Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



so, when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Who do you want released? Jesus Bar-Abbas or Jesus the so-called 'Christ'?" (He knew quite well that Jesus had been delivered up out of envy. Besides, when he was seated on the tribunal, his wife had sent to tell him, "Do nothing with that innocent man, for I have suffered greatly to-day in a dream about him.") read more.
But the high priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask Bar-Abbas and to have Jesus killed. The governor said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" "Bar-Abbas," they said. Pilate said, "Then what am I to do with Jesus the so-called 'Christ'?" They all said, "Have him crucified!" "Why," said the governor, "what has he done wrong?" But they shouted on more fiercely than ever, "Have him crucified!" Now when Pilate saw that instead of him doing any good a riot was rising, he took some water and washed his hands in presence of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this good man's blood. It is your affair!" To this all the people replied, "His blood be on us and on our children!" Then he released Bar-Abbas for them; Jesus he scourged and handed over to be crucified.

Pilate replied, "Would you like me to release the king of the Jews for you?" (For he knew the high priests had handed him over out of envy.) But the high priests stirred up the crowd to get him to release Bar-Abbas for them instead. read more.
Pilate asked them again, "And what am I to do with your so-called king of the Jews?" Whereupon they shouted again, "Crucify him." "Why," said Pilate, "what has he done wrong?" But they shouted more fiercely than ever, "Crucify him!" So, as Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd, he released Bar-Abbas for them; Jesus he handed over to be crucified, after he had scourged him.

Then summoning the high priests and rulers and the people, Pilate said to them, "You brought me this man as being an inciter to rebellion among the people. I have examined him before you and found nothing criminal about him, for all your accusations against him. No, nor has Herod, for he has remitted him to us. He has done nothing, you see, that calls for death; read more.
so I shall release him with a whipping." -- But they shouted one and all, "Away with him! Release Bar-Abbas for us!" (This was a man who had been put into prison on account of a riot which had taken place in the city and also on a charge of murder.) Again Pilate addressed them, for he wanted to release Jesus, but they roared, "To the cross, to the cross with him!" He asked them a third time, "But what crime has he committed? I have found nothing about him that deserves death; so I shall release him with a whipping." But they loudly urged their demand that he should be crucified, and their shouts carried the day. Pilate gave sentence that their demand was to be carried out; he released the man they wanted, the man who had been imprisoned for riot and murder, and Jesus he handed over to their will.

On hearing this, Pilate brought Jesus out and seated him on the tribunal at a spot called the 'mosaic pavement' ??the Hebrew name is Gabbatha (it was the day of Preparation for the passover, about noon). "There is your king!" he said to the Jews. Then they yelled, "Off with him! Off with him! Crucify him!" "Crucify your king?" said Pilate. The high priests retorted, "We have no king but Caesar!" read more.
Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,


This made Pilate anxious to release him, but the Jews yelled, "If you release him, you are no friend of Caesar's! Anyone who makes himself a king is against Caesar!" On hearing this, Pilate brought Jesus out and seated him on the tribunal at a spot called the 'mosaic pavement' ??the Hebrew name is Gabbatha (it was the day of Preparation for the passover, about noon). "There is your king!" he said to the Jews. read more.
Then they yelled, "Off with him! Off with him! Crucify him!" "Crucify your king?" said Pilate. The high priests retorted, "We have no king but Caesar!" Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,


they gave him a drink of wine mixed with bitters; but when he tasted it he would not drink it. Then they crucified him, distributed his clothes among them by drawing lots, and sat down there to keep watch over him. read more.
They also put over his head his charge in writing, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Two robbers were also crucified with him at that time, one on the right hand and one on the left. Those who passed by scoffed at him, nodding at him in derision and calling, "You were to destroy the temple and build it in three days! Save yourself, if you are God's Son! Come down from the cross!" So, too, the high priests made fun of him with the scribes and the elders of the people. "He saved others," they said, "but he cannot save himself! He the 'king of Israel'! Let him come down now from the cross; then we will believe in him! His trust is in God? Let God deliver him now if he cares for him! He said he was the Son of God!" The robbers who were crucified with him also denounced him in the same way. Now from twelve o'clock to three o'clock darkness covered all the land, and about three o'clock Jesus gave a loud cry, "Eli, eli, lema sabachthani" (that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?) On hearing this some of the bystanders said, "He is calling for Elijah." One of them ran off at once and took a sponge, which he soaked in vinegar and put on the end of a stick to give him a drink. But the others said, "Stop, let us see if Elijah does come to save him!" [Seizing a lance, another pricked his side, and out came water and blood.] Jesus again uttered a loud scream and gave up his spirit. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, the rocks were split, the tombs were opened, and a number of bodies of the saints who slept the sleep of death rose up ??53 they left the tombs after his resurrection and entered the holy city and appeared to a number of people.

