CHAPTER 27
When
morning
came,
all
the
chief priests
and
elders
of the
people
conspired
against
Jesus
to
put Him to death.
When
Judas,
who
had betrayed Him,
saw
that
Jesus was condemned,
he was filled with remorse
and returned
the
thirty
pieces of silver
to the
chief priests
and
elders.
“I have sinned
by betraying
innocent
blood,”
he said.
“What is that
to
us?”
they replied.
“You
bear the responsibility.”
The
chief priests
picked up
the
pieces of silver
and said,
“It is unlawful
to put
this
into
the
treasury,
since
it is
blood
money.”
After
conferring together,
they used
the money
to buy
the
potter’s
field
as
a burial place
for
foreigners.
Then
what
was spoken
through
Jeremiah
the
prophet
was fulfilled:
“They took
the
thirty
pieces of silver,
the
price
set on Him
by
the people
of Israel,
Meanwhile
Jesus
stood
before
the
governor,
who
questioned
Him:
“Are
You
the
King
of the
Jews?”
“You
have said so,”
Jesus
answered.
Now
it was the
governor’s
custom
at
the feast
to release
to the
crowd
a
prisoner
of
their choosing.
So
when the crowd had assembled,
Pilate
asked
them,
“Which one
do you want
me to release
to you:
Barabbas,
or
Jesus
who
is called
Christ?”
While
Pilate was sitting
on
the
judgment seat,
his
wife
sent
him
this message:
“Have nothing to do with
that
innocent man,
for
I have suffered
terribly
in
a dream
today
because of
Him."
But
the
chief priests
and
elders
persuaded
the
crowds
to
ask for
Barabbas
and
to have Jesus put to death.
“Which
of
the
two
do you want
me to release
to you?”
asked
the
governor.
“Barabbas,”
they replied.
“What
then
should I do with
Jesus
who
is called
Christ?”
Pilate
asked.
They all answered,
“Crucify Him!”
When
Pilate
saw
that
he was accomplishing
nothing,
but that
instead
a riot
was breaking out,
he took
water
and washed
his
hands
before
the
crowd.
“I am
innocent
of
this man's
blood,"
he said.
“You
shall bear the responsibility."
So
Pilate released
Barabbas
to them.
But
he had Jesus flogged
and handed Him over
to
be crucified.
Then
the
governor’s
soldiers
took
Jesus
into
the
Praetorium
and gathered
the
whole
company
around
Him.
And
they twisted together
a crown
of
thorns
and put it
on
His
head.
They put
a staff
in
His
right hand
and
knelt down
before
Him
to mock
Him,
saying,
"Hail,
King
of the
Jews!"
After
they had mocked
Him,
they removed
the
robe
and
put
His
own
clothes
back on Him.
Then
they led Him away
to
crucify Him.
Along the way
they found
a man
from Cyrene,
named
Simon,
and they forced
him
to
carry
the
cross
of Jesus.
and
saying,
“You who
are going to destroy
the
temple
and
rebuild it
in
three
days,
save
Yourself!
If
You are
the Son
of God,
come down
from
the
cross!"
“He saved
others,
but He cannot
save
Himself.
He is
the King
of Israel!
Let Him come down
now
from
the
cross,
and
we will believe
in
Him.
About
the
ninth
hour,
Jesus
cried out
in a loud voice,
“Eli,
Eli,
lema
sabachthani?”
which
means,
“My
God,
My
God,
why
have you forsaken
Me?”
One
of
them
quickly
ran
and
brought
a sponge.
He filled it
with vinegar,
put it on
a reed,
and held it up for Jesus to drink.
At that moment
the
veil
of the
temple
was torn
in
two
from
top
to
bottom.
The
earth
quaked
and
the
rocks
were split.
After
Jesus’
resurrection,
when they had come
out of
the
tombs,
they entered
the
holy
city
and
appeared
to many people.
When
the
centurion
and
those
with
him
guarding
Jesus
saw
the
earthquake
and
all that
had happened,
they were terrified
and said,
“Truly
this
was
the Son
of God."
And
many
women
were
there,
watching
from
a distance.
They
had followed
Jesus
from
Galilee
to minister
to Him.
Among
them
were
Mary
Magdalene,
Mary
the
mother
of James
and
Joseph,
and
the
mother
of
Zebedee’s
sons.
When
it was
evening,
there came
a rich
man
from
Arimathea
named
Joseph,
who
himself
was a disciple
of Jesus.
and
placed
it
in
his own
new
tomb
that
he had cut
into
the
rock.
Then
he rolled
a great
stone
across the
entrance
to the
tomb
and went away.
The
next day,
the one
after
Preparation Day,
the
chief priests
and
Pharisees
assembled
before
Pilate.
“Sir,”
they said,
“we remember
that
while
He was alive
that
deceiver
said
‘After
three
days
I will rise again.’
So
give the order that
the
tomb
be secured
until
the
third
day.
Otherwise,
His
disciples
may come
and steal Him away
and
tell
the
people
He has risen
from
the
dead.
And
this
last
deception
would be
worse
than the
first."