27Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death.G1161G4405G1096G3956G749G2532G4245G2992G2983G4824G2596G2424G5620G2289G846G22892Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.G2532G1210G846G520G2532G3860G846G4194G4091G22323When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders.G5119G2455G3588G3860G846G1492G3754G2632G3338G654G5144G694G749G2532G42454"I have sinned," he declared, "for I have betrayed an innocent man." "What do we care?" they retorted. "That's your problem."G3004G264G3860G121G129G1161G2036G5101G4314G2248G3700G47715Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.G2532G4496G694G1722G3485G402G2532G565G5196The leading priests picked up the coins. "It wouldn't be right to put this money in the Temple treasury," they said, "since it was payment for murder."G1161G749G2983G694G2036G1832G3756G1832G906G846G1519G2878G1893G2076G5092G1297After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter's field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners.G1161G2983G4824G59G1537G846G2763G68G1519G5027G3581G50278That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood.G1352G1565G68G2564G68G129G2193G45949This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says, "They took the thirty pieces of silver—the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel,G5119G4137G3588G4483G1223G2408G4396G3004G2532G2983G5144G694G5092G5091G3739G575G5207G2474G509110and purchased the potter's field, as the LORD directed."G2532G1325G846G1519G2763G68G2505G2962G4929G3427
Jesus’ Trial before Pilate
11Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. "Are you the king of the Jews?" the governor asked him. Jesus replied, "You have said it."G1161G2424G2476G1715G2232G2532G2232G1905G846G3004G1488G4771G935G2453G1161G2424G5346G846G4771G300412But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent.G2532G1722G846G2723G5259G749G2532G4245G611G376213"Don't you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?" Pilate demanded.G5119G3004G4091G846G191G3756G4214G2649G467514But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor's surprise.G2532G3756G611G846G4314G3761G1520G4487G5620G2232G2296G302915Now it was the governor's custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted.G1161G2596G1859G2232G1486G630G3793G1520G1198G3739G230916This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas.G1161G2192G5119G1978G1198G3004G91217As the crowds gathered before Pilate's house that morning, he asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?"G3767G846G4863G4091G2036G846G5101G2309G630G5213G912G2228G2424G3588G3004G554718(He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)G1063G1492G3754G1223G5355G3860G84619Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: "Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night."G1161G846G2521G1909G968G846G1135G649G4314G846G3004G2532G4671G3367G1565G1342G1063G3958G4183G4594G2596G3677G1223G84620Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death.G1161G749G2532G4245G3982G3793G2443G154G912G1161G622G242421So the governor asked again, "Which of these two do you want me to release to you?" The crowd shouted back, "Barabbas!"G2232G611G1161G2036G846G5101G575G1417G2309G630G5213G1161G2036G91222Pilate responded, "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?" They shouted back, "Crucify him!"G4091G3004G846G5101G4160G3767G2424G3588G3004G5547G3956G3004G846G471723"Why?" Pilate demanded. "What crime has he committed?" But the mob roared even louder, "Crucify him!"G1161G2232G5346G1063G5101G2556G4160G1161G2896G4057G3004G471724Pilate saw that he wasn't getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood. The responsibility is yours!"G1161G4091G1492G3754G5623G3762G235G3123G2351G1096G2983G5204G633G5495G561G3793G3004G1510G121G575G129G5127G1342G3700G521025And all the people yelled back, "We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!"G2532G611G3956G2992G2036G846G129G1909G2248G2532G1909G2257G504326So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.G5119G630G912G846G1161G5417G2424G3860G2443G4717
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
27Some of the governor's soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment.G5119G4757G2232G3880G2424G1519G4232G4863G1909G846G3650G468628They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him.G2532G1562G846G4060G846G2847G551129They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, "Hail! King of the Jews!"G2532G4120G4735G1537G173G2007G1909G846G2776G2532G2563G1909G846G1188G2532G1120G1715G846G1702G846G3004G5463G935G245330And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it.G2532G1716G1519G846G2983G2563G2532G5180G846G1519G277631When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.G2532G3753G1702G846G1562G5511G1562G846G2532G1746G846G2440G1746G846G2532G520G846G520G1519G4717
The Crucifixion
32Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross.G1161G1831G2147G444G2956G4613G3686G5126G29G2443G142G846G471633And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means "Place of the Skull").G2532G2064G1519G5117G3004G1115G3739G2076G3004G5117G289834The soldiers gave him wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it.G1325G846G3690G4095G3396G3326G5521G2532G1089G2309G3756G409535After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.G1161G4717G846G1266G846G2440G906G2819G2443G4137G3588G4483G5259G4396G1266G3450G2440G1438G2532G1909G3450G2441G906G281936Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there.G2532G2521G5083G846G156337A sign was fastened to the cross above Jesus' head, announcing the charge against him. It read: "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."G2532G2007G1883G846G2776G846G156G1125G3778G2076G2424G935G245338Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.G5119G1417G3027G4717G4862G846G1520G1537G1188G2532G1520G1537G217639The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery.G1161G3899G987G846G2795G846G277640"Look at you now!" they yelled at him. "You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!"G2532G3004G2647G3485G2532G3618G1722G5140G2250G4982G4572G1487G1488G5207G2316G2597G575G471641The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus.G1161G3668G2532G749G1702G3326G1122G2532G4245G300442"He saved others," they scoffed, "but he can't save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him!G4982G243G1438G3756G1410G4982G1487G2076G935G2474G2597G3568G2597G575G4716G2532G4100G84643He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"G3982G1909G2316G4506G846G3568G1487G2309G846G1063G2036G3754G1510G5207G231644Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way.G1161G3027G2532G3588G4957G846G3679G846G846G3679
The Death of Jesus
45At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock.G1161G575G1623G5610G1096G4655G1909G3956G1093G2193G1766G561046At about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"G1161G4012G1766G5610G2424G310G3173G5456G3004G2241G2241G2982G4518G5123G3450G2316G3450G2316G2444G1459G316547Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah.G1161G5100G2476G1563G191G3004G3754G3778G5455G224348One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink.G2532G2112G1520G1537G846G5143G2532G2983G4699G5037G4130G3690G2532G4060G2563G4222G846G422249But the rest said, "Wait! Let's see whether Elijah comes to save him."G1161G3062G3004G863G1492G1487G2243G2064G4982G84650Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit.G1161G2424G2896G3825G3173G5456G863G415151At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart,G2532G2400G2665G3485G4977G1519G1417G575G509G2193G2736G2532G1093G4579G2532G4073G497752and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead.G2532G3419G455G2532G4183G4983G40G3588G2837G145353They left the cemetery after Jesus' resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.G2532G1831G1537G3419G3326G846G1454G1525G1519G40G4172G2532G1718G418354The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, "This man truly was the Son of God!"G1161G1543G2532G3326G846G5083G2424G1492G4578G2532G1096G5399G4970G3004G230G3778G2258G5207G231655And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance.G1161G4183G1135G2258G1563G2334G575G3113G3748G190G2424G575G1056G1247G84656Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary , and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.G1722G3739G2258G3137G3094G2532G3137G3384G2385G2532G2500G2532G3384G2199G5207
The Burial of Jesus
57As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus,G1161G3798G1096G2064G4145G444G575G707G5122G2501G3739G2532G846G3100G2424G310058went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him.G3778G4334G4091G154G4983G2424G5119G4091G2753G4983G59159Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth.G2532G2501G2983G4983G1794G846G2513G461660He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left.G2532G5087G846G1722G846G2537G3419G3739G2998G1722G4073G2532G4351G3173G3037G2374G3419G56561Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.G1161G1563G2258G3137G3094G2532G243G3137G2521G561G5028
The Guard at the Tomb
62The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate.G1161G1887G3748G2076G3326G3904G749G2532G5330G4863G4314G409163They told him, "Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: 'After three days I will rise from the dead.'G3004G2962G3415G3754G1565G4108G2036G2089G2198G3326G5140G2250G145364So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we'll be worse off than we were at first."G2753G3767G5028G805G2193G5154G2250G3379G846G3101G2064G3571G2813G846G2813G2532G2036G2992G1453G575G3498G2532G2078G4106G2071G5501G441365Pilate replied, "Take guards and secure it the best you can."G1161G4091G5346G846G2192G2892G5217G805G5613G149266So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.G1161G4198G805G5028G805G4972G3037G3326G2892
Matthew 28
The Resurrection
28Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.G1161G3796G4521G2020G1519G3391G4521G2064G3137G3094G2532G243G3137G2334G50282Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it.G2532G2400G1096G3173G4578G1063G32G2962G2597G1537G3772G4334G617G3037G575G2374G2532G2521G1883G8463His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.G1161G846G2397G2258G5613G796G2532G846G1742G3022G5616G55104The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.G1161G575G5401G846G5083G4579G2532G1096G5616G34985Then the angel spoke to the women. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.G1161G32G611G2036G1135G5399G3361G5210G1063G1492G3754G2212G2424G3588G47176He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.G2076G3756G5602G1063G1453G2531G2036G1205G1492G5117G3699G2962G27497And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you."G2532G4198G5035G2036G846G3101G3754G1453G575G3498G2532G2400G4254G5209G1519G1056G1563G3700G846G2400G2036G52138The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel's message.G2532G1831G5035G575G3419G3326G5401G2532G3173G5479G5143G518G846G3101G5189And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him.G1161G5613G4198G518G846G3101G2532G2400G2424G528G846G3004G5463G1161G4334G2902G846G4228G2532G4352G84610Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there."G5119G3004G2424G846G5399G3361G5399G565G518G3450G80G2443G5217G1519G1056G2546G3700G3165
The Report of the Guard
11As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened.G1161G846G4198G2400G5100G2892G2064G1519G4172G518G749G537G109612A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe.G2532G4863G3326G4245G5037G2983G4824G1325G2425G694G475713They told the soldiers, "You must say, 'Jesus' disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.'G3004G2036G3754G846G3101G2064G3571G2813G846G2257G283714If the governor hears about it, we'll stand up for you so you won't get in trouble."G2532G1437G5124G191G1909G2232G191G2249G3982G846G2532G275G4160G520915So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today.G1161G2983G694G4160G5613G1321G2532G3778G3056G1310G3844G2453G3360G4594
The Great Commission
16Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.G1161G1733G3101G4198G1519G1056G1519G3735G3757G2424G5021G84617When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!G2532G1492G846G4352G846G1161G136518Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.G2532G2424G4334G2980G846G3004G3956G1849G1325G3427G1722G3772G2532G1909G109319Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.G4198G3767G3100G3956G1484G907G846G1519G3686G3962G2532G5207G2532G40G415120Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."G1321G846G5083G3956G3745G1781G5213G2532G2400G1473G1510G3326G5216G3956G2250G2193G4930G165G281
Psalms 94
94O Lord, the God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth!H3068H410H5360H410H5360H33132Arise, O judge of the earth. Give the proud what they deserve.H5375H8199H776H7725H1576H13433How long, O Lord? How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat?H3068H7563H7563H59374How long will they speak with arrogance? How long will these evil people boast?H5042H1696H6277H6466H205H5595They crush your people, Lord, hurting those you claim as your own.H1792H5971H3068H6031H51596They kill widows and foreigners and murder orphans.H2026H490H1616H7523H34907“The Lord isn’t looking,” they say, “and besides, the God of Israel doesn’t care.”H559H3050H7200H430H3290H9958Think again, you fools! When will you finally catch on?H995H1197H5971H3684H79199Is he deaf—the one who made your ears? Is he blind—the one who formed your eyes?H5193H241H8085H3335H5869H502710He punishes the nations—won’t he also punish you? He knows everything—doesn’t he also know what you are doing?H3256H1471H3198H3925H120H184711The Lord knows people’s thoughts; he knows they are worthless!H3068H3045H4284H120H189212Joyful are those you discipline, Lord, those you teach with your instructions.H835H1397H3256H3050H3925H845113You give them relief from troubled times until a pit is dug to capture the wicked.H8252H3117H7451H7845H3738H756314The Lord will not reject his people; he will not abandon his special possession.H3068H5203H5971H5800H515915Judgment will again be founded on justice, and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it.H4941H7725H6664H3477H3820H31016Who will protect me from the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers?H6965H7489H3320H6466H20517Unless the Lord had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave.H3884H3068H5833H5315H4592H7931H174518I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.H559H7272H4131H2617H3068H558219When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.H7230H8312H7130H8575H8173H531520Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side—leaders whose decrees permit injustice?H3678H1942H2266H3335H5999H270621They gang up against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.H1413H5315H6662H7561H5355H181822But the Lord is my fortress; my God is the mighty rock where I hide.H3068H4869H430H6697H426823God will turn the sins of evil people back on them. He will destroy them for their sins. The Lord our God will destroy them.H7725H205H6789H7451H3068H430H6789
Dublin, OH
G1161
