Jesus' Crucifixion

²¹ The soldiers forced a passerby to carry his cross, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country (he was the father of Alexander and Rufus). ²² They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which is translated, “Place of the Skull”). ²³ They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. ²⁴ Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, throwing dice for them, to decide what each would take. ²⁵ It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶ The inscription of the charge against him read, “The king of the Jews.” ²⁷ And they crucified two outlaws with him, one on his right and one on his left. ²⁹ Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, ³⁰ save yourself and come down from the cross!” ³¹ In the same way even the chief priests—together with the experts in the law—were mocking him among themselves: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! ³² Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.

³³ Now when it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ Around three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ³⁵ When some of the bystanders heard it they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah!” ³⁶ Then someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down!” ³⁷ But Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last. ³⁸ And the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. ³⁹ Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” ⁴⁰ There were also women, watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. ⁴¹ When he was in Galilee, they had followed him and given him support. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were there too.