Then the guards took him into their military compound, where a detachment of nearly six hundred soldiers surrounded him.
They stripped off his clothing and placed a scarlet robe on him to make fun of him. Then they braided a crown of thorns and forcefully shoved it onto his head. After placing a reed staff in his right hand, they knelt down before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Then they spat in his face and took the reed staff from his hand and hit him repeatedly on his head, driving the crown of thorns deeper. When they finished ridiculing him, they took off the scarlet robe and put his own clothes back on him and led him away to be crucified. And as they came out of the city, they stopped an African man named Simon, from Libya, and compelled him to carry the cross for Jesus.
They brought Jesus to Golgotha, which means “Skull Hill.” And there the soldiers offered him a mild painkiller, a drink of wine mixed with gall, but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.
Then they crucified Jesus, nailing his hands and feet to the cross. The soldiers divided his clothing among themselves by rolling dice to see who would win them. And the soldiers stood there to watch what would happen and to keep guard over him. Above his head they placed a sign that read, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, King of Israel.”
Two criminals were also crucified with Jesus, one on each side of him. And those who passed by shook their heads and ridiculed him, saying, “We heard you boast that you could destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days! Why don’t you save yourself now? If you’re really God’s Son, come down from the cross!”
Even the ruling priests, with the Jewish scholars and religious leaders, joined in the mockery and kept on saying, “He saved others, but he can’t even save himself! Israel’s king, is he? He should pull out the nails and come down from the cross right now; then we’ll believe in him! He puts his trust in God, so let’s see if it’s true, and see if God really wants to rescue him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”
Even the two criminals who were crucified with Jesus began to taunt him, hurling their insults on him.
For three hours, beginning at noon, a sudden and unexpected darkness came over the earth. And at three o’clock Jesus shouted with a mighty voice in Aramaic, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”—that is, “My God, My God, why have you deserted me?” Some who were standing near the cross misunderstood and said, “He’s calling for Elijah.” One bystander ran and got a sponge, soaked it with sour wine, then put it on a stick and held it up for Jesus to drink. But the rest said, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah comes to rescue him.”
Jesus passionately cried out, took his last breath, and gave up his spirit.
At that moment the veil in the Holy of Holies was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth shook violently, rocks were violently split apart, and graves were opened. Then many of the holy ones who had died were brought back to life and came out of their graves. And after Jesus’ resurrection, they were seen by many people walking in Jerusalem.
Now, when the Roman military officer and his soldiers witnessed what was happening and felt the powerful earthquake, they were extremely terrified. They said, “There is no doubt, this man was the Son of God!”
Watching from a distance were many of the women who had followed him from Galilee and given him support.
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