Crucifixion

Matthew 27:27-37; Mark 15:16-26; Luke 23:26-34; John 19:17-24

Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.

But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.  For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’  Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”

And when they had come to the place called Calvary (the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha), there they crucified Him. They gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.

Now it was the third hour [9:00 a.m.], and they crucified Him. Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:

JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.” ’ ”

 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece.  They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:

“They divided My garments among them,

And for My clothing they cast lots.”

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”