They offered him wine flavoured with myrrh, but he would not take it. Then they crucified him and distributed his clothes among themselves, drawing lots for them to decide each man's share. It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. read more.
The inscription bearing his charge was: THE KING OF THE JEWS. They also crucified two robbers along with him, one at his right and one at his left. -- Those who passed by scoffed at him, nodding at him in derision and calling, "Ha! You were to destroy the temple and build it in three days! Come down from the cross and save yourself!" So, too, the high priests made fun of him to themselves with the scribes; "he saved others," they said, "but he cannot save himself! Let 'the Christ,' 'the king of Israel' come down now from the cross! Let us see that and we will believe!" Those who were crucified with him also denounced him. When twelve o'clock came, darkness covered the whole land till three o'clock, and at three o'clock Jesus gave a loud cry, "El?i, El?i, lema sabachthanei" (which means, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?) On hearing this some of the bystanders said, "Look, he is calling for Elijah." One man ran off, soaked a sponge in vinegar, and put it on the end of a stick to give him a drink, saying, "Come on, let us see if Elijah does come to take him down!" But Jesus gave a loud cry and expired. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

He was followed by a large multitude of the people and also of women who beat their breasts and lamented him; but Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me but weep for yourselves and for your children! For there are days coming when the cry will be, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never have borne and the breasts that never have suckled!' read more.
Then will people say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if this is what they do when the wood is green, what will they do when the wood is dry?" Two criminals were also led out with him to be executed, and when they came to the place called The Skull they crucified him there along with the criminals, one at his right and one at his left. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing." Then they distributed his clothes among themselves by drawing lots. The people stood and looked on, and even the rulers sneered at him, saying, "He saved others, let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One!" The soldiers made fun of him too by coming up and handing him vinegar, saying, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." (For there was an inscription over him in Greek and Latin and Hebrew characters, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.) One of the criminals who had been hung also abused him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us as well." But the other checked him, saying, "Have you no fear even of God? You are suffering the same punishment as he. And we suffer justly; we are getting what we deserve for our deeds. But he has done no harm." And he added, "Jesus, do not forget me when you come to reign." "I tell you truly," said Jesus, "you will be in paradise with me this very day." By this time it was about twelve o'clock, and darkness covered the whole land till three o'clock, owing to an eclipse of the sun; the curtain in the middle of the temple was torn in two. Then with a loud cry Jesus said, "Father, I trust my spirit to thy hands," and with these words he expired. When the army-captain saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "This man was really innocent." And when all the crowds who had collected for the sight saw what had happened, they turned away beating their breasts. As for his acquaintances, they were all standing at a distance to look on, with the women who had accompanied him from Galilee.

Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went away, carrying the cross by himself, to the spot called the 'place of the skull' ??the Hebrew name is Golgotha; there they crucified him, along with two others, one on each side and Jesus in the middle. read more.
Pilate had written an inscription to be put on the cross; what he wrote was, JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Now many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus had been crucified was close to the city; besides, the inscription was in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. So the Jewish high priests said to Pilate, "Do not write, THE KING OF THE JEWS; write, HE SAID I AM THE KING OF THE JEWS." Pilate replied, "What I have written, I have written." Now when the soldiers crucified Jesus they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. But as the tunic was seamless, woven right down in a single piece, they said to themselves, "Don't let us tear it. Let us draw lots to see who gets it" (that the scripture might be fulfilled, they distributed my clothes among them, and drew lots for my raiment). This was what the soldiers did. Now beside the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. So when Jesus saw his mother and his favourite disciple standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, there is your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "And, there is your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his home. After that, as Jesus knew that everything was now finished and fulfilled, he said (to fulfil the scripture), "I am thirsty." A jug full of vinegar was lying there; so they put a sponge full of vinegar on a spear and held it to his lips. And when Jesus took the vinegar, he said, "It is finished," bowed his head, and gave up his spirit.


Now when Pilate saw that instead of him doing any good a riot was rising, he took some water and washed his hands in presence of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this good man's blood. It is your affair!"

