MarkChapter 15

1Early in the morning, the chief priests, elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin devised a plan. They bound Jesus, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate.

2So Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied.

3And the chief priests began to accuse Him of many things.

4Then Pilate questioned Him again, “Have You no answer? Look how many charges they are bringing against You!”

5But to Pilate’s amazement, Jesus made no further reply.

6Now it was Pilate’s custom at the feast to release to the people a prisoner of their choosing.

7And a man named Barabbas was imprisoned with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection.

8So the crowd went up and began asking Pilate to keep his custom.

9“Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” Pilate asked.

10For he knew it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over.

11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas to them instead.

12So Pilate asked them again, “What then do you want me to do with the One you call the King of the Jews?”

13And they shouted back, “Crucify Him!”

14“Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”

15And wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.

16Then the soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called the whole company together.

17They dressed Him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and set it on His head.

18And they began to salute Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!”

19They kept striking His head with a staff and spitting on Him. And they knelt down and bowed before Him.

20After they had mocked Him, they removed the purple robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him.

21Now Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and the soldiers forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.

22They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha, which means The Place of the Skull.

23There they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it.

24And they crucified Him. They also divided His garments by casting lots to decide what each of them would take.

25It was the third hour when they crucified Him.

26And the charge inscribed against Him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS.

27Along with Jesus, they crucified two robbers, one on His right and one on His left.

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29And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,

30come down from the cross and save Yourself!”

31In the same way, the chief priests and scribes mocked Him among themselves, saying, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself!

32Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” And even those who were crucified with Him berated Him.

33From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.

34At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

35When some of those standing nearby heard this, they said, “Behold, He is calling Elijah.”

36And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine. He put it on a reed and held it up for Jesus to drink, saying, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to take Him down.”

37But Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed His last.

38And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

39When the centurion standing there in front of Jesus saw how He had breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

40And there were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.

41These women had followed Jesus and ministered to Him while He was in Galilee, and there were many other women who had come up to Jerusalem with Him.

42Now it was already evening. Since it was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath),

43Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent Council member who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God, boldly went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.

44Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead, so he summoned the centurion to ask if this was so.

45When Pilate had confirmed it with the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

46So Joseph bought a linen cloth, took down the body of Jesus, wrapped it in the cloth, and placed it in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.

47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where His body was placed.