John 19:14-31

14It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people, “Look, here is your king!”

15“Away with him,” they yelled. “Away with him! Crucify him!” “What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back.

16Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away.

17Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha).

18There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them.

19And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

20The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.

21Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’”

22Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.”

23When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did.

25Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene.

26When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.”

27And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.

28Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.”

29A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips.

30When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

31It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was Passover week). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down.