bj) came and boldly went in to Pilate^(bk) and asked for Jesus' body.^{(bl) 44} Pilate was surprised that He was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him whether He had already died. ⁴⁵ When he found out from the centurion, he gave the corpse to Joseph. ⁴⁶ After he bought some fine linen, he took Him down and wrapped Him in the linen. Then he placed Him in a tomb^(bm) cut out of the rock, and rolled a stone^(bn) against the entrance to the tomb. ⁴⁷ Now^(bo) Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where He was placed.