Luke 23

₁Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. ₂And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.’

₃So Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’

‘You have said so,’ Jesus replied.

₄Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘I find no basis for a charge against this man.’

₅But they insisted, ‘He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.’

₆On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. ₇When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

₈When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. ₉He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. ₁₀The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. ₁₁Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. ₁₂That day Herod and Pilate became friends – before this they had been enemies.

₁₃Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, ₁₄and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. ₁₅Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. ₁₆Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.’ _[17]

₁₈But the whole crowd shouted, ‘Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!’ ₁₉(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

₂₀Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. ₂₁But they kept shouting, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’

₂₂For the third time he spoke to them: ‘Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.’

₂₃But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. ₂₄So Pilate decided to grant their demand. ₂₅He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

₂₆As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. ₂₇A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. ₂₈Jesus turned and said to them, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. ₂₉For the time will come when you will say, “Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!” ₃₀Then

₃₂Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. ₃₃When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his left. ₃₄Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

₃₅The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.’

₃₆The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar ₃₇and said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’

₃₈There was a written notice above him, which read:

₃₉One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’

₄₀But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? ₄₁We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’

₄₂Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’

₄₃Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.’

₄₄It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, ₄₅for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ₄₆Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last.

₄₇The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, ‘Surely this was a righteous man.’ ₄₈When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. ₄₉But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

₅₀Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, ₅₁who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. ₅₂Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. ₅₃Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no-one had yet been laid. ₅₄It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

₅₅The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. ₅₆Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.