15:1 Then right at dawn the High Priests convoked a meeting of the whole Sanhedrin with the elders and scribes, after which they tied Jesus up and took him away and put him into Pilate's hands.1 2 Then Pilate questioned him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" But Jesus answered him, "You are making that claim." 3 Then the High Priests continued to make lots of accusations against him. 4 So Pilate questioned him again, "Aren't you going to give any answer?" Look at all the things they are accusing you of!" 5 But Jesus offered no further response, and as a result Pilate was astounded.2
6 Now Pilate customarily would release any one prisoner to the populace whom they might request. 7 There was the man called Barabbas who had been imprisoned among the insurgents who had committed murder in the uprising. 8 When the throng came up and proceeded to put their request to him, 9 Pilate answered them, "Do you want me to release the King of the Jews to you?" 10 He knew, after all, that the High Priests had put Jesus into his hands out of spite.3 11 But the High Priests had stirred up the crowd to get him to release Barabbas to them instead of Jesus. 12 Then Pilate in response again said to them, "What do you want me to do with the King of the Jews?" 13 Again they cried out, "Crucify him!" 14 Then Pilate said to them, "Why? What wrong has he done?" They cried out all the more, "Crucify him!" 15 Then Pilate, since he wanted to do what would satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and he turned Jesus over to his soldiers to be flogged and then crucified.4
16 The soldiers then took him off inside the courtyard, i.e. the Praetorium, and convoked the whole troop. 17 They dressed him in purple and wove a crown of thorns and put it on him. 18 Thereupon they started saluting him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 19 They kept beating his head with a stick and spitting on him and they got on their knees and offered him worship. 20 Then after mocking him, then took the purple robe off of him and put his own clothes back on him.5 They led him off next to crucify him. 21 Then they coerced a certain man who was passing by on his way from the country, Simon from Cyrene (he was the father of Alexander and Rufus) into carrying Jesus' cross.6
22 They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which in translation means, "Skull place." 23 Then they gave him wine mixed with myrrh but he wouldn't accept it.7 24 Then they crucified him and divided up his clothes, casting lots to see who would get what.8 26 There was an inscription too indicating the accusation against him, "The King of the Jews"9 27 Along with him also they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.10
29 And those who passed by him continually bad-mouthed him, shaking their heads and saying, 11 "Hey, you're the one that's going to tear down the Temple and build it up in three days!12 30 Rescue yourself and come down from the cross! 31 So too the High Priests joking with each other along with the Scribes repeatedly said, "He has saved others but he can't save himself.13 32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so we can see him and trust him! Even those who had been crucified along with him were making fun of him.14
33 When noon had come there was darkness over all the land up to three o'clock.15 34 At three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, eloi, lema sabachtani?" Translated that is, "My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?"16 35 At this some of those standing near by heard him and said, "See, he's calling Elijah!" 36 Then somebody ran up after soaking a sponge in vinegar spitted it on a stick and offered it to him to drink,17 as he said, "Let's see if Elijah comes to get him down!"18
37 Then Jesus let out a loud cry and expired. 38 Then the curtain of the Temple split in two parts from top to bottom.19 39 When the centurion who stood by in front of him saw that he had expired thus, he said, "This man really was Son of God."20
40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among them not only Mary Magdalene but also Mary the wife of James the less and the mother of Joses, and Salome. 41 These had been following him and attending him while he was in Galilee and they and many otherwomen had come up with him to Jerusalem.21
42 When it had become quite late, since it was the eve of the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Sanhedrin who was himself also awaiting the Reign of God,22 came and had the audacity to go right in to Pilate and ask for the corpse of Jesus. 44 Pilate wondered whether Jesus was dead and asked the centurion himself if Jesus had been dead long; 45 when he learned from the centurion that this was so, he gave the corpse to Joseph. 46 Then Joseph bought linen cloth, took him down and wrapped him in the linen cloth23 and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of rock and rolled a stone over the entrance to the tomb. 47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Joses took note of where Jesus was buried24