Luke 23:18-53

¹⁸But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas!”

¹⁹Barabbas was a man who had been put into prison for a certain rebellion in the city and for murder.

²⁰Pilate addressed them again, desiring to release Jesus.

²¹But they shouted, saying, “Crucify him, crucify him.”

²²He said to them a third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found nothing deserving the death penalty in him. Therefore after punishing him, I will release him.”

²³But they were insistent with loud voices, demanding for him to be crucified. Their voices convinced Pilate.

²⁴So Pilate decided to grant their demand.

²⁵He released the one they asked for who had been put in prison for rioting and murder. But he delivered up Jesus to their will.

²⁶As they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him to carry, following Jesus.

²⁷A great crowd of the people, and of women who grieved and mourned for him, were following him.

²⁸But turning to them, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

²⁹For see, the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren and the wombs that did not bear, and the breasts that did not nurse.'

³⁰Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.'

³¹For if they do these things while the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

³²Other men, two criminals, were led away with him to be put to death.

³³When they came to the place that is called “The Skull,” there they crucified him, and the criminals—one on his right and one on his left.

³⁴Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Then they cast lots, dividing up his garments.

³⁵The people stood watching while the rulers also were mocking him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, the chosen one.”

³⁶The soldiers also ridiculed him, approaching him, offering him vinegar,

³⁷and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.”

³⁸There was also a sign over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

³⁹One of the criminals who was hanging there insulted him by saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.”

⁴⁰But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence?

⁴¹We indeed are here justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds. But this man did nothing wrong.”

⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

⁴³Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour

⁴⁵as the sun's light failed. Then the curtain of the temple was split in two.

⁴⁶Crying with a loud voice, Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Having said this, he died.

⁴⁷When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, “Surely this was a righteous man.”

⁴⁸When all the multitudes who came together to witness this sight saw the things that were done, they returned beating their breasts.

⁴⁹But all those who knew him, and the women who followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

⁵⁰Behold, there was a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council. He was a good and righteous man.

⁵¹This man had not agreed with the decision of the Council and their action. He was from the Judean town of Arimathea; and he was looking for the kingdom of God.

⁵²This man, approaching Pilate, asked for the body of Jesus.

⁵³He took it down, wrapped it in fine linen, and placed it in a tomb that was cut in stone, where no one had ever been laid.