Jesus before Pilate

¹Then the whole council rose and led Jesus away to Pilate.

²And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a King.”

³So Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

⁴Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”

⁵But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people all over Judea with His teaching. He began in Galilee and has come all the way here.”

Jesus before Herod

⁶When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was a Galilean.

⁷And learning that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself was in Jerusalem at that time.

⁸When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased. He had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had heard about Him and was hoping to see Him perform a miracle.

⁹Herod questioned Jesus at great length, but He gave no answer.

¹⁰Meanwhile, the chief priests and scribes stood there, vehemently accusing Him.

¹¹And even Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Him. Dressing Him in a fine robe, they sent Him back to Pilate.

¹²That day Herod and Pilate became friends; before this time they had been enemies.

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas

¹³Then Pilate 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 here in your presence and found Him not guilty of your charges against Him.

¹⁵Neither has Herod, for he sent Him back to us. As you can see, He has done nothing deserving of death.

¹⁶Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”

¹⁸But they all cried out in unison: “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”

¹⁹(Barabbas had been imprisoned for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate addressed them again,

²¹but they kept shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

²²A third time he said to them, “What evil has this man done? I have found in Him no offense worthy of death. So after I punish Him, I will release Him.”

²³But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices for Jesus to be crucified. And their clamorprevailed.

²⁴So Pilate sentenced that their demand be met.

²⁵As they had requested, he released the one imprisoned for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over to their will.

The Crucifixion

²⁶As the soldiers led Him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene on his way in from the country, and they put the cross on him to carry behind Jesus.

²⁷A great number of people followed Him, including women who kept mourning and wailing for Him.

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

²⁹Look, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!’

³⁰At that time‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”and to the hills, “Cover us!”’

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

³²Two others, who were criminals, were also led away to be executed with Jesus.

³³When they came to the place called The Skull,they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left.

³⁴Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”And they divided up His garments by casting lots.

³⁵The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him,saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”

³⁶The soldiers also mocked Him and came up to offer Him sour wine.

³⁷“If You are the King of the Jews,” they said, “save Yourself!”

³⁸Above Him was posted an inscription:THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

³⁹One of the criminals who hung there heaped abuse on Him. “Are You not the Christ?” he said. “Save Yourself and us!”

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

⁴¹We are punished justly, for we are receiving what our actions deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, remember mewhen You come into Your kingdom!”

⁴³And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

The Death of Jesus

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

⁴⁵The sun was darkened,and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.

⁴⁶Then Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.”And when He had said this, He breathed His last.

⁴⁷When the centurion saw what had happened, he gave glory to God, saying, “Surely this was a righteous man.”

⁴⁸And when all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts.

⁴⁹But all those who knew Jesus, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁰Now there was a Council member named Joseph, a good and righteous man,

⁵¹who had not consented to their decision or action. He was from the Judean town of Arimathea and was waiting for the kingdom of God.

⁵²He went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.

⁵³Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had yet been laid.

⁵⁴It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was beginning.

⁵⁵The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how His body was placed.

⁵⁶Then they returned to prepare spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath, according to the commandment.

The Greatest in the Kingdom

¹At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

²Jesus invited a little child to stand among them.

³“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

⁴Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

⁵And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.

Temptations and Trespasses

⁶But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

⁷Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!

⁸If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.

⁹And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.

¹²What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?

¹³And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

¹⁴In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

A Brother Who Sins

¹⁵If your brother sins against you,go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

¹⁶But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’

¹⁷If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

¹⁸Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Ask in My Name

¹⁹Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.

²⁰For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.”

The Unforgiving Servant

²¹Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

²²Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!

²³Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

²⁴As he began the settlements, a debtor owing ten thousand talents was brought to him.

²⁵Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned.

²⁶Then the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Have patience with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’

²⁷His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.

²⁸But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’

²⁹So his fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you back.’

³⁰But he refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay his debt.

³¹When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and recounted all of this to their master.

³²Then the master summoned him and said, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt because you begged me.

³³Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’

³⁴In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed.

³⁵That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

In My Father’s House Are Many Rooms

¹“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God;believe in Me as well.

²In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.

⁴You know the way to the place where I am going.”

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

⁵“Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

⁷If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”

⁸Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”

⁹Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own. Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works.

¹¹Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me—or at least believe on account of the works themselves.

¹²Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

¹³And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

¹⁴If you ask Mefor anything in My name, I will do it.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

¹⁵If you love Me, you will keepMy commandments.

¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocateto be with you forever—

¹⁷the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.

¹⁸I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

¹⁹In a little while the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live.

²⁰On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.

²¹Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”

²²Judas (not Iscariot) asked Him, “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?”

²³Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

²⁴Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. The word that you hear is not My own, but it is from the Father who sent Me.

²⁵All this I have spoken to you while I am still with you.

²⁶But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.

Peace I Leave with You

²⁷Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.

²⁸You heard Me say, ‘I am going away, and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.

²⁹And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe.

³⁰I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming, and he has no claim on Me.

³¹But I do exactly what the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.Get up! Let us go on from here.

The Psalm of the Cross

¹My God, my God,why have You forsaken me?Why are You so far from saving me,so far from my words of groaning?

²I cry out by day, O my God,but You do not answer,and by night,but I have no rest.

³Yet You are holy,enthroned on the praises of Israel.

⁴In You our fathers trusted;they trusted and You delivered them.

⁵They cried out to You and were set free;they trusted in You and were not disappointed.

⁶But I am a worm and not a man,scorned by men and despised by the people.

⁷All who see me mock me;they sneer and shake their heads:

⁸“He trusts in the LORD,let the LORD deliver him;let the LORD rescue him,since He delights in him.”

⁹Yet You brought me forth from the womb;You made me secure at my mother’s breast.

¹⁰From birth I was cast upon You;from my mother’s womb You have been my God.

¹¹Be not far from me,for trouble is nearand there is no one to help.

¹²Many bulls surround me;strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

¹³They open their jaws against melike lions that roar and maul.

¹⁴I am poured out like water,and all my bones are disjointed.My heart is like wax;it melts away within me.

¹⁵My strengthis dried up like a potsherd,and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.You lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶For dogs surround me;a band of evil men encircles me;they have pierced my hands and feet.

¹⁷I can count all my bones;they stare and gloat over me.

¹⁸They divide my garments among themand cast lots for my clothing.

¹⁹But You, O LORD, be not far off;O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

²⁰Deliver my soul from the sword,my precious life from the power of wild dogs.

²¹Save me from the mouth of the lion;at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me!

²²I will proclaim Your name to my brothers;I will praise You in the assembly.

²³You who fear the LORD, praise Him!All descendants of Jacob, honor Him!All offspring of Israel, revere Him!

²⁴For He has not despised or detestedthe torment of the afflicted.He has not hidden His face from him,but has attended to his cry for help.

²⁵My praise for You resounds in the great assembly;I will fulfill my vows before those who fear You.

²⁶The poor will eat and be satisfied;those who seek the LORD will praise Him.May your hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earthwill remember and turn to the LORD.All the families of the nationswill bow down before Him.

²⁸For dominion belongs to the LORDand He rules over the nations.

²⁹All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him—even those unable to preserve their lives.

³⁰Posterity will serve Him;they will declare the Lord to a new generation.

³¹They will come and proclaim His righteousnessto a people yet unborn—all that He has done.