This made Pilate anxious to release him, but the Jews yelled, "If you release him, you are no friend of Caesar's! Anyone who makes himself a king is against Caesar!" On hearing this, Pilate brought Jesus out and seated him on the tribunal at a spot called the 'mosaic pavement' ??the Hebrew name is Gabbatha (it was the day of Preparation for the passover, about noon). "There is your king!" he said to the Jews. read more.
Then they yelled, "Off with him! Off with him! Crucify him!" "Crucify your king?" said Pilate. The high priests retorted, "We have no king but Caesar!" Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,


Then summoning the high priests and rulers and the people, Pilate said to them, "You brought me this man as being an inciter to rebellion among the people. I have examined him before you and found nothing criminal about him, for all your accusations against him. No, nor has Herod, for he has remitted him to us. He has done nothing, you see, that calls for death; read more.
so I shall release him with a whipping." -- But they shouted one and all, "Away with him! Release Bar-Abbas for us!" (This was a man who had been put into prison on account of a riot which had taken place in the city and also on a charge of murder.) Again Pilate addressed them, for he wanted to release Jesus, but they roared, "To the cross, to the cross with him!" He asked them a third time, "But what crime has he committed? I have found nothing about him that deserves death; so I shall release him with a whipping." But they loudly urged their demand that he should be crucified, and their shouts carried the day. Pilate gave sentence that their demand was to be carried out; he released the man they wanted, the man who had been imprisoned for riot and murder, and Jesus he handed over to their will.

At festival time the governor was in the habit of releasing any one prisoner whom the crowd chose. At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Jesus Bar-Abbas; so, when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Who do you want released? Jesus Bar-Abbas or Jesus the so-called 'Christ'?" read more.
(He knew quite well that Jesus had been delivered up out of envy. Besides, when he was seated on the tribunal, his wife had sent to tell him, "Do nothing with that innocent man, for I have suffered greatly to-day in a dream about him.") But the high priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask Bar-Abbas and to have Jesus killed. The governor said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" "Bar-Abbas," they said. Pilate said, "Then what am I to do with Jesus the so-called 'Christ'?" They all said, "Have him crucified!" "Why," said the governor, "what has he done wrong?" But they shouted on more fiercely than ever, "Have him crucified!" Now when Pilate saw that instead of him doing any good a riot was rising, he took some water and washed his hands in presence of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this good man's blood. It is your affair!" To this all the people replied, "His blood be on us and on our children!" Then he released Bar-Abbas for them; Jesus he scourged and handed over to be crucified.

Now at festival time he used to release for them some prisoner whom they begged from him. (There was a man called Bar-Abbas in prison, among the rioters who had committed murder during the insurrection.) So the crowd pressed up and started to ask him for his usual boon. read more.
Pilate replied, "Would you like me to release the king of the Jews for you?" (For he knew the high priests had handed him over out of envy.) But the high priests stirred up the crowd to get him to release Bar-Abbas for them instead. Pilate asked them again, "And what am I to do with your so-called king of the Jews?" Whereupon they shouted again, "Crucify him." "Why," said Pilate, "what has he done wrong?" But they shouted more fiercely than ever, "Crucify him!" So, as Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd, he released Bar-Abbas for them; Jesus he handed over to be crucified, after he had scourged him.

But it is your custom that I should release a prisoner for you at the passover. Is it your will that I release you the king of the Jews?" Again they yelled, "No, not him! Bar-Abbas!" Now Bar-Abbas was a robber.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. And the soldiers twisted some thorns into a crown and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe, marching up to him and shouting, "Hail, king of the Jews!" ??and striking him. read more.
Again Pilate went out and said to them, "Look, I am bringing him out to you. Understand, I cannot find anything wrong about him." So out came Jesus, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe; and Pilate said, "Here the man is!" Now when the high priests and their attendants saw him, they yelled, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said, "Take him and crucify him yourselves! I find nothing wrong about him." The Jews retorted, "But we have a Law, and by [our] Law he is bound to die, because he has made himself out to be God's Son." Now when Pilate heard that, he was still more afraid; he went inside the praetorium again and asked Jesus, "Where do you come from?" Jesus made no reply. Then Pilate said, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know it is in my power to release you or to crucify you?" Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me, unless it had been granted you from above. So you are less guilty than he who betrayed me to you." This made Pilate anxious to release him, but the Jews yelled, "If you release him, you are no friend of Caesar's! Anyone who makes himself a king is against Caesar!" On hearing this, Pilate brought Jesus out and seated him on the tribunal at a spot called the 'mosaic pavement' ??the Hebrew name is Gabbatha (it was the day of Preparation for the passover, about noon). "There is your king!" he said to the Jews. Then they yelled, "Off with him! Off with him! Crucify him!" "Crucify your king?" said Pilate. The high priests retorted, "We have no king but Caesar!" Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,


and after making fun of him they stripped him of the mantle, put on his own clothes, and took him off to be crucified. As they went out they met a Cyrenian called Simon, whom they forced to carry his cross. When they came to a place called Golgotha (meaning the place of a skull), read more.
they gave him a drink of wine mixed with bitters; but when he tasted it he would not drink it.

Then, after making fun of him, they stripped off the purple, put on his own clothes, and took him away to crucify him. They forced Simon a Cyrenian who was passing on his way from the country (the father of Alexander and Rufus) to carry his cross, and they led him to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). read more.
They offered him wine flavoured with myrrh, but he would not take it.

