47. Some of the people standing there heard this. They said, “He is calling Elijah.”
48. Quickly one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled the sponge with vinegar and tied it to a stick. Then he used the stick to give the sponge to Jesus to drink from it.
49. But the others said, “Don’t bother him. We want to see if Elijah will come to save him.”
50. Again Jesus cried out in a loud voice. Then he died.
51. Then the curtain in the Temple split into two pieces. The tear started at the top and tore all the way down to the bottom. Also, the earth shook and rocks broke apart.
52. The graves opened, and many of God’s people who had died were raised from death.
53. They came out of the graves after Jesus was raised from death. They went into the holy city, and many people saw them.
54. The army officer and the soldiers guarding Jesus saw this earthquake and everything else that happened. They were very frightened and said, “He really was the Son of God!”
55. Many women were standing at a distance from the cross, watching. These were women who had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for him.
56. Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of James and John were there.
57. That evening a rich man named Joseph came to Jerusalem. He was a follower of Jesus from the town of Arimathea.
58. Joseph went to Pilate and asked to have Jesus’ body. Pilate gave orders for the soldiers to give it to Joseph.
59. Then Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth.
60. He put Jesus’ body in a new tomb that he had cut in a wall of rock. He rolled a very large stone to block the entrance of the tomb. Then Joseph went away.