Judas hangs himself1In the early hours of the morning, the chief priests and other religious leaders passed judgment on Jesus and condemned Him to death.2They had Him bound and handed Him over to Pilate, the Roman governor.3-4When Judas, the betrayer, saw how Jesus had been condemned, he was so filled with remorse that he wanted to return the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and religious leaders, saying: "I have sinned greatly in betraying One who was innocent."5"Why should that concern us?" they replied. "You are responsible for your own actions." So Judas threw the money down on the floor of the temple. He then went and hanged himself.6The chief priests picked up the money but said: "It would be unlawful for us to put this into the temple treasury because it has the mark of death on it."7So they decided to use it to buy the potters place to bury foreigners.8It has been called the Field of Blood ever since.9-10This fulfilled what was said by the prophet, Jeremiah: 'They took the thirty pieces of silver, the amount He was valued at by the people of Israel, and used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord had determined.'On trial before Pilate11As Jesus stood before the governor, Pilate asked Him: "Are You really the King of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus answered.12But when the chief priests and religious leaders brought their accusations against Him, Jesus made no response.13So Pilate asked Him: "Surely You hear these charges that are being brought against You?"14But Jesus still remained silent, refusing to answer any of these false accusations, much to the governor's astonishment.Barabbas released15Now it was the Roman custom to release a prisoner of the people's choice at the time of the feast.16A notorious criminal called Barabbas was in prison at that time.17So when the people were assembled, Pilate asked them: "Who do you want me to release, Barabbas or Jesus, the Christ?"18He was well aware that the religious leaders had only handed Jesus over to him out of jealousy, not because He was guilty of any crime.19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, Pilate's wife sent him a message, 'Don't become involved because I have had a terrible dream on account of this Man. He is innocent!'20But the chief priests and religious leaders stirred up the crowd to shout for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be executed.21So when Pilate put the question, 'Which of the two do you want me to release?' they shouted: "Barabbas!"22"Then what do you want me to do with Jesus, the Christ?" Pilate asked. They all shouted: "Crucify Him!"23"Why?" Pilate asked. "What crime is He guilty of?" But they only shouted more loudly: "Crucify Him!"24Pilate saw that reason was of no avail and he was fearful of a riot breaking out. So he called for a bowl of water to be brought and publicly washed his hands before the crowd saying: "I am innocent of the blood of this Man. This is your responsibility!"25All the people responded: "Let the responsibility for His death be on us and on our children!"The crucifixion26So Pilate released Barabbas as they wished. Then he had Jesus flogged before handing Him over to the soldiers for crucifixion.27First they took Him to their barracks and gathered all the soldiers around Jesus.28They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.29They made a crown out of thorns twisted together and placed this on His head. Instead of a sceptre, they put a wooden stick in His hand and then knelt before Him in mock homage. "All hail, King of the Jews!" they said.30They spat on Him and struck Him on the head again and again with the stick they had given Him.31When they had finished mocking Him, they took the robe off Him and replaced His own clothes, before leading Him to the place of crucifixion.32On the way, they forced a man from Cyrene called Simon to carry the cross.33-34When they reached the spot known as the Place of the Skull, they offered Jesus a drink of wine mixed with bitter gall. On tasting it, Jesus refused to drink.35Then they crucified Him. While He hung on the cross, the soldiers divided His clothes among them by casting lots. The prophetic word had to be fulfilled, 'They divided My apparel among them and cast lots for My clothing.'36Then they sat down to keep watch while Jesus died.37They had placed the charge brought against Him above His head. It read: 'This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.'38Two thieves were crucified, one on either side of Him.39-40People passing by ridiculed Him. They shook their heads and shouted abuse: "You said You were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. Come on, then, save Yourself. If You really are God's Son, come down from the cross!"41The chief priests and religious leaders joined in this mockery.42They said: "He was able to save others, but look at Him now. He cannot even save Himself! Yet He says He is Israel's King! Well, if He comes down from the cross now, we will believe Him.43He says He trusts in God. Let God rescue Him then, if He truly belongs to Him. After all, He claimed to be God's Son!"44The thieves, who were crucified with Him, ridiculed Him in similar fashion and heaped insults on Him.Jesus' death45Darkness fell across the whole land and lasted from noon until three in the afternoon.46At about three o'clock Jesus cried loudly: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"47"He is calling for Elijah," some of those around said when they heard this.48One of them immediately filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick and lifted it to Jesus' lips.49The others said: "Leave Him alone. We will see if Elijah comes to save Him!"50When Jesus had given a loud cry, He then gave up His spirit.51At that very moment the curtain concealing the Holy of holies in the temple was torn apart from top to bottom.52The earth shook, rocks were split apart, tombs were opened and many holy people were raised from the dead.53They came out of the tombs and appeared to many people in the holy city of Jerusalem after Jesus' resurrection.54The earthquake and these other phenomena terrified the centurion and soldiers guarding Jesus' body. "Truly, this was God's Son," they said.55-56Present at His death were many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for Him. They watched from a distance and among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of James and John.The burial of Jesus57-58Towards evening a wealthy man from Arimathea, called Joseph, went to Pilate to ask for Jesus' body; and Pilate released the body to him.59-60Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb that had been carved out of the rock. He rolled a large stone over the tomb's entrance and left.61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary watched all this.62The next day was the one that followed the Day of Preparation. The chief priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate63and told him: "Sir, we remember that before He died that deceiver said, 'I will rise again after three days.'64Please order that the tomb should be guarded and kept secure until after the third day, or His disciples may come and steal the body and then claim to everyone that He has been raised from the dead. This would be an even greater deception."65Pilate told them: "Go and set guards at the tomb to make it as secure as possible." So they went and sealed the tomb and posted guards.
Scripture quoted by permission. The passage above is taken from THE TRUTH VERSION. Copyright © 2009 by Colin Urquhart. All rights reserved worldwide. (The Truth New Testament)