Twenty - Mark - 15

15:1  As soon as it was daylight, the Chief Priests, after holding a consultation with the Councillors and Teachers of the Law--that is to say, the whole High Council--put Jesus in chains, and took him away, and gave him up to Pilate.

15:2  "Are you the King of the Jews?" asked Pilate. "It is true," replied Jesus.

15:3  Then the Chief Priests brought a number of charges against him;

15:4  Upon which Pilate questioned Jesus again. "Have you no reply to make?" he asked. "Listen, how many charges they are bringing against you."

15:5  But Jesus still made no reply whatever; at which Pilate was astonished.

15:6  Now, at the Feast, Pilate used to grant the people the release of any one prisoner whom they might ask for.

15:7  A man called Barabbas was in prison, with the rioters who had committed murder during a riot.

15:8  So, when the crowd went up and began to ask Pilate to follow his usual custom,

15:9  He answered. "Do you want me to release the 'King of the Jews' for you?"

15:10  For he was aware that it was out of jealousy that the Chief Priests had given Jesus up to him.

15:11  But the Chief Priests incited the crowd to get Barabbas released instead.

15:12  Pilate, however, spoke to them again. "What shall I do then with the man whom you call the 'King of the Jews'?"

15:13  Again they shouted. "Crucify him!"

15:14  "Why, what harm has he done?" Pilate kept saying to them. But they shouted furiously. "Crucify him!"

15:15  And Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and, after scourging Jesus, gave him up to be crucified.

15:16  The soldiers then took Jesus away into the court-yard--that is the Government House--and they called the whole garrison together.

15:17  They dressed him in a purple robe, and, having twisted a crown of thorns, put it on him,

15:18  And then began to salute him. "Long life to you, King of the Jews!" they said.

15:19  And they kept striking him on the head with a rod, spitting at him, and bowing to the ground before him--going down on their knees;

15:20  And, when they had left off mocking him, they took off the purple robe, and put his own clothes on him.

15:21  And they led Jesus out to crucify him; and they compelled a passer- by, Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them to carry his cross.

15:22  They brought Jesus to the place which was known as Golgotha- -a name which means 'Place of a Skull.'

15:23  There they offered him drugged wine; but Jesus refused it.

15:24  Then they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots for them, to settle what each should take.

15:25  It was nine in the morning when they crucified him.

15:26  The words of the charge against him, written up over his head, ran thus--'THE KING OF THE JEWS.'

15:27  And with him they crucified two robbers, one on the right, and the other on the left.

15:29  The passers-by railed at him, shaking their heads, as they said. "Ah! you who 'destroy the Temple and build one in three days,' come down from the cross and save yourself!"

15:31  In the same way the Chief Priests, with the Teachers of the Law, said to one another in mockery.

15:32  "He saved others, but he cannot save himself! Let the Christ, the 'King of Israel,' come down from the cross now, that we may see it and believe." Even the men who had been crucified with Jesus reviled him.

15:33  At midday, a darkness came over the whole country, lasting till three in the afternoon.

15:34  And, at three, Jesus called out loudly. "'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani?'"which means 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'

15:35  Some of those standing round heard this, and said. "Listen! He is calling for Elijah!"

15:36  And a man ran, and, soaking a sponge in common wine, put it on the end of a rod, and offered it to him to drink, saying as he did so. "Wait and let us see if Elijah is coming to take him down."

15:37  But Jesus, giving a loud cry, expired.

15:38  The Temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom.

15:39  The Roman Officer, who was standing facing Jesus, on seeing the way in which he expired, exclaimed. "This man must indeed have been 'God's Son'!"

15:40  There were some women also watching from a distance, among them being Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James the Little and of Joseph, and Salome--

15:41  All of whom used to accompany Jesus when he was in Galilee, and attend on him--besides many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

15:42  The evening had already fallen, when, as it was the Preparation Day-- the day before the Sabbath--

15:43  Joseph from Ramah, a Councillor of good position, who was himself living in expectation of the Kingdom of God, came and ventured to go in to see Pilate, and to ask for the body of Jesus.

15:44  But Pilate was surprised to hear that he had already died. So he sent for the Officer, and asked if he were already dead;

15:45  And, on learning from the Officer that it was so, he gave the corpse to Joseph.

15:46  Joseph, having bought a linen sheet, took Jesus down, and wound the sheet round him, and laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of the rock; and then rolled a stone up against the entrance of the tomb.

15:47  Mary of Magdala and Mary, the mother of Joseph, were watching to see where he was laid.