As they led him off they caught hold of Simon a Cyrenian on his way from the country and laid the cross on him to carry after Jesus. He was followed by a large multitude of the people and also of women who beat their breasts and lamented him; but Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me but weep for yourselves and for your children! read more.
For there are days coming when the cry will be, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never have borne and the breasts that never have suckled!' Then will people say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if this is what they do when the wood is green, what will they do when the wood is dry?" Two criminals were also led out with him to be executed,

Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went away, carrying the cross by himself, to the spot called the 'place of the skull' ??the Hebrew name is Golgotha;


Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the high priests to betray him to them. They were delighted to hear it, and promised to pay him for it. Meantime he sought a good opportunity for betraying him.

While he was still speaking, up came Judas, one of the twelve, accompanied by a large mob with swords and cudgels who had come from the high priests and the elders of the people.

Then they arrested him and led him away inside the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance

whereupon the high priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "Whatever is to be done?" they said. "The fellow is performing a number of Signs.

Then one of the twelve called Judas Iscariot went and said to the high priests, "What will you give me for betraying him to you?" And they weighed out for him thirty silver pieces.

Immediately morning came, the high priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and all the Sanhedrin, and after binding Jesus they led him off and handed him over to Pilate.

Then the high priests and the elders of the people met in the palace of the high priest who was called Caiaphas and took counsel together to get hold of Jesus by craft and have him put to death. "Only," they said, "it must not be during the festival, in case of a riot among the people."

One of his companions put out his hand, drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

And one of them did strike the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

At that very moment, while he was still speaking, Judas [Iscariot] one of the twelve came up accompanied by a mob with swords and cudgels who had come from the high priests and scribes and elders. Now his betrayer had given them a signal; he said, "Whoever I kiss, that is the man. Seize him and get him safely away." So when he arrived he at once went up to him and said, "Rabbi [rabbi]," and kissed him. read more.
Then they laid hands on him and seized him, but one of the bystanders drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

They took Jesus away to the high priest, and all the high priests and scribes and elders met there with him. Peter followed him at a distance till he got inside the courtyard of the high priest, where he sat down with the attendants to warm himself at the fire. Now the high priests and the whole of the Sanhedrin tried to secure evidence against Jesus, in order to have him put to death; but they could find none, read more.
for while many bore false witness against him their evidence did not agree. Some got up and bore false witness against him, saying, "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple made by hands, and in three days I will build another temple not made by hands.'" But even so the evidence did not agree. So the high priest rose in their midst and asked Jesus, "Have you no reply to make? What about this evidence against you?" He said nothing and made no answer. Again the high priest put a question to him. "Are you the Christ?" he said, "the Son of the Blessed?" Jesus said, "I am. And, what is more, you will all see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his clothes and cried, "What more evidence do we want? You have heard his blasphemy for yourselves. What is your mind?" They condemned him, all of them, to the doom of death; and some of them started to spit on him and to blindfold him and buffet him, asking him, "Prophesy." The attendants treated him to cuffs and slaps. Now as Peter was downstairs in the courtyard, a maidservant of the high priest came along,

The high priests and scribes were trying how to get him put to death (for they were afraid of the people), and Satan entered Judas called Iscariot, a member of the twelve, who went off to discuss with the high priests and commanders how he could betray him to them. read more.
They were delighted and agreed to pay him for it. He assented to this and sought a good opportunity for betraying him to them in the absence of the crowd.

When day broke, the elders of the people all met along with the high priests and scribes, and had him brought before their Sanhedrin. They said to him, "Tell us if you are the Christ." He said to them, "You will not believe me if I tell you, and you will not answer me when I put a question to you. read more.
But after this the Son of man will be seated at God's right hand of power." "Are you the Son of God then?" they all said. "Certainly," he replied, "I am." So they said, "What more evidence do we need? We have heard it from his own lips."

Then the whole body of them rose and led him to Pilate. They proceeded to accuse him, saying, "We have discovered this fellow perverting our nation, forbidding tribute being paid to Caesar, and alleging he is king messiah."

Then they yelled, "Off with him! Off with him! Crucify him!" "Crucify your king?" said Pilate. The high priests retorted, "We have no king but Caesar!" Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,




Now when Pilate saw that instead of him doing any good a riot was rising, he took some water and washed his hands in presence of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this good man's blood. It is your affair!" To this all the people replied, "His blood be on us and on our children!" Then he released Bar-Abbas for them; Jesus he scourged and handed over to be crucified.

What is your view?" They replied, "He is doomed to death."

Pilate gave sentence that their demand was to be carried out;

Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,