Matthew 27:24-50

24Pilate saw that he was not getting anywhere. Instead, a riot was breaking out. So Pilate took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. He said, “I won’t be guilty of killing this man. Do what you want!”

25All the people answered, “The responsibility for killing him will rest on us and our children.”

26Then Pilate freed Barabbas for the people. But he had Jesus whipped and handed over to be crucified.

27Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the palace and gathered the whole troop around him.

28They took off his clothes and put a bright red cape on him.

29They twisted some thorns into a crown, placed it on his head, and put a stick in his right hand. They knelt in front of him and made fun of him by saying, “Long live the king of the Jews!”

30After they had spit on him, they took the stick and kept hitting him on the head with it.

31After the soldiers finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

32On the way they found a man named Simon. He was from the city of Cyrene. The soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.

33They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).

34They gave him a drink of wine mixed with a drug called gall. When he tasted it, he refused to drink it.

35After they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice.

36Then they sat there and kept watch over him.

37They placed a written accusation above his head. It read, “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”

38At that time they crucified two criminals with him, one on his right and the other on his left.

39Those who passed by insulted him. They shook their heads

40and said, “You were going to tear down God’s temple and build it again in three days. Save yourself! If you’re the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

41The chief priests together with the experts in Moses’ Teachings and the leaders made fun of him in the same way. They said,

42“He saved others, but he can’t save himself. So he’s Israel’s king! Let him come down from the cross now, and we’ll believe him.

43He trusted God. Let God rescue him now if he wants. After all, this man said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

44Even the criminals crucified with him were insulting him the same way.

45At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

46About three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

47When some of the people standing there heard him say that, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

48One of the men ran at once, took a sponge, and soaked it in some vinegar. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus a drink.

49The others said, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

50Then Jesus loudly cried out once again and gave up his life.