11. Jesus answered, “The only power you have over me is the power given to you by God. The man who gave me to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
12. After this, Pilate tried to let Jesus go free. But the Jews cried out, “Anyone who makes himself king is against Caesar. If you let this man go free, you are not Caesar’s friend.”
13. Pilate heard what the Jews were saying. So he brought Jesus out to the place called The Stone Pavement. (In the Jewish language the name is Gabbatha.) Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat there.
14. It was about six o’clock in the morning on Preparation Day of Passover week. Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your king!”
15. They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Kill him on a cross!”Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to kill your king on a cross?”The leading priests answered, “The only king we have is Caesar!”
16. So Pilate gave Jesus to them to be killed on a cross.The soldiers took charge of Jesus.
17. Carrying his own cross, Jesus went out to a place called The Place of the Skull. (In the Jewish language this place is called Golgotha.)
18. There they nailed Jesus to the cross. They also put two other men on crosses, one on each side of Jesus with Jesus in the middle.
19. Pilate wrote a sign and put it on the cross. It read: “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
20. The sign was written in the Jewish language, in Latin, and in Greek. Many of the Jews read the sign, because this place where Jesus was killed was near the city.
21. The leading Jewish priests said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews.’ But write, ‘This man said, I am the King of the Jews.’”
22. Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written!”
23. After the soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross, they took his clothes. They divided them into four parts. Each soldier got one part. They also took his long shirt. It was all one piece of cloth, woven from top to bottom.
24. So the soldiers said to each other, “We should not tear this into parts. We should throw lots to see who will get it.” This happened to give full meaning to the Scripture:“They divided my clothes among them.And they threw lots for my clothing.” Psalm 22:18So the soldiers did this.
25. Jesus’ mother stood near his cross. His mother’s sister was also standing there, with Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
26. Jesus saw his mother. He also saw the follower he loved standing there. He said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son.”
27. Then he said to the follower, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this follower took her to live in his home.
28. After this, Jesus knew that everything had been done. To make the Scripture come true, he said, “I am thirsty.”