Jesus Must Die

Pilate called all the people together with the leading priests and the Jewish leaders. He said to them, “You brought this man to me. You said that he was making trouble among the people. But I have questioned him before you all, and I have not found him guilty of the things you say. Also, Herod found nothing wrong with him; he sent him back to us. Look, he has done nothing for which he should die. So, after I punish him, I will let him go free.”

But all the people shouted, “Kill him! Let Barabbas go free!” (Barabbas was a man who was in prison because he started a riot in the city. He was guilty of murder.)

Pilate wanted to let Jesus go free. So he told this to the crowd. But they shouted again, “Kill him! Kill him on a cross!”

A third time Pilate said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done? I can find no reason to kill him. So I will have him punished and set him free.”

But they continued to shout. They demanded that Jesus be killed on the cross. Their yelling became so loud that Pilate decided to give them what they wanted. They wanted Barabbas to go free, the man who was in jail for starting a riot and for murder. Pilate let Barabbas go free and gave Jesus to them to be killed.

The soldiers led Jesus away. At that time, there was a man coming into the city from the fields. His name was Simon, and he was from the city of Cyrene. The soldiers forced Simon to carry Jesus’ cross and walk behind him.

A large crowd of people was following Jesus. Some of the women were sad and crying. But Jesus turned and said to them, “Women of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children too! The time is coming when people will say, ‘Happy are the women who cannot have children! Happy are the women who have no babies to nurse.’ Then people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ And they will say to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ If they act like this now when life is good, what will happen when bad times come?”

There were also two criminals led out with Jesus to be killed. Jesus and the two criminals were taken to a place called the Skull. There the soldiers nailed Jesus to his cross. They also nailed the criminals to their crosses, one beside Jesus on the right and the other beside Jesus on the left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.”

The soldiers threw lots to decide who would get his clothes. The people stood there watching. The leaders made fun of Jesus. They said, “If he is God’s Chosen One, the Christ, then let him save himself. He saved other people, didn’t he?”

Even the soldiers made fun of him. They came to Jesus and offered him some vinegar. They said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!” (At the top of the cross these words were written: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”)

One of the criminals began to shout insults at Jesus: “Aren’t you the Christ? Then save yourself! And save us too!”

But the other criminal stopped him. He said, “You should fear God! You are getting the same punishment as he is. We are punished justly; we should die. But this man has done nothing wrong!” Then this criminal said to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!”

Then Jesus said to him, “Listen! What I say is true: Today you will be with me in paradise!”

Luke 23:1-49