Matthew 27:32-44 - Jesus Is Crucified

³² Now as they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced into service to carry the cross of Jesus. ³³ And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, ³⁴ they offered Him wine mixed with gall (myrrh, a bitter-tasting narcotic) to drink; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it. ³⁵ And when they had crucified Him, they divided His clothes among them by casting lots. ³⁶ Then sitting down there, they began to keep watch over Him [to guard against any rescue attempt]. ³⁷ And above His head they put the accusation against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

³⁸ At the same time two robbers were crucified with Jesus, one on the right and one on the left. ³⁹ Those who passed by were hurling abuse at Him and jeering at Him, wagging their heads [in scorn and ridicule], ⁴⁰ and they said [tauntingly], “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself [from death]! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” ⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, mocked Him, saying, ⁴² “He saved others [from death]; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him and acknowledge Him. ⁴³ He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ The robbers who had been crucified with Him also began to insult Him in the same way.

²¹ They forced into service a passer-by coming in from the countryside, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to carry His cross. ²² Then they brought Him to the place [called] Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. ²³ They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh [to dull the pain], but He would not take it. ²⁴ And they crucified Him, and divided up His clothes among themselves, casting lots for them to see who should take what. ²⁵ It was the third hour (9:00 a.m.) when they crucified Him. ²⁶ The inscription of the accusation against Him had been written [above Him]: “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

²⁷ They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. ²⁸ [And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “He was counted with the transgressors.”] ²⁹ Those who were passing by were insulting Him with abusive and insolent language, wagging their heads [as a sign of contempt], and saying, “Ha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in [only] three days, ³⁰ save Yourself by coming down from the cross!” ³¹ In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were ridiculing and mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others [from death]; He cannot save Himself! ³² Let the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe and trust [in Him]!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.

²⁶ When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in [to the city] from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus. ²⁷ Following Him was a large crowd of the people, including women who were mourning and wailing for Him. ²⁸ But Jesus, turning toward them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not given birth, and the breasts that have never nursed.’ ³⁰ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ ³¹ For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

³² Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be executed with Him. ³³ When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. ³⁴ And Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing His clothes among themselves.

³⁵ Now the people stood by, watching; but even the rulers ridiculed and sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others [from death]; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) of God, His Chosen One.” ³⁶ The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him and [cruelly] offering Him sour wine, ³⁷ and sarcastically saying, “If you are [really] the King of the Jews, save Yourself [from death]!”

³⁸ Now there was also an inscription above Him: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

³⁹ One of the criminals who had been hanged [on a cross beside Him] kept hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us [from death]!”

⁴⁰ But the other one rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹ We are suffering justly, because we are getting what we deserve for what we have done; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² And he was saying, “Jesus, [please] remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”

⁴³ Jesus said to him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

¹⁷ So they took Jesus, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of the Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. ¹⁸ There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. ¹⁹ Pilate also wrote an inscription [on a placard] and put it on the cross. And it was written: “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

²⁰ And many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. ²¹ Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; but, ‘He said, “I am King of the Jews.”’”

²² Pilate replied, “What I have written I have written [and it remains written].”

²³ Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer clothes and made four parts, a part for each soldier, and also the tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven [in one piece] from the top throughout. ²⁴ So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it will be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture, “They divided My outer clothing among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.”

²⁵ So the soldiers did these things.

But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother’s sister [Salome], Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ So Jesus, seeing His mother, and the disciple whom He loved (esteemed) standing near, said to His mother, “[Dear] woman, look, [here is] your son!” ²⁷ Then He said to the disciple (John), “Look! [here is] your mother [protect and provide for her]!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own home.