Scripture
The Crucifixion
26As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene,[1] happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. 28But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ 30People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’[2] 31For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?[3]”
32Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 33When they came to a place called The Skull,[4] they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.
34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”[5] And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.[6]
35The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. 37They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”
39One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”
40But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The Death of Jesus
44By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 45The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. 46Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”[7] And with those words he breathed his last.
47When the Roman officer[8] overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.[9]” 48And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.[10] 49But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.
The Burial of Jesus
50Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, 51but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. 52He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 53Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. 54This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation,[11] as the Sabbath was about to begin.
55As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. 56Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.
Translation notes (11)
- 23:26 Cyrene was a city in northern Africa.
- 23:30 Hos 10:8.
- 23:31 Or If these things are done to me, the living tree, what will happen to you, the dry tree?
- 23:33 Sometimes rendered Calvary, which comes from the Latin word for “skull.”
- 23:34a This sentence is not included in many ancient manuscripts.
- 23:34b Greek by casting lots. See Ps 22:18.
- 23:46 Ps 31:5.
- 23:47a Greek the centurion.
- 23:47b Or righteous.
- 23:48 Greek went home beating their breasts.
- 23:54 Greek It was the day of preparation.
46Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.
We celebrate Jesus' resurrection every year, as we should, but if we are not careful, we can forget to acknowledge the pain and agony that it took to get to that moment. There was no celebrating for those who loved and followed Jesus on the night that He was crucified. It was a dark, confusing time for those who observed the crucifixion and death of their Lord, Jesus. The night of His death and crucifixion is recorded in Luke 23.
After Jesus had been tried by a number of political and religious leaders and been severely beaten, it was time for His crucifixion. Because He was so weak from His beatings, He could not even carry His own cross. The soldiers leading Jesus grabbed a man named Simon to walk behind Jesus and carry His cross. Then, next to two criminals, Jesus was crucified. He was nailed to a cross. There was a sign posted on Jesus' cross that said: "This is the King of the Jews." It was written to mock Jesus, but no truer statement has been written.
The time came for Jesus' death. The sky grew dark at 12 noon, and Jesus breathed His last breath - until His resurrection. To all who were watching these events unfold, the situation seemed hopeless. Jesus had been killed, and His movement appeared to be defeated. All hope was not lost, however. Three days later, Jesus was going to rise from the dead, conquering sin and death. Before we jump too quickly to the resurrection, we must pause and consider the price Jesus paid for our sins: brutal torture, abandonment from His closest friends, and death. He paid that price for you, for me, and for the sins of the world. Entrusting His spirit to God, He breathed His last breath. Jesus went through pain and agony because He could not bear the thought of being in Heaven without us.
Moving Toward Action
As we think about what Jesus did for us, the only response is to say "thank you." One way to do this is to listen to your favorite worship song and sing. Take a few moments to do that right now. Listen to your favorite worship song, thanking Jesus for everything He has done for you, especially His brutal and painful death on the cross.
Going Deeper
Read Luke 23:26-56 (NLT)
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